Blacks and the Priesthood

Accounts supporting the Revelation

You can find the statements and references in "Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on the Priesthood" in BYU Studies v47 n8 2008, which you can download for free here: Link is here..

For example, Bruce McConkie, reports in "The New Revelation on the Priesthood" in Priesthood (Deseret Book, 1981) that "From the midst of eternity, the voice of God, conveyed by the power of the Spirit, spoke to his prophet . . . And we all heard the same voice, received the same message, and became personal witnesses that the word received was the mind and will and voice of the Lord. President Kimball's prayer was answered and our prayers were answered. He heard the voice and we heard the same voice" (128). He reaffirms, "And when President Kimball finished his prayer, the Lord gave a revelation by the power of the Holy Ghost" (133).

However, some of these people may be taking liberties with the phrase "voice of God" as others like Gordon B. Hinckley never claimed to have heard an actual voice. It was more of a feeling that they were doing something right by reversing the ban.

Does this sound like revelation?

Elder Le Grand Richards, from an interview by Wesley Walters and Chris Vlachos on August 16, 1978, Church Office Building, Salt Lake City:

Walters: On this revelation, of the priesthood to the Negro, I've heard all kinds of stories: I've heard that Christ appeared to the apostles; I've heard that Joseph Smith appeared; and then I heard another story that Spencer Kimball had had a concern about this for some time, and simply shared it with the apostles, and they decided that this was the right time to move in that direction. Are any of those stories true, or are they all?

Richards: Well, the last one is pretty true, and I might tell you what provoked it in a way. Down in Brazil, there is so much Negro blood in the population there that it is hard to get leaders that don't have negro blood in them. We just built a temple down there. It's going to be dedicated in October. All those people with Negro blood in them have been raising money to build that temple. If we don't change, then they can't even use it. Well, Brother Kimball worried about it, and he prayed a lot about it. He asked each one of us of the twelve if we would pray--and we did--that the Lord would give him the inspiration to know what the will of the Lord was. Then he invited each one of us in his office--individually, because you know when you are in a group, you can't always express everything that's in your heart. You're part of the group, see--so he interviewed each one of us, personally to see how we felt about it, and he asked us to pray about it. Then he asked each one of us to hand in all the references we had, for, or against that proposal. See, he was thinking favorably toward giving the colored people the priesthood. Then we had a meeting where we meet every week in the temple, and we discussed it as a group circle. and then held another prayer circle after the close of that meeting, and he (President Kimball) lead in the prayer; praying that the Lord would give us the inspiration that we needed to do the thing that would be pleasing to Him and for the blessing of His children.

And then the next Thursday--we meet every Thursday--the presidency came with this little document written out to make the announcement--to see how we'd feel about it--and present it in written form. Well, some of the members of the Twelve suggested a few changes in the announcement, and then in our meeting there we all voted in favor of it--the Twelve and the first Presidency. One member of the Twelve, Mark Peterson, was down in South America, but Brother Benson, our president, had arranged to know where he could be reached by phone, and right while we were in that meeting in the temple, Brother Kimball talked with Brother Peterson, and read him the article, and he (Peterson) approved of it.

Walters: There wasn't a special document as a "revelation", that he had wrote down?

Richards: We discussed it in our meeting. What else should we say besides that announcement? And we decided that that was sufficient; that no more needed to be said.

(excerpted, emphasis mine)

Negative "Revelation"?

Although we don't normally quote from sources who are unwilling to have their name published, we decided to add this account from someone we know who worked in the administrative staff at the MTC during the time of the announcement:

We were told, by visiting General Authorities and others from the Church Office Building, that it was not a revelation, but a "negative revelation."

That is, the First Presidency and the Twelve decided to tell the Lord that they were going to change the policy regarding blacks and the LDS priesthood "unless He gave them a sign to the contrary." In the absence of any sign, they changed the policy.

No one officially coming over from SLC to the MTC at the time denied this story. It was later that I heard the word "revelation" actually used in conjunction with it. But Elder Le Grand Richard's statements in his interview with Chris Vlachos and Wesley P. Walters supports this version of the events.

Perhaps many "revelations" within the church have been "received" this way?

• Skin Color In Mormon Scriptures and Theology (PDF - archived copy)
• Link is here.A0070 Legrande Richards

Additional evidence of negative "revelation" from an LDS source

It seems likely from President Spencer W. Kimball's statement printed in the church's own newspaper that he did not receive any word from God concerning the matter (emphasis added):

I asked the Twelve not to go home when the time came. I said, 'Now would you be willing to remain in the temple with us?' And they were. I offered the final prayer and I told the Lord if it wasn't right, if He didn't want this change to come in the Church that I would be true to it all the rest of my life, and I'd fight the world against it if that's what He wanted.

"We had this special prayer circle, then I knew that the time had come. I had a great deal to fight, of course, myself largely, because I had grown up with this thought that Negroes should not have the priesthood and I was prepared to go all the rest of my life till my death and fight for it and defend it as it was. But this revelation and assurance came to me so clearly that there was no question about it." (Deseret News, Church Section, January 6, 1979, page 4)

It would appear then, that when President Kimball asked the Lord if He had any objections to his changing the doctrine, he received no answer from heaven. Since God did not seem to contest the idea, Kimball felt he had the "assurance" that it must be the Lord's will. This, of course, seems like a very unusual way to obtain a "revelation."

(the original link is now dead with no redirect or archived page)

A business-like process

The description given by the Church is a simplified (and romanticized) version of the actual decision. As the son of former Church President Kimball, the process has been described , makes it more like a manager who wants change to implement, therefore seeks support in the organization and thinks about how the change should be communicated (Kimball 2008).

June 1977: Church President Spencer W. Kimball asks three Brethren to write about the implications of a possible lifting of restrictions memos.

March 9, 1978: At a joint meeting of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve decided that any waiver of the limitations as a revelation of the church president should be presented.

March 23, 1978: Kimball has decided to lift the restrictions and submit it to his two counselors, who support the decision. They discuss the impact of the change and the timing of the necessary actions to be taken. They conclude that there is no rush and that they want to look at the Quorum of the Twelve support.

May 30, 1978: Kimball made ​​a preliminary statement to his counselors. They are asking the Church History Department to look at previous statements on the subject.

June 1, 1978: Kimball asks apostles Packer, McConkie and Hinckley to each register for the announcement of the change text.

June 7, 1978: Francis Gibbons, the secretary of Kimball, has prepared a proposal for the final text of the declaration on the basis of the three proposals Packer, McConkie and Hinckley. The First Presidency refine the text further on.

June 8, 1978: The statement shall be presented to the Quorum of the Twelve, who still imagine a few textual changes. the timing of disclosure is discussed. Some wanted to wait until the general conference in October but Apostle McConkie insisted on immediate publication. He feared that the change would otherwise leak out prematurely and that the church would not have control over it. The statement was presented that afternoon to the Quorum of the Seventy, and the press was informed.

Church leaders act as if racism did not exist in the Church

From an Ensign article of September 2000 by General Authority Alexander Morrison (emphasis added):

"Unfortunately, racism-the abhorrent and morally destructive theory that claims superiority of one person over another by reason of race, color, ethnicity, or cultural background-remains one of the abiding sins of societies the world over. The cause of much of the strife and conflict in the world, racism is an offense against God and a tool in the devil's hands. In common with other Christians, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regret the actions and statements of individuals who have been insensitive to the pain suffered by the victims of racism and ask God's forgiveness for those guilty of this grievous sin. The sin of racism will be eliminated only when every human being treats all others with the dignity and respect each deserves as a beloved child of our Heavenly Father.

"How grateful I am that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has from its beginnings stood strongly against racism in any of its malignant manifestations."

And another statement from the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley:

Now I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ. How can any man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood arrogantly assume that he is eligible for the priesthood whereas another who lives a righteous life but whose skin is of a different color is ineligible?

President Gordon B. Hinckley, "The Need for Greater Kindness," April 2006 Priesthood Session.

Critic's point: Isn't what GBH saying is wrong exactly what the Church did? The Church assumed blacks were not eligible for the priesthood regardless of how righteous they were and they did this for 150 years.

Additional critic's comments:

In the D&C, OD-1 is this official statement: "The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray."

This is doctrine in the D&C. It has been taught from the pulpit at general conference. It is in official church manuals.

Earlier in 2012, the church released a press statement that read: "It is not known precisely why, how, or when this restriction began in the Church but what is clear is that it ended decades ago...We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church."

