Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
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Previous: The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 2013-2017
The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 2018
Black LDS Legacy Conference
LaShawn Williams recalled, "The Black LDS Legacy Conference came from the broken hearts of black women after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in 2013 [for the murder of black teenager Trayvon Martin]. We were having interactions with other black members, wondering, 'Why is no one saying anything from the pulpit? How can we go to church on Sunday and it feels like we're the only ones who care about what's happening to black people here in the U.S. in the wake of police brutality?' And so we created the conference on Wakanda weekend [February 17-18, 2018], when 'Black Panther' opened, to be able to say, 'We have a place here. We've always had a place here. We'll continue to carve out space for our place.'"
The Church News reported, "Nearly 800 Church members and friends from many parts of the U.S. attended the conference that offered educational, emotional, and spiritual support for everyone, but especially black members in the LDS community. On Saturday, it featured speakers and discussion groups on black history and contemporary black issues. Some in the group also attended a temple session. Many participants attended Church services on Sunday in either the Anacostia Ward, Suitland Maryland Stake, or the Washington D.C. 3rd Ward, Washington D.C. Stake, and they later gathered for a 'Why I Believe' devotional at the visitors' center....
"The event was also an opportunity to honor Darius Gray, one of the founding members of the Genesis Group, a support group for black members of the Church. Organizers presented him with a walking stick topped with a lion’s head to symbolize Gray’s spiritual strength and leadership as he helped shepherd growing flocks of black Latter-day Saints. Apostles Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and Boyd K. Packer had set him apart for this calling in 1971.
The Church News reported, "Nearly 800 Church members and friends from many parts of the U.S. attended the conference that offered educational, emotional, and spiritual support for everyone, but especially black members in the LDS community. On Saturday, it featured speakers and discussion groups on black history and contemporary black issues. Some in the group also attended a temple session. Many participants attended Church services on Sunday in either the Anacostia Ward, Suitland Maryland Stake, or the Washington D.C. 3rd Ward, Washington D.C. Stake, and they later gathered for a 'Why I Believe' devotional at the visitors' center....
"The event was also an opportunity to honor Darius Gray, one of the founding members of the Genesis Group, a support group for black members of the Church. Organizers presented him with a walking stick topped with a lion’s head to symbolize Gray’s spiritual strength and leadership as he helped shepherd growing flocks of black Latter-day Saints. Apostles Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, and Boyd K. Packer had set him apart for this calling in 1971.
LaShawn Williams, Darius Gray, Marcus McCoy, and Maybelline McCoy
"Conference planners set a tone of welcome and reunion by creating sessions that allowed for honest interaction, from query to testimony. Participants expressed both joy and pain, describing their struggles as black Church members and missionaries. At the opening, organizer Maybelline McCoy encouraged the audience to 'join us with the truths that are uniquely yours.' It was an appeal for everyone to use their talents, culture, and background to build up the Lord’s kingdom, just as President Gordon B. Hinckley appealed to investigators and converts to bring 'all the good that you have.'"
Attendee Gloria Smith said, "I learned things here I wish I had known 33 years ago when I joined the LDS Church. They wouldn’t have changed my decision to be baptized - because the gospel is true - but they would have helped me."
Attendee Gloria Smith said, "I learned things here I wish I had known 33 years ago when I joined the LDS Church. They wouldn’t have changed my decision to be baptized - because the gospel is true - but they would have helped me."
Return to Baptism Beach
John Dan Ewudzie, Charlotte Acquah, Robert Myers, Emma Myers and William Fiifi Imbrah
Tad Walch reported in the Deseret News, "On a brilliant April day this spring, [Charlotte] Acquah clambered across uneven rocks on the shores of Cape Coast and stared out at the sunlight gleaming on blue Atlantic Ocean waves.
"The ocean has reclaimed the sand, so there was no spot for her, Ewudzie and three other Church pioneers in Africa to enjoy as they remembered how they, [Joseph William Billy] Johnson and dozens of others came to this place that would become known as 'Baptism Beach.' It was here they joined a mass baptismal service the day after missionaries finally arrived in Ghana in 1978.
'The sea has come nearer,' Acquah said. 'Then, the sea was far off the beach.'
"The beach may be gone, and Johnson, too - he died in 2012 - but many of the pioneers remain and remember receiving the ordinance that finally delivered Church membership, unlocked the gate to temple blessings and led to priesthood ordination for the men.
'I enjoy the Spirit here,' said a beaming Robert Myers, 66, who joined Johnson’s congregation of converts in 1973. 'It's the same spirit we felt at our baptism.'
"On this day, a fisherman and his sons worked their nets under vast blue skies at one end of the secluded inlet. On the other side, three men used buckets of water to rinse blood and muck from their illegally operated shore-side slaughterhouse down into the waves crashing on the rocks.
