The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 2011-2012
Inviting All to Come Unto Christ
In January 2011 the Church released a Mormon Message about the efforts of youth in the Immokalee (Florida) Branch to share the gospel with friends and family, which raised the number of active young men in the branch from one to twenty-six. Nearly all of the converts were black.
The BYU Honor Code
In an article called "The Truth About Race, Religion, and the Honor Code at BYU", in the wake of black BYU athlete Brandon Davies' suspension for honor code violation in 2011, Luke O'Brien and black Mormon Darron Smith wrote: "While it's impossible to know how many students disobey BYU's honor code, which prohibits fornication and alcohol use, among other things, the honor code violations that come to light almost always involve student-athletes. And they almost always involve athletes of color. Since 1993, according to our research, at least 70 athletes have been suspended, dismissed, put on probation, or forced to withdraw from their teams or the school after running afoul of the honor code. Fifty-four of them, or nearly 80 percent, are minorities. Forty-one, or almost 60 percent, are black men. These are conservative numbers, compiled from media reports and interviews. In several cases, we could not confirm an honor code violation. In other cases, we could not establish the race or ethnicity of the athlete involved. We excluded those cases from our tally.
"Clearly, though, something is amiss at BYU, where around 23 percent of the athletes are minorities, according to the university. Only .6 percent of the student body is black (176 out of the 32,947 students enrolled in 2010). Yet a majority of the honor code violations involve black athletes. Do these numbers mean these athletes 'sin' more than everyone else? Hardly. Several former BYU football players told us that their white teammates routinely broke the honor code and got away with it, either because they didn't get caught or because their violations were covered up. (To a lesser extent, this holds true for Polynesian athletes, 14 of whom are included in our honor code tally. More on that later.) Mormon athletes can turn to bishops and church leaders from their own homogeneous communities - people who look like them and might even be related to them - to 'repent' and avoid official punishment. Black athletes, who are typically non-Mormon, rarely have this option...
"The church has made a concerted effort in recent years to address its past. Black men now hold high-level LDS positions, and the views of younger Mormons on race have evolved significantly. But the leaders of the church and BYU today are still influenced by their racist legacy. They come from a generation of Mormons in which Jim Crow-like ideas die hard. Interracial dating remains a taboo subject. As at most colleges, the athletes at BYU have no shortage of women interested in dating them and sleeping with them. And the interested women are almost always white and Mormon. This isn't a problem when you're Jim McMahon. It's very different if you're black. A loose hierarchy exists at BYU when it comes to honor code sanctions. In the top, most-favored category are white Mormons who have completed a mission, followed by other white Mormons. Beneath them are LDS Polynesians. After that, anything goes.
White non-Mormon athletes can come in for harsh treatment. So can black Mormons. The most severe punishment, however, is reserved for non-Mormon black athletes, according to our data and several athletes we interviewed. 'For every one black guy, I can also name you a white guy, another kid who just returned off a mission or didn't go on a mission who did the exact same thing and didn't get in trouble,' says Tico Pringle, a black Mormon defensive back who played for BYU in 2006. 'The black athletes get called on it. Returned missionaries don't get turned in. It's all hush-hush. It's political. You go to the honor code office and then you go and talk to your coach and your coach pulls strings if he needs to. A lot of the guys I know did things and they got away with it because strings were pulled. There are guys who got their girlfriends pregnant and didn't get in trouble. They pick and choose who they want to punish.'
"[Ray] Hudson saw the same discrepancy: 'I went to parties up there in the mountains. I saw Mormons drinking alcohol and having sex. Yeah, they were having sex. Everybody who was not married who was a Mormon was having sex. They were being regular college students... I've seen Polynesian guys get in trouble. They had a brawl at a party and they knocked a couple guys out, and it went to the honor code, and it was dismissed. Polynesian guys, they're similar to us, but they're not like us. I was cool with a lot of them, but they're treated a little bit differently than African-Americans are. I've seen white Mormons doing some things and they made it go away.'...
"In an email, Kerry Brown, a black Mormon attorney who has served in high-level church positions in New Orleans, says of the Davies situation: '...Although BYU is a private institution, I am concerned that their decision to selectively enforce the honor code may open the door to litigation... [A]thletes of color may consider litigation if statistics indicate that the university has a pattern of disciplining them in a manner different from their white counterparts. Anytime an institution by its practice engages in actions that creates a separate class of people, i.e. student athletes and non-student athletes, Mormons and non-Mormons, whether public or private, they run the risk of being challenged constitutionally. BYU's actions in the Davies case may open that door.'"
