{"id":14356,"date":"2011-02-02T23:06:04","date_gmt":"2011-02-03T04:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=14356"},"modified":"2011-02-03T12:04:02","modified_gmt":"2011-02-03T17:04:02","slug":"a-review-of-notable-changes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2011\/02\/a-review-of-notable-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Notable Race-Related Changes to Footnotes and Chapter Headings in the Standard Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marvin Perkins is a Latter-day Saint music producer who is currently the Public Affairs Co-chair for the Genesis Group<\/a> and who has worked to nurture understanding between African Americans and Latter-day Saints and attack misconceptions (see our 12 Questions series<\/a> with Brother Perkins from 2009).\u00a0 This morning, Brother Perkins circulated the following email to his “Blacks in the Scriptures<\/a>” listserve (which is re-posted here with his permission):<\/p>\n

______________________________<\/p>\n

Friends,<\/p>\n

Many of you have recognized the new LDS.org website.\u00a0 Some of you have recognized that with the new site also came changes to chapter headings and footnotes in the scriptures.\u00a0 Not nearly as significant in number as the changes that were made in the 1981 edition of the LDS scriptures, but equally confirming on the messages being conveyed.\u00a0 Here are a list of the changes that I\u2019m aware of, along with some thoughts and two very compelling short videos below.\u00a0 I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts as you prayerfully review the changes asking \u201cwhat would the Lord have me understand about these recent changes?\u201d<\/p>\n

1. 1 Nephi 12:23<\/a>– The footnotes for \u201cdark\u201d have been removed (Jacob 3:3 <\/a>and Alma 3:7 (6-19)<\/a>) and replaced with 2 Nephi 26:33<\/a>
\n2. 2 Nephi 5<\/a>– the words in the chapter heading \u201cthe Lamanites are cursed, receive a skin of blackness\u201d were changed to \u201cthe Lamanites are cut off from the presence of the Lord, are cursed…\u201d
\n3. 2 Nephi 5:21<\/a>– The footnotes for \u201ccurse\u201d (2 Nephi 1:17<\/a> and Alma 3:6 (6-19)<\/a>) were removed and replaced with \u201cTG Curse<\/a>\u201d.
\n4. 2 Nephi 5:21<\/a>– The word \u201cblackness\u201d has a new footnote which is 2 Ne. 26:33<\/a>.
\n5. Alma 3:6<\/a>– The footnotes for \u201ccurse\u201d have been changed from 1 Ne. 2:23<\/a> and 2 Ne. 5:21(21-24)<\/a> to 2 Nephi 5:21<\/a>; 26:33<\/a>.
\n6. Mormon 5<\/a>– the words in the chapter heading \u201cThe Lamanites shall be a dark, filthy and loathsome people\u201d have been replaced by “Because of their unbelief, the Lamanites will be scattered, and the Spirit will cease to strive with them.\u201d
\n7. Mormon 5:15<\/a>– The footnotes for \u201cbecome\u201d no longer reference 1 Ne. 2:23<\/a> and Alma 3:19(16-19)<\/a> but are replaced by 2 Nephi 26:33<\/a>.
\n8. Moses 7:8<\/a>,22<\/a>– The words \u201cblackness\u201d and \u201cblack\u201d both get new footnotes which lead to 2 Nephi 26:33<\/a>.<\/p>\n

From prayerfully studying the scriptures laid out in the Blacks in the Scriptures DVD series and the talk on \u201cHow To Reach African Americans\u201d we understand that a curse is a separation from God because of sin, including the loss of the spirit, a diming of the light of Christ within, a separation from His path and ways thereof (see 1 Nephi 2:23<\/a> then follow footnote for curse to Job 24:13<\/a>)<\/p>\n

We also understand that the skin being spoken of in reference to \u201cblack\u201d or \u201cwhite\u201d is referring to the state of the spirit and not a literal or physical skin color change.\u00a0 There are some that are still in the process of gaining a testimony of these gospel principals.\u00a0 I think that these recent changes should aid in this process.\u00a0 Notice that the changes in the chapter headings of 2 Nephi 5<\/a> and Mormon 5<\/a> get the reader so much closer to understanding the \u201ccurse\u201d\u00a0 as a \u201cseparation\u201d than does the earlier language.<\/p>\n

