Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
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Previous: The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 2007-2010
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.
On March 13, 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, Luke O'Brien and black Latter-day Saint 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.'"
"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.'"
The Mormon Moment
The premiere of "The Book of Mormon" Broadway musical on March 24, 2011 inaugurated the months-long "Mormon Moment" during which The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came under increased media scrutiny in the United States and abroad. Written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of "South Park" fame, the musical followed two naive white missionaries sent to a highly stereotyped, generalized and inaccurate portrayal of northern Uganda. Despite this setting and the Church's doctrine and culture being lampooned many times, the priesthood ban was only mentioned in one lyric when Elder Price sang, "I believe that in 1978 God changed his mind about black people!" The musical was extremely vulgar and blasphemous, and received near-universal praise from audiences and critics as well as nine Tony awards.
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)?"
On January 3, 2012, in an interview for the public radio program "The World", Marco Werman asked Malian presidential candidate Yeah Samake, "I read that you are the only Mormon in a 90% Muslim country. How has that affected your campaign?
Samake replied, "You know, faith is not a divider. They certainly know, everybody knows of this in Ouélessébougou, and I have not seen a single negative reaction. What people are reacting to is the good governance I provided in Ouélessébougou and the changes I was able to bring to the communities. Now they enjoy better services."
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)?"
On January 3, 2012, in an interview for the public radio program "The World", Marco Werman asked Malian presidential candidate Yeah Samake, "I read that you are the only Mormon in a 90% Muslim country. How has that affected your campaign?
Samake replied, "You know, faith is not a divider. They certainly know, everybody knows of this in Ouélessébougou, and I have not seen a single negative reaction. What people are reacting to is the good governance I provided in Ouélessébougou and the changes I was able to bring to the communities. Now they enjoy better services."
Mitt Romney and the Curse of Blackness
In a Huffington Post article on January 12, 2012, black theologian Obery Hendricks wrote, "When it comes to others’ choice of religions, I’m pretty much a live-and-let-live guy. In fact, I don’t believe in religious litmus tests of any kind. Frankly, I think they are self-righteous and insulting. Yet I must admit that there is something about Mitt Romney’s religion that I find deeply troubling, particularly in light of the possibility that he could become the next president of this nation. What concerns me is this: the Book of Mormon, the book that Mitt Romney and all Mormons embrace as divinely revealed scripture that is more sacred, more true, and more inerrant than any other holy book on earth, declares that black people are cursed. That’s right. Cursed. And not only accursed, but lazy and aesthetically ugly to boot.
"I’m not talking about ascribed racism such as we see in Christianity, in which racist meanings are attributed to certain verses of the Bible that actually contain no such meanings, as with the Gen. 9:25 cursing of Canaan (not Ham!) which, though used as 'proof' of black wickedness and inferiority, in actuality has nothing to do with race.
"And no, I’m not talking about a single ambiguous, cherry-picked verse, either. I’d much rather that were the case. The sad truth is that the Book of Morman says it explicitly and in numerous passages: black people are cursed by God and our dark skin is the evidence of our accursedness. Here are a few examples...
"It would have been infinitely more righteous if Mormons had relegated the sentiments of these verses to the scriptural sidelines of their faith, but the historical record tells us otherwise. Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, repeatedly ordered his Church to uphold all slavery laws. Although Smith had a change of heart toward the end of his life, his successor, Brigham Young, did not. Young instituted social and ecclesiastical segregation as the Church’s official policies, thus excluding people of black African descent from priesthood ordination and full participation in temple ceremonies, regardless of their actual skin color. Moreover, Brigham Young, whom Mormons revere almost equally with Smith, proved to the end of his life to be a brutal white supremacist who fervently supported the continued enslavement of African Americans; he was so convinced of black accursedness that he declared that if any Mormon had sex with a person of color, 'the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot.'
"The Book of Mormon’s teaching of the accursedness and, therefore, the inferiority of blacks - if blacks are cursed, then by definition they are inferior to the divinely acceptable whites - was reaffirmed by numerous Mormon leaders for a century and a half. As late as 1969, even after the Civil Rights Movement had dismantled de jure segregation throughout the land, David O. McKay, then president and 'living prophet' of Mormonism, still publicly justified its segregationist policies by declaring that 'the seeming discrimination by the Church toward the Negro... goes back into the beginning with God.'