Perpetuation of Elder Dyer's Talk
The talk given by Elder Alvin R. Dyer to missionaries in Norway in March 1961, saying that black people had "rejected the Priesthood of God in the pre-existence", was still being circulated among modern missionaries in the second decade of the twenty-first century. A blogger at "Wheat and Tares" named "Jake" explained in November 2011, "Missionaries are prone to speculate and indulge in what they consider is deep doctrine. Perhaps to abate speculation the reading material of missionaries is restricted to the standard works, Preach my Gospel, and Jesus the Christ. Despite this, amongst the missionaries there is always a collection of talks that are circulated, photocopied and studied secretly by the missionaries to fuel their doctrinal speculation... As soon as I became aware of the black market talks that circulated in the mission, I pounced on them and rabidly devoured them. In talking with other returned missionaries, I have discovered that these black market talks are pretty commonly circulated and discussed. These talks reflect the mind set of missionaries, but also show how false doctrine gets circulated...
"[Elder Dyer's talk] gives a logically robust, if not theologically sound, reason why blacks were denied the priesthood. This talk perpetuates pseudo doctrines legitimise [sic] the priesthood ban. Missionaries, who are often called on to answer for these types of historical problems, find refuge in Dyer’s explanations, which they then share with investigators... The neatness of the answer masks the cruelty that lies underneath it more palatable. Missionaries simply are not equipped to answer a question they are often asked, and they do not have the means to find a satisfactory answer in the available approved materials. The result is that simplistic falsehoods are embraced and shared. This talk also plays up the elitist mentality of missionaries. You are the chosen generation, the third who will be the leadership of the celestial worlds when the time comes, the first third of the ressurection [sic] who will prepare the kingdom for Christ's reign. This is a very attractive doctrine for missionaries. It makes them feel special, it gives the mundane knocking on doors a higher significance...
"Looking back it amazes me how I was unable to see the many flaws with it. First, it is racist. Secondly, it raises the problem of evil circumstances. To say that a person's circumstance of birth is a reward for righteousness in the pre-existence, means that logically people who are born in terrible circumstances deserved that. Can you imagine telling a child born into a family who abuses them physically and sexually, or who have no money and are starving that they were born into that life because they deserved it due to their lack of faithfulness in the pre-existence? This is a diabolical doctrine that is self-justifying. Why do we need to be charitable toward those who have only gotten what they deserve? What kind of God is it that would do this (this is the same issue Packer raised about homosexuality)?"
Natalie Sheppard
In mid-January 2012, a black Mormon named Natalie Sheppard, who had appeared in "Nobody Knows: The Untold Stories of Black Mormons", briefly shared her experience of evolving from an "angry black woman" at church to a friendlier and happier one.
In an article called "The Truth About Race, Religion, and the Honor Code at BYU", in the wake of black BYU athlete Brandon Davies' suspension for honor code violation in 2011, Luke O'Brien and black Mormon Darron Smith wrote: "While it's impossible to know how many students disobey BYU's honor code, which prohibits fornication and alcohol use, among other things, the honor code violations that come to light almost always involve student-athletes. And they almost always involve athletes of color. Since 1993, according to our research, at least 70 athletes have been suspended, dismissed, put on probation, or forced to withdraw from their teams or the school after running afoul of the honor code. Fifty-four of them, or nearly 80 percent, are minorities. Forty-one, or almost 60 percent, are black men. These are conservative numbers, compiled from media reports and interviews. In several cases, we could not confirm an honor code violation. In other cases, we could not establish the race or ethnicity of the athlete involved. We excluded those cases from our tally.
"Clearly, though, something is amiss at BYU, where around 23 percent of the athletes are minorities, according to the university. Only .6 percent of the student body is black (176 out of the 32,947 students enrolled in 2010). Yet a majority of the honor code violations involve black athletes. Do these numbers mean these athletes 'sin' more than everyone else? Hardly. Several former BYU football players told us that their white teammates routinely broke the honor code and got away with it, either because they didn't get caught or because their violations were covered up. (To a lesser extent, this holds true for Polynesian athletes, 14 of whom are included in our honor code tally. More on that later.) Mormon athletes can turn to bishops and church leaders from their own homogeneous communities - people who look like them and might even be related to them - to 'repent' and avoid official punishment. Black athletes, who are typically non-Mormon, rarely have this option...