"Acquah and her pioneer friends stepped over the thin channel of bloody salt water and began to talk of old friends amid strong Atlantic breezes and squawking seagulls.
"Myers was the first to enter the water that day almost 40 years ago, to check the depth.
'He was the guinea pig,' Ewudzie joked.
'I remember exactly where I entered the sea,' Myers said. 'Now I can’t enter the sea here. It's scary now. I raised my hands and waved, 'Hey, this will work.'
"Myers and his wife, Emma, a convert in 1967 at age 9, bring their children and grandchildren to 'Baptism Beach.'
'We have our first great-grandchild,' Robert Myers said proudly. 'We will bring her here, too.'...
"The ocean has reclaimed the sand, so there was no spot for her, Ewudzie and three other Church pioneers in Africa to enjoy as they remembered how they, [Joseph William Billy] Johnson and dozens of others came to this place that would become known as 'Baptism Beach.' It was here they joined a mass baptismal service the day after missionaries finally arrived in Ghana in 1978.
'The sea has come nearer,' Acquah said. 'Then, the sea was far off the beach.'
"The beach may be gone, and Johnson, too - he died in 2012 - but many of the pioneers remain and remember receiving the ordinance that finally delivered Church membership, unlocked the gate to temple blessings and led to priesthood ordination for the men.
'I enjoy the Spirit here,' said a beaming Robert Myers, 66, who joined Johnson’s congregation of converts in 1973. 'It's the same spirit we felt at our baptism.'
"On this day, a fisherman and his sons worked their nets under vast blue skies at one end of the secluded inlet. On the other side, three men used buckets of water to rinse blood and muck from their illegally operated shore-side slaughterhouse down into the waves crashing on the rocks.
"Acquah and her pioneer friends stepped over the thin channel of bloody salt water and began to talk of old friends amid strong Atlantic breezes and squawking seagulls.
"Myers was the first to enter the water that day almost 40 years ago, to check the depth.
'He was the guinea pig,' Ewudzie joked.
'I remember exactly where I entered the sea,' Myers said. 'Now I can’t enter the sea here. It's scary now. I raised my hands and waved, 'Hey, this will work.'
"Myers and his wife, Emma, a convert in 1967 at age 9, bring their children and grandchildren to 'Baptism Beach.'
'We have our first great-grandchild,' Robert Myers said proudly. 'We will bring her here, too.'...
John Dan Ewudzie
Emma Myers
"Today the Church has 578,000 members in Africa, more than in all of Europe, and leaders anticipate the formation of the 100th stake in west Africa in coming months.
"Johnson's native Nigeria has 163,000 members. Ghana, where he later served as a district president and stake patriarch, is home to 78,000. Brazil, which had 51,000 Latter-day Saints at the end of 1977, today has and [sic] LDS population of 1.3 million.
'From Cape Coast, look how the Church started,' Acquah said. 'Nobody cared about our building and the people worshiping in that building.'
'In the Book of Mormon,' Ewudzie said, 'Alma talked about planting a seed and when you water it in good faith, how it grows. I see the Church in Ghana as a good seed watered in faith. My joy is how the Church is growing in Ghana. It makes me humble. When the Lord said, "out of small things come great things," that is my happiness.'
"Johnson's native Nigeria has 163,000 members. Ghana, where he later served as a district president and stake patriarch, is home to 78,000. Brazil, which had 51,000 Latter-day Saints at the end of 1977, today has and [sic] LDS population of 1.3 million.
'From Cape Coast, look how the Church started,' Acquah said. 'Nobody cared about our building and the people worshiping in that building.'
'In the Book of Mormon,' Ewudzie said, 'Alma talked about planting a seed and when you water it in good faith, how it grows. I see the Church in Ghana as a good seed watered in faith. My joy is how the Church is growing in Ghana. It makes me humble. When the Lord said, "out of small things come great things," that is my happiness.'
Healing the Wounds of Racism
In an April 5 blog post on the Church's website called "Healing the Wounds of Racism", Darius Gray wrote, "Talking with one another about physical ailments such as colds, the flu, broken bones, and sprained joints can help us learn how to find healing. However, we also benefit when we address the challenges of incorrect thoughts and attitudes, including words and actions that harm others as well as ourselves.
"Some have felt the sting of being considered 'the other' or 'the lesser.' It seems to me that such attitudes have increased in the world around us in recent years, perhaps due in part to the vitriolic language that has come to permeate political speech in various nations around the globe. Nothing could be further from the teachings of Jesus Christ than for any human being to think of himself or herself as somehow superior to another human being based upon race, sex, nationality, ethnic origins, economic circumstances, or other characteristics (see Quentin L. Cook, “The Eternal Everyday,” Ensign, Nov. 2017)....
