So 1981 was “right on heels of the Civil Rights campaign for blacks,” huh? I’m guessing it was changed, at that point, because that’s when somebody noticed how badly that Hebraism was getting abused.

The fact of the matter is that the change was originally made by Joseph Smith because people were incorrectly interpreting that phrase as a validation for racism. However, this along with many other changes was to be made in an addition to be printed in Independence, Missouri. When the printing press and print office were destroyed by mobs the cases with the set type were destroyed as well. So, they had to have copies of these sent to the US from England that lacked these changes. Other issues came up the pushed the these revisions out of people's minds until the written notes on them were rediscovered in the 1980's at which time they were actually made to the Book of Mormon.

this is a common practice seen before..no names..they realize the ERROR or Prophecy their "book" has...but damage done...Jehovah already knows!!!!:_justme and no excuses for bad behavior...HE is pretty Adamant about DISOBEDIANCE ...ask Adam and Eve and poor Moses....and God LOVES them...

This is a complex question and answer sequence so, sadly, there is NO short answer here: Otter's correct, 1981 is hardly "right on the heels of the Civil Rights campaign for blacks." I think that a better way to word this might have been, "Just a few years after Official Declaration 2 was codified into Doctrine & Covenants (and thus LDS Culture) in 1978." Further, as Mormon Researcher Bill McKeever points out in his fine article on the topic, this not so much of a change as a reversion to the 1840 version of the Book of Mormon which contained the same wording. http://www.mrm.org/topics/the-book-mormon/white-and-delightsome-or-pure-and-delightsome-a-look-2-nephi-306 However, other passages in the Book of Mormon still make a connection with "iniquity" and skin color. For example, 2 Nephi 5:21 still says: 21 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 3 Nephi 2:12-15 continues to teach that dark-skinned Lamanites who converted unto the Lord had their curse "taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites." It says: 12 Therefore, all the Lamanites who had become converted unto the Lord did unite with their brethren, the Nephites, and were compelled, for the asafety of their lives and their women and their children, to take up arms against those Gadianton robbers, yea, and also to maintain their rights, and the privileges of their church and of their worship, and their freedom and their bliberty. 13 And it came to pass that before this thirteenth year had passed away the Nephites were threatened with utter destruction because of this war, which had become exceedingly sore. 14 And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; 15 And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites; And this is from Alma 3:6, which still says: 6 And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men. And, finally, this is from Jacob 3:5, 5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were bone wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms committed among them. Further, this connection between iniquity and skin color has been taught as basic LDS Doctrine throughout Mormon History - even in LDS Scripture which came after the Book of Mormon. For example, this is from Moses (which is a book in the Pearl of Great Price) 7:8 8 For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people. And Moses 7:22 which says: 22 And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them. In closing while, I'm genuinely pleased to see the LDS Church taking steps to deny and repent of their racist teachings of the past. However, IMO, they need to do more. And I wish that they would be more candid and forthright about their true history and the remnants of racist acculturation that continues to permeate some sectors of LDS Culture. Scriptures like those I've listed above certainly don't help do they? Finally, I will state directly that this post-1978 side-stepping, spin-doctoring and denial isn't helpful and appears disingenuous to those outside the LDS Church. For a fuller analysis of this issue I highly recommend Mr. McKeever's article http://www.mrm.org/topics/the-book-mormon/white-and-delightsome-or-pure-and-delightsome-a-look-2-nephi-306 as well as the good work that Mormon Sociologist Armand Mauss ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armand_L._Mauss )and others have done in this particular area of LDS Culture. And I also think that a formal apology from LDS Leadership for past racist offenses would be a great step forward and facilitate good will toward the LDS Church. Mormons who continue to do it tend to look rather foolish. I advise them to just stop and be FAR more candid about the true history of the LDS Church in this regard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-XAZ24IQQo

Strange isn't it? I'd say it's just an AMAZING coincidence that the mormon prophets, seers, and revelators suddenly got a wild hare up their ass and decided that it needed to be 'corrected' to pure and delightsome. All the racist teachings of the profits prior be damned.