This statement is very profound. It tacitly admits that the previous statement, that the Lord won't allow a prophet to lead the members astray, is false. For nearly 150 years the prophets have led the people astray with racist policies and the current prophet administration does not know why this happened, they just know firmly, racism is wrong. That repudiation of the former policy, of hundreds of statements made by Brigham Young, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, Bruce McConkie, and many more effectively opens the gate to an understanding that the current administrating prophets could be absolutely dead wrong on policies they have in place currently (such as on gays, on apostates, on non-tithers, temple marriage and more).

The issue of the blacks and the priesthood has become a pivotal issue about the integrity of past and current leaders. In 2006, then Church president Gordon B. Hinckley declared that "no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church. Let us all recognize that each of us is a son or daughter of our Father in Heaven, who loves all of His children."

By this standard any prophet that taught that a skin of blackness or descent from Africa is a curse would not be considered "true disciples of Christ". This apparently includes Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, John Taylor, Joseph Fielding Smith, Spencer W. Kimball, Ezra Taft Benson and Gordon B. Hinckley who have all taught dark skin as a curse.

Segregation in the LDS Church

The Church stated in their Dec 2014 essay 'Race and the Priesthood' the following:

There has never been a Churchwide policy of segregated congregations.

It is probably technically true that there has never been a Churchwide policy of segregated congregations, but there certainly was tacit approval of racial segregation from the days of Joseph Smith until relatively recently. Here are some examples (emphasis added):

1) In 1842, Joseph Smith said to Orson Hyde:

"Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization." (Source: Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 270 (Deseret Book 1979)). Thus, although the "national equalization" was quite a progressive attitude at the time, Joseph clearly showed himself to be a strict segregationist.

2) A more recent example: In a letter dated June 23, 1942, the First Presidency sent the following letter to Ezra Taft Benson, then president of the Washington, D.C. Stake:

First Presidency to Pres. Benson wrote:
Dear President Benson:

Through the General Board of the Relief Society, who reported to the Presiding Bishopric, and they to us, it comes to us that you have in the Capitol Ward in Washington two colored sisters who apparently are faithful members of the Church.

The report comes to us that prior to a meeting which was to be held between the Relief Societies of the Washington Ward and the Capitol Ward, Bishop Brossard of the Washington Ward called up the President of the Relief Society of the Capitol Ward and told her that these two colored sisters should not be permitted to attend because the President of the Capitol Ward Relief Society failed to carry out the request made of her by the Bishop of the other ward.

We can appreciate that the situation may present a problem in Washington, but President Clark recalls that in the Catholic churches in Washington at the time he lived there, colored and white communicants used the same church at the same time. He never entered the church to see how the matter was carried out, but he knew that the facts were as stated.

From this fact we are assuming that there is not in Washington any such feeling as exists in the South where the colored people are apparently not permitted by their white brethren and sisters to come into the meeting houses and worship with them. We feel that we cannot refuse baptism to a colored person who is otherwise worthy, and we feel that we cannot refuse to permit these people to come into our meeting houses and worship once we baptize them.

It seems to us that it ought to be possible to work this situation out without causing any feelings on the part of anybody. If the white sisters feel that they may not sit with them or near them, we feel very sure that if the colored sisters were discreetly approached, they would be happy to sit at one side in the rear or somewhere where they would not wound the sensibilities of the complaining sisters. We will rely upon your tact and discretion to work this out so as not to hurt the feelings on the part of anyone.

Of course, probably each one of the sisters who can afford it, has a colored maid in her house to do the work and to do the cooking for her, and it would seem that under these circumstances they should be willing to let them sit in Church and worship with them.

Faithfully your brethren,

[signed]

Heber J. Grant
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
David O. McKay

(Source: Lester E. Bush, Jr., "Mormonism's Negro Doctrine," Dialogue, Vol. 8, No. 1 at 43 & n. 197 (Spring 1973)).

3) In 1944, J. Rueben Clark, Jr. (1st counselor in FP) authorized local LDS leaders to join "a civic organization whose purpose is to restrict and control negro settlement" in Salt Lake City. (Source: D. Michael Quinn, Elder Statesman: A Biography of J. Reuben Clark, p. 344 (Signature Books 2002)).

4) In 1945, then LDS president, George Albert Smith, wrote in his diary of conversing with J. Rueben Clark, Jr. and Nicholas G. Smith (the latter an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve, and brother of George) "about the use of [LDS] meeting houses to prevent Negroes from becoming neighbors" – the outcome of this meeting is unknown, but Nicholas Smith described the meeting in his journal as "race hatred." (Source: Quinn, Elder Statesman, p. 344).

5) In 1947, when discussing the site for the future Los Angeles Temple, Clark told the LDS Church attorney in that area "to purchase as much of that property as we can in order to control the colored situation." (Source: Quinn, Elder Statesman, p. 344).

6) Since its opening (in 1911), the LDS Church-owned Hotel Utah (the FP and Twelve were the senior officers of the hotel) had refused to admit blacks as guests. In 1943, when famous black singer Marian Anderson came to Salt Lake City to give a recital, she was denied at every Salt Lake City hotel and had to stay at the home of one of the concert's promoters. When she returned in 1948 to give a concert in the Mormon Tabernacle, she was allowed to stay at the Hotel Utah but on the condition that she only use the freight elevator, not the main entrance or lobby. (Sources: Salt Lake Tribune, articles published on 9 April 1993 (p. A-3) and 19 April 1993 (p. B-1); Quinn, Elder Statesman, p. 345). Similarly, in 1951, when black Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Ralph Bunche visited Salt Lake City to give a lecture at the U. of Utah, the Hotel Utah initially refused to accept him (even though he had a reservation); Dr. Bunche was eventually admitted after pressure was brought to bear, but only when he agreed to take his meals in his room and not come to the dining room. (Source: Quinn, Elder Statesman, p. 347).

7) In 1949, David O. McKay (then counselor in the FP) praised the South's Jim Crow laws, writing in his diary: "I said further that the South knows how to handle them [i.e., blacks] and they do not have any trouble, and the colored people are better off down there – in California they [i.e., blacks] are becoming very progressive and insolent in many cases." (Source: Quinn, Elder Statesman, p. 348).

8) In 1952, McKay (then LDS president) "initiated – without prior consultation with his counselors – a ban … against LDS Negroes speaking in sacrament meetings or firesides." (Source: Quinn, Elder Statesman, p. 348).

9) In 1954, Apostle Mark E. Petersen told a CES audience at BYU:

Now we are generous with the Negro, We are willing that the Negro have the highest education. I would be willing to let every Negro drive a Cadillac if they could afford it. I would be willing that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. But let them enjoy these things among themselves. I think the Lord segregated the Negro and who is man to change that segregation?

Later in the same speech, Petersen gave this example of tacitly-approved segregation of LDS members:

Some years ago, back in 1936 to be exact, I became acquainted with a negro family in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was back there for three months in connection with a newspaper assignment. I went to Church there and became acquainted with the family of a negro man named Ben Hope … [, who] lived down in Mississippi.

…

Later he met the Elders and joined the Church. Then he joined the army in the First World War. When he came back, having carried a Book of Mormon with him all through the war and studied it carefully[,] he converted his negro sweetheart whom he married and she was baptized. Then they moved up to Cincinnati to escape the "Jim Crow" law.

Up in Cincinnati, some of the members of the Church became extremely prejudiced against this Negro family. They met in a group, decided what to do and went to the Branch President, and said that either the Hope family must leave or they would all leave. The Branch President ruled that Brother Hope and his family could not come to Church meeting[s]. It broke their hearts. But, the missionaries went out to the Hope home and there conducted Sunday School every Sunday and served them the sacrament. I had the privilege of visiting with the Hope family. I was in their home. I saw how their song book had been literally worn out and likewise their Doctrine and Covenants and Book of Mormon.

Apostle Mark E. Peterson, "Race Problems – As They Affect the Church," Address given at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, delivered at BYU, August 27, 1954.

I say "tacit approval" because Elder Petersen did NOT in any way condemn the blatant segregation he witnessed in this Cincinnati branch.