"Racial and cultural bias is too widespread in the world. Sadly the practices associated with racism and prejudice have caused deep wounds for many.
"As we endeavor to heal the wounds of racism, it is critically important to understand that negative ideas toward others based on racial or cultural differences hurt not only those who are the focus of such an attitude; they hurt the practitioner just as much, if not more. We are Christians, disciples of Christ, yet when we allow the attitudes of the world to infiltrate our minds to the point of blindness about their existence, we limit our progress toward that which our Father expects us to become, and we enter into a sin that often has lasting consequences."
"Some have felt the sting of being considered 'the other' or 'the lesser.' It seems to me that such attitudes have increased in the world around us in recent years, perhaps due in part to the vitriolic language that has come to permeate political speech in various nations around the globe. Nothing could be further from the teachings of Jesus Christ than for any human being to think of himself or herself as somehow superior to another human being based upon race, sex, nationality, ethnic origins, economic circumstances, or other characteristics (see Quentin L. Cook, “The Eternal Everyday,” Ensign, Nov. 2017)....
"Racial and cultural bias is too widespread in the world. Sadly the practices associated with racism and prejudice have caused deep wounds for many.
"As we endeavor to heal the wounds of racism, it is critically important to understand that negative ideas toward others based on racial or cultural differences hurt not only those who are the focus of such an attitude; they hurt the practitioner just as much, if not more. We are Christians, disciples of Christ, yet when we allow the attitudes of the world to infiltrate our minds to the point of blindness about their existence, we limit our progress toward that which our Father expects us to become, and we enter into a sin that often has lasting consequences."
NAACP Partnership and Apology Hoax
On May 17, 2018, the Church entered into a groundbreaking partnership with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, as the top leaders from both organizations held a press conference in Salt Lake City and issued statements on the need for greater civility and racial harmony.
In anticipation of the press conference, a white former member of the Church named Jonathan Streeter released a very lengthy fake statement on a site imitating the Church's Newsroom site, at the url "mormon-newsroom.org". He wrote,
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints issues the following statement:
"RACISM
Throughout history and continuing into modern times, the issue of racism has caused great suffering and division. Racism affects the hearts and minds of individuals and leads to the uncharitable and harmful treatment of God’s children. Institutions may also display racism, by enacting policies and perpetuating teachings which harm minorities directly or through purposeful exclusion leading to lost opportunities for blessings.
"UNIVERSAL LOVE
In His earthly ministry, the Savior, Jesus Christ, taught that the injunction to 'love thy neighbor as thyself' was equal in importance to the commandment to love God Himself. In giving this instruction, Christ offered no caveats, no qualifications, and no limitations.
"UNIVERSAL REPENTANCE
This central, universal teaching of Christian love was accompanied in Christ's ministry by a universal call for repentance. As all have sinned, Christ taught repentance, not only to his disciples but also to those Apostles whom he called in his ministry, following the pattern previously established of ancient Prophets acknowledging error, humbling themselves, confessing their sins and making restitution before God and those whom they have wronged. Such admonitions for universal repentance were reinforced in the latter days when the Lord stated:
'Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen, ye elders of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord; for he calleth upon all men, and he commandeth all men everywhere to repent.' D&C 133:16
"RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE
Five years ago, an initiative began in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to fulfill Christ’s paired teachings of universal love and repentance. In the October 2013 General Conference, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency stated:
'…to be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine.' Come, Join with Us
"CONFESSION
This admission of error by the brethren was then followed by a detailed confession in the form of a Gospel Topic Essay published on the church website just two short months later in December of 2013. This essay, entitled 'Race and the Priesthood' gave further details to Elder Uchtdorf’s statement by describing these specific errors in the main text and associated footnotes:
"In describing these errors, the 'Race and the Priesthood' essay outlined the process where church leaders in 1978 rescinded the ban on priesthood and temple blessings. The essay further acknowledged the erroneous teachings which lingered in church lessons and culture in this important statement:
'Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.'
"Since the release of that essay nearly 5 years ago, the Church as a whole - both leaders and members - have been able to reflect on the significance of these past failures, allowing true sorrow and a change of heart to pave the way for true repentance.
"APOLOGY
On Thursday, May 17, 2018, LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve met with the national leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at the Church administration building on Temple Square. In a room filled to capacity by these leaders and members of the media, President Nelson issued the following statement, a transcript of which may be downloaded here:
'As I look around, I am reminded that this is not the first time leaders of our church have sat in counsel with the leadership of the NAACP. The first meeting, in 1963, prior to the October general conference resulted in a remarkable statement on civil rights read by President Hugh B. Brown over the tabernacle pulpit. It was a beginning. As I ponder on it now, I recognize how much we as a church must learn from our past.
