In 2 Nephi 5:20-24, when the Nephites and Lamanites first separate, it is explained that the Lord put a curse on the Lamanites:
"Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence.
"And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.
"And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.
"And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done.
"And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey."
This doesn't seem fair for the Lamanites, does it? They were cursed because of the sins of their fathers. Aren't we taught that God punishes us for our own sins, and not those of our ancestors? Article of Faith #2 says, "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." Shouldn't this apply to the Lamanites as well?
I propose that there is a difference between consequences for our parents choices and consequences for our own choices. The Lamanites for generations after Laman and Lemuel, the original dissenters, died were cursed with dark skin and lived with no knowledge of God. However, I do not believe that in the eternal scheme of things they will be judged by those same things that caused them to be cursed.
Just before he died, Lehi taught and blessed each of his sons, including Laman and Lemuel. The following is from 2 Nephi 4: 3-7,9.
"...he called the children of Laman, his sons, and his daughters, and said unto them: Behold, my sons, and my daughters, who are the sons and the daughters of my firstborn, I would that ye should give ear unto my words.
"For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.
"But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.
"Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents.
"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.
" ...wherefore, thou shalt not utterly be destroyed; but in the end thy seed shall be blessed."
The children of Laman and Lemuel lived with the consequences of the teachings of their fathers. They did not know God, and they were constantly at war with the Nephites. However, this was temporal. Those sins that they committed because of their upbringing were answered upon the heads of Laman, Lemuel, and their wives. Just because a Lamanite was born, lived, and died with no chance to hear the word of God and repent does not mean they will go to hell.
God loves all His children, Nephite and Lamanite, and does not cast out souls on a whim. While we may live with the consequences of our parents's decisions, we will be judged by our own decisions in the circumstances we were in.
This still applies to us today. A child can be labeled a never-do-well because of their parentage or the area where they live. This deeply influences how they perform. God knows their circumstances and what they are capable of. He does not see them as a never-do-well. If they choose to truly be a never-do-well and cheat, lie, or steal, that's different. They chose that path, and that is a consequence for their own actions, not for their upbringing.
So often in our society we see this struggle today. Are kids in the ghetto are more likely to get shot or to shoot someone because they're bad or because of their environment? Are white people innately racist, or are they being punished because of what members of my race did a hundred years ago? Are we punishing the children of same-sex couples by not letting them get baptized until they are 18, or is it to help them live what they covenanted without turning against their parents?
God is the perfect judge, because he knows everything: Our hearts, our minds, our desires, our upbringing, our fears, our struggles, and our triumphs. I cannot judge a single Lamanite in the Book of Mormon, but God can. He can judge every single one. Everyone, Nephites and Lamanites, Jew and Gentile, believer and atheist, will stand before God and know that He knows them. We don't have to worry about God being biased or racist or misunderstanding. Our decisions are our decisions, and He knows every one. He loves us. That is why we should love each other and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Not all white people are racist. Not all atheists hate Christians. Not all ghetto kids flunk high school. Not all Nephites were righteous. Not all Lamanites were wicked. If we do our best to become the most Christ-like we can, that will get us to heaven. That is how we show God we want to live with Him again. The other things don't really matter.
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