"Now, some will argue that I should dismiss the codified racism of the Book of Mormon as the unfortunate folklore of a bygone era because of the 1978 revelation by Spencer W. Kimball, the Church's president and 'living prophet' at that time, that after a century and a half black males were finally un-accursed enough to fully participate in Mormonism’s priesthood and sacred temple ceremonies. However, even if we ignore the suspiciously coincidental timing of this 'revelation' (it conveniently appeared when the Church’s federal tax-exempt status was imperiled by its racial policies), an attentive reading reveals that Kimball’s proclamation did not in any way address the question of whether or not the Church still considered the Book of Mormon's assertions of black inferiority to be divinely authorized. In fact, the specific contents of Kimball’s revelation were never made public. Nor has the Church ever disavowed the Book’s white supremacist passages or the past racist practices and pronouncements of its leaders.
"What makes this all the more problematic for me is that at no time has Mitt Romney ever publicly indicated that he seriously questioned the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon’s teachings about race, much less that he has repudiated them. It is true that in a 2008 [sic] Meet the Press interview with the late Tim Russert, Romney did vigorously assert his belief in equal rights for all Americans in every facet of life. As part of that narrative, he cited his parents' 'tireless' advocacy for blacks' civil rights, including the dramatic exit of his father, Michigan Governor George Romney, from the 1964 Republican convention as a protest against nominee Barry Goldwater’s racial politics. He also shared that he wept when he learned of Spencer Kimball’s aforementioned revelation. Yet from Romney’s remarks it is not clear whether he wept for joy because Mormonism was eschewing its segregationist policies or if he wept from relief that the announcement promised to quiet the public outrage that those policies were causing. And significantly, while he recited his parents’ efforts to confront racial injustice, Mitt Romney pointed to no such activities of his own.
"But let me be clear: this is not a 'gotcha' political ploy. In all honesty, I am neither saying nor implying in the slightest that Mitt Romney is a racist. I simply do not know that to be the case. Nor do I mean to overlook the racial progress that the Mormon Church has made in the last several decades. What I do mean to say is 1) that Americans of goodwill owe it to ourselves not to turn a blind eye to the possible implications of the white supremacist legacy of candidate Romney’s religious tradition, no matter how noble our intentions; and 2) that Mitt Romney himself owes it to America to address the issue. Why? Because Romney was tutored into adulthood by a holy book that declares that all Americans like me are cursed by God. And he is not only a believer; he has served as a leader in his faith. This is indeed a crucial point for consideration because, as this nation has seen time and time again, the inevitable consequence of America’s policy-makers considering people of color as inferior to whites is that blacks' social and material interests have also been considered inferior - and quite often treated that way.
"I admit that this question of religion and racism is quite complicated and I don't claim to have all the answers. But I do know that recognizing the equal rights of black Americans under the law, while of paramount importance, is not the same as recognizing our intellectual capabilities and moral character as inherently equal to whites. And I am aware of one thing more: that when Tim Russert invited Romney to repudiate his Church's racist legacy on Meet the Press, Romney refused.
"That is why, Mr. Romney, as an American citizen whose president you seek to become, I must insist that you honestly and forthrightly attest to me and all Americans of goodwill that you actually can be my president, too, fully and completely. You can accomplish this by publicly disavowing the portions of your holy book that so sorely denigrate the humanity of me, my loved ones and all people of black African descent.
"It is incumbent that you do this, candidate Romney, for the sake of all Americans."
Hendricks then appeared on "The ED Show" and offered his advice on what Mitt Romney should say to prove to American voters that he was not racist.
"I’m not talking about ascribed racism such as we see in Christianity, in which racist meanings are attributed to certain verses of the Bible that actually contain no such meanings, as with the Gen. 9:25 cursing of Canaan (not Ham!) which, though used as 'proof' of black wickedness and inferiority, in actuality has nothing to do with race.
"And no, I’m not talking about a single ambiguous, cherry-picked verse, either. I’d much rather that were the case. The sad truth is that the Book of Morman says it explicitly and in numerous passages: black people are cursed by God and our dark skin is the evidence of our accursedness. Here are a few examples...