10) In 1956, the LDS Church-owned Deseret News published an editorial conceding that racial desegregation was inevitable and advocating "moderation and gradualism" in granting "full civil and personal rights." However, the original editorial had contained language that also advocated school desegregation, which text LDS President McKay had deleted prior to publication. He explained his reason in his diary:

I had no objection to the editorial's being printed as it now stands with the exception of the reference to segregation in the school room. I said that there is a different problem attached to this subject; for instance there may be a district where the negro is in the majority; that there might be three or four white children. Inasmuch as the negro child is two or three grades below the white child of the same age, it would not be fair to force the few white children to attend – furthermore, the negro really prefers to attend a school of the colored people. I therefore instructed Dr. Robinson [i.e., then-general manager for the Des News] to leave the reference to the school room out of the editorial. (Source: Prince, David O. McKay, p. 67).

11) In 1957, making specific reference to the school desegregation controversy in Little Rock, Arkansas, J. Rueben Clark instructed Belle Spafford, then general president of the Relief Society, "that she should do what she could to keep the National Council [of Women] from going on record in favor of what in the last analysis would be regarded as negro equality." (Sources: Prince, David O. McKay, p. 63; Quinn, Elder Statesman, p. 348).

12) In 1960, Harold B. Lee told BYU President Ernest L. Wilkinson: "If a granddaughter of mine should ever go to BYU and become engaged to a colored boy there, I would hold you responsible." (Source: Prince, David O. McKay, p. 64).

13) In 1960, BYU President Wilkinson wrote the following journal entry about his reversal of a subordinate's decision to hire a black professor to teach a summer course at BYU:

I wish we could take him on our faculty, but the danger in doing so is that students and others take license from this, and assume that there is nothing improper about mingling with the other races. Since the Lord, himself, created the different races and urged in the Old Testament and other places that they [i.e., blacks] be kept distinct and to themselves, we have to follow that admonition. (Source: Prince, David O. McKay, p. 65).

14) In 1961, then-LDS president, David O. McKay, wrote in his diary of Henry D. Moyle (counselor in FP) encouraging an initiative to persuade the U.S. Department of Defense not to deploy troops to an army base in Toole, Utah, because "there will be two to three hundred Negro families in the contingent." (Source: Prince, David O. McKay, p. 63).

15) In 1963, President McKay received an invitation from U.S. President John F. Kennedy to attend a White House meeting of religious leaders to discuss JFK's proposed civil rights legislation. McKay declined the invitation (upon the recommendation of Hotelier/Restaurateur J. Willard Marriott, Sr.). A few days later Pres. McKay met with James E. Faust (then president of the Utah State Bar Association; Faust would later became an apostle and member of the FP). Faust had received an invitation to a related meeting in Washington, D.C., and he was asking McKay whether he should accept. Pres. McKay recorded his response in his journal:

I told Brother Faust that he should go and find out what President Kennedy is trying to do. I said that I did not like to see a law passed which will make the Hotel men violators of the law if they refuse to provide accommodations for a negro when their hotels are filled with white people, or restaurant men made violators when they decline to serve colored people. I said that businessmen ought to be free to run their own businesses, and not become law breakers if they choose to employ certain people; that if we have such a law as that, then it is unfair to the majority of the citizens of this country. (Source: Prince, David O. McKay, p. 68).

16) In 1964, Apostle Delbert L. Stapley wrote a letter to Michigan Governor George Romney, expressing his displeasure "after listening to your talk on Civil Rights." Here are some real gems from that letter:

I cannot, in my own feelings, accept the idea of public accommodations; the taking from the Whites their wishes to satisfy the Negroes. I do not have any objection to recognizing the Negro in his place and giving him every opportunity for education, for employment, for whatever contribution he can make to the society of men and the protection and blessings of Government. Yet, all these things, in my judgment, should accord with the expressions of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

It is not right to force any class or race of people upon those of a different social order or race classification. People are happier when placed in the environment and association of like interests, racial instincts, habits, and natural groupings.
…

I fully agree the Negro is entitled to considerations, also stated above, but not full social benefits nor inter-marriage privileges with the Whites, nor should the Whites be forced to accept them into restricted White areas.
…

Now, don't think I am against the Negro people, because I have several in my employ. We must understand and recognize their status and then, accordingly, provide for them. I just don't think we can get around the Lord's position in relation to the Negro without punishment for our acts; going contrary to that which He has revealed. The Lord will not permit His purposes to be frustrated by man.
…

(Source: Letter dated 23 January 1964 on "Council of the Twelve" letterhead from Delbert L. Stapley to Governor George Romney). Link to Letter

17) In 1965, BYU President Wilkinson wrote in his journal that Harold B. Lee was "protesting vigorously over our having given a scholarship at the B.Y.U. to a negro student from Africa. Brother Lee holds the traditional belief as revealed in the Old Testament that the races ought to be kept together and that there is danger in trying to integrate them on the B.Y.U. campus." (Source: D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, p. 852 (Signature Books 1997)).

We think it is very clear from the above examples that there was a widespread attitude of segregation in the Church, even if no "official policy."

Why are blacks born black?

Many religions in the 1800s believed that the curse put upon Cain in Genesis was black skin. It wasn't just the Mormons. The Catholics did not believe this though. However, the other non-LDS churches did not teach that blacks were less valiant before they came to earth - that was a unique LDS belief.

The LDS apostles taught for generations that blacks were the "cursed seed of Cain". According to LDS theology, "The Lord" punished Cain for murdering his brother Abel by making his skin go dark, making him the first Negro.

This isn't necessarily Biblical. According to the Bible, the mark was put on Cain to protect him. The mark was not explained - it could be anything, no necessarily 'black skin'. The Mark of Cain was to be a protection. That it was seven times worse to kill Cain or one of his descendents than it was to kill another. But also it was a mark so that racial/tribal/religions wouldn't inter marry. God was very specific in the Old Testament on what kind of person and race people could marry or have sex with.

In early 19th century America, the Western World accepted the Bible as historically accurate. The Book of Genesis stated that God created Adam and Eve, and Adam and Eve were the parents of all living. It was generally understood that Adam and Eve were white-skinned. Their descendents should logically also have white skin. But many ethnic groups had dark skin. How did this happen? The Book of Genesis provided an answer. The first murderer was Cain, and according to the Bible, Cain was cursed with a mark. To the 19th century mind, it seemed reasonable that dark skin was the mark, and that it was passed on to one of Noah's descendents after the Great Flood. This presumably occurred via the wife and children of Ham, the son of Noah, of whom Genesis 9:18-27 says:

And the sons of Noah that went forth from the ark were Shem, and Ham, and Japeth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. And Shem and Japeth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father, and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

In her paper "The Lives of African-American Mormons and the Evolution of Church Policy", Howarth (1995) noted:

"it had been popularly taught, at least since A.D. 200, by both Christian and Jewish scholars, that the descendants of Ham or Canaan form the present day African races. Southern fundamentalists used this scripture to justify the enslavement of the African race, "for God cursed them to perpetual servitude".

"It was argued that the Negro was inferior by nature because of Noah's curse upon the children of Ham.... The greatest blasphemy of the whole ugly process was that the white man ended up making God his partner in the exploitation of the Negro." ~Martin Luther King, Jr., Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, 1967

No one really knows for sure what the curse put upon Cain was (assuming the story of Cain and Abel isn't merely a myth which is what most scientific scholars believe).

Of course scientific research shows that skin color is a product of living in various climates, and that the first humans, who emerged in deep dark Africa, were Negroid, and that as humans moved northward into Europe, their skins turned lighter over hundreds of thousands of years. If you accept scientific reasoning then all of Mormonism's teachings about race and skin are complete nonsense.

• Link is here.

More on Cain

There is a discussion of Cain, including a passage from some early LDS member in Spencer W. Kimball's book The Miracle of Forgiveness. Some members refer to this as the Bigfoot reference.

As I was riding along the road on my mule I suddenly noticed a very strange personage walking beside me.... His head was about even with my shoulders as I sat in my saddle. He wore no clothing, but was covered with hair. His skin was very dark. I asked him where he dwelt and he replied that he had no home, that he was a wanderer in the earth and traveled to and fro. He said he was a very miserable creature, that he had earnestly sought death during his sojourn upon the earth, but that he could not die, and his mission was to destroy the souls of men. About the time he expressed himself thus, I rebuked him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, and commanded him to go hence, and he immediately departed out of my sight....(Lycurgus A. Wilson, Life of David W. Patten [Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1900], p. 50., as quoted by Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness [Salt Lake City, Bookcraft, Inc.]18th printing 1991 p.p. 127-128.)

Doctrine or just policy?