Secondly, notice all of the redirecting, in addition to new footnotes pointing us to 2 Nephi 26:33<\/a>.\u00a0 This is significant because as we\u2019ve studied all of the scriptures laid out in the attached scripture reference guide<\/a> for \u201cblack\u201d and \u201cwhite\u201d, by the time we get to 2 Nephi 26:33<\/a>, we understand that Joseph Smith could have easily translated the word \u201cblack\u201d as \u201cwicked\u201d meaning the spiritually dark, as well as the word \u201cwhite\u201d as \u201crighteous\u201d, referring to the state of the spiritually pure and clean.\u00a0 Well I say he could have easily translated it as such and he actually did.\u00a0 See Alma 11:44<\/a>.\u00a0 You\u2019d think you\u2019re reading the exact same passage, but this time you see the wicked and the righteous, in place of black and white.<\/p>\n

So I sincerely hope that this is helpful and that you\u2019ll pass this onto others and engage in productive conversations about these new changes from the Church.<\/p>\n

And now for the video.\u00a0 Now the Lord has told us over and over again that He is no respecter of persons.\u00a0 He teaches us in 1 Samuel 16:7<\/a> that He doesn\u2019t look on the outward appearance as does man.\u00a0 We see many times in the Book of Mormon where the Nephites, Lamanites and Amlicites had to do specific things to themselves just to be able to distinguish themselves from each other.\u00a0 They would not have had to do this if there were an actual skin color change.\u00a0 (See Alma 3:4-6<\/a>).\u00a0 We also see in the Book of Mormon times when the Nephites passed themselves off as Lamanites just by telling them that they were Lamanites.\u00a0 (See Alma 55:1-15<\/a>) This also could not have happened if there were a literal skin color change.\u00a0 By the way, anyone ever seen anyone\u2019s skin color change after a baptism?\u00a0 So this video is riveting.\u00a0 It starts slow, so please be patient and know that it gets really gripping.\u00a0 After viewing it, ask yourself if a loving Father in heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ, would create these dynamics seen in these children in a matter of minutes and hours.\u00a0 I think the scriptural truths will resonate as you view these and confirm the understanding set forth with the newest changes to the scriptures from the Church.<\/p>\n

A Class Divided (1 of 4)<\/a><\/p>\n

A Class Divided (2 of 4)<\/a><\/p>\n

Day two of the experiment saw those who thought they were better, find out that they were worse and that those with different color eyes were better.\u00a0 I was amazed at how quickly the high self worth of that group plummeted.\u00a0 The lower sense of self worth caused them to not apply themselves, believe in themselves or approach their work with undivided thought, instead, partly thinking about their second class status.\u00a0 Even couched in kind tones, today we find many in the church who utilize labels of separation like your people, our people etc.\u00a0 We are one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marvin Perkins is a Latter-day Saint music producer who is currently the Public Affairs Co-chair for the Genesis Group and who has worked to nurture understanding between African Americans and Latter-day Saints and attack misconceptions (see our 12 Questions series with Brother Perkins from 2009).\u00a0 This morning, Brother Perkins circulated the following email to his “Blacks in the Scriptures” listserve (which is re-posted here with his permission): ______________________________ Friends, Many of you have recognized the new LDS.org website.\u00a0 Some of you have recognized that with the new site also came changes to chapter headings and footnotes in the scriptures.\u00a0 Not nearly as significant in number as the changes that were made in the 1981 edition of the LDS scriptures, but equally confirming on the messages being conveyed.\u00a0 Here are a list of the changes that I\u2019m aware of, along with some thoughts and two very compelling short videos below.\u00a0 I\u2019d love to hear your thoughts as you prayerfully review the changes asking \u201cwhat would the Lord have me understand about these recent changes?\u201d 1. 1 Nephi 12:23– The footnotes for \u201cdark\u201d have been removed (Jacob 3:3 and Alma 3:7 (6-19)) and replaced with 2 Nephi 26:33 2. 2 Nephi 5– […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18,53,13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-doctrine","category-latter-day-saint-thought","category-scriptures"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14356"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14365,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14356\/revisions\/14365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}