"It would have been infinitely more righteous if Mormons had relegated the sentiments of these verses to the scriptural sidelines of their faith, but the historical record tells us otherwise. Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, repeatedly ordered his Church to uphold all slavery laws. Although Smith had a change of heart toward the end of his life, his successor, Brigham Young, did not. Young instituted social and ecclesiastical segregation as the Church’s official policies, thus excluding people of black African descent from priesthood ordination and full participation in temple ceremonies, regardless of their actual skin color. Moreover, Brigham Young, whom Mormons revere almost equally with Smith, proved to the end of his life to be a brutal white supremacist who fervently supported the continued enslavement of African Americans; he was so convinced of black accursedness that he declared that if any Mormon had sex with a person of color, 'the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot.'
"The Book of Mormon’s teaching of the accursedness and, therefore, the inferiority of blacks - if blacks are cursed, then by definition they are inferior to the divinely acceptable whites - was reaffirmed by numerous Mormon leaders for a century and a half. As late as 1969, even after the Civil Rights Movement had dismantled de jure segregation throughout the land, David O. McKay, then president and 'living prophet' of Mormonism, still publicly justified its segregationist policies by declaring that 'the seeming discrimination by the Church toward the Negro... goes back into the beginning with God.'
"Now, some will argue that I should dismiss the codified racism of the Book of Mormon as the unfortunate folklore of a bygone era because of the 1978 revelation by Spencer W. Kimball, the Church's president and 'living prophet' at that time, that after a century and a half black males were finally un-accursed enough to fully participate in Mormonism’s priesthood and sacred temple ceremonies. However, even if we ignore the suspiciously coincidental timing of this 'revelation' (it conveniently appeared when the Church’s federal tax-exempt status was imperiled by its racial policies), an attentive reading reveals that Kimball’s proclamation did not in any way address the question of whether or not the Church still considered the Book of Mormon's assertions of black inferiority to be divinely authorized. In fact, the specific contents of Kimball’s revelation were never made public. Nor has the Church ever disavowed the Book’s white supremacist passages or the past racist practices and pronouncements of its leaders.
"What makes this all the more problematic for me is that at no time has Mitt Romney ever publicly indicated that he seriously questioned the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon’s teachings about race, much less that he has repudiated them. It is true that in a 2008 [sic] Meet the Press interview with the late Tim Russert, Romney did vigorously assert his belief in equal rights for all Americans in every facet of life. As part of that narrative, he cited his parents' 'tireless' advocacy for blacks' civil rights, including the dramatic exit of his father, Michigan Governor George Romney, from the 1964 Republican convention as a protest against nominee Barry Goldwater’s racial politics. He also shared that he wept when he learned of Spencer Kimball’s aforementioned revelation. Yet from Romney’s remarks it is not clear whether he wept for joy because Mormonism was eschewing its segregationist policies or if he wept from relief that the announcement promised to quiet the public outrage that those policies were causing. And significantly, while he recited his parents’ efforts to confront racial injustice, Mitt Romney pointed to no such activities of his own.
"But let me be clear: this is not a 'gotcha' political ploy. In all honesty, I am neither saying nor implying in the slightest that Mitt Romney is a racist. I simply do not know that to be the case. Nor do I mean to overlook the racial progress that the Mormon Church has made in the last several decades. What I do mean to say is 1) that Americans of goodwill owe it to ourselves not to turn a blind eye to the possible implications of the white supremacist legacy of candidate Romney’s religious tradition, no matter how noble our intentions; and 2) that Mitt Romney himself owes it to America to address the issue. Why? Because Romney was tutored into adulthood by a holy book that declares that all Americans like me are cursed by God. And he is not only a believer; he has served as a leader in his faith. This is indeed a crucial point for consideration because, as this nation has seen time and time again, the inevitable consequence of America’s policy-makers considering people of color as inferior to whites is that blacks' social and material interests have also been considered inferior - and quite often treated that way.
"I admit that this question of religion and racism is quite complicated and I don't claim to have all the answers. But I do know that recognizing the equal rights of black Americans under the law, while of paramount importance, is not the same as recognizing our intellectual capabilities and moral character as inherently equal to whites. And I am aware of one thing more: that when Tim Russert invited Romney to repudiate his Church's racist legacy on Meet the Press, Romney refused.