Some members question whether the ban was actual doctrine or just Church policy. The First Presidency issued the following official statements signed by all three members. (emphasis added):

1947 the First Presidency (supreme council) of the Church issued an Official Statement:

"From the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith even until now, it has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel." (Statement of The First Presidency on the Negro Question, July 17 1947, quoted in Mormonism and the Negro, pp.46-7)

In 1949, The First Presidency issued the following statement:

"The attitude of the Church with reference to Negroes remains as it has always stood. It is not a matter of the declaration of a policy but of direct commandment from the Lord, on which is founded the doctrine of the Church from the days of its organization, to the effect that Negroes may become members of the Church but that they are not entitled to the priesthood at the present time." (The First Presidency on the Negro Question, 17 Aug. 1949)

Official Statement of First Presidency issued on August 17, 1951, reads:

"The position of the Church regarding the Negro may be understood when another doctrine of the church is kept in mind, namely, that the conduct of spirits in the pre-mortal existence has some determining effect upon the conditions and circumstances under which these spirits take on mortality, and that while the details of this principle have not been made known, the principle itself indicates that the coming to this earth and taking on mortality is a privilege that is given to those who maintained their first estate; and that the worth of the privilege is so great that spirits are willing to come to earth and take on bodies no matter what the handicap may be as to the kind of bodies they are to secure; and that among the handicaps, failure of the right to enjoy in mortality the blessings of the priesthood is a handicap which spirits are willing to assume in order that they might come to earth. Under this principle there is no injustice whatsoever involved in this deprivation as to the holding of the priesthood by the Negroes.....

"Man will be punished for his own sins and not for Adam's transgression. If this is carried further, it would imply that the Negro is punished or allotted to a certain position on this earth, not because of Cain's transgression, but came to earth through the loins of Cain because of his failure to achieve other stature in the spirit world."

The Reasons for the Ban

Of perhaps greater concern is the reason for the doctrine. Are the commonly referred to beliefs of the ban dealing with the curse of Cain and being less valiant in the pre-existence actual doctrine or merely Mormon folklore?

The earliest reference may be from Orson Hyde in 1845 when he said that the reason blacks are black was due to their actions in the pre-existence. Every prophet since Brigham Young until Spencer W. Kimball has preached the same belief as doctrine.

By listening to the Church's official spokesmen for 150 years it seems clear that the reason for the ban had to do with blacks being cursed by God because they were less valiant in the pre-existence and were therefore born under the curse of Cain, who was the first Negro.

To say otherwise, and go against scores of teachings and sermons and even First Presidency messages by the highest leaders of the Church, would put into serious question whether these men are really inspired men that receive revelation from God.

We were all clearly taught this in Church for decades before the ban was lifted. If the leaders of the church could make such a serious error, then how can we really ever put our 100% trust in what they say? How is the LDS church more true than the hundreds of protestant churches that did not teach, up through 1978, that blacks are black because they were cursed from God for being less valiant before they came to earth?

In public interviews, Gordon B. Hinckley has said that he doesn't know the reasons for the ban. He seems understandably uncomfortable answering the question. It is strange that until the ban, the reasons were plainly taught to the members but now no one wants to say what the reasons are anymore or confirm whether what was taught in the past is true or not.

Were the leaders right?

One apologist (a personal good friend of mine) told me in confidence that he personally thought that blacks were 'fence-sitters' in the pre-existence and were indeed cursed from Cain and that the prophets were correct about the doctrine and the reasons for it. They don't talk about it for the obvious public image problems that it would cause for the church in modern times. Perhaps that's true - we'll never really know. But this is further evidence that the church needs to make a more official statement on the reasons for the ban.

Elijah Abel

If the ban preventing blacks from having the priesthood was instituted by Joseph Smith, then that would give the ban more legitimacy as Joseph was the first and by far the most doctrinal of the Latter-day prophets. However, if the ban was made by the prophets after Joseph then perhaps they were in error as Brigham Young was in error regarding the Adam-God sermons.

Born into slavery in Maryland in 1810, a black man named Elijah Abel escaped a life of slavery through the Underground Railroad and entered Canada. Shortly thereafter, in 1832, Elijah was baptized into the LDS Church by Ezekiel Roberts.

Elijah Abel was only one-eighth black and had a rather plain appearance. See photo reported to be of him. Some speculate that it wasn't readily apparent that he was black.

Abel was the first black person to be baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was also the first black man to receive the priesthood, ordained an elder in 1836 under the hands of the prophet Joseph Smith. Abel's journey was one of pain, suffering, liberation and spiritual redemption. A few years after receiving the priesthood, Abel was ordained as a seventy-a high position of leadership in the LDS faith. Abel served missions for the LDS Church in Ohio, New York and Canada.

Abel changed the lives and softened the hearts of countless people. Shortly after his second mission, Abel was ordained into the Nauvoo Seventies Quorum, and when Joseph Smith was arrested in Quincy, Ill., in 1841, Abel was among a group of seven elders who set out from Nauvoo to try to rescue him. While living in Nauvoo, Illinois, he worked as a mortician at the request of Joseph Smith.

At a conference in June 1843, apostles John E. Page, Orson Pratt, and Heber C. Kimball's brought up for discussion Elijah Abel's unique status as the only black priesthood holder of the Church. It was then decided that he was not allowed to perform publicly (Bringhurst 1979). Thus, the case of Elijah Abel appears to be a mistake rather than policy.

In 1853 Elijah asked to receive his endowment and was denied by Brigham Young. In 1883 he was still on Church records as a Seventy. In 1884 Elijah was sent on another mission. He returned home and died in December of 1884.

Walker Lewis

Another black man, Walker Lewis also received the priesthood during Joseph's leadership. About 1842, Lewis, who had worshipped with the Episcopal Church, converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He is believed to have been baptized by Parley P. Pratt. One year later, in the summer of 1843, Lewis was ordained an Elder by William Smith, brother of founder Joseph Smith.

Walker's first-born son, Enoch Lovejoy Lewis, also joined the Church. On September 18, 1846, Enoch married a white Mormon woman, Mary Matilda Webster, in Cambridge.

After settling in Utah in 1848, Young announced a ban that prohibited all men of black African descent from holding the priesthood. In addition, he prohibited Mormons of African descent from participating in LDS temple rites, such as the Endowment or sealing.

Attempt to live in Utah

Walker Lewis migrated to Utah to be with the main body of the Latter Day Saint movement. He left Massachusetts at the end of March 1851 and arrived in Salt Lake City about October 1. There he received his Patriarchal Blessing from Presiding Patriarch John Smith, an uncle of Joseph Smith. He asked Jane Elizabeth Manning James, a black Mormon from Connecticut, to marry him as his polygamous wife, but she declined.

Lewis was ignored by his fellow Mormons. The missionaries and Apostles with whom he developed relationships with and worked closely in Massachusetts refused to acknowledge his presence once he was in Salt Lake City.

Two months after Walker's arrival, Brigham Young lobbied for, and the Utah Territorial Legislature (composed only of high-ranking Mormon leaders) passed, the Act in Relation to Service. This new territorial law made slavery legal in the territory of Utah, and Section Four of the statute provided punishment for "any white person... guilty of sexual intercourse with any of the African race," regardless of their being married, consenting adults. The anti-miscegenation law was not repealed in Utah until the 1960s, although enforcement had ceased well before that. Walker Lewis left after six months the following spring, returning to Lowell, Massachusetts.

Editor Comments

Joseph Smith does not appear to have been that racist, although there are a couple of racist comments attributed to him (see above) and he also upheld the laws of slavery and only spoke out against it towards the end of his life. He was friends with a black convert (Elijah Abel) whom he allowed to be ordained to the higher priesthood.

However, it seems more likely that this was the exception, rather than the rule. Joseph likely did Elijah Abel a favor because of his friendship with the man.

If only 2 or perhaps 3 black men received the priesthood in the early days of the Church, then it seems much more likely these were either favors or mistakes. Undoubtedly there were more than 2 or 3 black men in the Church that wanted to be sealed to their families or have the priesthood in the first decades the church existed.

Brigham Young refused Elijah Abel (whom Joseph allowed to be ordained to the higher priesthood) from being endowed in the Nauvoo temple with the rest of the Saints. Perhaps the racism came from Brigham moving forward because we've seen little evidence that Joseph felt that way (except for a few comments) and we could find no official church policy on blacks written during Joseph's life. He was out to win over all men regardless of race, nationality or color. When Joseph ran for president of the United States he made ending slavery a key issue of his campaign.

