Click to Listen: Episode 7: 2 Nephi 3-8
If you thought you knew just how racist mormon god is… you just wait until you hear this one. Wow, just appalling! Anyway, the Nephi family drama goes into overdrive, as it looks like we’ve got ourselves a good ol’ fashioned civil war on our hands.
Drinking Game count (this will make sense after Episode 9, basically, drink after ever “Yea” and “It came to pass”)
“Drink” Count – 36
6 Beers
![1f37b[1]](https://mybookofmormonpodcast.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/1f37b1-e1405272752631.png)
My Book of Mormon 
May 16, 2014 at 7:34 pm
The Lamanite/Nephite racial schism is something that is unavoidable in Mormonism because it’s too central to what Joseph Smith taught (He sent missionaries to the Lamanites…) and it’s too early in the book so everyone will read this passage, but no one talks about how god made made the Lamanites ugly. I think today it’s too easy to look at mexicans and say, “Wait a second, apparently Lamanites aren’t too ugly for white people to shack up with.”
May 17, 2014 at 9:14 pm
I’m starting to fear I’m becoming overly spammy… but here’s the official line…
https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-study-guide/2-nephi-5?lang=eng
2 Nephi 5:20–25—“The Cursing” Was Not “a Skin of Blackness”
“The cursing” that the Lord caused to come upon the rebellious Lamanites was to be cut off from His presence. The Lord caused “a skin of blackness to come upon them” so that the Nephites would not mix, or intermarry, with them and bring the curse upon themselves.
So the dark skin wasn’t a curse in and of itself, it was just a divine eugenics program to keep the Nephites pure.. or …. umm…. close to god. The Nephites would would not be automatically nixed from the presence of the Lord so long as they didn’t marry the people with darkened skin. Wow… yeah, the apologetic response does not make things any better whatsoever.
May 29, 2014 at 5:56 pm
I’m only about halfway through this episode, but I think that you got the interpretation of chapter 3 all wrong.
It’s mostly written from the perspective of Joseph (the guy with the fancy coat that was sold as a slave into Egypt–apparently he wrote a book contained on the Brass Plates that didn’t survive to be contained in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as we know it today), and it’s prophesying about Moses, and about another amazing guy who will be like Moses. This amazing guy will be named Joseph, and his father will be named Joseph, and he will bring forth the records of the Nephites (aka “The Book of Mormon”) which will restore a lot of truth and eliminate the confusion that comes from just reading the Bible.
The whole chapter is an alleged prophecy from the 1800′s BC that Joseph Smith, Jr. would be a great prophet and would produce the Book of Mormon in the 1800′s AD.
June 11, 2014 at 3:15 am
Correct. This is actually one of the most awesome incidents of circular logic in the book.
Joseph Smith produces a book that, of all the gosh-darned things, foretells the arrival of one named Joseph (specifically named after his father) in the latter days who will set the record straight and write scripture that will clarify the teachings of God. It’s too bad the podcast didn’t pick up on the idea of Joseph Smith translating prophecies about himself.
July 8, 2014 at 8:35 pm
I’m listening to these really late, I just barely discovered them. Everything that I think to mention has been cleared up! I’m thankful that someone is interpreting this crazy book! Haha
I remember being young and thinking how amazing that prophecy was. Only to grow up and go…. wait a second! Lol
May 30, 2014 at 4:57 pm
Ugh…Nephi and Jacob LOVE Issiah. Most everyone else (those without the Spirit) have a really tough time with him. This stuff is like Doctorate level gospel study because of all the symbolism. Since this is the first time for you, this can be like reading Greek. I think if you glance at the chapter synopsis at the top it will help you better follow this. The only thing worse than reading these few chapters is having to listen someone try to read it to you. I applaud you for powering through this. It is painful for all of us to get through this.