"The church has made a concerted effort in recent years to address its past. Black men now hold high-level LDS positions, and the views of younger Mormons on race have evolved significantly. But the leaders of the church and BYU today are still influenced by their racist legacy. They come from a generation of Mormons in which Jim Crow-like ideas die hard. Interracial dating remains a taboo subject. As at most colleges, the athletes at BYU have no shortage of women interested in dating them and sleeping with them. And the interested women are almost always white and Mormon. This isn't a problem when you're Jim McMahon. It's very different if you're black. A loose hierarchy exists at BYU when it comes to honor code sanctions. In the top, most-favored category are white Mormons who have completed a mission, followed by other white Mormons. Beneath them are LDS Polynesians. After that, anything goes.
White non-Mormon athletes can come in for harsh treatment. So can black Mormons. The most severe punishment, however, is reserved for non-Mormon black athletes, according to our data and several athletes we interviewed. 'For every one black guy, I can also name you a white guy, another kid who just returned off a mission or didn't go on a mission who did the exact same thing and didn't get in trouble,' says Tico Pringle, a black Mormon defensive back who played for BYU in 2006. 'The black athletes get called on it. Returned missionaries don't get turned in. It's all hush-hush. It's political. You go to the honor code office and then you go and talk to your coach and your coach pulls strings if he needs to. A lot of the guys I know did things and they got away with it because strings were pulled. There are guys who got their girlfriends pregnant and didn't get in trouble. They pick and choose who they want to punish.'
"[Ray] Hudson saw the same discrepancy: 'I went to parties up there in the mountains. I saw Mormons drinking alcohol and having sex. Yeah, they were having sex. Everybody who was not married who was a Mormon was having sex. They were being regular college students... I've seen Polynesian guys get in trouble. They had a brawl at a party and they knocked a couple guys out, and it went to the honor code, and it was dismissed. Polynesian guys, they're similar to us, but they're not like us. I was cool with a lot of them, but they're treated a little bit differently than African-Americans are. I've seen white Mormons doing some things and they made it go away.'...
"In an email, Kerry Brown, a black Mormon attorney who has served in high-level church positions in New Orleans, says of the Davies situation: '...Although BYU is a private institution, I am concerned that their decision to selectively enforce the honor code may open the door to litigation... [A]thletes of color may consider litigation if statistics indicate that the university has a pattern of disciplining them in a manner different from their white counterparts. Anytime an institution by its practice engages in actions that creates a separate class of people, i.e. student athletes and non-student athletes, Mormons and non-Mormons, whether public or private, they run the risk of being challenged constitutionally. BYU's actions in the Davies case may open that door.'"
Perpetuation of Elder Dyer's Talk
The talk given by Elder Alvin R. Dyer to missionaries in Norway in March 1961, saying that black people had "rejected the Priesthood of God in the pre-existence", was still being circulated among modern missionaries in the second decade of the twenty-first century. A blogger at "Wheat and Tares" named "Jake" explained in November 2011, "Missionaries are prone to speculate and indulge in what they consider is deep doctrine. Perhaps to abate speculation the reading material of missionaries is restricted to the standard works, Preach my Gospel, and Jesus the Christ. Despite this, amongst the missionaries there is always a collection of talks that are circulated, photocopied and studied secretly by the missionaries to fuel their doctrinal speculation... As soon as I became aware of the black market talks that circulated in the mission, I pounced on them and rabidly devoured them. In talking with other returned missionaries, I have discovered that these black market talks are pretty commonly circulated and discussed. These talks reflect the mind set of missionaries, but also show how false doctrine gets circulated...
"[Elder Dyer's talk] gives a logically robust, if not theologically sound, reason why blacks were denied the priesthood. This talk perpetuates pseudo doctrines legitimise [sic] the priesthood ban. Missionaries, who are often called on to answer for these types of historical problems, find refuge in Dyer’s explanations, which they then share with investigators... The neatness of the answer masks the cruelty that lies underneath it more palatable. Missionaries simply are not equipped to answer a question they are often asked, and they do not have the means to find a satisfactory answer in the available approved materials. The result is that simplistic falsehoods are embraced and shared. This talk also plays up the elitist mentality of missionaries. You are the chosen generation, the third who will be the leadership of the celestial worlds when the time comes, the first third of the ressurection [sic] who will prepare the kingdom for Christ's reign. This is a very attractive doctrine for missionaries. It makes them feel special, it gives the mundane knocking on doors a higher significance...
