1 Nephi 13:28-31

The book Nephi saw in his vision had been changed by the great and abominable church.  Many plain and precious things were “taken away from the book, which is the book of the Lamb of God” (1 Nephi 13:28).  Note Nephi’s choice of words – “taken away from the book.”  Nephi is telling us those things that are lost from the book were intentionally removed.  Only after the loss of the plain and precious things did the book go to the nations and gentiles.

Apparently, this was a problem as early as Peter’s time.  He wrote, “As also in all [Paul’s] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [GR twist, distort], as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction” (2 Peter 3:16).  Peter was complaining that Paul’s words had been distorted along with other scripture.  It didn’t take long after Christ’s death for the loss of plain and precious things to begin.

This stage could have occurred simply by altering the meaning of the things taught by the Lord without necessarily changing the words themselves. This change in understanding was the fundamental problem Nephi saw, for the things that would cause many to stumble were those things "taken away out of the gospel" (1 Nephi 13:29).[1]

Nephi saw the gentiles went “forth out of captivity” (1 Nephi 13:30) into this, the promised land.  Lehi had been promised “his seed should have for the land of their inheritance” (1 Nephi 13:30).  Nephi’s descendants will mix with the Lamanites.  His descendants that had mixed with the Lamanites, along with those who were “pure” Lamanite will be spared from destruction.  Jacob taught:

And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people.

Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?

O my brethren, I fear that unless ye shall repent of your sins that their skins will be whiter than yours, when ye shall be brought with them before the throne of God.

Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye revile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.

Jacob 3:6 - 9

There are critics of the Church who claim the Book of Mormon is racist, that the Lamanites are inferior to the Nephites.  They obviously ignore evidence like that that is found in Jacob’s words.  Speaking against the practice of the Nephites having more than one wife and concubines, Jacob compares the Nephites to the Lamanites.  Some of his words:

  

[W]herefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people.

[T]heir husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children.

[T]heir unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?

[T]heir skins will be whiter than yours, when ye shall be brought with them before the throne of God.

There are too many critics who don’t let truth and facts get in the way of their beliefs.

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[1] Some Personal Reflections, John Welch, Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute, accessed February 27, 2013.