A Skin of Blackness:

Literal or Figurative?

One concept that is presented within the Nephite Record that has caused considerable confusion is reference to the curse of a “skin of blackness”. This was one of the curses that came upon the Lamanites. Failure of people to understand this curse has led to incorrect conclusions about racial differences, frequent embarrassment, and false doctrines. Most people have assumed that the “skin of blackness” curse refers to the type of skin pigmentation that is associated with racial differences. But do the scriptures support that notion?  Just what is the curse of a “skin of blackness”? 

Yahweh told Nephi that if his brothers would rebel against him, that He would “curse them with a sore curse”. [1^st Nephi 2:23 (1:57)]  In a later vision that was given to Nephi, he saw that the descendants of his brothers Laman and Lemuel “dwindled in unbelief [and] became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people.” [1^st Nephi 12:23 (3:134)] Later, after the more righteous Nephites separated themselves from the comparatively wicked Lamanites, Nephi elaborated on the curse that fell upon his wicked brethren. “And He [Yahweh] had caused the cursing to come upon them [the Lamanites], yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity…wherefore…the LORD God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.” [2^nd Nephi 5:21 (4:33-35)]

What was this “skin of blackness” that came upon the wicked Lamanites? It was one of the cursings that they brought upon themselves because of their wickedness. Was it an actual change in the pigment of the skin covering their bodies? Did the curse result in an actual racial change? Many people have believed that this was the case. Is the “skin of blackness” a physical curse, or is it a spiritual curse?

Nephi, who was taught in the “learning of the Jews”, indicated that there was a particular “manner of prophesying among the Jews.” [1^st Nephi 1:1-2 (1:1); 2^nd Nephi 25:1 (11:2)] Because of Nephi’s statements, we should investigate Hebrew idioms that may help us understand the “skin of blackness”.

Symbolic Blackness

In the book of Joel, the prophet described future terror and destruction that will be associated with the “day of the LORD”. One of the things Joel foretold was that “the people shall be much pained – all faces shall gather blackness”. [Joel 2:6] The prophet Nahum described this same change of countenance. “The faces of them all gather blackness”. [Nahum 2:10] In these instances, “blackness” was used to describe the flushing of a person’s face that happens as the result of shame, anxiety, or anguish. It is obvious that in these passages, “blackness” has a figurative, and not a literal meaning. We recognize that people will not all have their actual skin pigment changed because of their fear. The Nephite phrase “skin of blackness” might easily be likened to the Biblical phrase “all faces shall gather blackness”.

“Darkness” is often synonymous with wickedness. In the New Testament, Paul spoke of the “works of darkness” [Romans 3:1; Ephesians 5:11, 6:12] In the Nephite Records, “works of darkness” are mentioned over a dozen times, in each case being descriptive of wickedness and abominations.

The use of the word “skins” is very similar to the symbolic way in which the prophets used the word “garments”. They spoke of ridding their garments of the blood or sins of others, of shaking their garments clean  [Jacob 2:2 (2:2); 2^nd Nephi 9:24 (6:86); Ether 12:38 (5:39)] Alma, in particular, wrote of the importance of people having their garments spotless and white. He said “no man may be saved except his garments are washed white.” [Alma 5:21 (3:39)] In fact, Alma also said that the garments of the Lamanites were skins. [Alma 49:6 (21:155)]

Whiter Than Snow

Another issue that must be considered as we try to understand this subject is the metaphorical use of the words “skin” and “white”. Jacob warned the Nephites to repent of their sins, lest the Lamanite’s skins would be whiter than the Nephites in the resurrection, when they would stand before the judgment throne of Elohim. [Jacob 3:5-8 (2:51-59)] ‘Whiteness’ of the ‘skin’ is used as a figure of speech to designate righteousness.

    An example of the use of colors to designate righteousness and wickedness, is found in Lamentations 4:7-8. The righteous Nazarites were described as being “purer than snow…whiter than milk…more ruddy in body than rubies…[and were like] sapphire.” But, in their wickedness, their faces became “blacker than coal”. Similarly, Jeremiah lamented “our skin was black like an oven because of the famine.” [Lamentations 5:10] Of course it would be ridiculous to believe that these descriptive colors should be taken literally. Quite obviously people do not have skins that are whiter than milk or snow, redder than rubies, and bluer than sapphires when they are righteous, nor does their skin become blacker than coal or the inside of an oven when they commit sin or are ashamed. These descriptions of skin colors are clearly metaphorical and not literal.

    When the Messiah personally ministered to the Nephites, the Disciples were miraculously filled with His spiritual light. “They were as white as [His] countenance…there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof.” [3^rd Nephi 19:25 (9:25)] Moses’ countenance was similarly changed after a meeting with Yahweh. [Exodus 34:29-35] King David called upon Elohim to make him “whiter than snow”. [Psalm 51:7] The word “white” is commonly synonymous with “pure”, “righteous” or spiritually “spotless”. Moroni exhorted unbelievers to “turn…unto the LORD…that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb at that great and last day.” [Mormon 9:61 (4:65)]

The Physical Mark

    Alma spoke of the Lamanite curse in this manner: “And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them. [Alma 3:6 (1:104)] In this verse, the mark that Alma mentioned is synonymous with the curse that Nephi called the “skin of blackness”. This is more fully explained by Alma in his reference to the Amlicites. He said “they had marked themselves with red in their foreheads, after the manner of the Lamanites.” [Alma 3:13 (1:111] Alma went on to explain that the Amlicites had unknowingly fulfilled the prophecy that had been made against the Lamanites and those who would mingle with them. “Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark themselves…in their foreheads.” [Alma 3:14-18 (1:112-117)] When we combine the descriptions of Nephi and Alma, we find that the only physical curse upon the skin of the Lamanites was that they “marked themselves”. This marking that they made in their foreheads could possibly have been paint, or very possibly a tattoo. Israelites were forbidden from making marks upon their bodies. [Leviticus 19:28, 21:5] This is also reminiscent of the “mark in the foreheads” of the wicked that is described in Revelation 13:16.

    Based upon Alma’s description, the darkness of the skins of the Lamanites was exemplified by a mark that they placed upon themselves, such as a tattoo and/or body paint. The artwork of Native American peoples often portrays people as having tattoos or wearing body paint.