Expert: Elder Greg Madden - 4/17/2008

Question
QUESTION: I have been told by a Mormon friend that Baptists share their belief that black people are born black as a consequence of the curse of Cain.  Is this correct?  If so, please explain more fully, and if not, what is your belief about why people are born with black skin?  Thank you.

ANSWER: Ms Susie,

No, this is not what Baptist (or any rational Christian) believes and or teaches. The Bible teaches us that the mark of Cain was just that, a mark. Skin pigmentation developed within human beings depending upon region (how the sun and elements effected them) and, as the human race began to spread throughout the world after the flood, certain racial features would become more and more predominate (i.e. as people moved to Ireland the physical traits of red hair and green eyes became dominant). We see evidence of this with certain families. Even in nature this is true. Thus is the case with those people with black skin tones. So in summery, skin tone, facial features, hair, ect... are all

As to what Mormons teach about the reason why people are born with black skin, I suggest you ask them what theirs church (LDS) teaches. If your friend is honest, she will have to tell you how they believe that all people have a pre-existence (alive before birth). How that the Morman god had sex (literally) with his wives (yes I said wives) and they produced all the humans in the world today. This is way momans are taught to marry as soon as possible, so that they can produce babies for these pre-existent people to have bodies to live in. That is why, in the resent news, you hear about the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saint, and how they are polygamist and have many children. this group claims that they are following the "fundamentals" of the LDS church.

However, in Morman teaching, when satan (who by the way is the spirit brother of the morman Jesus) rebelled in heaven, and made war against the morman god and his followers, all the people who were born to the morman god fought against satan and his followers. After satan was cast out of the morman heaven, those children of the morman god who fought well are born into white babies. And those who did not fight, or did not fight as well, are punished (marked) by being born into black (or dark skinned) babies. This is why, up until a few years ago, blacks were not allowed to be apart of what the LDS call the "priesthood". They have changed this to allow black to be apart now (just as they changed their teachings about polygamy) because of social pressure.

If you've never heard this before, I know it sound fantastic that anyone can believe this, but it is true! The basic teaching of the LSD church is this "As man is, God once was. As God is, man can become." They literally believe that God, was once a flesh and blood man, who because of righteousness, became a god. The morman god now has many wives, whom he has sex with and they are eternally pregnant as top produce more people.

Ms Susie, I suggest you go to you local Christian book store and find more info on the LDS and their teachings. Their is a plethora of info out there that can help you get a better understanding of the false teachings of the LDS, and how to share the truth of the Gospel.

Please let me know if this helps, or if you have any further questions.

Elder Greg Madden

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Actually I knew all the Mormon beliefs because I was one myself for 40 years.  My husband was a bishop and we had seven children.  Four years ago, within a period of just a few months, I left him (he was abusive and dictatorial for our entire marriage, and the only reason it took me so long was that I waited for our youngest to graduate from high school) - and then, to even my own amazement, and for unrelated reasons, I also left the Mormon church.  I did that because I began to do my own research into church history, and I discovered to my horror that I'd been duped for all those 40 years.  I have rediscovered the "plain and precious" (LDS term") truths that are in the Bible, and I am totally at peace now as a new Christian.  I thank God every day for bringing me out of all that darkness. But that's a whole 'nother story.

I was asking because I didn't think Baptists believed that stuff about black people being marked with dark skin as a result of Cain's curse - but this friend said so, so I thought I'd better check it out before I refuted her.  Can you give me any more information about the mark itself?  What was it?  What did it look like?  Did it in fact keep people from harming Cain?  Is there any information about these things?

Thanks very much for all your time and help.

Answer
Ms Susie,

Thank you for your kind words. Though it grieved my to hread of your marital problems, it did thrill my heart to read of your "plain and precious" faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If there is any way that I can help, please let me know. Though I have never been a Mormon, I have read extensive about their faith. As you can tell, I assumed that you were a Baptist, and not a Mormon (ex-Mormon anyway). I am also sorry to "re-hash" those past doctrines in your life.

If you need someone to talk to about this, there is a great Christian lady in my home church that had the almost identical thing happen in her life. She to has found the "plain and precious" faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you would like, I can pass along her e-mail to you, or you can give me your e-mail, and I will pass it along to you. If you would like to do, please mark your next reply as "private". Otherwise it will be open for public view.

Also, have you found a good, Bible preaching, Spirit-filled church? I pray that you have. If not, I would be glad to help you with this as well.

Now to your question on Cains mark. The Bible does not specifically say what it was. It was something obvious enough that a complete stranger would see it. It was also such a mark that a complete stranger would recognize it as a mark from God Himself. Susie, one of the things I have learned about studding Scripture is this "Where the Bible is silent, I refuse to speak." So if the Bible does not specifically tell us what Cains mark was (and it does not) then we should not try to superimpose our own ideas into the Scripture. But as I said before, the mark was obvious, and obviously such a mark as to warn people not to harm Cain. And even if the mark was a changing of skin color, think about it. The lineage of Cain was not on the ark with Noah. Right? So if it was a change of color (for instance, black) then how, if his lineage was not on the ark, are there black people today? Makes you say, hmmmmm. LOL!

No, I believe as I wrote earlier that...

"Skin pigmentation developed within human beings depending upon region (how the sun and elements effected them) and, as the human race began to spread throughout the world after the flood, certain racial features would become more and more predominate (i.e. as people moved to Ireland the physical traits of red hair and green eyes became dominant)."

Once again Ms Susie, I hope this helps. Please feel free to contact me privately if you would like to take me up in the offer. If not that is fine as well. You can always contact me via this site as well.

May the blessings of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be upon you!

Elder Greg Madden