Lamanites Cursed (2 Nephi 5)

My brudder Bob and me in 1979

Again about 2005

My own siblings and I have always been close friends.  It makes me sad when siblings don't get along.  This one guy told me once, "I really love how good of friends you and your brother (Bob) are.  I haven't spoken to my brother in 20 years."  I was totally blown away.  I guess it happens.


After the death of dear old Lehi and Sariah, Laman & Lemuel wouldn't stop being butt-heads, so The Lord warned Nephi to get out of Dodge.

2 Nephi 5: 5-6

5.  And it came to pass that The Lord did warn me, that I, Nephi, should depart from them and flee into the wilderness, and all those who would go with me.

6.  Wherefore, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did take my family, and also Zoram and his family, and Sam, mine elder brother and his family, and Jacob and Joseph, my younger brethren, and also my sisters, and all those who would go with me.  And all those who would go with me were those who believed in the warnings and the revelations of God; wherefore, they did hearken unto my words.  

• I'm glad Nephi mentioned his sisters.  Women didn't get a lot of mentions in the old days.
• Jacob and Joseph didn't have families yet, apparently.
• There were others besides the known good guys who followed Nephi.  I wonder if this included any of the children of Laman, Lemuel or the sons of Ishmael.  

Can a principle be applied to us from this little story?  Yup, I reckon it can.  See, back at the beginning of this chapter Nephi tells us why the move was necessary.

2 Nephi 5: 1-2

1.  Behold, it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cry much unto The Lord my God, because of the anger of my brethren.

2.  But behold, their anger did increase against me, insomuch that they did seek to take away my life.

I think it's worth noting that Nephi had some major challenges in his life, brought on him through no fault of his own.  He prayed to his Heavenly Father for this challenge to be removed.  Specifically, that his brothers would stop behaving so badly toward him, and stop threatening him with death day in and day out.  Was it in The Lord's power to answer this prayer the way Nephi wanted it?  Yup. Did He?  Nope.

Instead, "their anger did increase against me."  Why wasn't Nephi's prayer answered?  Well, it was, just not the way he wanted.  Not the way he wanted, but in a way that would not only benefit his posterity for many generations, but you and me as well.

Ya see, kids, in this case, it was absolutely vital that the 2 groups, Nephites and Lamanites, one obedient and the other not so much, separate, and then the more righteous group would have to lean on The Lord almost constantly in order to not get destructed by the udder group.  That's how The Lord saves them, by giving them trials that encourage them to call upon Him for His blessings.  If not for the trials of life, they [we] would have gotten too complacent, & felt like they didn't need Him so much, and slowly drifted away toward the world.

Wherefore, we can pray about our own challenges, and sometimes those challenges will be decreased or removed, while other times, we will be blessed to be able to handle them.  In any case, The Lord's answer will ALWAYS play into the bigger picture, which means the answers may not come in the way we wanted.

It took some searching to find the following scripture, but I knew it was there somewheres.  Anywayz, it kind of illustrates my point.  Sorry if I overcomplicated a small principle, but that was where my thinks took me.  So, read this Alma thing, and then let's move on....

Alma 48: 15

15.  And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger.

So, they moved from the land of Lehi north to the land of Nephi.

In their new home, Nephi and the newly dubbed "people of Nephi" prospered exceedingly in the land.  They worked hard and kept the commandments of The Lord, according to the Law of Moses.  Nephi constructed a temple after the pattern of the Temple of Solomon.

A few chapters back, when Lehi was talking to his posterity, he told his grand kids that if they ended up being cursed, that the cursing would be answered on the heads of their parents, and that in the latter days, they would be brought back into the light.  Here's the curse... 

2 Nephi 5: 21-23

21.  And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity.  For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto to my people The Lord did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.

22.  And thus saith The Lord God:  I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.

23.  And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing.  And The Lord spake it, and it was done.

Raise your hand if you were offended by anything in those verses...

Yeah, taken at face value, without an understanding of the whole picture, I can see how this would make people stop and wonder what this was about.  Even a lot of devout believers in the BOM hurry over this part, I'd imagine.  This is something that's hard for me to write about because I don't have a clear understanding of it myself. 

But I'll tell you some of my thinks...

• I think there were other peoples living here in the Americas who were a darker skinned people, possibly even from the Orient and had crossed over the land bridge of Alaska during the ice age as science suggests.  I think that while Nephi and his followers kept their covenants of chastity and keeping their relations within the house of Israel, the Lamanites mixed and mingled with the natives, causing their offspring to inherit the darker skin.  Did Heavenly Father snap his fingers and these people's skin just turned dark in an instant.  I just have a hard time believing that.  Though it is important to make note of the fact that I DON'T KNOW.

• I think that the real cursing was being cut off from The Lord, cut off from the Holy Spirit.  In verse 24 it says that, because of the cursing, they did become idle and full of mischief and subtlety.  I don't think that the color of someone's skin causes them to be idle, mischievous or subtle (devious).  I think it is the absence of God and His direction in a person's life that does these things.

