Mormons to Mark 30th anniversary of blacks in priesthood

[PaulDupre]

Link to the story.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

By JENNIFER DOBNER, Associated Press Writer

SALT LAKE CITY — Thirty years have passed, but Heber G. Wolsey still cries when he recalls the day the Mormon church abandoned a policy that had kept black men out of the priesthood.

“It was one of the greatest days of my life,” said Wolsey, who was head of public affairs at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On June 8, 1978, Wolsey was called to a secret rendezvous with N. Eldon Tanner, a member of the church’s First Presidency, in a tunnel beneath the Salt Lake City temple.

He was handed a slip of paper: “The long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the church may receive the holy priesthood … without regard for race or color.”

“I started to bawl,” Wolsey recalled, his eyes again welling with tears. “It’s something we’d all been praying for a long, long time.”

Latter-day Saints will mark the 30th anniversary Sunday with an evening celebration of words and music in the Salt Lake City Tabernacle.

Heralded as a revelation from God to church President Spencer W. Kimball, the four-paragraph statement gave blacks full membership in the church for the first time after nearly 130 years.

Some say it was the most significant change in church policy since Mormons abandoned polygamy in 1890 to gain statehood for Utah.

Unlike other religions, the Mormon priesthood is not a set of trained clerics. It is a lay status granted to virtually every Mormon male at age 12, allowing them to bestow blessings and hold certain church callings.

Until 1978, black men could attend priesthood meetings but could not pass sacraments or give blessings, even on their own families. They could not enter Mormon temples for sacred ceremonies, including marriage

[paragraphs deleted to fit length restriction]

Early teachings and sermons by church founder Joseph Smith don’t reflect a racist stance. Blacks were not denied membership, baptism or the priesthood under his leadership. Smith ordained the former slave Elijah Able to the priesthood in 1836 and sent him on a proselytizing mission.

But after Smith’s death, Brigham Young reversed the policy, declaring in 1852 that blacks were the unworthy descendants of Cain and could not hold the priesthood, Mormon historian Newell Bringhurst said.

“Brigham Young cites divine sanctification and that’s pretty hard to refute,” said Bringhurst, who is white and the co-editor of the book “Black and Mormon.”

Although Young’s policy was never considered doctrine, his teachings left the church so entrenched that it was unable to change, even during the civil rights era of the 1960s and despite pressure from inside and outside the faith, Bringhurst said.

“It’s a tragedy in a way,” said Bringhurst, who left the Mormon church partly because of its stance on blacks. “There was this missed opportunity in the 1960s where they could have easily changed.”

Labeled as racist, the church suffered years of repeated drumming in the news media and from people angered by the divisive policy, Wolsey said.

“Every day I was working with people who were highly antagonistic to the church,” said Wolsey, who recalled some schools in the '60s wouldn’t compete against Brigham Young University sports teams.

Prior to 1978, Wolsey and Gray spent nearly five years touring the country to answer questions about the church’s position during meetings that often would spark angry, contentious words.

“I said, ‘I am not a racist. I don’t have any racial feelings against the blacks at all. I have a part of my belief that says the blacks can’t hold the priesthood,’” Wolsey said. “Women can’t hold the priesthood either; children can’t. But I said I believe in the church, so I accept it.”

Church statisticians don’t track membership by race, but scholars believe there were less than 3,000 black Mormons in 1978.

Since then, the church has expanded its missionary work in predominantly black nations, including the Caribbean, South America and Africa, where it now claims more than 250,000 members out of 13.1 million worldwide.

There are no blacks in the senior leadership tiers of the Salt Lake City-based church. A black Brazilian, Helvecio Martins, was a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy from 1990-95. He died in 2005.

In Africa, more than 2,000 men serve in local and regional leadership posts, spokeswoman Kim Farah said.

Gray and Wolsey said the change in 1978 was good for all members of the church, not just for blacks.

“It removed an impediment that stood between the brotherhood and sisterhood that needed to be removed,” Gray said. “It has allowed blacks and whites _ not just blacks _ to be more open about these issues, to embrace one another and to be the Christians that God intended us to be.”

 

[PaulDupre]

How can they say that keeping blacks out of the priesthood was not LDS doctrine?? It is in their scriptures.

 

[MelanieAnne]

How can they say that keeping blacks out of the priesthood was not LDS doctrine?? It is in their scriptures.

Isn’t that another way that they were, at least originally, racist?