"Looking back it amazes me how I was unable to see the many flaws with it. First, it is racist. Secondly, it raises the problem of evil circumstances. To say that a person's circumstance of birth is a reward for righteousness in the pre-existence, means that logically people who are born in terrible circumstances deserved that. Can you imagine telling a child born into a family who abuses them physically and sexually, or who have no money and are starving that they were born into that life because they deserved it due to their lack of faithfulness in the pre-existence? This is a diabolical doctrine that is self-justifying. Why do we need to be charitable toward those who have only gotten what they deserve? What kind of God is it that would do this (this is the same issue Packer raised about homosexuality)?"
Natalie Sheppard
In mid-January 2012, a black Mormon named Natalie Sheppard, who had appeared in "Nobody Knows: The Untold Stories of Black Mormons", briefly shared her experience of evolving from an "angry black woman" at church to a friendlier and happier one.
Black Culture at BYU
By February 2012, Mitt Romney's second and more successful campaign was well underway and the American media was giving unprecedented exposure the Church. At this time a Salt Lake City comedian named David Ackerman decided to wear blackface, go to BYU, and ask the students what they knew about black people and Black History Month.
The day after this video was posted and went viral, BYU's Dean of Students issued a brief formal response.
The video caused a slight stir in the Internet community, but even some of the Church's critics realized that it was a double standard to single out BYU students when students from any homogeneously white area of the Western United States would probably have given similar answers. Within two weeks one of the university's comedy troupes, Humor U, responded with a parody video asking students about the nonexistent White History Month.
Repudiated Teachings at BYU
Late in February the Washington Post ran an article called "The Genesis of a church's stand on race". Besides Darius Gray and Genesis Group president Don Harwell it also interviewed BYU's most popular professor, Randy Bott, on the reasons behind the Church's priesthood ban. Bott speculated about the curses of Cain and Ham and suggested that giving black people the priesthood earlier would have been like giving car keys to a child. "What is discrimination?" he asked. "I think that is keeping something from somebody that would be a benefit for them, right? But what if it wouldn't have been a benefit to them?" He said that not having the priesthood protected them from the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abused it. "You couldn’t fall off the top of the ladder, because you weren’t on the top of the ladder. So, in reality the blacks not having the priesthood was the greatest blessing God could give them."
There was an uproar when the article was published. BYU students planned protests but never carried them out. Professor Bott claimed he had been misquoted, but students reported being taught similar ideas in his classes for years, and they were outlined in a 2008 post on his blog, which was subsequently taken down. The Church quickly issued a press release: "The positions attributed to BYU professor Randy Bott in a recentWashington Post article absolutely do not represent the teachings and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU faculty members do not speak for the Church. It is unfortunate that the Church was not given a chance to respond to what others said.
"The Church’s position is clear - we believe all people are God’s children and are equal in His eyes and in the Church. We do not tolerate racism in any form. For a time in the Church there was a restriction on the priesthood for male members of African descent. 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. Some have attempted to explain the reason for this restriction but these attempts should be viewed as speculation and opinion, not doctrine. The Church is not bound by speculation or opinions given with limited understanding. We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church."
Shortly afterward, a broader and more general statement was released: "The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. The Book of Mormon states, 'black and white, bond and free, male and female; ...all are alike unto God' (2 Nephi 26:33). This is the Church’s official teaching. People of all races have always been welcomed and baptized into the Church since its beginning. In fact, by the end of his life in 1844 Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opposed slavery. During this time some black males were ordained to the priesthood. At some point the Church stopped ordaining male members of African descent, although there were a few exceptions. It is not known precisely why, how or when this restriction began in the Church, but it has ended. Church leaders sought divine guidance regarding the issue and more than three decades ago extended the priesthood to all worthy male members. The Church immediately began ordaining members to priesthood offices wherever they attended throughout the world.
"The Church unequivocally condemns racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church. 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.' Recently, the Church has also made the following statement on this subject: 'The origins of priesthood availability are not entirely clear. Some explanations with respect to this matter were made in the absence of direct revelation and references to these explanations are sometimes cited in publications. These previous personal statements do not represent Church doctrine.'"
Max Perry Mueller wrote in Slate magazine, "For many Mormons, reading Bott's words was like unearthing a theological dinosaur long thought extinct but suddenly rediscovered in the corner of an obscure BYU office. His positions seem radically out of place in a modern church with an international membership that includes probably some 500,000 Mormons of African descent. The Church's expensive and ubiquitous 'I'm a Mormon' public relations campaign has been carefully and deliberately multiethnic; Mormon leaders want the world to view the religion as the diverse global community it has become. Unfortunately, Bott's beliefs, though arcane, represent a strain of Mormonism that has persisted well past the 1978 revelation."