• I think the darker skin was to keep the 2 groups separate so that they wouldn't mix together and make one big semi-righteous group.  This would have caused the righteousness in them to slowly dwindle away to nothing.  You've just gotta have a Lamanite Army always trying to kill you to keep you on your toes, and on your knees.  

• I think this was the best strategy for The Lord to use in order to save the greater number of His children.  It really is the reason that the Book of Mormon was able to be written in the first place, and it will serve in the end to bless this ancient situation greatly.  

• I think that the reference in verse 21 to the Lamanites before the cursing being "white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome," refers to them having the Spirit with them.  And afterwards when they're called "loathsome", this refers to them losing that Spirit, and it showed in their countenance.  Those who have the Spirit of God with them have a certain thing about them, a spark, a radiance.  Those who don't, don't.  In Jacob 3: 8, Jacob tells the Nephites that, due to their iniquities, at the judgment bar the skins of the Lamanites would be more white than theirs, if they didn't repent.  And in Alma 23:18, speaking of the thousands of Lamanites who were converted to The Lord, "...and the curse of God did no more follow them."  Much later in 3rd Nephi 2: 15, it says of the righteous Lamanites, "And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites."   

Anyone still offended?

Oh. 

Well, I just don't think that the transformation spoken of that came over these people was a sudden and physical change from dark skin to light skin.  I just believe that it was the light in their eyes, in their countenance that signified that God was a part of their lives, and that they had been enlightened by the Spirit of God. 

Consider this...

Alma 5: 21

21.  I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of Him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem His people from their sins.

Isaiah 1: 18

18.  Come now, and let us reason together, saith The Lord; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

3 Nephi 19: 25 (When The Savior Himself appears to the people of the Book of Mormon)

25.  And it came to pass that Jesus blessed them as they did pray unto Him; and His countenance did smile upon them, and the light of His countenance did shine upon them, and behold they were as white as the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof.

White is a symbol of purity and cleanliness according to the cultures of those who kept these records.  Is that a racist statement?  Well, sort of, at least, pretty politically incorrect according to today's standards, but I don't think it was meant that way.

My final argument is this:  I know that The Bible and The Book of Mormon are truly the words of Christ, our Lord.  I echo the words of Nephi back in...

1 Nephi 11: 17

17.  And I said unto him:  I know that He loveth His children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

That's about the best I can do.  If you are troubled by any of these things, please seek The Lord in prayer.  He said,

"Ask, and ye shall receive.  Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

Peace be with you...

The heart of Grandpa Lehi (2 Nephi 4, part 1)

Before Lehi waxed old and died in verse 12 of 2nd Nephi 4, he continued to counsel and offer Priesthood Blessings to his family.  After speaking to Laman and Lemuel and Sam and Nephi and Zoram and the sons of Ishmael in chapter 1, Jacob in chapter 2, and Joseph in chapter 3, Lehi calls them all together again for one last effort.

2 Nephi 4: 3

3.  Wherefore, after my father had made an end of speaking concerning the prophecies of Joseph, he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them:  Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my first-born, I would that ye should give ear unto my words.

I can picture Lehi, old and gray, his grand kids sitting at his feet.  Lehi will die in 9 more verses, so he must be pretty frail at this time.  He feels a great need to reach out to the sons and daughters of his rebellious sons.  Can you feel his love for them?  Can you feel how he is now confident that his 2 sons will be lost, but doesn't want their kids to suffer because of the failures of their Dads?

2 Nephi 4: 5-7, & part of 9

5.  But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.

6.  Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents.

7.  Wherefore, because of my blessing The Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever.

9.  ... but in the end thy seed shall be blessed.

Lehi didn't call "Laman and his sons and daughters" together, just the kids.  Maybe he tried and he wouldn't come.  Maybe he knew Laman wouldn't come, and so didn't try.  Or, maybe he was afraid Laman's presence would impede the Spirit of The Lord being felt by the young ones.  And the blessing is interesting too...

"If ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you..."

This cursing comes in chapter 5, after Lehi is dead and buried, but Lehi has been shown the future of his posterity.  He knows that some of his grandkids will hold to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and some will rebel against it.  He knows that there is actually a righteous purpose to this, which is to stir up the believers to remember their testimonies, and lean upon their God for strength in their adversity.  Lehi knows that, in about 1000 years from then, all the believers in his family line will be gone, either by war or apostasy.  This is a downer of a story.  Where's the good news.

Here it is...

2 Nephi 4: 7 (again)

7.  Wherefore, because of my blessing The Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever.

And how will this be accomplished?

Like this...

Let's set the way back machine and go back a chapter...


2 Nephi 3: 23-24

23.  Wherefore, because of this covenant thou art blessed; for thy seed shall not be destroyed, for they shall hearken unto the words of the book.

24.  And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren.

That is such a neat scripture to me, because it is prophecy being fulfilled right now, this very minute.

After Lehi spoke to Laman & Lemuel's kids, he counseled and blessed Sam and his posterity.  And then he died.