"That is why, Mr. Romney, as an American citizen whose president you seek to become, I must insist that you honestly and forthrightly attest to me and all Americans of goodwill that you actually can be my president, too, fully and completely. You can accomplish this by publicly disavowing the portions of your holy book that so sorely denigrate the humanity of me, my loved ones and all people of black African descent.
"It is incumbent that you do this, candidate Romney, for the sake of all Americans."
Hendricks then appeared on "The ED Show" and offered his advice on what Mitt Romney should say to prove to American voters that he was not racist.
The next day, a black Latter-day Saint 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
On February 7, Salt Lake City comedian David Ackerman made a video of himself donning blackface and asking students on BYU campus what they knew about black people and Black History Month. He told KTVX Channel 4, "I wanted to raise awareness in an interesting way and get a conversation started."
The day after his video was posted and went viral, BYU's Dean of Students issued a brief formal response.
Former BYU professor Darron Smith wrote on his blog, "In his attempt to bring about a socially conscious video, Ackerman in turn undermines his very goal by the lack of awareness in the use of the blackface. Ackerman’s video, although well-intentioned, stifles its own progress because he is not well-versed on the history of racism in America. In fact, I can’t help but wonder just how many white students did recognize him as a white man dressing in blackface and found it funny as an acceptable form of comedy."
BYU spokeswoman Carrie Jenkins said, "We feel this is a misrepresentation of the sentiments and feelings on campus. We are concerned about the remarks stated in this video and are disappointed by them. I have heard from students that know students involved and say there was some selective editing, perhaps manipulative editing. The remarks do not reflect our community of more than 30,000 students."
On February 21 one of the university's comedy troupes, Humor U, responded with a parody video asking students about the nonexistent White History Month. Ackerman commented, "HAHA! Very good! Great parody video you guys, even busted my balls at the end!"
BYU spokeswoman Carrie Jenkins said, "We feel this is a misrepresentation of the sentiments and feelings on campus. We are concerned about the remarks stated in this video and are disappointed by them. I have heard from students that know students involved and say there was some selective editing, perhaps manipulative editing. The remarks do not reflect our community of more than 30,000 students."
On February 21 one of the university's comedy troupes, Humor U, responded with a parody video asking students about the nonexistent White History Month. Ackerman commented, "HAHA! Very good! Great parody video you guys, even busted my balls at the end!"
The Genesis of a Church's Stand on Race
On February 22 the Washington Post ran an article called "The Genesis of a church's stand on race". Reporter Jason Horowitz wrote, "In his office, religion professor Randy Bott explains a possible theological underpinning of the ban. According to Mormon scriptures, the descendants of Cain, who killed his brother, Abel, 'were black.' One of Cain’s descendants was Egyptus, a woman Mormons believe was the namesake of Egypt. She married Ham, whose descendants were themselves cursed and, in the view of many Mormons, barred from the priesthood by his father, Noah. Bott points to the Mormon holy text the Book of Abraham as suggesting that all of the descendants of Ham and Egyptus were thus black and barred from the priesthood....
'God has always been discriminatory' when it comes to whom he grants the authority of the priesthood, says Bott, the BYU theologian. He quotes Mormon scripture that states that the Lord gives to people 'all that he seeth fit.' Bott compares blacks with a young child prematurely asking for the keys to her father’s car, and explains that similarly until 1978, the Lord determined that blacks were not yet ready for the priesthood.
'What is discrimination?' Bott asks. '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?' Bott says that the denial of the priesthood to blacks on Earth - although not in the afterlife - protected them from the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers. '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.'
"The current president of the Genesis Group, Don Harwell, considers such thinking vile. Driving to a local shooting range, he pulls over to find a bit of Mormon scripture on his iPhone.
'He denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free,' reads Harwell. 'I have it right here.'
"Harwell joined the church 30 years ago after his 'womanizing' ended his marriage. As a young man, he considered Mormons 'racists' for their ban on black priests, but in 1983 he met a women who was Mormon and underwent a profound spiritual conversion. That marriage eventually didn’t work out because 'it was hard for white girls married to black guys' in those days, he says.
