Lamanite
In the The Book of Mormon, a Lamanite is a member of one of three main tribes described in the book. The other two tribes are the Jaredites and the Nephites. The Lamanites, together with the Nephites, are described as descending from the family of Lehi, a wealthy Jewish merchant, who traveled from the Middle East in 600 BC to the Americas by boat. Nephites descended from the youngest son, Nephi, while Lamanites descended from the elder brothers, Laman and Lemuel.
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2 Theories about Lamanites' "skin of blackness" 3 External Links |
Many Mormons consider Native Americans to be descendents of the Lamanites. Officially, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appears to accept this position. The introduction to the LDS edition of The Book of Mormon states, "[T]he Lamanites . . . are the principal ancestors of the American Indians." See The Book of Mormon (2000), "IntroductionEast AsiaMormonAmericas, (2) a tribe that intermarried with indigenous Native American cultures, or (3) fictional characters. See generally Thomas W. Murphy (2001). "Lamanite Genesis, Genealogy, and Genetics," Mormon Scripture Studies, <http://mormonscripturestudies.com/bomor/twm/lamgen.asp >
In the Book of Mormon, Lamanites are described as having a "skin of blackness" caused by God as punishment for their wickedness and corruption:
Several Book of Mormon passages have been interpreted by some Mormons as indicating that Lamanites would revert to a lighter skin tone upon accepting Mormon teachings. For example, early editions of The Book of Mormon contained the passage: "[T]heir scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people." (2 Nephi 30:6). In 1981 and in subsequent editions of the LDS edition of the The Book of Mormon, the word "white" has been changed to "pure". Therefore, it is unclear what the official position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is on this issue.
Another passage that has been similarly interpreted is 2 Nephi 5:21-21:
Theories about the modern descendents of Lamanites
Theories about Lamanites' "skin of blackness"
While most Mormons consider this passage to mean that God actually darkened the Lamanites' skin, a few Mormons interpret the phrase "skin of blackness" more figuratively, or hypothesize that Lamanites may have intermarried with indigenous Native American peoples with darker skin.
Statements in support of this view were also made in a publication by Joseph Fielding Smith, then an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and who later became its president:
- "Question: 'The question I have is concerning the present status of the Lamanites. I know that Laman and Lemuel and their families were cursed, but to what extent is this curse carried today? Was the darker skin all or just part of the curse? Will this curse be completely forgotten and taken away by the Lord on the basis of repentance and complete acceptance of the gospel?'
- Answer: The dark skin was placed upon the Lamanites so that they could be distinguished from the Nephites and to keep the two peoples from mixing. The dark skin was the sign of the curse. The curse was the withdrawal of the Spirit of the Lord and the Lamanites becoming a 'loathsome and filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.'
- ... At the time of the Savior's visit to the Nephites all of the people became united, and the curse and the dark skin which was its sign were removed.
- ... After the people again forgot the Lord and dissensions arose, some of them took upon themselves the name Lamanites and the dark skin returned.
- When the Lamanites fully repent and sincerely receive the gospel, the Lord has promised to remove the dark skin.
- ... The dark skin of those who have come into the Church is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse. Many of these converts are delightsome and have the Spirit of the Lord. Perhaps there are some Lamanites today who are losing the dark pigment. Many of the members of the Church among the Catawba Indians of the South could readily pass as of the white race; also in other parts of the South.
Spencer W. Kimball, another LDS apostle who later became president of the church, also spoke about Lamanites in October 1960, in the context of LDS missionary efforts:
- "(Navajo) ...are fast becoming a white and delightsome people." He said, "The [Indian] children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation" (Improvement Era, December 1960, pp. 922-3)
