Mormon teachings on skin color information

Mormon teachings on skin color have evolved throughout the history of the Latter Day Saint movement, and have been the subject of controversy and criticism. Historically, in Mormonism's largest denomination the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), leaders beginning with founder Joseph Smith taught that dark skin was a sign of a curse from God.^[1] After his death in 1844 other leaders taught it was also a punishment for premortal unrighteousness. Since 2013, the church has officially disavowed these beliefs and now teaches that all people are equal in God's sight, regardless of skin color. The LDS Church since then has worked to promote racial equality and inclusion.^{[citation needed]} Several other Mormon denominations, however continue to teach into the present day that skin color is related to curses or personal righteousness.

The LDS Church's earlier teachings and policies based on skin color were rooted in its canonized scriptures the Book of Mormon and Book of Abraham. In the Book of Mormon the Nephites, a group of ancient Americans who were descended from Israelites, were "white and exceedingly fair and delightsome". The Lamanites, on the other hand, were described as having "a skin of blackness" and were said to have been cursed with this condition as a punishment for their wickedness and rebellion against God. In his revisions of the King James Bible, and production of the Book of Abraham Smith traced Black skin to the Biblical curses placed on Cain and Ham, and linked the two by positioning Ham's Canaanite cursed posterity as matrilinear descendants of the previously cursed Cain.^[2] These discriminatory beliefs around skin color were reinforced by church leaders in the 19th and early 20th centuries, who taught that dark skin was a sign of inferiority and that those with dark skin were not as righteous as those with light skin. This belief was also used to justify LDS social segregation and other skin-color-based policies within the church, such as denying Black women and men access to ordinances in the temple necessary for exaltation in the highest tier of heaven. The temple and priesthood restrictions were removed in 1978, with the top leaders stating that all priesthood ordination would be practiced "without regard for race or color." A 2023 survey of over 1,000 former church members in the Mormon corridor found race issues in the church to be one of the top three reported reasons why they had disaffiliated.^[3]

^ Stuart Bingham, Ryan (July 2015). "Curses and Marks: Racial Dispensations and Dispensations of Race in Joseph Smith's Bible Revision and the Book of Abraham". Journal of Mormon History. 41 (3). Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press: 27. doi:10.5406/jmormhist.41.3.22. JSTOR 10.5406/jmormhist.41.3.22. S2CID 246574026 – via JSTOR. Smith constructed the racial narratives of his Bible revision and the Book of Abraham in line with inherited myths of racial origins, specifically the curse of Ham myth and its Cain-theory variant. ... [H]e attached providential curses and marks to primordial offenders. ... Like many others of his time and place, Joseph Smith believed that dark skin marked people of African ancestry as cursed by God.
^ Cite error: The named reference Marks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Riess, Jana (March 8, 2024). "Who is leaving the LDS Church? Eight key survey findings". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. Religion News Service. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024 – via Internet Archive.

[Curses-1] Stuart Bingham, Ryan (July 2015). "Curses and Marks: Racial Dispensations and Dispensations of Race in Joseph Smith's Bible Revision and the Book of Abraham". Journal of Mormon History. 41 (3). Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press: 27. doi:10.5406/jmormhist.41.3.22. JSTOR 10.5406/jmormhist.41.3.22. S2CID 246574026 – via JSTOR. Smith constructed the racial narratives of his Bible revision and the Book of Abraham in line with inherited myths of racial origins, specifically the curse of Ham myth and its Cain-theory variant. ... [H]e attached providential curses and marks to primordial offenders. ... Like many others of his time and place, Joseph Smith believed that dark skin marked people of African ancestry as cursed by God.

[Marks-2] Cite error: The named reference Marks was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[3] Riess, Jana (March 8, 2024). "Who is leaving the LDS Church? Eight key survey findings". The Salt Lake Tribune. Salt Lake City, Utah. Religion News Service. Archived from the original on March 9, 2024 – via Internet Archive.

Mormon teachings on skin color information

and 20 Related for: Mormon teachings on skin color information

Mormon teachings on skin color

Skin whitening

Lamanites

Racism against Asians

The Bible and slavery

Black people and Mormonism

Murder of Thomas Coleman

Curse and mark of Cain

Native American people and Mormonism

Joseph Smith

Mormonism

Book of Mormon

Black people and early Mormonism

Proposed Book of Mormon geographical setting

Lost 116 pages

Criticism of the Book of Mormon

Second Nephi

Angel Moroni

Racial color blindness

List of Latter Day Saint movement topics

Book of Mormon
Part of a series on the

Origin Cumorah Golden plates Joseph Smith Emma Smith Oliver Cowdery Sidney Rigdon David Whitmer Martin Harris Lucy Harris Book of Mormon witnesses Three Witnesses Eight Witnesses Spalding–Rigdon theory
Peoples Jaredites Nephites Amalekites Amlicites Zoramites Lamanites Anti-Nephi-Lehies Amulonites
Persons Aaron Abinadi Abish Ammon Angel Moroni Alma the Elder Alma the Younger Akish Amaleki (scribe) Amaleki (explorer) Amalickiah Aminadab Ammoron Ammah Amulek Brother of Jared Captain Moroni Cezoram Coriantumr (last Jaredite king) Coriantumr (Nephite dissenter) Coriantumr (son of Omer) Enos Ether Gazelem Gideon Helaman Ishmael Jacob Jared Jaredite kings Joseph King Benjamin King Noah King Mosiah I King Mosiah II Laban Lachoneus Laman and Lemuel Lamoni Lehi Limhi Mormon Moroni Moron Moronihah Mulek Nephi Nehor Omner Omni Paanchi Sam Sariah Samuel the Lamanite Shiz Teancum Three Nephites Zedekiah Zeezrom Zeram, Amnor, Manti, and Limher Zeniff Zenock
Books First Nephi Second Nephi Book of Jacob Book of Enos Book of Jarom Book of Omni Words of Mormon Book of Mosiah Book of Alma Book of Helaman Third Nephi Fourth Nephi Book of Mormon Book of Ether Book of Moroni
Geography List Ammonihah Ani-Anti Antiparah Bountiful Cumeni Cumorah Jershon Moron Nahom River Sidon Valley of Alma Valley of Nimrod Waters of Mormon Zarahemla
Analysis Anachronisms Archaeology Book of Mormon and the King James Bible Criticism Historical authenticity Genetics Killing of Laban Linguistics Limited geography model Mosiah priority
Objects Liahona Plates of Nephi Record of the Nephites
Adaptations List of Book of Mormon Videos How Rare a Possession The Book of Mormon Movie Passage to Zarahemla Translations
Other Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site Curelom and cumom Deseret Engraved metal plates Gadianton robbers Lost 116 pages Monetary system Native Americans and Mormonism Pacific Islanders and Mormonism Skin color and Mormonism Urim and Thummim Reformed Egyptian Record of Zeniff Great and abominable church Secret combination Solomon Chamberlin Tree of life vision Two thousand stripling warriors
Outline of the Book of Mormon
v t e