'It is with a solemn heart that I address you all today. I have upon my shoulders a mantle that I don't suppose you can see with your eyes. It has a weight of its own, and represents the responsibility and duty that accompany this office which I hold - the holy stewardship for the children of God both within and outside of our faith. The trust inherent to that stewardship is no small part of its weight.
'This prophetic mantle of this dispensation of the fullness of times began on the shoulder of the founder of our faith, the Prophet Joseph Smith. I imagine Joseph's shoulders strained at times to bear the weight of the mantle until they were relieved of that calling on the ground outside of Carthage Jail. Still, the mantle passed on.
'To each of the brethren who have born it since then, those men who have passed through the office I now hold, its weight and shape have persisted - adapted to the needs of the people and the inspired direction of our creator. Each of us bear the same duty and responsibility in accepting this office, and in so doing we also may be called upon to act on the principle of that mantle in completing or responding to matters started by our institutional and ecclesiastical forbears who also bore it before us. It is in that capacity that I address you now, this day.
'Today, as Prophet, Seer and Revelator, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I offer a full unqualified apology for the error of racism which was taught from this office and in the tabernacle and over the pulpits of our churches the world over. I am joined by my counselors in the First Presidency and the full Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in making this apology and we collectively bear witness and testimony of the devastating effects of racism which were perpetuated by leaders of the church in the past.
'Institutionally in the past, we taught false and hurtful ideas about curses, skin color, and spiritual worthiness, and we were wrong. We taught false notions of white supremacy in civil and religious life, heinous ideas of pure white blood, and erroneously condemned interracial marriage, and we were wrong. We took it upon ourselves to interpret scripture to justify these false ideas and closed our hearts and minds to the truth of God's love even when it could be found in God's written word, ancient and revealed, and we were wrong. We hardened our hearts to the plain and simple truth of Universal Brotherhood and equality of all before God, and we were wrong.
'We withheld from our brothers and sisters the joys of Temple service, the security of an eternal family, the peace of hope for full exaltation, complete fellowship among the saints and the duty and blessing of the Priesthood, and we were wrong. We operated in the political sphere and used our influence to fight against civil rights when we should have been on the front lines in defense of those rights, and we were wrong. We reproved good men and women whose hearts were enlightened and whose voices were raised to God for equality, and we were wrong.
'We have previously acknowledged that the false and racist explanations for the Priesthood and Temple restriction were wrong and disavowed them. Today, I am declaring that the ban itself was wrong. It was not of God but of fallible men, born of ignorance, pride and sin.
'We stand humbly before our God and the world this day to prostrate our souls and beg forgiveness. With the mantle of authority also comes accountability. Though we did not originate these teachings and policies, we cannot deny accountability for their harm. Many of us were living and secure in our places of Priesthood privilege during those days and did not speak out against their falsehood when it was our duty, and each of us now feels the weight of institutional responsibility for those affronts to God’s precious children.
'Our souls are harrowed up by the memory of this sin. To every man, woman, and child and to every family scarred by this hurtful sin, we humbly ask for forgiveness. We plead forgiveness of God and forgiveness from all of you in this room and throughout the world.
'Throughout the scriptures, the Lord has called for his people to humble themselves and correct the error of their ways - the leaders most of all. Members may be faithful in following the teachings and instructions of their leaders, but if their leaders are in error, how much greater is their need for repentance because of their influence?
'Just as individual repentance is commanded by the Lord, so too is institutional repentance, and we, the prophets and apostles must take the lead. We began our own institutional repentance in 1978 when the restriction on Priesthood and temple blessings was removed. I learned as a surgeon how a wound which is not fully healed may fester, and I have come to see the principle true for our church. For us, this wound of racism has taken the form of lingering false ideas which have remained in the hearts of both leaders and members resulting in cultural divisions which fester below the surface.
'Today, I am cleansing the wound and completing that doctrinal restitution by acknowledging that there are false racist ideas which have been enshrined in our canonized scripture. This is not as surprising as you might imagine - in the very title page the Prophet Moroni himself states that the Book of Mormon may contain errors which are "the mistakes of men" and this is true of any scripture.
'With that in mind, I am announcing the formation of a Scriptural Review Committee on Race. This committee is composed of representatives from The Quorum of the Twelve, The Relief Society, The Seventy and key members of BYU and CES faculty in sociology and race relations and will be presided over by the President of the Genesis Group. The committee will take the next 6 months to review our current body of modern revealed canonized scripture and identify those faults of men around racism which have been left uncorrected. They will consult with experts in sociology, race relations, and theology from both inside and outside of the church and present their recommendations at the October General Conference this fall. Those recommendations may take the form of additional footnotes, updated headers, additional explanatory text or even full removal of offending passages.