If the prophets after Joseph Smith were responsible for the ban on blacks from receiving the priesthood and if indeed this was a false doctrine then how could any of those men possibly be prophets? For men of God to deny an entire race the benefit of the priesthood for 150 years is inexcusable. The Church would have been much better off to have been governed by a group of men that did not claim divine authority and therefore could have been responsive to the will of the members.

If Brigham Young instituted the priesthood ban on blacks without being directed to from God, then this is just too serious to ignore. And if all the prophets since Brigham Young until Spencer W. Kimball let it go unchallenged, then how can anyone say these men are truly prophets of God? It's ironic that all the other Christian churches, that do not claim to have prophets, allowed blacks the same rights as whites long before the prophet-led LDS church did. If the LDS prophets made this big of an error then why should they be believed on other matters?

Elijah Abel Reference: Early LDS Church showed more racial tolerance than some think - from The Daily Utah Chronicle

Link is here.

Link is here.

Will blacks be just servants in the next life?

In August 1908, LDS President Joseph F. Smith recounted the situation of a devout LDS African-American woman who was sealed to Joseph Smith--not as one of Joseph's many plural wives--but, rather, as Smith's servant. Her struggle for equal rights is summarized below:

"A free-born servant, Jane Elizabeth Manning was born in the late 1810s or early 1820s and grew up in Connecticut during the 1820s, earning her living as a domestic. "When Mormon missionaries came to the area, she listened and along with other family members joined the Church.

"In 1843, eight members of the Manning family started toward Nauvoo but became separated at Buffalo, New York, when they were refused passage on a boat because they were Black. The Mannings set out on foot and, after experiencing illness, threatened imprisonment, and extreme cold, finally arrived in Nauvoo where Joseph Smith welcomed them into his home.

"Before the Latter-day Saints left Nauvoo, Jane Manning married another black Mormon, Isaac James. James, a native of New Jersey, had converted to Mormonism in 1839 at the age of nineteen and immigrated to Nauvoo.

"Their first son was born at Winter Quarters in 1846. The couple had six more children in Utah. In 1869 Isaac left the family, selling his property to Jane. He returned to Salt Lake City approximately twenty-one years later just before he passed away. When he died in 1891, Jane held his funeral in her home.

"Jane Manning James was a member of the female Relief Society and donated to the St. George, Manti, and Logan temple funds. "She repeatedly petitioned the First Presidency to be endowed and to have her children sealed to her...

"After Isaac died, Jane asked that they [her children] be given the ordination of adoption so they would be together in the next life. "She explained in correspondence to Church leaders that Emma Smith had offered to have her sealed to the Smith family as a child. She reconsidered that decision and asked to be sealed to the Smiths.

"Permission for all of these requests was denied. "Instead the First Presidency 'decided she might be adopted into the family of Joseph Smith as a servant, which was done, a special…ceremony having been prepared for the purpose.'

"The minutes of the Council of Twelve Apostles continued: "'But Aunt Jane was not satisfied with this, and as a mark of dissatisfaction she applied again after this for sealing blessings, but of course in vain.'…

"Jane Manning James bore a testimony of Mormonism to the end of her life [as follows, in her own words]:

"'My faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is as strong today, nay, it is if possible stronger than it was the day I was first baptized. I pay my tithes and offerings, keep the word of wisdom, I go to bed early and rise early, I try in my feeble way to set a good example to all.'

"When she died in 1908, Church president Joseph F. Smith spoke at her funeral." At her funeral, President Smith admitted that "Aunt Jane" (as she was known) had been relegated to eternal servanthood in the Mormon realms above, despite being a valiant, faithful Church member to the end:

"... [E]fforts…had been made by Aunt Jane to receive her endowments and be sealed to her husband and have her children sealed to their parents and her appeal was made to all the Presidents from President Young down to the present First Presidency.

"But President Cannon conceived the idea that, under the circumstances, it would be proper to permit her to go to the temple to be adopted to the Prophet Joseph Smith as his servant and this was done. "This seemed to ease her mind for a little while but did not satisfy her, and she still pleaded for her endowments."

"I had several meetings with H. B. Clawson Concerning some of our Affairs in Calafornia. We had Meeting with several individuals among the rest Black Jane wanted to know if I would not let her have her Endowments in the Temple. This I could not do as it was against the Law of God. As Cain killed Abel All the seed of Cain would have to wait for Redemption untill all the seed that Abel would have had that may Come through other men Can be redeemed."

--Wilford Woodruff, journal note for Oct 16, 1894.

Mathias F. Cowley reported:

In after years when President Joseph F. Smith preached the funeral sermon of this same faithful woman he declared that she would in the resurrection attain the longings of her soul and become a white and beautiful person.[

• Link is here.
• "Excerpts From The Weekly Council Meetings Of The Quorum Of The Twelve Apostles," in Jerald and Sandra Tanner, "Mormonism--Shadow or Reality?," p. 584, at Link is here. )

This LDS belief that even faithful blacks were destined to be just servants in the next life was also taught openly at least through the mid 1950s. LDS apostle Mark E. Petersen declared in 1954 in a sermon to BYU students that baptized LDS Blacks would receive only qualified acceptance into Mormonism's highest degree of glory (emphasis added):

"In spite of all he [the Black person] did in the pre-existent life, the Lord is willing, if the Negro accepts the gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost."

"If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the Celestial Kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get celestial glory."

• Apostle Mark E. Peterson, "Race Problems – As They Affect the Church," Address given at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, delivered at BYU, August 27, 1954.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.

Editor Comment: The LDS Church does not teach this now, but for the Church to be wrong about such an important topic for so many years is troubling.

Should the Church apologize for its past teachings?

From the Pro-LDS Site Link is here.

Q. Will the Mormon Church ever just apologize to black folks for teaching that they are the descendants of Cain and under his curse?

A. Not likely. It is highly unlikely that The First Presidency will ever "apologize" for the Curse of Cain doctrine and/or the Priesthood-ban policy. To call the Curse of Cain doctrine and Priesthood-ban policy a "mistake" would be saying that Mormon leaders from Brigham Young (1850s-1870s) to Spencer W. Kimball (1970s-1980s) were not inspired of God! It would be saying that Church Presidents, considered to be "Living Prophets" by Mormons, cannot be trusted in their doctrines or policies.

The LORD has said:

"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (Doctrine & Covenants 1:38)

Some Members of the Church believe the Priesthood-ban was a "mistake" and not of God. They don't believe that blacks are the descendants of Cain. Some of these believe that the Church should publicly "repudiate" the Curse of Cain legacy. Others believe that merely by not discussing it, not talking about it, the Curse of Cain legacy will slowly "fade away" and be forgotten.

Some Members don't believe that the Church ever taught that blacks were the descendants of Cain or cursed at all! These Members are either very misinformed, or self-deluded. Some of them will go into "denial" and literally lie to themselves and others. Why? Because they don't want others to perceive them as "racist".

A few Members will think of excuses why blacks were denied the Priesthood; other than the reasons given by Mormon Prophets. They will say things like, "Well, the white Members were racist and they weren't ready for black Priesthood-officers!" or "Well, we really don't KNOW why blacks did not receive the Priesthood! God has not revealed why!"

These are their "personal opinions" and "spins". Church of Jesus Christ leaders have--since the early 1850s until the 1978 Revelation--been consistent as to telling "why" Hamites could not hold the Priesthood. The reason "why" they gave was:

1. Hamites (black Africans and anyone with at least one black African ancestor) were considered to be the descendants of Cain via Ham's Cainite wife. They inherited the "Curse of Cain"; which was a denial of the Priesthood in mortal life. All of this was based upon their interpretation of Abraham 1:26 in the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price (a volume of Mormon scripture) which said that Pharaoh was "a righteous man" and "blessed with wisdom" but "cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood" because he had the blood of the Canaanites; being a descendant of Ham through Canaan.
2. Hamites "may" (always "may" or "might have") have been "less valiant" in the War in Heaven in the Pre-Existence (i.e. they followed Jehovah against Lucifer but were not "valiant" in the War). As punishment, these spirits were born into the Cainite lineage (bloodline).
3. One day the "curse will be removed" and Negroes will "have all the blessings we now enjoy" and more.

Some Mormons think they know more than do Mormon Prophets, and conclude that Abraham 1:26 refers to the Patriachal Priesthood (i.e. there should be no black Patriarchs) but not to the Melchizedek or Aaronic orders.