The question is not really about the original racism, which is pretty much inarguable, but how GOD could be racist. THAT sort of notion is beyond comprehension. How is it that GOD could create greater and lesser beings? Obviously HE would not do so, and as such, the “lesser” only exists in our frail human minds.

It’s interesting to watch those who continue to promulgate these differences and those who do not. Some do, WHY? Others do not. WATCH and LEARN.

 

[zaffiroborant]

“Unlike other religions, the Mormon priesthood is not a set of trained clerics. It is a lay status granted to virtually every Mormon male at age 12, allowing them to bestow blessings and hold certain church callings.”

A 12 year old white boy has more authority than a black man, I remember reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in 6th grade and being indignant at that very same idea. And It was in place until 1978. 1978!! only thirty years ago, to me that is beyond belief!!!

 

[Jerusha]

Remember that the Book of Mormon is their “sacred scripture”, and it is pervasively racist.

 

[falisrm]

The doctrine of who holds the priesthood is a biblical doctrine. That is why Brigham Young didn’t allow blacks to hold the priesthood.

Noah did not give the priesthood to his youngest son Ham because he married outside of the tribe. That was forbidden at that time. Ham tried to steal the priesthood from his father before he left. Ham ended up establishing eygpt and practicing a false priesthood anyways.

Christ at one point did not teach the Gentiles. Sounds more biblical then anything else.

 

[Mom_of_5]

Mormonism is racist. The belief is that the black people on earth are black because they were disobiedient spirit children. They were given black skin as punishment. Most LDS that I know are a bit on the racist side. My husband (ex LDS) was somewhat predudice when I met him. Over the years he has softened his stance a great deal. He says that it was hard to think of black as equal when you are taught in church and family to the contrary. I am pleased with his progress to accept that we are all equal in the eyes of God. Now, that being said, my mother, (a Catholic) was the MOST predjudice person I EVER knew and there was no excuse for that since the CC teaches that this is wrong.

Love and peace,

Mom of 5

 

[Alma147]

How can they say that keeping blacks out of the priesthood was not LDS doctrine?? It is in their scriptures.

Interesting. I wrote an essay about 10 years ago published by University of Illinois Press in a peer reviewed book where I noted there is no scripture that blacks cannot hold the priesthood. Too bad you weren’t one of the reviewers–you could have provided a citation. Care do offer one now?

Alma

 

[Alma147]

Mormonism is racist. The belief is that the black people on earth are black because they were disobiedient spirit children

I would say that’s just sort of ridiculous but it’s completely ridiculous.

Alma

 

[ibkc]

Interesting. I wrote an essay about 10 years ago published by University of Illinois Press in a peer reviewed book where I noted there is no scripture that blacks cannot hold the priesthood. Too bad you weren’t one of the reviewers–you could have provided a citation. Care do offer one now?

I guess now we have to go through the usual tap-dancing about what, exactly, is the definition of a Mormon “scripture.”

 

[majick275]

Interesting. I wrote an essay about 10 years ago published by University of Illinois Press in a peer reviewed book where I noted there is no scripture that blacks cannot hold the priesthood. Too bad you weren’t one of the reviewers–you could have provided a citation. Care do offer one now?

Alma

are you joking? do you really want to proclaim from an academic point of view that mormon doctrine isn’t racist?

 

[armyross]

Being an ex mormon myself I know growing up that I was always teached that Blacks was cursed. I also was not allowed to date a black person.

 

[BartBurk]

I don’t think the Book of Mormon is any more racist than the Bible itself. You will recall that it was the Bible that said there would be a mark set upon Cain. This is actually what the Book of Mormon says about race:

2 Nephi 26:33:

“For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”

There were some difficulties the Saints ran into in Missouri which limited blacks in regard to the priesthood, but it is clear Joseph Smith did ordain a black man to the priesthood. All accounts in which Joseph denied the priesthood to blacks are second hand. Brigham Young is the author of the priesthood denial, not Joseph Smith.

 

[BartBurk]

are you joking? do you really want to proclaim from an academic point of view that mormon doctrine isn’t racist?

I don’t really think Mormon doctrine is any more racist than most Protestant teaching in the 19th century. My Dad was taught as a Presbyterian in his youth that blacks were descendents of Cain and were cursed. And he was living in Iowa, not Mississippi!