'We will all have time to prayerfully consider their findings and recommendations before the April 2019 General conference where they will be presented to the body of the church for a sustaining vote according to the law of Common Consent as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants. Following the April 2019 conference the Correlation department of the church will complete the requisite systematic revision of all manuals, videos and publications.
'True repentance requires a deep introspection and thorough understanding of the degree of the offense. Though it may sometimes be painful, it carries a hope for a brighter future free from the mistakes of the past. Though we have been chastened of the Lord, we are hopeful for "whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth."
'It is my prayer that we all examine our hearts and root out those aspects of ourselves which may have been shaped by the racism of our past. As leaders and as members we must constantly guard against these biases. The strongest ally we have in this endeavor is Christ. He set the example of unconditional love and charity. If we measure our hearts against that standard and always strive to meet it, changing where we must even though it may be difficult - then we can stay on the path of discipleship and grow in faith and love for all of God’s children.
'On behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its current and past leaders and members, I offer this humble apology and plead for forgiveness in the merciful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.'
"CONCLUSION
Following President Nelson's remarks, First Presidency counsellors President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring joined NAACP leaders in making a joint statement affirming the statement of apology and repentance offered by the Prophet and calling for a season of introspection and reconciliation in the coming months as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day [sic] Saints undertakes a solemn process of institutional repentance.
"Members throughout the world are encouraged to view the upcoming First Presidency-sponsored event on June 1, 2018, celebrating the 1978 revelation on the priesthood on its 40th anniversary. BeOne.lds.org has been created to provide more information about the event, which will feature a message from the First Presidency, stories of faith of Church members and music from Gladys Knight, the Saints Unified Voices, Alex Boyé, the Bonner family, the Unity Gospel Choir International and members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir."
For a few hours, the fake apology fooled news outlets and many members of the Church. Black Latter-day Saints in particular were overjoyed after years of hoping and praying for such a development. Their joy turned to devastation and anger when the hoax was exposed.
"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints issues the following statement:
"RACISM
Throughout history and continuing into modern times, the issue of racism has caused great suffering and division. Racism affects the hearts and minds of individuals and leads to the uncharitable and harmful treatment of God’s children. Institutions may also display racism, by enacting policies and perpetuating teachings which harm minorities directly or through purposeful exclusion leading to lost opportunities for blessings.
"UNIVERSAL LOVE
In His earthly ministry, the Savior, Jesus Christ, taught that the injunction to 'love thy neighbor as thyself' was equal in importance to the commandment to love God Himself. In giving this instruction, Christ offered no caveats, no qualifications, and no limitations.
"UNIVERSAL REPENTANCE
This central, universal teaching of Christian love was accompanied in Christ's ministry by a universal call for repentance. As all have sinned, Christ taught repentance, not only to his disciples but also to those Apostles whom he called in his ministry, following the pattern previously established of ancient Prophets acknowledging error, humbling themselves, confessing their sins and making restitution before God and those whom they have wronged. Such admonitions for universal repentance were reinforced in the latter days when the Lord stated:
'Hearken and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen, ye elders of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord; for he calleth upon all men, and he commandeth all men everywhere to repent.' D&C 133:16
"RECONCILIATION INITIATIVE
Five years ago, an initiative began in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to fulfill Christ’s paired teachings of universal love and repentance. In the October 2013 General Conference, Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency stated:
'…to be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine.' Come, Join with Us
"CONFESSION
This admission of error by the brethren was then followed by a detailed confession in the form of a Gospel Topic Essay published on the church website just two short months later in December of 2013. This essay, entitled 'Race and the Priesthood' gave further details to Elder Uchtdorf’s statement by describing these specific errors in the main text and associated footnotes:
- Supporting segregation through the organization of race based congregations.
- The denial of Priesthood and Temple blessings to families of African descent.
- The perpetuation of slavery in Mormon-controlled Utah, advocated by church leaders.
- Teaching anti-miscegenation and discouraging interracial marriages.
- Teaching that dark skin was a sign of God’s curse on the posterity of Cain
- Teaching that slavery was a second curse on the black skinned posterity of Cain through Ham.
- Teaching that blacks were not valiant in the premortal battle against Lucifer and consequently banned from Priesthood and Temple Blessings
- The sealing of a black woman, Jane Manning James, as an eternal servitor, or slave, to Joseph Smith after denying her requests for her personal sealing to her own family.
- Requiring South African converts to trace their ancestry and confirm had no 'Negroid forebears'
- Failure of the Brethren to discern God's principle of universal brotherhood in 1954 after praying for an answer on the matter of race and the priesthood.
- Failure of the Brethren to discern the import of the Book of Mormon’s declaration that the gospel message of salvation should go forth to 'every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.' and that 'all are alike unto God'
"In describing these errors, the 'Race and the Priesthood' essay outlined the process where church leaders in 1978 rescinded the ban on priesthood and temple blessings. The essay further acknowledged the erroneous teachings which lingered in church lessons and culture in this important statement:
'Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.'