Other Mormons simply believe that the Curse of Cain doctrine and Priesthood-ban policy was based upon the "racism" of Brigham Young, and should never have happened.

Some Mormons believe or will tell you that the Curse of Cain was merely the "personal opinions" of early Church leaders, and "never a doctrine of the Church".

This is simply NOT true! In 1947 the First Presidency (supreme council) of the Church issued an Official Statement saying:

"From the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith even until now, it has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel." (Statement of The First Presidency on the Negro Question, July 17 1947, quoted in Mormonism and the Negro, pp.46-7)

By "full blessings of the Gospel" they meant:

1. The Priesthood
2. The Higher Ordinances (sealings and endowments) in Mormon Temples.

Only The First Presidency can speak for the Church. They did not repudiate the Curse of Cain doctrine nor the Priesthood-ban in 1978. They simply "lifted" the Priesthood-ban (or rather the LORD did through them). There are no current signs the First Presidency will ever repudiate the Curse of Cain legacy. Members who tell themselves and others that the Curse of Cain doctrine was a "mistake" or "personal opinion" or "never taught" are saying they know the Will of the LORD more than did Church Presidents; which they claim to believe in and sustain as "Living Prophets".

The Church leaders say that the 1978 announcement negated the necessity of an apology. It's interesting that the announcement doesn't even mention the word 'black' or 'negro'. It was worded in such a way as to downplay the fact that blacks were denied the priesthood.

We agree that the Church will not likely apologize to blacks. If it did then it would be admitting that the Church made a serious mistake and their prophets are not really prophets. People would say if they were wrong about that, what else might they be wrong about?

Perhaps the Church should at least clarify the reasons for the ban. Many people in the Church believe that blacks are cursed from God as the earlier leaders taught. This puts an awful burden on black members. Many feel that they have to defend themselves against white brothers who still believe this. Many white LDS will continue to believe that the reasons for the ban, were as they were taught growing up, before the ban was lifted UNLESS the Church officially states otherwise. That is unfair to our black brothers.

Link is here.

Protest from a faithful member

In 1947, Dr. Lowry Nelson, a professor at then-Utah State Agricultural College in Logan, Utah, dispatched a letter to the Mormon First Presidency challenging the official exclusionary and racially biased position of the LDS Church toward people of African descent. In writing his letter of protest, Lowry was no insignificant malcontent but, rather, a Mormon who came to the table with impeccable credentials:

"Nelson earned a B.S. degree at Utah State University in 1916. He spent the next two decades working mainly in Utah. He served as the County Agricultural agent in Sanpete County, Utah in 1919, he became the field agriculturist for the People's Sugar Company in 1920 and edited the Utah Farmer from 1920-1922. He was associated with Brigham Young University from 1921-1935. During the Depression he worked for the Utah Relief Administration in 1934, he was regional advisor to the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, and in 1935 became director of the Resettlement Administration. He was then director of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station at Logan. In 1937 he received a position at the University of Minnesota in the Sociology Department... .

"Dr. Nelson's works include several monographs and a multitude of articles and papers ranging from rural life in Latin America, the United States and Canada as well as studies on various Mormon Villages in Utah. Dr. Nelson died in Provo, Utah in 1986."

Scans of the letter exchanges between Dr. Nelson and the First Presidency. (from the Utah State University Special Collections)

It was from this distinguished professional career track and deep Mormon background that on 16 June 1947, Lowry wrote the First Presidency, taking issue with the Mormon Church's anti-Black doctrine.

On 17 July of the same year, the First Presidency replied thusly:

"Dear Brother Nelson:

"As you have been advised, your letter of June 16 was received in due course…We have carefully considered [its] content; and are glad to advise you as follows:

"We make this initial remark: the social side of the Restored Gospel is only an incident of it; it is not the end thereof.

"The basic element of your ideas and concepts seems to be that all God's children stand in equal positions before Him in all things. Your knowledge of the Gospel will indicate to you that this is contrary to the very fundamentals of God's dealings with Israel dating from the time of His promise to Abraham regarding Abraham's seed and their position vis-a-vis God Himself. Indeed, some of God's children were assigned to superior positions before the world was formed.

"We are aware that some Higher Critics do not accept this, but the Church does. Your position seems to lose sight of the revelations of the Lord touching the pre-existence of our spirits, the rebellion in heaven, and the doctrines that our birth into this life and the advantages under which we may be born, have a relationship in the life heretofore.

"From the days of the Prophet Joseph Smith even until now, it is has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel.

"Furthermore, your ideas, as we understand them, appear to contemplate the intermarriage of the Negro and White races, a concept which has heretofore been most repugnant to most normal-minded people from the ancient patriarchs till now. God's rule for Israel, His Chosen People, has been endogamous [meaning 'marriage within a specific tribe or similar social unit']. Modern Israel has been similarly directed.

"We are not unmindful of the fact that there is a growing tendency, particularly among some educators, as it manifests itself in this are, toward the breaking down of race barriers in the matter of intermarriage between whites and blacks, but it does not have the sanction of the Church and is contrary to Church doctrine.

"Faithfully yours,

[signed]

George Albert Smith
J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
David O. McKay

The First Presidency"

(John J. Stewart, Mormonism and the Negro," [Orem, Utah: Community Press, 1960], pp. 46-47 (see below for link); see also, Link is here. (archived copy) and lightplanet.com )

Lowry followed up with another letter to the First Presidency, dated 8 October 1947, in which he expressed his disappointment with the Mormon Church's officially, blatantly racist position, expressing his conclusions as follows:

"The attitude of the Church in regard to the Negro makes me very sad. I do not believe God is a racist."

The First Presidency replied:

"We feel very sure that you are aware of the doctrines of the Church. They are either true or not true. Our testimony is that they are true. Under these circumstances we may not permit ourselves to be too much impressed by the reasonings of men, however well founded they may seem to be. We should like to say this to you in all sincerity, that you are too fine a man to permit yourself to be led off from the principles of the Gospel by worldly learning.

"You have too much of a potentiality for doing good and we therefore prayerfully hope that you can re-orient your thinking and bring it in line with the revealed Word of God." (Stewart and Bennett, "Mormonism and the Negro," p.28)

Mormonism and the Negro

The book, Mormonism and the Negro, was written by John J. Stewart and published in 1960. The book can be read online here. Although it was not officially produced by the church, it was the definitive work work of the time to counter the growing Civil Rights Movement. It was important enough that the December 1965 issue of "The Improvement Era: The Voice of the Church; Official organ of the Priesthood Quorums, Mutual Improvement Associations, Home Teaching, Music Committee, Department of Education, and other agencies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" allowed it to be advertised as the free book for the LDS Book of the Month Club, which had this to say about the book:

(click on the picture for the picture of the full page) - picture source: Link is here. (page 1064)

From the first page:

There is nothing in the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about which any member need feel any shame, apology or embarrassment. Perhaps in the individual failings and weaknesses of some who profess to be members, there may be cause, but not in the Gospel itself.
As the Apostle Paul said, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ-, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..."
Yet, because of the popular beliefs and traditions of the world, there are at least two points of doctrine and history of this Church about which many LDS themselves—to say nothing of many non-members—feel ill at ease or critical. One of these is its doctrine regarding the Negro.
If we properly understood this doctrine, and the reasons for it, we would not feel critical of it. "And ye shall know the truth" taught Jesus, "and the truth shall make you free." We would become free of any misgivings about these teachings, and readily proclaim to the world what they are, and why.

In the publication, there is a supplemental book, written by John J. Berrett (Vice President of Brigham Young University) titled The Church and the Negroid People, "Historical information concerning the doctrine of the Church toward the Negroid people."

Both pieces are found in this one download at Mormon Docs: Link is here.

The book was also endorsed by Apostle Delbert L. Stapley in his letter to Michigan Gov. George Romney:

I am enclosing a little booklet entitled Mormonism and the Negro, which you may already have. If not, it is an enlightening exposition and quite well reflects the Church position in regard to these people.

(Source: Letter dated 23 January 1964 on "Council of the Twelve" letterhead from Delbert L. Stapley to Governor George Romney - emphasis added).