"At the Magna Gun Club, he opens up his rifle case, which displays a business card identifying him as the Genesis Group president, and laments the lousy shooting conditions with his friends - overwhelmingly white, Mormon and regretful of their church’s past.
"On the drive back to Salt Lake, Harwell makes it clear he does not appreciate any attempt to connect the historic plight of blacks in the church to Romney, whom he strongly supports.
'This is the only stuff they can come up with,' Harwell says, referring to Romney’s political enemies. While he gives credit to church leaders who agitated against the ban, he acquits rank-and-file members who remained quiet. 'We have prophets, seers and revelators as our leaders, and we have to follow them,' Harwell says, emphasizing that Romney 'had no control over what the church did.'...
"More than three decades later, the church says it still doesn’t know where the ban came from.
'Though the origins of the priesthood restriction are unclear, it was understood that a change would require revelation,' said church spokesman Michael Purdy, who called the lifting of the ban 'a day of great rejoicing' that led to 'robust growth in Africa and racially diverse areas of the United States and Latin America.'
"But the church will not say whether the revelation was necessary to lift the ban or to give the policy reversal the force of absolute authority.
"What is clear is that the consequences of the ban are still rippling.
'When I did my mission in Atlanta, there were still some people who are hurt, people wouldn’t join because of it. They feel that it wasn’t based on revelation, that it was purely discrimination,' Barima Kwarteng, 24, a computer engineering major from Ghana, said as he carried books into the BYU library. 'Some people were like, "Why are you a part of this church?"'
"Nearby, in the Wilkinson Center, students attended a '70s dance in honor of Black History Month. They dressed in funky outfits and listened to a DJ playing 'Brick House' under a slideshow featuring a dunking Dr. J, the cast of 'Diff'rent Strokes' and a box of Count Chocula cereal.
"Ashley Wright, 19, a business management major, attended the party with an Asian American friend wearing an Afro wig.
'Growing up, I always thought it was a long time ago,' Wright, who is white, said of the ban. 'I thought that was forever ago. But then I was like, "my parents were alive then."'
"Navirlene Volcy, a 19-year-old African American student majoring in neuroscience, spent the evening dancing in a circle with friends - some black, some not.
"To her, the ban was a recent revelation.
'It kind of surprised me,' said Volcy. 'There's a class here where they talk about Brigham Young having feelings that colored people were inferior. How can you be a prophet and commune with God and think that?'
"She said she’d like to know what Romney thought about the church’s complicated racial past, but she added: 'I’m not sure it would make a difference. It hasn't made me leave the church. People are imperfect.'
Professor Bott's comments caused an uproar in and out of the Church. 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.
Armand Mauss commented, "Professor Bott seems to be a little behind in his reading on the history and doctrine regarding black members of the Church. He seems unaware of any of the scholarship on this topic during the past 45 years or more. Otherwise he would know that (1) the references that he cites from the Pearl of Great Price and other scriptures have the meaning he attributes to them ONLY if the reader already believes the folklore that Bott is proposing and elaborating – that is, only if one reads them through the lens of that folklore; (2) numerous spokesmen from LDS Public Affairs, plus many other official statements in recent decades, have denied that such folklore was ever official doctrine: (3) despite such folklore (in versions common to American history more generally), Joseph Smith ordained at least a few African Americans to the priesthood; (4) there is no record of any revelation to any prophet denying the priesthood to people of black African ancestry; and last, but not least (5) this kind of armchair theologizing done by well-meaning, but ill-informed LDS religion teachers like Bott, does enormous damage to the public image of the Church in a time when the Church is trying hard to overcome its historic association with that very kind of folklore. That Brother Bott has a reputation as a skillful and inspiring teacher is not very reassuring if his teaching includes the kind of racist nonsense he was purveying in the Washington Post on Tuesday."
The Church issued a press release: "The positions attributed to BYU professor Randy Bott in a recent Washington 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."
Later that day, 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.'"
Abby Hansen later wrote, "In an interesting turn of events, my longtime friend, neighbor, and soon-to-be-bishop of my ward, turned out to be Brother Bott's nephew. Somehow in all the years we'd known each other I hadn't made that connection until this news story. My husband asked him about it at church in Elder's Quorum, and the nephew had just shook his head a little and said, 'Oh, Uncle Randy shouldn't have said all of that – he knows better.'