"Since the release of that essay nearly 5 years ago, the Church as a whole - both leaders and members - have been able to reflect on the significance of these past failures, allowing true sorrow and a change of heart to pave the way for true repentance.
"APOLOGY
On Thursday, May 17, 2018, LDS Church President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors and the Quorum of the Twelve met with the national leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at the Church administration building on Temple Square. In a room filled to capacity by these leaders and members of the media, President Nelson issued the following statement, a transcript of which may be downloaded here:
'As I look around, I am reminded that this is not the first time leaders of our church have sat in counsel with the leadership of the NAACP. The first meeting, in 1963, prior to the October general conference resulted in a remarkable statement on civil rights read by President Hugh B. Brown over the tabernacle pulpit. It was a beginning. As I ponder on it now, I recognize how much we as a church must learn from our past.
'It is with a solemn heart that I address you all today. I have upon my shoulders a mantle that I don't suppose you can see with your eyes. It has a weight of its own, and represents the responsibility and duty that accompany this office which I hold - the holy stewardship for the children of God both within and outside of our faith. The trust inherent to that stewardship is no small part of its weight.
'This prophetic mantle of this dispensation of the fullness of times began on the shoulder of the founder of our faith, the Prophet Joseph Smith. I imagine Joseph's shoulders strained at times to bear the weight of the mantle until they were relieved of that calling on the ground outside of Carthage Jail. Still, the mantle passed on.
'To each of the brethren who have born it since then, those men who have passed through the office I now hold, its weight and shape have persisted - adapted to the needs of the people and the inspired direction of our creator. Each of us bear the same duty and responsibility in accepting this office, and in so doing we also may be called upon to act on the principle of that mantle in completing or responding to matters started by our institutional and ecclesiastical forbears who also bore it before us. It is in that capacity that I address you now, this day.
'Today, as Prophet, Seer and Revelator, and President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I offer a full unqualified apology for the error of racism which was taught from this office and in the tabernacle and over the pulpits of our churches the world over. I am joined by my counselors in the First Presidency and the full Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in making this apology and we collectively bear witness and testimony of the devastating effects of racism which were perpetuated by leaders of the church in the past.
'Institutionally in the past, we taught false and hurtful ideas about curses, skin color, and spiritual worthiness, and we were wrong. We taught false notions of white supremacy in civil and religious life, heinous ideas of pure white blood, and erroneously condemned interracial marriage, and we were wrong. We took it upon ourselves to interpret scripture to justify these false ideas and closed our hearts and minds to the truth of God's love even when it could be found in God's written word, ancient and revealed, and we were wrong. We hardened our hearts to the plain and simple truth of Universal Brotherhood and equality of all before God, and we were wrong.
'We withheld from our brothers and sisters the joys of Temple service, the security of an eternal family, the peace of hope for full exaltation, complete fellowship among the saints and the duty and blessing of the Priesthood, and we were wrong. We operated in the political sphere and used our influence to fight against civil rights when we should have been on the front lines in defense of those rights, and we were wrong. We reproved good men and women whose hearts were enlightened and whose voices were raised to God for equality, and we were wrong.
'We have previously acknowledged that the false and racist explanations for the Priesthood and Temple restriction were wrong and disavowed them. Today, I am declaring that the ban itself was wrong. It was not of God but of fallible men, born of ignorance, pride and sin.
'We stand humbly before our God and the world this day to prostrate our souls and beg forgiveness. With the mantle of authority also comes accountability. Though we did not originate these teachings and policies, we cannot deny accountability for their harm. Many of us were living and secure in our places of Priesthood privilege during those days and did not speak out against their falsehood when it was our duty, and each of us now feels the weight of institutional responsibility for those affronts to God’s precious children.
'Our souls are harrowed up by the memory of this sin. To every man, woman, and child and to every family scarred by this hurtful sin, we humbly ask for forgiveness. We plead forgiveness of God and forgiveness from all of you in this room and throughout the world.
'Throughout the scriptures, the Lord has called for his people to humble themselves and correct the error of their ways - the leaders most of all. Members may be faithful in following the teachings and instructions of their leaders, but if their leaders are in error, how much greater is their need for repentance because of their influence?
'Just as individual repentance is commanded by the Lord, so too is institutional repentance, and we, the prophets and apostles must take the lead. We began our own institutional repentance in 1978 when the restriction on Priesthood and temple blessings was removed. I learned as a surgeon how a wound which is not fully healed may fester, and I have come to see the principle true for our church. For us, this wound of racism has taken the form of lingering false ideas which have remained in the hearts of both leaders and members resulting in cultural divisions which fester below the surface.
