KnoWhy #57 - What Does it Mean to be a White and Delightsome People? (2 Nephi 30:6)

The 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon had Nephi prophesy that his descendants would become a "white and a delightsome people" through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This was changed by Joseph Smith in 1840 to read that Nephi's descendants would become a "pure and a delightsome people." This textual emendation has understandably raised questions about the Book of Mormon's racial views, with some going so far as arguing that the book is "racist." A close reading of the text, however, reveals something far more subtle and ultimately profound; a teaching that reinforces the Book of Mormon's message that "all are alike unto God."