"I thought, really? Did he know better? Because I didn’t know better. Nobody in that class that I sat through twice at BYU objected to him teaching it to us. He taught it to THOUSANDS of students, and nobody took complaints to the head of his department and made him stop teaching it. Brother Bott was not some unknown teacher that nobody had ever heard about. He was a campus wide superstar!"
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."
Later in the year, an anonymous faculty member told Dr. Matthew Harris, "We all taught what Randy taught. This could have happened to any one of us. We had no idea that the church's position had changed."
'God has always been discriminatory' when it comes to whom he grants the authority of the priesthood, says Bott, the BYU theologian. He quotes Mormon scripture that states that the Lord gives to people 'all that he seeth fit.' Bott compares blacks with a young child prematurely asking for the keys to her father’s car, and explains that similarly until 1978, the Lord determined that blacks were not yet ready for the priesthood.
'What is discrimination?' Bott asks. '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?' Bott says that the denial of the priesthood to blacks on Earth - although not in the afterlife - protected them from the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers. '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.'
"The current president of the Genesis Group, Don Harwell, considers such thinking vile. Driving to a local shooting range, he pulls over to find a bit of Mormon scripture on his iPhone.
'He denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free,' reads Harwell. 'I have it right here.'
"Harwell joined the church 30 years ago after his 'womanizing' ended his marriage. As a young man, he considered Mormons 'racists' for their ban on black priests, but in 1983 he met a women who was Mormon and underwent a profound spiritual conversion. That marriage eventually didn’t work out because 'it was hard for white girls married to black guys' in those days, he says.
"At the Magna Gun Club, he opens up his rifle case, which displays a business card identifying him as the Genesis Group president, and laments the lousy shooting conditions with his friends - overwhelmingly white, Mormon and regretful of their church’s past.
"On the drive back to Salt Lake, Harwell makes it clear he does not appreciate any attempt to connect the historic plight of blacks in the church to Romney, whom he strongly supports.
'This is the only stuff they can come up with,' Harwell says, referring to Romney’s political enemies. While he gives credit to church leaders who agitated against the ban, he acquits rank-and-file members who remained quiet. 'We have prophets, seers and revelators as our leaders, and we have to follow them,' Harwell says, emphasizing that Romney 'had no control over what the church did.'...
"More than three decades later, the church says it still doesn’t know where the ban came from.
'Though the origins of the priesthood restriction are unclear, it was understood that a change would require revelation,' said church spokesman Michael Purdy, who called the lifting of the ban 'a day of great rejoicing' that led to 'robust growth in Africa and racially diverse areas of the United States and Latin America.'
"But the church will not say whether the revelation was necessary to lift the ban or to give the policy reversal the force of absolute authority.
"What is clear is that the consequences of the ban are still rippling.
'When I did my mission in Atlanta, there were still some people who are hurt, people wouldn’t join because of it. They feel that it wasn’t based on revelation, that it was purely discrimination,' Barima Kwarteng, 24, a computer engineering major from Ghana, said as he carried books into the BYU library. 'Some people were like, "Why are you a part of this church?"'
"Nearby, in the Wilkinson Center, students attended a '70s dance in honor of Black History Month. They dressed in funky outfits and listened to a DJ playing 'Brick House' under a slideshow featuring a dunking Dr. J, the cast of 'Diff'rent Strokes' and a box of Count Chocula cereal.
"Ashley Wright, 19, a business management major, attended the party with an Asian American friend wearing an Afro wig.
'Growing up, I always thought it was a long time ago,' Wright, who is white, said of the ban. 'I thought that was forever ago. But then I was like, "my parents were alive then."'
"Navirlene Volcy, a 19-year-old African American student majoring in neuroscience, spent the evening dancing in a circle with friends - some black, some not.
"To her, the ban was a recent revelation.
'It kind of surprised me,' said Volcy. 'There's a class here where they talk about Brigham Young having feelings that colored people were inferior. How can you be a prophet and commune with God and think that?'
"She said she’d like to know what Romney thought about the church’s complicated racial past, but she added: 'I’m not sure it would make a difference. It hasn't made me leave the church. People are imperfect.'
Professor Bott's comments caused an uproar in and out of the Church. 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.
