Skin of Blackness: Book of Mormon Curse Ft. Jasmin Gimenez Rappleye | LDS Discussions 57 | Ep. 1943

Skin of Blackness in the Book of Mormon: An Uneasy History

The "skin of blackness" in the Book of Mormon has long been a controversial topic, provoking both theological debate and personal reflection among Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) members and scholars. As discussions continue on how to reconcile religious texts with modern values, questions about how these teachings affect current and potential church members have gained urgency.

Established in 1830 by Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon holds a central place in LDS theology. It narrates the religious history of ancient peoples in the Americas, focusing on two main groups: Nephites and Lamanites. The storyline includes a divine curse that resulted in the "skin of blackness" for those who turned against the Nephite people, a reference that has been interpreted over time as denoting racial characteristics.

Tracing the Biblical Curse and Its Implications

The Book of Mormon refers to the Lamanites as being cursed with a "skin of blackness" to signify their moral decay. Historically, early church leaders like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young interpreted this darkening as a literal transformation. Over time, this teaching was used (consciously or unconscious) to impose discriminatory attitudes towards individuals of African descent, becoming enmeshed with broader racial ideologies of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Jasmin Gimenez Rappleye, featured on The Mormon Stories Podcast, revisits this narrative. The attempt by some modern apologists to reinterpret "skin of blackness" as a metaphorical or symbolic marker rather than a literal change fails to address the concrete harm such teachings have perpetuated. As Rappleye mentions, dismissing the literal implications doesn't erase their historical or cultural impact.