"Racist Religion"
In March 2012, Reverend O'Neal Dozier, a black man and honorary Florida chairman for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, called on Mitt Romney to "renounce his racist religion" in order to "foster and maintain good race relations here in America. The Mormon religion is prejudiced against blacks, Jews and Native Americans." He showed a chart with pictures of the Church's General Authorities and pointed out that only one of them, Joseph W. Sitati, was black. "The Mormon Church looks like a white man's country club with a few black people running around doing work around the club. That's what it looks like. Is this the kind of racism we want guiding our country?"
Fred Bethel, a black Mormon bishop in Fort Lauderdale, responded via e-mail: "I can appreciate Rev. Dozier’s active participation in the 2012 presidential campaign and support for his candidate. But the delegate lead Romney currently has, demonstrates that most Americans do not share Rev Dozier’s concerns about a racial divide if Romney is the nominee. Americans are very smart and are most concerned about fixing the economy and together getting Americans back to work. As a 40 year old African American Bishop for the past five years here in the Ft. Lauderdale, FL area, I have experienced a multicultural atmosphere within our house of worship. When you step into our service, it's hard to tell which cultural group is the majority.
"Every religion has members that struggle with or embrace inequality in some form. Ours is no exception. However, just as in every religion, it’s important to separate the people and their personal struggles from the actual doctrine of the church. Three simple points help to illustrate that the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not prejudice against Blacks or any other group: 1. The Book of Mormon was originally written in, and translated from an African language, Egyptian. 2. The Book of Mormon and the LDS version of the King James Bible, actually clarifies that the use of the words 'skin', 'black' and 'darkness' are referring to the state of the spirit, heart and mind, and not a reference to race or literal skin color at all. 3. The Doctrine & Covenants, the book of divine instructions for establishing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, clearly states numerous times that all are equal and all are to receive alike.
"We would invite Rev Dozier and anyone else who would like to gain clarity on these issues to attend one of the African American Outreach Program classes put on throughout the country by regular members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or by simply viewing the Blacks in the Scriptures DVD series by Marvin Perkins and Darius Gray, two African American Latter-day Saints. Information on the DVD series and where classes are held can be found at www.BlacksintheScriptures.com. The Church's position is clear - we believe all people are God's children and are equal in His eyes and in the Church. We do not tolerate racism in any form."
There was an uproar when the article was published. BYU students planned protests but never carried them out. Professor Bott claimed he had been misquoted, but students reported being taught similar ideas in his classes for years, and they were outlined in a 2008 post on his blog, which was subsequently taken down. The Church quickly issued a press release: "The positions attributed to BYU professor Randy Bott in a recentWashington Post article absolutely do not represent the teachings and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. BYU faculty members do not speak for the Church. It is unfortunate that the Church was not given a chance to respond to what others said.
"The Church’s position is clear - we believe all people are God’s children and are equal in His eyes and in the Church. We do not tolerate racism in any form. For a time in the Church there was a restriction on the priesthood for male members of African descent. 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. Some have attempted to explain the reason for this restriction but these attempts should be viewed as speculation and opinion, not doctrine. The Church is not bound by speculation or opinions given with limited understanding. We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church."
Shortly afterward, a broader and more general statement was released: "The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. The Book of Mormon states, 'black and white, bond and free, male and female; ...all are alike unto God' (2 Nephi 26:33). This is the Church’s official teaching. People of all races have always been welcomed and baptized into the Church since its beginning. In fact, by the end of his life in 1844 Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, opposed slavery. During this time some black males were ordained to the priesthood. At some point the Church stopped ordaining male members of African descent, although there were a few exceptions. It is not known precisely why, how or when this restriction began in the Church, but it has ended. Church leaders sought divine guidance regarding the issue and more than three decades ago extended the priesthood to all worthy male members. The Church immediately began ordaining members to priesthood offices wherever they attended throughout the world.
"The Church unequivocally condemns racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church. 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.' Recently, the Church has also made the following statement on this subject: 'The origins of priesthood availability are not entirely clear. Some explanations with respect to this matter were made in the absence of direct revelation and references to these explanations are sometimes cited in publications. These previous personal statements do not represent Church doctrine.'"
Max Perry Mueller wrote in Slate magazine, "For many Mormons, reading Bott's words was like unearthing a theological dinosaur long thought extinct but suddenly rediscovered in the corner of an obscure BYU office. His positions seem radically out of place in a modern church with an international membership that includes probably some 500,000 Mormons of African descent. The Church's expensive and ubiquitous 'I'm a Mormon' public relations campaign has been carefully and deliberately multiethnic; Mormon leaders want the world to view the religion as the diverse global community it has become. Unfortunately, Bott's beliefs, though arcane, represent a strain of Mormonism that has persisted well past the 1978 revelation."