Armand Mauss commented, "Professor Bott seems to be a little behind in his reading on the history and doctrine regarding black members of the Church. He seems unaware of any of the scholarship on this topic during the past 45 years or more. Otherwise he would know that (1) the references that he cites from the Pearl of Great Price and other scriptures have the meaning he attributes to them ONLY if the reader already believes the folklore that Bott is proposing and elaborating – that is, only if one reads them through the lens of that folklore; (2) numerous spokesmen from LDS Public Affairs, plus many other official statements in recent decades, have denied that such folklore was ever official doctrine: (3) despite such folklore (in versions common to American history more generally), Joseph Smith ordained at least a few African Americans to the priesthood; (4) there is no record of any revelation to any prophet denying the priesthood to people of black African ancestry; and last, but not least (5) this kind of armchair theologizing done by well-meaning, but ill-informed LDS religion teachers like Bott, does enormous damage to the public image of the Church in a time when the Church is trying hard to overcome its historic association with that very kind of folklore. That Brother Bott has a reputation as a skillful and inspiring teacher is not very reassuring if his teaching includes the kind of racist nonsense he was purveying in the Washington Post on Tuesday."
The Church issued a press release: "The positions attributed to BYU professor Randy Bott in a recent Washington 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."
Later that day, 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.'"
Abby Hansen later wrote, "In an interesting turn of events, my longtime friend, neighbor, and soon-to-be-bishop of my ward, turned out to be Brother Bott's nephew. Somehow in all the years we'd known each other I hadn't made that connection until this news story. My husband asked him about it at church in Elder's Quorum, and the nephew had just shook his head a little and said, 'Oh, Uncle Randy shouldn't have said all of that – he knows better.'
"I thought, really? Did he know better? Because I didn’t know better. Nobody in that class that I sat through twice at BYU objected to him teaching it to us. He taught it to THOUSANDS of students, and nobody took complaints to the head of his department and made him stop teaching it. Brother Bott was not some unknown teacher that nobody had ever heard about. He was a campus wide superstar!"
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."
Later in the year, an anonymous faculty member told Dr. Matthew Harris, "We all taught what Randy taught. This could have happened to any one of us. We had no idea that the church's position had changed."
Reverend Dozier and Fred Bethel
On March 12, 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 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 [sic] 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."
Fred Bethel, a black 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 [sic] 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."
Survey of Beliefs
On March 30, political science professors David E. Campbell, John C. Green, and J. Quin Monson wrote in the Deseret News, "The current controversy was sparked when the Washington Post published statements attributed to Randy Bott, a professor at LDS Church-owned Brigham Young University, repeating a 'folk doctrine' that was once offered to explain the ban, but was not an official doctrine of the LDS Church....
"But what do rank-and-file Mormons actually believe? Does the folk doctrine on race hold any sway? Or do most Mormons agree with its repudiation?
"A few weeks before this controversy flared up, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of American Mormons, and happened to ask about this very folk doctrine.
"Adopting Mormon religious language, our question read: 'In the past, some Mormons have said that blacks had to wait to hold the priesthood because they were less valiant in the war in heaven, or the pre-mortal existence. Have you ever heard this?' Those who had heard of the statement were then asked whether they agree or disagree.
"Less than half of all Mormons, 45 percent, report having heard this teaching. When we combine awareness and agreement, just 9 percent of all Mormons have both heard of, and agree with, the folk doctrine (just 2 percent strongly agree).
"In other words, over 90 percent of Mormons have either never heard the folk doctrine or, if they have, reject it.
"Awareness of the folk doctrine is related to involvement in Mormon culture and practices. Sixty percent of Mormons who have been church members all their lives and have done full-time missionary service have heard of the doctrine. However, greater awareness of the folk doctrine does not increase agreement with it. We suspect that awareness reflects exposure to both speculation on the topic inside, and criticism from outside, the LDS Church.
"Young Mormons are slightly less likely to be aware of this folk doctrine, but much more likely to disagree with it if they have. Among Mormons born since the priesthood ban ended in 1978 (under 35 years of age), just 40 percent have heard of it but only 5 percent are both aware and agree (merely 1 percent strongly agree). Looking forward, it is likely that this folk doctrine will literally die off due to generational change.