Some excerpts from the book (emphasis added) :

There are Negroes born into families of wealth and refinement, others who are blessed with great talents, and there are those born into the lowest classes of society in Africa, in squalor and ignorance, living out their lives in a fashion akin to that of the animals. Does not this infinite variety of circumstance give further evidence of man's being assigned that station in life which he has merited by his performance in the pre-mortal existence? (pg 44)

In the above scripture from Abraham, then, we have a reliable account of the early genealogy of the Negro race, and in Abraham's comments we have further evidence of the divine direction in the LDS Church policy of not allowing the Negro, the seed of Cain and Ham to bear the Priesthood. (pg 45)

Indeed, some of God's children were assigned to superior positions before the world was formed. We are aware that some Higher Critics do not accept this, but the Church does. (pg 46)

Quoting the First Presidency:

From the days of the Prophet Joseph even until now, it has been the doctrine of the Church, never questioned by any of the Church leaders, that the Negroes are not entitled to the full blessings of the Gospel. Furthermore, your ideas, as we understand them, appear to contemplate the intermarriage of the Negro and White races, a concept which has heretofore been most repugnant to most normal- minded people from the ancient patriarchs till now. God's rule for Israel, his Chosen People, has been endogamous. Modern Israel has been similarly directed, "We are not unmindful of the fact that
there is a growing tendency, particularly among some educators, as it manifests itself in this area, toward the breaking down of race barriers in the matter of intermarriage between whites and blacks, but it does not have the sanction of the Church and is contrary to Church doctrine. (pg 46-47)

Is it not possible to see an act of mercy on the part of God in not having the Negro bear the Priesthood in this world, in view of his living under the curse of a black skin and other Negroid features? (pg 49)

According to this next passage, the black race should be glad that God even allowed them to have mortal bodies:

The very fact that God would allow those spirits who were less worthy in the spirit world to partake of a mortal body at all is further evidence of His mercy. (pg 50)

Response by the Church

UPDATE: In December, 2013 the Church included a section on 'Race and the Priesthood' in the topical guide of the LDS.org website. This is the most definitive response by the church we could find. Please read their essay and MormonThink's response to the essay here: Race and the Priesthood - Response to LDS.org

In addition, the Mormons in Transition website, also did a review of the Church essay

Prior to the publication of the Church essay, we we found several responses from LDS apologists and LDS leaders which we cite below.

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie explained how earlier statements by church leaders on African-Americans and the priesthood should be disregarded because their understanding was limited at the time:

"There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren that we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, "You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?" All I can say is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.

"We get our truth and light line upon line and precept upon precept (2 Ne. 28:30; Isa. 28:9-10; D&C 98:11-12; 128:21). We have now added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don't matter anymore." (Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, All Are Alike Unto God, pp. 1-2)

Marvin Perkins explained the Book of Mormon teaching that those "cursed" with a "skin of blackness" could remove the "curse" by coming unto God:

"There are Blacks here today who are members of the Church. Why have we not turned White? But there are Blacks who have joined the Church, married White spouse, and their children became lighter than their Black parents. Then those kids grew up to marry those that believe as they do, which most are White, so they married White, and their kids became even lighter, and so on. Makes you think a bit, doesn't it? (Marvin Perkins, Blacks and the Priesthood, FAIR)"

President Spencer W. Kimball described the process through which the church decided to bestow all church privileges upon African-Americans:

"It went on for some time as I was searching for this, because I wanted to be sure. We held a meeting of the Council of the Twelve in the temple on the regular day. We considered this very seriously and thoughtfully and prayerfully.

"I asked the Twelve not to go home when the time came. I said, 'now would you be willing to remain in the temple with us?' And they were. I offered the final prayer and I told the Lord if it wasn't right, if He didn't want this change to come in the Church that I would he true to it all the rest of my life, and I'd fight the world against it if that's what He wanted.

"We had this special prayer circle, then I knew that the time had come. I had a great deal to fight, of course, myself largely, because I had grown up with this thought that Negroes should not have the priesthood and I was prepared to go all the rest of my life till my death and fight for it and defend it as it was. But this revelation and assurance came to me so clearly that there was no question about it." (President Spencer W. Kimball, Deseret News, Church Section, January 6, 1979, p. 19)

According to President Gordon B. Hinckley, he simply doesn't know why Blacks were denied the priesthood until 1978:

"HN: Until 1978 no person of color attained the priesthood in your church. Why did it take so long to overcome the racism?

"GBH: I don't know. I don't know. I can only say that. (long pause) But it's here now. We're carrying on a very substantial work in Africa for instance and in Brazil. We're working among their people developing them. We've had them among the leadership of the Church and they're able to do a great work and we love them and appreciate them and we respect them and we are trying to help them." (Gordon B. Hinckley Interview, ZDF German Television, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 29, 2002, Conducted by Helmut Nemetschek)

• Link is here.

Regarding Bruce R. McConkie's statement "Forget everything I've said in the past" does not absolve the LDS church of its past leaders' racist teachings and policies.

McConkie's statements are a good first step but the Church needs to officially put out a similar, yet stronger statement. McConkie can only apologize for his own statements and the current prophet would have to explain the Church's practices for the first 150 years of its existence.

UPDATE:

Salt Lake Tribune: This Mormon Sunday school teacher was dismissed for using church's own race essay in lesson - 15 May 2015

It all started with a question.

The Mormon youth simply asked his white Sunday school teacher why the man's Nigerian wife and her family would join a church that had barred blacks from being ordained to its all-male priesthood until 1978. Why, the student wanted to know, was the ban instituted in the first place?

To answer the teen's inquiry, Brian Dawson turned to the Utah-based faith's own materials, including its groundbreaking 2013 essay, "Race and the Priesthood." His research prompted an engaging discussion with his class of 12- to 14-year-olds.

But it didn't please his local lay leaders, who removed him from his teaching assignment — even though the essay has been approved by top Mormon leaders and appears on the church's official website lds.org

Read full article

Editor Comment: The LD Church was having a hard time responding to what it felt was a lot of misinformation about its doctrine and history. So they compiled a list of essays to answer those questions so members could have an official, LDS approved reference. This teacher appears to have been dismissed for using the essays for their exact stated purpose.

Critics' Summary

The LDS Church continually says it was not racist but how else can you explain the doctrine taught for 150 years? One of the following must be racist - Was it Joseph Smith, Brigham Young or God?

If it was Joseph Smith or Brigham Young then these men are not really receiving true revelation from God and therefore are not prophets and the modern LDS church cannot be God's one, true church. That leaves the obvious choice to say it was all God's idea. It's easy to blame things on God. People do that all the time. No one can prove or disprove it.

The LDS prophets taught that God cursed some people with black skin, if that's true then God must be racist. We find that hard to believe.

Another example of Mormon racism is the fact that before the 1978 change, LDS missionaries in the southern USA were instructed to not actively proselyte Negroes, and to stay out of black neighborhoods. If the missionaries accidentally knocked on a black person's door, they were instructed to tell the person to "Have a nice day, and attend the church of your choice." That is racism.

LDS General Authority Alexander Morrison asserted that the LDS church has always been against racism. We point out that racism, even in its most benign form, can consist of merely discrimination against a race or races of people, or drawing distinctions between races. The LDS church's "scriptures" do this in spades. They repeatedly treat dark skinned-people as "loathsome," and light-skinned people as "delightsome." The BOM states that the god of Mormonism turned the Lamanites' skin dark so "they would not be enticing unto my people." The implication being that dark-skinned people are less attractive and desirable to mate with. And that is racist.

Interestingly enough, one of the Articles of Faith states that we believe that men are punished for their own sins. Were not the blacks punished in the Church for something they had no control over?

Shouldn't we expect more from God's Prophets than to merely reflect the times in which they lived? Isn't God the same yesterday, today, and forever? Why then should Mormon doctrine ever just reflect the times in which they lived? Those appointed to act as God's mouth piece should especially be forward thinkers - to reflect God's will for His true followers on earth.

The LDS Church would have been far more progressive and likely would have allowed blacks to have the priesthood long before 1978, like other churches did, if they were led by men not claiming to be prophets. They would have been swayed by the righteous desires of the people instead of waiting for a revelation to come from God and not be so tied to the notion that their predecessors were so infallible.

The church claims to be God's church, indeed, His kingdom on Earth. As such, they should not "Course Correct." Rather, they should be on the right course both before and after 1978.

Blacks were not allowed to have the priesthood until social pressure became so great that Mormon leaders got a revelation that is was suddenly okay. That's not ongoing revelation. We call that changing church doctrine because of social pressure.

Many faithful LDS simply dismiss the LDS racism as Brigham Young's racist attitudes were a reflection of the times in which he lived. It only serves as proof that he never spoke to God or at least he never listened very carefully.