"Racist Religion"
In March 2012, Reverend O'Neal Dozier, a black man and honorary Florida chairman for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, called on Mitt Romney to "renounce his racist religion" in order to "foster and maintain good race relations here in America. The Mormon religion is prejudiced against blacks, Jews and Native Americans." He showed a chart with pictures of the Church's General Authorities and pointed out that only one of them, Joseph W. Sitati, was black. "The Mormon Church looks like a white man's country club with a few black people running around doing work around the club. That's what it looks like. Is this the kind of racism we want guiding our country?"
Fred Bethel, a black Mormon bishop in Fort Lauderdale, responded via e-mail: "I can appreciate Rev. Dozier’s active participation in the 2012 presidential campaign and support for his candidate. But the delegate lead Romney currently has, demonstrates that most Americans do not share Rev Dozier’s concerns about a racial divide if Romney is the nominee. Americans are very smart and are most concerned about fixing the economy and together getting Americans back to work. As a 40 year old African American Bishop for the past five years here in the Ft. Lauderdale, FL area, I have experienced a multicultural atmosphere within our house of worship. When you step into our service, it's hard to tell which cultural group is the majority.
"Every religion has members that struggle with or embrace inequality in some form. Ours is no exception. However, just as in every religion, it’s important to separate the people and their personal struggles from the actual doctrine of the church. Three simple points help to illustrate that the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not prejudice against Blacks or any other group: 1. The Book of Mormon was originally written in, and translated from an African language, Egyptian. 2. The Book of Mormon and the LDS version of the King James Bible, actually clarifies that the use of the words 'skin', 'black' and 'darkness' are referring to the state of the spirit, heart and mind, and not a reference to race or literal skin color at all. 3. The Doctrine & Covenants, the book of divine instructions for establishing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, clearly states numerous times that all are equal and all are to receive alike.
"We would invite Rev Dozier and anyone else who would like to gain clarity on these issues to attend one of the African American Outreach Program classes put on throughout the country by regular members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or by simply viewing the Blacks in the Scriptures DVD series by Marvin Perkins and Darius Gray, two African American Latter-day Saints. Information on the DVD series and where classes are held can be found at www.BlacksintheScriptures.com. The Church's position is clear - we believe all people are God's children and are equal in His eyes and in the Church. We do not tolerate racism in any form."
Lord, I Pray - Black Mormon Legacy
The "Sistas in Zion" felt inspired by the Church's statement to write a song and create a video dedicated "to the many black Mormon Pioneers and faithful Saints who came before us and bore not only their burdens, but ours as well". They published it on June 8 to celebrate the thirty-fourth anniversary of the revelation on priesthood.
Emerging With Faith in Africa
In June 2012 an lds.org article called "Unto All the World: Emerging with Faith in Africa" was published. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland was quoted as saying, "It is easy to love the people of Africa... The memory I always have is the spirituality of the people. That is a little hard to convey, unless you have been here, unless you have seen firsthand their goodness, their faith, and their spiritual gifts... Africa is one of those special places where you get to see the glory of the Lord, the wonder and the miracle of the Restoration, quite literally unfold before your eyes. [It is impressive] to see how much the gospel means to them, to see what they have done with it, how they cherish it, to see their faithfulness in tithing and in service, in going to the temple - I think of the temple as the crowning image - and then to see them raising their children in the Church and sending their sons and daughters on missions. It is wonderful evidence of their faithfulness.
"We certainly haven’t been in Sierra Leone and Liberia very long, and yet we see that in 10 or 15 years things have started to come to this marvelous fruition - the numbers, the strength, the quality of these leaders - that’s a pretty exciting thing when you think of some of the most remote places in the world. And yet the gospel is destined to go there, or is now going there, and there will be missionaries and missions, branches and districts, and then wards and stakes. And that is what we are seeing in this part of West Africa. Our very biggest challenge will be to not let that get out of hand. If Church growth outstrips the ability to sustain itself, the result is often lack of retention. We will still have to make sure new members are kept close to the Church. They need to have callings and to be integrated into the Church fully and thoroughly. But local leaders are doing that - and new members are going to the temple, they're serving, they're building these units. It is really quite amazing.
