I read my scriptures every day. Some days I\nread the Book of Mormon, some days the Bible. Most days it seems like I\u2019m just\ngoing through the actions, not being able to truly focus. Maybe having two\nsmall children has something to do with that. But then, there are those rare\noccasions where I actually receive some insight, where some popular\nmisconception is debunked. This paper is a result of one of those times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One evening, when my children had both gone\nto sleep and I was really able to concentrate and ponder on what I was reading,\nI was reading in the fifth chapter of second book of Nephi. The chapter\naddresses the separation of the Nephites and the Lamanites and the Lamanites\nreceiving a dark curse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I had been taught for many years that the\nLamanites had received darker skin than the Nephites because of their\ndisobedience to the Mosaic Law; that they were \u201ccursed\u201d with a darker skin.\nWhile I didn\u2019t think much of it those first few years I was taught it, others\nlater brought it to my attention how such a doctrine had racial overtones to it\n(viz., the indigenous peoples of the Americas had darker skin than Europeans\nbecause of a curse, thus suggesting inferiority to Europeans).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was during this evening of reading in\nthe above passage I received further insight into this popularly held belief.\nIn particular, the first bell that went off with reference to a different\ndefinition of the Lamanitic curse was verses 20 and 21.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n You see, the cursing was being cut off from\nthe Lord\u2019s presence, not the darkness of the skin. In fact, the darkening of\nthe skin wasn\u2019t mentioned until after the cursing was stated. The darkness was\nnothing more than a sign, or symbol, of the curse. The Lord was displeased with\nthe Lamanites for their disobedience to his law and did knew that such actions\nwould be detrimental to his people.[2]<\/a>\nThe darkness itself wasn\u2019t what was loathsome to the people of God; it was the\nphysical reminder of their disobedient nature that was loathsome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this wasn\u2019t the only insight I\nreceived that night. There\u2019s a lot behind this curse. The Lamanites and the\nNephites were still pretty young. Their leaders, Laman and Nephi, had both\nimmigrated to the Americas with their father, and they were both still alive at\nthis time. Laman and his brother Lemuel had both seen an angel; they had heard\nthe voice of the Lord; they had felt the power of God; they had seen numerous\nmiracles wrought through the faith of their youngest brother and their father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now these are powerfully spiritual\nexperiences on their own, but combined they have tremendous consequence. If any\nof us were to experience these today, we would be overwhelmed at the love and\nspirit that would accompany them. To have that blessing removed from us would\nbe indeed a terrible curse. For most of us, it would be incentive to repent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What is interesting is the reaction of the\nLamanites to this curse. They did nothing. Literally. They became an idle\npeople.[3]<\/a>\nIn effect, they responded by saying, \u201cFine. Then we will simply become lazy and\nget into trouble.\u201d In comparison, the Nephites were an industrious, hardworking\npeople.[4]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n When I take this contrast and compare it to\nthe words of Abinadi regarding working six days per week[5]<\/a>\nand the phrase \u201c\u2026work is a always a spiritual necessity[6]<\/a>\u2026\u201d,\nwhat comes to my mind is that in order to have the Lord\u2019s presence in our\nlives, to truly be His people, require work. We cannot be idle like the\nLamanites of old. We need to be industrious like the Nephites of old. We cannot\nbe mischievous like the Lamanites of old. We need to keep busy and work hard\nlike the Nephites of old. For the Lord, perfectly spiritual, can only be\npresent among spiritual people. [1]<\/a> \u201cWherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto\nme, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be\ncut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his\npresence. And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore\ncursing, because of their iniquity\u2026\u201d (2 Ne. 5:20-21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n [2]<\/a> \u201c\u2026that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did\ncause a skin of blackness to come upon them. And thus saith the Lord God: I\nwill cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent\nof their iniquities. And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their\nseed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. (2 Ne 5:21-23)<\/p>\n\n\n\n [3]<\/a> \u201cAnd because of their cursing which was upon them they did become\nan idle people, full of mischief and subtlety…\u201d (2 Ne. 5:24)<\/p>\n\n\n\n [4]<\/a> \u201cAnd I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all\nmanner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of\ngold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance\u2026And it\ncame to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor\nwith their hands.\u201d (2 Ne. 5:15, 17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n [5]<\/a> \u201cSix days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work.\u201d (Mosiah 13:17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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