Curse and Inequality

Dr. Craig Evans, like Ravi Zacharias, is a prolific writer and public speaker with many words of wisdom.  I’ve been pondering the doctrine of equality and like how Dr. Evans articulated how Christ and Christianity has (imperfectly) championed equality and the intrinsic value of the soul.

Sadly it has taken some extra time and effort to  rid ourselves of Ezra’s ethnocenticity. I am seeing Ezra/Nehemiah bigotry as (possibly) a major negative influence which Christianity has had a hard time getting away from. 

As you know, ethnocentricity and equality is a major theme of the Book of Mormon. Sadly many people with only a superficial knowledge of the Book or Mormon often make errant conclusions that the Book encourages racism because it discusses peoples of a lighter and darker skin. 

1. Dark skin was a mark and not the curse

Alma 3:6 And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.

2. Curse was living in the world with a diminished light of Christ and conscience without correct traditions, laws, scriptures, and example.  The Lamanites initially were living in the world generally separated from the influence of the Holy Ghost, and the divine presence. 

(Alma 3:10-11)  Those who believed in the tradition of the Lamanites and rejected the scriptures were under the curse and eventually marked themselves like Amlici. (epigenetics?) Those who accepted the traditions of the Nephites were considered Nephites regardless of skin color. 

Amalakites were Nephites that wholly went over to live with the Lamanites and has reference to Amalek in the OT (Deut 25:17-19).. 

3. Although the Lamanites were initually discribed as “savages”, Jacob taught:

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.

4. the Book of Mormon teaches against slavery and that God is no respecter of persons. 

Mosiah 2:13  no slaves

2 Nephi 26:33  no black or white

5. The Book of Mormon, like the Bible, highlights how God and Christ’s atonement is overcoming and will overcome all curses (enemies). 

1 Cor 15:26-26  last enemy (curse) is death

Enos 1:20  seeking to restore the Lamanites

6. Then real curse is inequality/sin/poverty. 

3 Nephi 6:14  curse = inequality

2 Nephi 5:24  curse = idleness

Alma 28:13 curse = sin

7. Christ’s atonement has the power to overcome all enemies and all curses. 

Hel 6:1  Righteousness of Lananites exceeds the Nephites. 

8. Zion will live with “all things common” (not in common) with perfect equality in access to temporal and spiritual things. Everyone will live under the same rules. 

Leviticus 19:15

15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

Thete are 2 kinds of Narcissism: 1 grandiose narcissism and 2. vulnerable (victim) narcissism, which means you have convinced yourself that 1. general rules don't apply to you, 2. law unto yourself, 3. your a special exception because of unique circumstances (good or bad).  4. entitled

Our modern society is breeding narcissism and inequality where groups are living by a different set of rules  (very poor or ultra rich).