I am reading the works of Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, and questions pop into my mind along the way as follows. Can anyone answer the following? Not as you think now, but answer them as if you are still LDS. Ultimately I am trying to create some questions that will cause my spouse to think. I have a lot of research to do and appreciate your help along the way.

1. If Cain's line and Seth's line were equally evil by the time of the great flood, sufficient enough to rid them all from the earth, wouldn't that make Cain's curse irrelevant in that those from the line of Seth, other than Noah's family, were also just as evil? That being the case, how is it that those having a drop of Cain's blood in them were considered more defiled by LDS standards?

2. Reversing the idea, if the Nephites were destroyed while the Lamanites remained, why then would not dark skin be the desired color?

3. If Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and Mary, how is he then related to Abraham when Mary's geneology is unknown? Why does Matthew include the geneology of the forefathers when the Holy Spirit was the one to impregnate Mary?

Easy.

1. The story is nonsense, there was no world-wide flood.

2. The story is nonsense, there were no Nephites or Lamanites.

3. The story is nonsense, there was no Holy Spirit that impregnated Mary.

Haha! don't go seeking employment at FAIR.

1. I don't know that we teach that.
2. I don't know that we teach that.
3. Luke's genealogy is Mary's. That is what the Catholics teach.

1. Those people carrying "the curse of Cain" were less valiant in the pre-existence. Therefore, they were not entitled to all of the advantages afforded to those who were more valiant - such as the ability to hold the priesthood (prior to 1978 of course). There had to be a cursed group after the flood so that the remaining less valiant spirits would recieve their "just rewards". Cain's line was more appropriate since they were already marked.

2. Lamanites were cursed with dark skin because of the wickedness of Laman and Lemuel. The Nephites were ultimatley destroyed because of their wickedness. The Lamanites were also wicked, but were not destroyed like the Nephites because the Nephites were held to a higher standard because they had made covenants with God. Kind of like a nevermo could not become a son of perdition because they never had the knowledge or made the temple covenants.

3. God's society is patriarchal. How many women in the Bible have their geneology listed? Mary's geneology isn't important because all things flow through the paternal lineage. Also, the translators of the Bible didn't understand that Mary was actually impregnated by Elohim himself, so that the part about the Holy Spirit was not translated correctly.

Glad I don't have to try to justify this crap anymore.

You mean that if I didn't make covenants in the temple I can't be a son of perdition? Waaaah!

Supposedly you need to have a SURE knowledge of Christ, having seen Him like an Apostle (presumably) would have done, or to be the Prophet and turn away from the church.

It's a funny thing- when you are active that's what they tell you, but when you leave the church, you suddenly qualify despite never having had a sure knowledge or actually denied the HG.

I am always very impressed by a good spin doctor. Those were great answers! I almost want to get rebaptized!

Additional answers:

1. All will be revealed later, but now all men can have the priesthood.
2. Lehi, and other Nephite prophets prayed and got a promise from God that the Lamanites would never be destroyed. Happened over and over again throughout the book along with the brass plates would never lose their lustre.
3. I was taught Mary was a cousin to Joseph and so the genealogy was about the same.