'Today, I am cleansing the wound and completing that doctrinal restitution by acknowledging that there are false racist ideas which have been enshrined in our canonized scripture. This is not as surprising as you might imagine - in the very title page the Prophet Moroni himself states that the Book of Mormon may contain errors which are "the mistakes of men" and this is true of any scripture.
'With that in mind, I am announcing the formation of a Scriptural Review Committee on Race. This committee is composed of representatives from The Quorum of the Twelve, The Relief Society, The Seventy and key members of BYU and CES faculty in sociology and race relations and will be presided over by the President of the Genesis Group. The committee will take the next 6 months to review our current body of modern revealed canonized scripture and identify those faults of men around racism which have been left uncorrected. They will consult with experts in sociology, race relations, and theology from both inside and outside of the church and present their recommendations at the October General Conference this fall. Those recommendations may take the form of additional footnotes, updated headers, additional explanatory text or even full removal of offending passages.
'We will all have time to prayerfully consider their findings and recommendations before the April 2019 General conference where they will be presented to the body of the church for a sustaining vote according to the law of Common Consent as contained in the Doctrine and Covenants. Following the April 2019 conference the Correlation department of the church will complete the requisite systematic revision of all manuals, videos and publications.
'True repentance requires a deep introspection and thorough understanding of the degree of the offense. Though it may sometimes be painful, it carries a hope for a brighter future free from the mistakes of the past. Though we have been chastened of the Lord, we are hopeful for "whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth."
'It is my prayer that we all examine our hearts and root out those aspects of ourselves which may have been shaped by the racism of our past. As leaders and as members we must constantly guard against these biases. The strongest ally we have in this endeavor is Christ. He set the example of unconditional love and charity. If we measure our hearts against that standard and always strive to meet it, changing where we must even though it may be difficult - then we can stay on the path of discipleship and grow in faith and love for all of God’s children.
'On behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its current and past leaders and members, I offer this humble apology and plead for forgiveness in the merciful name of Jesus Christ, Amen.'
"CONCLUSION
Following President Nelson's remarks, First Presidency counsellors President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring joined NAACP leaders in making a joint statement affirming the statement of apology and repentance offered by the Prophet and calling for a season of introspection and reconciliation in the coming months as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day [sic] Saints undertakes a solemn process of institutional repentance.
"Members throughout the world are encouraged to view the upcoming First Presidency-sponsored event on June 1, 2018, celebrating the 1978 revelation on the priesthood on its 40th anniversary. BeOne.lds.org has been created to provide more information about the event, which will feature a message from the First Presidency, stories of faith of Church members and music from Gladys Knight, the Saints Unified Voices, Alex Boyé, the Bonner family, the Unity Gospel Choir International and members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir."
For a few hours, the fake apology fooled news outlets and many members of the Church. Black Latter-day Saints in particular were overjoyed after years of hoping and praying for such a development. Their joy turned to devastation and anger when the hoax was exposed.
Streeter initially defended his actions, saying, "They could either criticize the leaders of the church for not living up to that aspirational depiction in the parody website, or they could hate me for creating it. I’m hoping the discussion continues." After four days, however, he changed his tone, writing to the Deseret News (which declined to publish it) and the Salt Lake Tribune (which excerpted it): "On May 17th, 2018 I published an apology under the heading of a satirical news release. Its intention was to bring awareness to the potential healing and reconciliation which could be realized in the LDS church with such an apology. However, there was something very short-sighted, hurtful, and ultimately wrong about my approach.
"While I understood that apologies have tremendous power to heal, I was unaware the spiritual need for apology felt in the hearts of Mormon persons of color was so deep and abiding. As a result, I caused tremendous pain for black Mormons who have patiently waited for so long. I am deeply sorry.
"Whatever my intentions, I am responsible for the unintended consequences of my actions. I have listened to many powerful expressions of the pain I caused and have been humbled further by my own ignorance. I am devastated that I have added to the suffering that you have born [sic] and continue to feel.
"I have removed the satire apology web page. I have made the satire website domain name available to transfer to the church without cost, should they request it. Even with these steps, I understand that I cannot remove the deep wounds that I have reopened.
"Many people in and out of the church have already come to the conclusions of the apology on their own and defended it on the strength of that conviction. While the apology was not from the leaders of the church it was the true reflection of my own heart and represents my personal statement of apology for my complicity as a member of almost 40 years. I deeply regret that as a member I never stopped to consider the impact of past and present teachings on race and vocally reject them. The apology reflects my sincere desire for healing and progress in the church.
"The church belongs as much to the members as it does to the leaders. Joseph Smith stated that Mormons have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation 'when that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds, and we have the highest degree of evidence of the same.' I believe the healing power of an expression of apology on this issue carries the evidence of truth. I stand with anyone who chooses to embrace that message for themselves and make it real for their fellow brothers and sisters in Zion.
