Yesterday I was disappointed to not find "curses" or "marks" in the Bible Dictionary. That was probably a good thing because the Bible Dictionary Preface states that the entries are not intended as official church doctrine. That is what I am looking for -- or the lack thereof :)
I then looked up "mark" in the Book of Mormon Index. I was caught again by Alma 3:6. Here it says that the Lamanites' skin was "dark" because of the mark that was upon them which was a curse because of iniquity. Here reference to skin is not ruled out by the fact that "black" was used differently then than it is today (as illustrated in part 1).
Then I read the two accounts of the Lord setting a mark upon Cain. Moses 5:40 nor Genesis 4:15 say what the mark was. The purpose of the mark was to preserve Cain (so people would not kill him when they saw him).
I read Joseph Smith - History 1:31-32 where he describes Moroni's robe and whole person. The Index under the entry "white" says that Joseph calls both white. In the verse this is not explicit. However, the comparison shows how inanimate things can be white and how a countenance can be white in a different manner. "Not only was his robe exceedingly white, but his whole person was glorious beyond description and his countenance truly like lightning."
Today I looked for "curses" in the Index. Verses state that part of a cursing that came upon the unrighteous was so that the people would not be enticing to the righteous. The footnote for enticing says "eternal marriage". What would make someone not enticing to marry to the righteous? My #1 was if I could not receive the coveneant of "eternal marriage" with them, ie. they did not have the priesthood.
The curse of Cain continued after the flood through Ham - his curse is told in Abraham 1:26 - "Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessings of the earth and with the blessings of wisdom but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood."
"Mark" in the Index. Alma 3:10 "...whosoever suffered himself to be led away by the Lamanites was called under that head, and there was a mark set upon him." Again here, the author does not state what that mark was: a dark countenance, no priesthood, etc.? However, the Amalakites marked themselves with red on their foreheads which fullfilled the prophecy.
(If I go with the non-figurative idea that the mark was dark skin referring to the external organ, it seems odd for skin to darken when joining the Lamanites or fighting against the Nephites. Possible? The Lord is all powerful. Isn't it just as plausable that the mark is referring to something else?)