"The Brethren knew, years ago, that we would be coming here, because the gospel is for all the world, and we knew that our African brothers and sisters were more than deserving. We also knew that Africa was this new, big frontier, and I think many were worried about the financial and welfare-related implications. How do you address such poverty? How do you address such third-world circumstances? It is still something we think about. But with 30-plus years of experience, it is a thrilling testimony to the beauty of the African people that that hasn't been a big issue. We have a welfare program, like we have anywhere else in the world, but it does wonderfully well. Nobody is exploiting it; this isn't a whole continent that's looking for a handout. These are remarkable people, self-sufficient people, who live sweetly and often plainly, and they have been absolutely magnificent.
"There is no question that in so many countries, Africa is still a land of considerable poverty, some political turmoil - Africa has its share of despotic leaders - so there are economic, political, and social problems. But somehow the Church prospers in the middle of that. President Benson always said we don't so much take people out of poverty or take them out of difficult settings as much as we teach them the gospel and they lift their eyes and their vision and they make their own way out of poverty. That principle is true... we don't get involved in conspicuous, socio-political issues. We preach the gospel. We are concerned about justice, and we are concerned about social opportunity and equity. But we think the answer to that is the gospel, so we just preach the gospel. And it has been true elsewhere and it is true in Africa, that people get that insight, blessing, and light in their lives, and suddenly things start to change and their lives are blessed.
"They join the Church and see people who are getting educated, and often are already educated, and their lives seem to be better and their opportunities seem to be greater, and so Brother and Sister New Convert go home and say, 'I guess we'll try to educate our children.' It's wonderful. What the Church offers is not a big, orchestrated plan. We do have the Perpetual Education Fund around the world, and we've got seminary and institute, but mostly it's the light of the gospel that comes, and that begins to be the answer to challenges, far more than any institutional attack of the problem. It's the wonder of individual and personal conversion...
"Their purity is a powerful, central image in my heart. In the West we have always associated happiness with acquisition, but in Africa they've separated that in their minds and in their hearts. I think they would like to have enough to eat, clothing to wear, and education for their children. They'd like a higher standard of living, and the gospel will help bring that to many people. But they seem to be able to separate in their mind that 'things' don't have anything to do with being happy. Simplicity is an element of their pure faith that we would do well to copy, remember, and teach. In so many ways, they are not of this world, and it's a great compliment to them."
Elder Holland quoted Matthew 20:16, which says "The last shall be first, and the first last", and continued, "In some ways, the gospel is late in coming to Africa, at least as we could do it on the Lord's timetable - and it was the Lord's timetable, I'm quick to affirm. It is only comparatively recently that the Africans have begun to get missions and missionaries, the blessings of the priesthood, and so forth. It's a big continent, and we still have a long way to go. But I believe the growth we are now seeing in Africa is part of the fulfillment of the Lord's promise. African Latter-day Saints are emerging with faith. They are on the move. They are meeting the challenge of receiving the gospel and making it obvious in their lives.
"It is my nature to want to tell people that I love them and that the Lord loves them. I think that's really true, and it's true anywhere. But Heavenly Father's love for His children is conspicuous in Africa. They have the most gorgeous smiles, the happiest faces; their children have to be among the most beautiful children on the face of the earth. It is very, very easy to love them. It is something like meeting people you think you've known before. We've all had that kind of experience - a kindred relationship with somebody. That's how I feel with the African people. There is something special about what we feel when we come to this land, come to these nations, when we're on this continent. Something in them, and something in us, creates a camaraderie of the soul that is immediate and almost beyond words."
"We certainly haven’t been in Sierra Leone and Liberia very long, and yet we see that in 10 or 15 years things have started to come to this marvelous fruition - the numbers, the strength, the quality of these leaders - that’s a pretty exciting thing when you think of some of the most remote places in the world. And yet the gospel is destined to go there, or is now going there, and there will be missionaries and missions, branches and districts, and then wards and stakes. And that is what we are seeing in this part of West Africa. Our very biggest challenge will be to not let that get out of hand. If Church growth outstrips the ability to sustain itself, the result is often lack of retention. We will still have to make sure new members are kept close to the Church. They need to have callings and to be integrated into the Church fully and thoroughly. But local leaders are doing that - and new members are going to the temple, they're serving, they're building these units. It is really quite amazing.
"The Brethren knew, years ago, that we would be coming here, because the gospel is for all the world, and we knew that our African brothers and sisters were more than deserving. We also knew that Africa was this new, big frontier, and I think many were worried about the financial and welfare-related implications. How do you address such poverty? How do you address such third-world circumstances? It is still something we think about. But with 30-plus years of experience, it is a thrilling testimony to the beauty of the African people that that hasn't been a big issue. We have a welfare program, like we have anywhere else in the world, but it does wonderfully well. Nobody is exploiting it; this isn't a whole continent that's looking for a handout. These are remarkable people, self-sufficient people, who live sweetly and often plainly, and they have been absolutely magnificent.
