Jacob 3:5-8

5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them.

6 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.

7 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?

8 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.

Jacob 3:5-8

Jacob continues his comparison of the Nephites and the Lamanites.  The Nephites hate the Lamanites because of their filthiness and cursing, “which hath come upon their skins.”  Yet, the cursed Lamanites were more righteous than the Nephites.  They remembered Lehi’s commandment that they should have but one wife and no concubines.  This problem would again present itself with King Noah.  “For behold, he did not keep the commandments of God, but he did walk after the desires of his own heart.  And he had many wives and concubines.  And he did cause his people to commit sin, and do that which was abominable in the sight of the Lord.  Yea, and they did commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness” (Mosiah 11:2).

This problem also reared its ugly head among the Jaredites.  “And it came to pass that Riplakish did not do that which was right in the sight of the Lord, for he did have many wives and concubines, and did lay that upon men's shoulders which was grievous to be borne; yea, he did tax them with heavy taxes; and with the taxes he did build many spacious buildings” (Ether 10:5).

Todd Compton examines the problem in more depth.

As early as the prophet Jacob, the Nephites looked on the Lamanites with contempt. Jacob, preaching to the wayward Nephites, refers to "the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins" (Jacob 3:5). We note the implicit rebuke in the words "your brethren," for the Nephites obviously were not treating the Lamanites as brethren, as members of the true church should. Thus, as early as this, the Nephites and Lamanites have moral complexity. Furthermore, Jacob tells the Nephites that the Lamanites live a higher level of sexual morality than do the Nephites (Jacob 3:5). Jacob commands the Nephites to stop reviling the Lamanites because of their skin color. "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" (Jacob 3:9). He makes the surprising statement that the wilderness-dwelling Lamanites are "more righteous" (Jacob 3:5) than the Nephites.[1]

From the beginning, the Lord made it clear that the Nephites would become wicked and be destroyed as a people (see 1 Nephi 12:13-20).  They would be destroyed by the Lamanites, who would survive.  Because the Lamanites kept the Lords commandments by having only one wife, “the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people.”

There are numerous examples of the promise the Lamanites would survive.  A few include:

Neither will he suffer that the Gentiles shall destroy the seed of thy brethren. (1 Nephi 13:31)

Wherefore, because of my blessing the Lord God will not suffer that ye shall perish; wherefore, he will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever. (2 Nephi 4:7) (Lehi speaking to Laman and his family.)

But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which he made unto Abraham and unto all the house of Israel.

And also the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous, which have been put up unto him for them. (Mormon 5:20-21)

In that day, they will become a blessed people.

And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved.

1 Nephi 15:14

The Lamanites, Jacob said, love their wives, their wives love their husbands, and they both love their children.  Their hatred of the Nephites was based on “the iniquity of their fathers.”  The Lamanites were better off in the sight of the Lord than the Nephites. 

Richard Bushman  explains:

To his credit, Jacob recognized that national traditions distorted the Nephite view. He told the Nephites in his sermon on chastity that Lamanite "husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children." They were not implacably ferocious in every relationship. Lamanite violence toward the Nephites grew out of tradition, not innate viciousness. "Their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers," Jacob said (Jacob 3:7).[2]

John Welch explains the importance of Jacob’s sermon.

If these themes were selected by Jacob for his temple sermon to remind the Nephites of covenants they had previously made to eschew adultery and to consecrate the riches of the promised land back to the Lord of that land, then Jacob's words may offer clues about the nature of the early Nephite temple covenants and ordinances. This would also explain why Jacob says that the Nephites who violated these commandments were worse off than the Lamanites (see Jacob 3:7), for, to those who are under solemn covenants, behavior to the contrary is a more serious matter.[3]

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[1] The Spirituality of the Outcast in the Book of Mormon, Todd M. Compton, Maxwell Institute, accessed March 15, 2014.

[2] The Lamanite View of Book of Mormon History, Richard L. Bushman, Maxwell Institute, accessed March 15, 2014.

[3] The Temple in the Book of Mormon: The Temples at the Cities of Nephi, Zarahemla, and Bountiful, John W. Welch, Maxwell Institute, accessed March 15, 2014.