2 Nephi 4: 12

12.  And it came to pass after my father, Lehi, had spoken unto all his household, according to the feelings of his heart and the Spirit of The Lord which was in him, he waxed old.  And it came to pass that he died, and he was buried.

Goodbye, Lehi:  Husband, Father, Grandfather, Prophet of God.  Thanks for EVERYTHING!!!  I can picture you and your Eternal Companion wrapped in the arms of your Savior's love.

Peace be with you...

Fulfilling Joseph's Promise (2 Nephi 3)

We don't hear much about Lehi's son, Joseph.  He and Sam don't have books of their own in the BOM like their brother Jacob, but that doesn't mean they turned to the dark side or anything.  Chapter 3 in 2nd Nephi is Lehi's speech and blessing for Joseph, his youngest son.

This is actually Israel Blesses Ephraim with the Birthright, by Keith Larson, but I like the image for Lehi and Joseph and Jacob (actually, that means the man standing is Joseph, Israel's son).

Joseph was born during a tough time in Lehi's life.  He tells Joseph that he was born in the "wilderness of mine afflictions" and that he was born in "the days of my greatest sorrows."  It's probably safe to say that Joseph had as rough a time as Jacob did, probably rougher 'cause he was younger.

Can you see the little baby hanging on to his Mom?  I think this is probably Joseph. 

I know Lehi is a wise and wonderful creature, and is trying to give his son comfort, and promised blessings for the future, but if my Dad (if he were a prophet) said this to me, I think I'd freak out:

2 Nephi 3: 3

3.  And now, Joseph, my last-born, whom I have brought out of the wilderness of mine afflictions, may The Lord bless thee forever, for thy seed shall not utterly be destroyed.

"Wait, what did you say?!!"

Gift of Eternal Life (1 Nephi 15, part 2)

Prophecies abound in the BOM of the descendants of Lehi accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ and coming to the understanding that their ancestors were of the House of Israel.  In the early days of The Church, Joseph Smith felt an urgency to take the gospel to the American Indian tribes that were accessible.  These efforts didn't yield much success.

-William Armitage, 1890

Here's one such prophecy from 1 Nephi 15.  After a little lecturing to his brothers, Nephi tried to explain to his brothers that Lehi's prophecy about the natural branches of the olive tree being grafted in to the true olive tree was about their own kids' children's kids' children.

1 Nephi 15: 13

13.  And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fullness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after The Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fullness of the gospel of The Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed.
14.  And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of The Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of His doctrine, that they may know how to come unto Him and be saved.

Do you think Joseph Smith was disappointed when his missionary efforts among the American Indians didn't yield the fruit he'd hoped?  Maybe.  Did he wonder about the truth of this prophecy?  Oh, I don't think so. Not in the least.

So, how's that prophecy doing now days? Here's part of a talk by Terrence L. Hansen from the Ensign in 1972.

The Church in Central America

By Terrence L. Hansen

This year the countries of Central America are noting the twenty-fifth anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries there. There are now two missions and a stake, and the way has truly been opened for the Lord’s work. In Guatemala and El Salvador eight chapels are now in use, six are under construction, and several others are being planned.

Membership of the Guatemala-El Salvador Mission in March 1972 was 23,404, with approximately 6,000 in the Guatemala City Stake.

This map is from 2011. All of the dots represent LDS Temples.  In order for a Temple to be built there must be a need for it by way of active members of The Church.  You can check out more info on the Mormon horde at http://www.allaboutmormons.com/.  I copied and pasted a graph here, but it disappeared & won't come back.  Maybe it's false doctrine.

Hey, are you ok?  Wake up, man!  Sorry I'm being boring again.  I'll give you a speech, read 3 scriptures, and I'm gone.

I had some trouble putting this post together.  Google's Blogger has some difficulties sometimes.  When I click on the preview option to see what you would see if I publish it, it shows stuff that I didn't put in or put in, but took out.  It also doesn't show stuff that I did put in.  Anwayz, this is my 4th attempt at this, and so I'm just going to leave it as is.  I think you can survive one lame post, can't ya? 

K.  3 Scriptures...

1 Nephi 15: 20

20.  And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again.  And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did humble themselves before The Lord.

The restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in our day and the gathering in of the house of Israel is of great importance. Lehi is of the house of Israel, and so the missionary work going on in Mexico and Central and South America, as well as the Latino and American Indian communities here in the States is very exciting stuff.  The Book of Mormon is a key instrument in fulfilling this prophecy.

1 Nephi 15: 25

25 Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things.

Have you ever had a friend or relative that you didn't bother sharing the gospel with because you just couldn't see that it would do any good?  Nephi saw into the future of Laman and Lemuel and knew what their decisions were going to be, yet he put such effort into trying anywayz.

1 Nephi 15: 36

36.  Wherefore, the wicked are rejected from the righteous, and also from that tree of life, whose fruit is most precious and most desirable above all other fruits; yea, and it is the greatest of all the gifts of God. And thus I spake unto my brethren. Amen.

Peace be with you...