"Mormon beliefs about race are not what they used to be. Mormons who accept this folk doctrine about their church's past history with race are rare and dwindling. News stories that quote backwards views to imply otherwise are misleading. Rather than a cause for concern, Mormon racial attitudes provide reason for optimism. Old times, it appears, may be soon forgotten."
On June 7, 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 'til 1978! I'm not making this up! This is... right, right, right? Seventy-eight! That means Jackson Five? Devil. Temptations? The devil. What changed 'em, Bootsy Collins? President. Of the United States. Whooh."
"But what do rank-and-file Mormons actually believe? Does the folk doctrine on race hold any sway? Or do most Mormons agree with its repudiation?
"A few weeks before this controversy flared up, we surveyed a nationally representative sample of American Mormons, and happened to ask about this very folk doctrine.
"Adopting Mormon religious language, our question read: 'In the past, some Mormons have said that blacks had to wait to hold the priesthood because they were less valiant in the war in heaven, or the pre-mortal existence. Have you ever heard this?' Those who had heard of the statement were then asked whether they agree or disagree.
"Less than half of all Mormons, 45 percent, report having heard this teaching. When we combine awareness and agreement, just 9 percent of all Mormons have both heard of, and agree with, the folk doctrine (just 2 percent strongly agree).
"In other words, over 90 percent of Mormons have either never heard the folk doctrine or, if they have, reject it.
"Awareness of the folk doctrine is related to involvement in Mormon culture and practices. Sixty percent of Mormons who have been church members all their lives and have done full-time missionary service have heard of the doctrine. However, greater awareness of the folk doctrine does not increase agreement with it. We suspect that awareness reflects exposure to both speculation on the topic inside, and criticism from outside, the LDS Church.
"Young Mormons are slightly less likely to be aware of this folk doctrine, but much more likely to disagree with it if they have. Among Mormons born since the priesthood ban ended in 1978 (under 35 years of age), just 40 percent have heard of it but only 5 percent are both aware and agree (merely 1 percent strongly agree). Looking forward, it is likely that this folk doctrine will literally die off due to generational change.
"Mormon beliefs about race are not what they used to be. Mormons who accept this folk doctrine about their church's past history with race are rare and dwindling. News stories that quote backwards views to imply otherwise are misleading. Rather than a cause for concern, Mormon racial attitudes provide reason for optimism. Old times, it appears, may be soon forgotten."
On June 7, 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 'til 1978! I'm not making this up! This is... right, right, right? Seventy-eight! That means Jackson Five? Devil. Temptations? The devil. What changed 'em, Bootsy Collins? President. Of the United States. Whooh."
Lord, I Pray - Black Mormon Legacy
The "Sistas in Zion", Zandra Vranes and Tamu Smith, 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 article called "Unto All the World: Emerging with Faith in Africa" was published on the Church's website. 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."
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, "Though I’m solid in my faith, I wish more was being done to bridge the gap between Blacks and the LDS church (just 3 percent of Mormons are Black). Many Christian faiths have denounced their racist histories, whereas the LDS church has simply said that all worthy men should now be able to join the priesthood. Some Mormon leaders once believed that Blacks were cursed as the descendants of Cain - so why isn’t that point more often addressed directly? I believe it’s because the leaders are uncomfortable with that history.
"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.
"For the first time in American history, we have a Mormon presidential candidate, and he’s running against an African-American president. I’m pleased that the nation has opened up to the possibility of a Mormon president, but I will make my choice on the basis of which candidate’s policies will be better for the nation."
In October, less than a month before the election, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" sent Jessica Williams to help undecided black Latter-day Saint voters choose between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. From left to right: Keith N. Hamilton, Don Harwell, Tamu Smith, unknown, and Jerri Harwell.
"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.
"For the first time in American history, we have a Mormon presidential candidate, and he’s running against an African-American president. I’m pleased that the nation has opened up to the possibility of a Mormon president, but I will make my choice on the basis of which candidate’s policies will be better for the nation."
In October, less than a month before the election, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" sent Jessica Williams to help undecided black Latter-day Saint voters choose between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. From left to right: Keith N. Hamilton, Don Harwell, Tamu Smith, unknown, and Jerri Harwell.
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.
Next: The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 2013-2017
Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
