Book of Mormon and Melanin

God doesn't care about skin color. The Book of Mormon Jacob told his people to not look down on the Lamanites because of their skin color. The darker skin was just a mark that the Nephites associated with the curse. It was not the curse itself.

Jacob 3:9 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.

What was the curse of Cain, or Ham, and Laman and Lemuel? It was that Cain, Ham, Laman and Lemuel not only rejected the gospel of Jesus Christ, but they also rejected civilization and became superstitious hunting-gathering savages. I mean if everyone came from Adam and Eve, and Adam and Eve were blessed with knowledge of advanced civilization, somewhere down the line someone had to reject civilization and become the aboriginals of Africa, Australia, and America, etc. The curse which is passed on to children is that the children will not have the same opportunity as the the parents to accept or reject Christ. The curse is the inequality of opportunity caused by the sins of the parent and lack of education of the children.

The Book of Mormon deals as a major theme how to overcome the curse of inequality with the institution of agriculture, literacy, industry, free trade, missionary work, freedom of religion, and elected government. Through these steps the Lamanites were convinced of the incorrectness of the traditions of their parents and were converted to Christ. These same Lamanites were praised in the Book of Mormon for being more faithful, more steadfast, and more zealous in their devotion to Christ than the Nephites. There is nothing in the Book of Mormon which says that people with Black Skin are less in the eyes of God but the Book of Mormon says that God is no respecter of persons.

2 Ne. 26:33 For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

Let me give you a great example of what I mean. My Dad is a member of his local Rotary Club. He was telling me that the Rotary Club has begun a new program building and supplying grain mills to third-world countries. It wasn't enough just to teach these people how to grow grain, because these cultures placed the responsibility of grinding the grain on the young women. Using mortar and pistil, it would take all day to grind all the grain needed to feed the family. Consequently, these young women didn't have time to learn to read or attend school. So, now with grain mills, young women for the first time could attend school and learn to read. By reading people are able to be exposed to new and elevated ways of thinking and they are convinced to the incorrectness of their traditions passed to them from their parents and are empowered to pull themselves up out of and break the cycle of poverty.

Tribute to the Faithfulness of the Lamanites
Alma 23: 6 And as sure as the Lord liveth, so sure as many as believed, or as many as were brought to the knowledge of the truth, through the preaching of Ammon and his brethren, according to the spirit of revelation and of prophecy, and the power of God working miracles in them—yea, I say unto you, as the Lord liveth, as many of the Lamanites as believed in their preaching, and were converted unto the Lord, never did fall away.

Alma 27: 27 And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.

Hel. 15: 8 (5-16) Therefore, as many as have come to this, ye know of yourselves are firm and steadfast in the faith, and in the thing wherewith they have been made free.

3 Ne. 6: 14 the church was broken up in all the land save it were among a few of the Lamanites who were converted unto the true faith; and they would not depart from it, for they were firm, and steadfast, and immovable, willing with all diligence to keep the commandments of the Lord.