Editor Comments

Both the critics and defenders of the faith have compelling points to make. The editors of this section give their own opinion:

The LDS Church ban on blacks having the priesthood has always been one of the most difficult things to defend in the church. We've always felt a need to justify or defend the practice that seems on the surface to be so racist. Here's a few things to consider:

Most religions in America in the 1800s did not extend full fellowship to blacks either. The barbaric concept of slavery was supported by the belief that many people had that blacks were inferior and people outside of the LDS Church believed the mark of Cain was indeed black skin and this justified in some people's minds that even slavery of the black race was acceptable. Some people used the Bible to justify slavery.

As time went on all the major religions changed their ways and accepted blacks into full participation. Some did it after the Civil War, others closer to the turn of the century and some during the civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The Catholic Church never adopted the' blacks are cursed from Cain belief' and let blacks be ordained as priests in America in the 1800s. But the LDS Church did not change until 1978 - decades after all the other major religions did.

If we believe that the concept of treating all men equally is true, then why would the true church be the very last significant church to change their policy to allow blacks to have the priesthood? Should not the one, true church be on the forefront of civil rights and not lag it?

If the LDS Church changed their discrimination polices when other churches did then it would not be a major criticism limiting their growth in the black communities and black nations of the world today. If the LDS Church never had the policy to begin with then that would have served as a powerful witness that this is indeed the true church. But to wait until 1978 and be the last significant religion in America to change their policy does not make it sound like this is really God's one, true church.

Since Joseph allowed one or two black men to have the priesthood during his reign as prophet and those same men were denied temple ordinances by Brigham Young, it makes us believe that maybe it wasn't suppose to be that way. We don't believe that Brigham Young received a revelation that said blacks are not to have the priesthood. Certainly no such revelation is recorded by him.

It seems more likely that Joseph may have supported blacks having the priesthood or why else would he have ordained Elijah Abel? It's also possible that those 2-3 black men that received the priesthood were either done as special favors or mistakes. Brigham Young was a product of his time and we believe he and the other leaders went totally by their own notions of race to establish the doctrine of the church that was practiced up until 1978. Brigham's comments are evidence of this. Certainly we don't agree with many of his comments today.

But we are suppose to be God's one, true church led by prophets that communicate with God about important doctrinal matters. How could every prophet since Brigham Young be so wrong about something so important? Why would this not be challenged by any of the prophets since Brigham, if they were indeed prophets?

It also seems that the revelation that changed this in 1978 was not prompted by God, but was 'inspired' by outside pressure. Schools were boycotting BYU's athletic games, the government under Jimmy Carter was threatening to revoke BYU's and perhaps even the LDS Church's tax exempt status, the new temple in Brazil was causing major issues as almost all Brazilians have some negro blood and couldn't use the temple, the public was not kind to the church's discrimination and the members of the LDS Church themselves were very embarrassed by the policy.

We've always heard about how impressively spiritual and powerful the revelation was that changed the policy in 1978. But when we read the details about how this came about, such as how Spencer W. Kimball met with everyone individually and asked them to come up with references for and against granting the priesthood to blacks, how they debated the issues and ultimately decided to change it, then that doesn't sound like revelation to us. The notion that God actually told SWK to change the policy appears to be very different than what actually happened. Of course all the brethren felt good about it afterwards. No one liked the policy and everyone wanted it changed and it would make life much easier, for the church, by not having to continually fight the valid criticism of this arcane doctrine.

Pre-existence

Growing up in the Church we were all clearly taught as doctrine that the reason blacks could not have the priesthood, was that they were less valiant in the pre-existence. They had the curse of Cain on them and therefore were excluded from participating in the priesthood as whites were able to. Although the prophets and apostles, up until the 1978 revelation, had clearly taught these things, we believe that these reasons for the ban may have been Mormon folklore inspired by statements made initially by early leaders of the Church.

Some members try to ease their guilt and say that the whites were not ready for the blacks to have the priesthood. This may sound good, but ask members that grew up in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s if he/she was ready to have the blacks be members of the priesthood. We all felt very ashamed and embarrassed at the doctrine and was very glad when it was changed.

A black member friend of mine is humble enough to actually say that maybe he did do something wrong in the pre-existence and that is why he was born black. After thinking about how someone could be so conditioned to actually say something like that about himself, makes me feel that the church must at some point come forward and clarify whether or not the reasons taught for 150 years are really true or are they just Mormon folklore.

In public interviews the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley has stated "that's how the prophets interpreted the doctrine at that time". A logical follow-up question would be to ask "were those prophets interpreting the doctrine correctly or were they in error?"

Because the church, since 1978, won't officially support or deny the reasons for the ban, this places a huge and unnecessary burden on our black brothers in the church. Many white members still believe that blacks are cursed because they were fence-sitters in the pre-existence. We've heard from black members that they feel they have to defend themselves against these beliefs but get no support from the church. The church clearly doesn't want to talk about it and hopes in time this issue will go away. Even the LDS apologists say things like 'How many people under 25 even know about the curse of Cain or the teachings about blacks being less valiant in the pre-existence?' That kind of response is unacceptable to our black members.

We have a hard time believing that God was the author of the ban up until 1978. It's very convenient to blame it on God but we would think God would have told his earliest prophets of the restoration that all of his worthy sons should be eligible to receive the blessings of the priesthood. If it was truly from God, then our prophets should be able to tell us why. If the ban came about from the man-made philosophies of the prophets starting with Brigham Young, then these men cannot truly be as inspired as we think they are.

The church members, in at least the last half of the 1900s, did not want the priesthood ban on the blacks. It was embarrassing. God's true church should have been on the forefront of civil rights, not the last major church to adopt it. We all felt ashamed as a Latter-day Saints growing up in the 1970s, being taught that blacks were cursed from Cain and were less valiant in the pre-existence. We never liked that doctrine and always wondered if it was really true. We believed it back then but now we think it's much more likely that the prophets were in error.

Blacks in Cuba

The following report from a Mission President shows how race factored into decisions on whether LDS missionaries should proselytize in certain countries. Read: A report of Visit to Cuba

Blacks banned from the temple

Some members try to explain that the priesthood ban on black men was just something unique to the priesthood. But if that's the case, why were not black women allowed to receive their endowments in the temples until 1978? It's bad enough to exclude black men from holding the priesthood but to deny both black men and black women the sealing ordinances and other ordinances required for exaltation is clearly racist. Why on earth wouldn't black families be allowed to be sealed to each other before 1978?

And since black boys couldn't hold the priesthood, they couldn't be boy scout troop leaders either. The ban on blacks holding the priesthood had further-reaching implications than most members probably realize.

When Gordon B. Hinckley was asked publicly about the ban, his response was he didn't know why blacks were banned from the priesthood for 150 years until 1978 and he just said it is all behind us now - much like his response to polygamy. In 2013, the Church finally responded to this issue by releasing an essay called 'race and the priesthood'. Unfortunately, it is merely a historical recap and provides little explanation. Read Race and the Priesthood and MormonThink's response'. If we are to accept the LDS Church as God's one true church on the earth, and is indeed lead by prophets that communicate with our Father in Heaven, then we think we deserve more of an answer.

Links

LDS essay on Race & the Priesthood and MormonThink's response:

Race and the Priesthood - Response to LDS.org

The Institute for Religious Research prepared a report for the Kenyan Government officials regarding the past policies and teachings of the LDS church regarding people of color, and the teaching on this subject that remains in LDS scriptures today. This is a very good and accurate review, with lots of documentation, regarding this issue.

Skin Color In Mormon Scriptures and Theology (PDF - archived copy)

Links Supporting the critics:

• Mormons in Transition - Mormonism, race and priesthood
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Black Mormon HomePage
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Mark of Cain - (archived copy)
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
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• Link is here., Link is here.
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Supporting the church:

• LDS Genesis Group
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Book: David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism
• Book: Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball

Neutral:

• Link is here.
• Chicago Tribune Article: Link is here.
• Link is here.
• Brigham Youngs territorial speech, Feb 1852 (cited by both critics and the Church)

Video Clips:

• Gordon B. Hinckley responds to a question on why it took so long to aallow blacks the priesthood
• (contains some critical footage not from the interview): Link is here.
• Donny & Marie Osmond: on why blacks can't hold the priesthood
• Mr. Deity: The Way of the Mister: Mormonism is Racism