Mormon 5 | |
1 1 Much ado is made of oaths being strictly kept by characters in the Book of Mormon, that oaths were so important that the righteous would not even consider breaking them. That isn’t congruent with Mormon’s example here, especially considering that in verse 2 Mormon says that while breaking this oath by assisting the Nephites he “was without hope, for [he] knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them.” | |
2 1 Mormon 5:1-2
Much ado is made of oaths being strictly kept by characters in the Book of Mormon, that oaths were so important that the righteous would not even consider breaking them. That isn’t congruent with Mormon’s example here, especially considering that in verse 2 Mormon says that while breaking this oath by assisting the Nephites he “was without hope, for [he] knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them.” | |
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9 And also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, who the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as naught among them--therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people. | 9 |
10 1 Past LDS leaders and various references in the Doctrine and Covenants make it clear that the seed of this people (the Lamanites) were the Native Americans (as well as Pacific Islanders according to the leaders). Now, LDS leaders won’t tell us who the Lamanites are. Just who is it that Mormon is speaking to? | |
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14 And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go--that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant; | 14 |
15 And also that the seed of this people may more fully believe his gospel, which shall go forth unto them from the Gentiles; for this people shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us, yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites, and this because of their unbelief and idolatry. | RacismDark Skin 151 According to this, the Lamanites would become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people. Is it possible that this is a reflection of 19th century white imperialist racism? 1 Past LDS leaders and various references in the Doctrine and Covenants make it clear that the seed of this people (the Lamanites) were the Native Americans (as well as Pacific Islanders according to the leaders). Now, LDS leaders won’t tell us who the Lamanites are. Just who is it that Mormon is speaking to? |
16 1 Mormon 5:15-20
According to this, the Lamanites would become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people. Is it possible that this is a reflection of 19th century white imperialist racism? | |
17 1 Mormon 5:15-20
According to this, the Lamanites would become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people. Is it possible that this is a reflection of 19th century white imperialist racism? | |
18 1 Mormon 5:15-20
According to this, the Lamanites would become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people. Is it possible that this is a reflection of 19th century white imperialist racism? | |
19 1 Mormon 5:15-20
According to this, the Lamanites would become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people. Is it possible that this is a reflection of 19th century white imperialist racism? | |
20 1 Mormon 5:15-20
According to this, the Lamanites would become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people. Is it possible that this is a reflection of 19th century white imperialist racism? | |
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24 1 Verse 22 indicates this is directed at the Gentiles. So this remnant is presumably the Lamanites who are either most of the Native Americans or among the Native Americans depending on whether you read the pre-2006 Book of Mormon Introduction or the Introduction after that. And, that remnant is to go forth destroying the Gentiles for non-belief. In spite of at least 98 percent non-belief at this point (see explanation below), the destruction was by in large brought to the remnant however you define that. As I write this there are 324 million people in the USA and 6.5 million of those are Mormon. That’s 2 Mormons among every hundred Americans. So the percentage of those who do not believe is 98 percent. Worldwide 99.8 percent do not believe. Click here for a graph that represents the non-believers "among them." And, in reality the numbers of those who believe in LDS claims is actually lower than the numbers the Church claims on its membership records, so the percentages are starker than what I’ve listed above. For example, according to the Pew Research Center, those claiming to be LDS in the U.S. came to about 1.6% of the population in 2014 (“America’s Changing Religious Landscape”). |