 

[majick275]

Abraham 1:24-26 would be the most direct to your attempt at hair splitting.
these all set the tone though:
moses 6:8
1 nephi 12:23
1 nephi 13:15
2 nephi 5:21
2 nephi 30:6
3 nephi 2:14,15
jacob 3:8,9

numerous teachings of brigham young (who was quite clear that his sermons were scripture), john taylor, joseph fielding smith, ezra taft benson and spencer kimball in their roles as prophets and apostles give an exegesis showing these scriptures to justify racism and they specifically taught that blacks were not to be given the priesthood by divine prohibition. this doctrine was addressed by apostle mark e petersen in great detail at BYU when he addressed the convention of college level LDS religion teachers in 1954. it was also explored in depth by Bruce R. Mconkie. none of it was ever denounced or refuted by LDS general authorities. even the OD granting the priesthood to “all worthy males” doesn’t do this. it doesn’t say this was wrong or a misapplication or anything of the kind. it states the prohibition has expired. Gordon b hinkley admitted all of this and merely claimed that God decreed it.

perhaps you would be willing to allow us to see this essay tht was published in a peer reviewed book. (are you saying that the essay itself was peer reviewed? by what peers?)

 

[ibkc]

I don’t think the Book of Mormon is any more racist than the Bible itself. You will recall that it was the Bible that said there would be a mark set upon Cain.

The Bible does not say what exactly that this mark was. The idea that the mark was dark skin is a man-made construct dating from the eighteenth century.

Please give other examples where the Bible is racist - and I don’t mean examples where the Israelites fought with other nations or whatever, I mean places where God/Jesus is said to have damned people based solely on skin color. Examples from the New Testament would be especially interesting.

 

[armyross]

Abraham 1:24-26 would be the most direct to your attempt at hair splitting.
these all set the tone though:
moses 6:8
1 nephi 12:23
1 nephi 13:15
2 nephi 5:21
2 nephi 30:6
3 nephi 2:14,15
jacob 3:8,9

numerous teachings of brigham young (who was quite clear that his sermons were scripture), john taylor, joseph fielding smith, ezra taft benson and spencer kimball in their roles as prophets and apostles give an exegesis showing these scriptures to justify racism and they specifically taught that blacks were not to be given the priesthood by divine prohibition. this doctrine was addressed by apostle mark e petersen in great detail at BYU when he addressed the convention of college level LDS religion teachers in 1954. it was also explored in depth by Bruce R. Mconkie. none of it was ever denounced or refuted by LDS general authorities. even the OD granting the priesthood to “all worthy males” doesn’t do this. it doesn’t say this was wrong or a misapplication or anything of the kind. it states the prohibition has expired. Gordon b hinkley admitted all of this and merely claimed that God decreed it.

perhaps you would be willing to allow us to see this essay tht was published in a peer reviewed book. (are you saying that the essay itself was peer reviewed? by what peers?)

Great Post.

 

[majick275]

I don’t think the Book of Mormon is any more racist than the Bible itself. You will recall that it was the Bible that said there would be a mark set upon Cain. This is actually what the Book of Mormon says about race:

2 Nephi 26:33:

“For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”

There were some difficulties the Saints ran into in Missouri which limited blacks in regard to the priesthood, but it is clear Joseph Smith did ordain a black man to the priesthood. All accounts in which Joseph denied the priesthood to blacks are second hand. Brigham Young is the author of the priesthood denial, not Joseph Smith.

the bible doesn’t say what the mark was nor did it say his descendants would have it. the BoM is very clear on the dark skin of the lamanites being a curse to make them loathsome so that the nephites wouldn’t want to intermarry with them. joseph did ordain elijah abel. he doesn’t say why. BYor JS is in my opinion irrelevant. mormon doctrine is racist.

 

[Alma147]

I guess now we have to go through the usual tap-dancing about what, exactly, is the definition of a Mormon “scripture.”

Holy Bible
Book of Mormon
Doctrine and Covenants
Pearl of Great Price.

Alma

 

[majick275]

I don’t really think Mormon doctrine is any more racist than most Protestant teaching in the 19th century. My Dad was taught as a Presbyterian in his youth that blacks were descendents of Cain and were cursed. And he was living in Iowa, not Mississippi!

i disagree. protestant teaching in the 19th century in general did not have the concepts of eternal progression and the pre-existence that goes with it. thus there was no teachings on this life making up for wrongs in the pre-existence. granted there was a lot calvinism out there that claimed everyone was born to their station because God said so and thus it must be right and good to treat people like this. Mormonism went much deeper into justifying racism than it’s “early” American contemporaries and persisted in it much longer. there is also the issue that when one claims direct revelation fromo face to face conversations with God in a question and answer format that there should be little to “interpret” and thus little room for misunderstanding.

in any case, I believe protestant doctrine already in error.