"There is no question that in so many countries, Africa is still a land of considerable poverty, some political turmoil - Africa has its share of despotic leaders - so there are economic, political, and social problems. But somehow the Church prospers in the middle of that. President Benson always said we don't so much take people out of poverty or take them out of difficult settings as much as we teach them the gospel and they lift their eyes and their vision and they make their own way out of poverty. That principle is true... we don't get involved in conspicuous, socio-political issues. We preach the gospel. We are concerned about justice, and we are concerned about social opportunity and equity. But we think the answer to that is the gospel, so we just preach the gospel. And it has been true elsewhere and it is true in Africa, that people get that insight, blessing, and light in their lives, and suddenly things start to change and their lives are blessed.
"They join the Church and see people who are getting educated, and often are already educated, and their lives seem to be better and their opportunities seem to be greater, and so Brother and Sister New Convert go home and say, 'I guess we'll try to educate our children.' It's wonderful. What the Church offers is not a big, orchestrated plan. We do have the Perpetual Education Fund around the world, and we've got seminary and institute, but mostly it's the light of the gospel that comes, and that begins to be the answer to challenges, far more than any institutional attack of the problem. It's the wonder of individual and personal conversion...
"Their purity is a powerful, central image in my heart. In the West we have always associated happiness with acquisition, but in Africa they've separated that in their minds and in their hearts. I think they would like to have enough to eat, clothing to wear, and education for their children. They'd like a higher standard of living, and the gospel will help bring that to many people. But they seem to be able to separate in their mind that 'things' don't have anything to do with being happy. Simplicity is an element of their pure faith that we would do well to copy, remember, and teach. In so many ways, they are not of this world, and it's a great compliment to them."
Elder Holland quoted Matthew 20:16, which says "The last shall be first, and the first last", and continued, "In some ways, the gospel is late in coming to Africa, at least as we could do it on the Lord's timetable - and it was the Lord's timetable, I'm quick to affirm. It is only comparatively recently that the Africans have begun to get missions and missionaries, the blessings of the priesthood, and so forth. It's a big continent, and we still have a long way to go. But I believe the growth we are now seeing in Africa is part of the fulfillment of the Lord's promise. African Latter-day Saints are emerging with faith. They are on the move. They are meeting the challenge of receiving the gospel and making it obvious in their lives.
"It is my nature to want to tell people that I love them and that the Lord loves them. I think that's really true, and it's true anywhere. But Heavenly Father's love for His children is conspicuous in Africa. They have the most gorgeous smiles, the happiest faces; their children have to be among the most beautiful children on the face of the earth. It is very, very easy to love them. It is something like meeting people you think you've known before. We've all had that kind of experience - a kindred relationship with somebody. That's how I feel with the African people. There is something special about what we feel when we come to this land, come to these nations, when we're on this continent. Something in them, and something in us, creates a camaraderie of the soul that is immediate and almost beyond words."
Miscellaneous Campaign Issues
In early June, black comedian Chris Rock appeared on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon" and said, "Okay, I just heard this the other day. The Mormons, Mitt Romney's crew, they believed black people were the devil until 1978. I'm not making this up." In September, Ebony magazine carried an article called "Black and Mormon" about Tamu Smith, co-founder of "Sistas in Zion", and her reconciliation with the Church's racial history. She said, "Other African-Americans ask me: How can you be Black and Mormon? My answer: The same way I can be Black and American. This country has a racist past, yet I haven't packed my bags. To be Black and Mormon is a choice. I embrace the LDS teachings but don't embrace the dogma that Blacks are a cursed people." In October, less than a month before the election, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" sent Jessica Williams to help undecided black Mormon voters choose between Mitt Romney and Obama. The man in the back is Don Harwell, president of the Genesis Group, and the woman on the right front row is his wife Jerri. The woman in the center appears to be Tamu Smith of Sistas in Zion.
At the end of October, Marvin Perkins of "Blacks in the Scriptures" released a video called "Mormon Doctrine on Blacks, Race and Priesthood Restriction Explained".
Joseph William Billy Johnson
In late December the granddaughter of Joseph William Billy Johnson, who prepared the way for the Church's establishment in Ghana and had died earlier in the year, made a YouTube slideshow about his life.
