Does DNA evidence disprove Book of Mormon claims?

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I understand what you are getting at here, but I am referring to revisions such as:

2 Nephi 30:6
And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and a delightsome people. [1981 edition]

2 Nephi 30:6
And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome people. [1920 edition]

This seems more than a “minor” type of change, it seems like an avoidance of doctrine to me . . .
Just a quick note: the 1830 edition had “white”, and the 1840 edition had “pure”. 🤷
 
Just a quick note: the 1830 edition had “white”, and the 1840 edition had “pure”. 🤷
You are right. 🙂

Criticism
The phrase “white and delightsome” was changed to “pure and delightsome” in the Book of Mormon.

Response
This change actually first appeared in the 1840 edition, and was probably made by Joseph Smith:

2 Nephi 30:6 (1830 edition, italics added): “…they shall be a white and a delightsome people.”
2 Nephi 30:6 (1840 edition, italics added): “…they shall be a pure and a delightsome people.”
The 1837 edition was used for the European editions, which were in turn used as the basis for the 1879 and 1920 editions, so the change was lost until the 1981 (current) edition. This particular correction is part of the changes referred to in the note “About this Edition” printed in the introductory pages:

“Some minor errors in the text have been perpetuated in past editions of the Book of Mormon. This edition contains corrections that seem appropriate to bring the material into conformity with prepublication manuscripts and early editions edited by the Prophet Joseph Smith.”

It’s doubtful that Joseph Smith had racism in mind when the change was done in 1840 or other similar verses would have been changed as well.

Conclusion
This change was originally made in the 1840 edition but went unnoticed until the preparation of the 1981 edition. The change is not (as the critics want to portray it) a “recent” change designed to remove a “racist” original.

en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Textual_changes/%22white%22_changed_to_%22pure%22

I am still amazed that catholics here posting on the mormon threads do not use fairlds.org and its fairwiki before they make their comments. Thank you for being fair. It is amazing that many former mormons do not even know this. I have seen them make similiar comments as the poster. Truly amazing.
 
You are right. 🙂

Criticism
The phrase “white and delightsome” was changed to “pure and delightsome” in the Book of Mormon.

Response
This change actually first appeared in the 1840 edition, and was probably made by Joseph Smith:

2 Nephi 30:6 (1830 edition, italics added): “…they shall be a white and a delightsome people.”
2 Nephi 30:6 (1840 edition, italics added): “…they shall be a pure and a delightsome people.”
The 1837 edition was used for the European editions, which were in turn used as the basis for the 1879 and 1920 editions, so the change was lost until the 1981 (current) edition. This particular correction is part of the changes referred to in the note “About this Edition” printed in the introductory pages:

“Some minor errors in the text have been perpetuated in past editions of the Book of Mormon. This edition contains corrections that seem appropriate to bring the material into conformity with prepublication manuscripts and early editions edited by the Prophet Joseph Smith.”

It’s doubtful that Joseph Smith had racism in mind when the change was done in 1840 or other similar verses would have been changed as well.

Conclusion
This change was originally made in the 1840 edition but went unnoticed until the preparation of the 1981 edition. The change is not (as the critics want to portray it) a “recent” change designed to remove a “racist” original.

en.fairmormon.org/Book_of_Mormon/Textual_changes/%22white%22_changed_to_%22pure%22

I am still amazed that catholics here posting on the mormon threads do not use fairlds.org and its fairwiki before they make their comments. Thank you for being fair. It is amazing that many former mormons do not even know this. I have seen them make similiar comments as the poster. Truly amazing.
My question is why didn’t Joseph Smith get it right the first time? Why is there any need at all for revisions? I can understand some typographical errors by the typesetter, but the fact that Mormons believe God inspired Joseph Smith when he translated the plates the first time, then had to change some things at all sets off some red flags for me . . .
 
That white-pure is only one change in an extremely racist text. If they were to remove all references to stigmatized skin color, then they would be attacked for massive changes.

As it stands, most of the changes do not change the meaning of the text. Our criticism of such changes should not extend to corrections of simple grammatical errors. I regard such changes as a smoke-screen for those changes which do change meaning. I prefer to use the 1830 edition, available online, and from various publishers.
 
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