Last week as I was preparing a seminary lesson on 2 Nephi 4-8, I felt impressed to take the time to explain “the curse” and the sign of dark skin. There was SO much to cover in the lessons, and really only 45 minutes in a class, that I wanted to teach only the most important doctrines and principles, but I felt strongly about this little message that was reiterated on the internet because on a mistake in the printed Come, Follow Me manual. I asked Jim to please help me remember because this point was not emphasized in the lesson, only in the supplemental, background material. As I taught, I felt strongly to stop and teach that the curse was NOT about the color of the skin. I called for the students’ attention to look at me because I had a very important message that I wanted them to understand. I said, “I want you to understand this and know that Heavenly Father loves all of us equally. Skin color has nothing to do with His love for us. The curse was and always is a separation from God.” I looked at this room full of descendants of the Lamanites, promised the blessing of the House of Israel in the latter days, and other children of different races, skin colors, and circumstances. There may have been more reasons than this, but I understood why the spirt guided me when one student stayed after class until all the others were gone to thank me for talking about the curse. She and her mother are recent converts from the missionary open house last summer. She said she and her mother had been very concerned about the passages about the curse and skin color. She could hardly wait to go to her mother and help her understand countenance and explanations of language and culture in the Book of Mormon. It was another tender mercy.
We were asked to report last month’s institute attendance in terms of how many non-members attended and how many were baptized. We had five non-members attending and four of them were baptized! Such a blessing to watch young adults seeking and finding truth!
We love you all. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is truly Christ’s church and His kingdom on earth. This is a wonderful time to be alive—and in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ! We love this mission, and wish you all could have the experiences we have had in teaching the gospel here in Laredo, Texas (just a little corner of Mexico with all the amenities and blessings of living in the United States of America). We are so grateful for the Book of Mormon. It is truly God’s word, His tender mercy for us today.