"If there is to be healing in the church, it will come on the foundation of love and goodwill within the church. I humbly apologize for the pain I caused.
"Sincerely,
Jonathan Streeter"
"While I understood that apologies have tremendous power to heal, I was unaware the spiritual need for apology felt in the hearts of Mormon persons of color was so deep and abiding. As a result, I caused tremendous pain for black Mormons who have patiently waited for so long. I am deeply sorry.
"Whatever my intentions, I am responsible for the unintended consequences of my actions. I have listened to many powerful expressions of the pain I caused and have been humbled further by my own ignorance. I am devastated that I have added to the suffering that you have born [sic] and continue to feel.
"I have removed the satire apology web page. I have made the satire website domain name available to transfer to the church without cost, should they request it. Even with these steps, I understand that I cannot remove the deep wounds that I have reopened.
"Many people in and out of the church have already come to the conclusions of the apology on their own and defended it on the strength of that conviction. While the apology was not from the leaders of the church it was the true reflection of my own heart and represents my personal statement of apology for my complicity as a member of almost 40 years. I deeply regret that as a member I never stopped to consider the impact of past and present teachings on race and vocally reject them. The apology reflects my sincere desire for healing and progress in the church.
"The church belongs as much to the members as it does to the leaders. Joseph Smith stated that Mormons have a right to embrace all, and every item of truth, without limitation 'when that truth is clearly demonstrated to our minds, and we have the highest degree of evidence of the same.' I believe the healing power of an expression of apology on this issue carries the evidence of truth. I stand with anyone who chooses to embrace that message for themselves and make it real for their fellow brothers and sisters in Zion.
"If there is to be healing in the church, it will come on the foundation of love and goodwill within the church. I humbly apologize for the pain I caused.
"Sincerely,
Jonathan Streeter"
Fortieth Anniversary of the Priesthood Revelation
The June 2018 issue of the Ensign included several articles to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the priesthood revelation: "Extending the Blessings of the Priesthood", "The Long-Promised Day", "Blessed in Every Way Possible" by Elder Edward Dube, "It's Because You're Black" by Kirstie Stanger-Weyland, "How Could You Be Mormon?" (digital only) by Grace Soelberg, "Moving Forward Together" (an abridged version of "Healing the Wounds of Racism") by Darius Gray, and "The Savior Heals Our Hurts" by Fred A. "Tony" Parker.
The Church Newsroom reported, 'Only the comprehension of the true Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women,' said President Russell M. Nelson at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 40th anniversary celebration of the revelation on the priesthood. 'That understanding inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.'
"President Nelson’s remarks Friday, June 1, 2018, concluded a 90-minute event at the Conference Center on Temple Square that celebrated, through song, dance and the spoken word, the Church’s June 1978 revelation that extended the blessings of the priesthood and the temple to all of God's children everywhere in the world. The event was titled 'Be One,' a reference to Latter-day Saint scripture where Jesus says, 'Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine' (D&C 38:27).
The Church Newsroom reported, 'Only the comprehension of the true Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women,' said President Russell M. Nelson at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ 40th anniversary celebration of the revelation on the priesthood. 'That understanding inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.'
"President Nelson’s remarks Friday, June 1, 2018, concluded a 90-minute event at the Conference Center on Temple Square that celebrated, through song, dance and the spoken word, the Church’s June 1978 revelation that extended the blessings of the priesthood and the temple to all of God's children everywhere in the world. The event was titled 'Be One,' a reference to Latter-day Saint scripture where Jesus says, 'Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine' (D&C 38:27).
"Narrators told the stories of two African American Latter-day Saints of the 1800s, Jane Manning James and Elijah Abel, as well as several pioneering Latter-day Saints of the past 50 years - including Anthony Obinna of Nigeria, Joseph William Billy Johnson of Ghana, Victor Nugent of Jamaica and Helvécio Martins of Brazil. Music came from seven-time Grammy Award-winner Gladys Knight, the Saints Unified Voices, entertainer and YouTube sensation Alex Boyé, the Bonner family, the Unity Gospel Choir International and members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. In all there were hundreds of singers and dancers who participated in the jubilee.
"Yvonne Baraketse, the evening’s choreographer and a Latter-day Saint since her days as a refugee in Belgium, said she hopes people come away from Friday’s event with a deeper understanding that 'we all are children of God, that He loves us [and] has a plan for each one of us.' Temanuata Laussen, a member of Gladys Knight’s Saints Unified Voices Choir, expressed the same desire, as well as her gratitude to be a part of the celebration. 'I can't even say how much of a blessing it is to be a part of this,' she said. 'It's just been so neat for all of us to come together with our different cultures, our musical backgrounds, our religious backgrounds. I hope [people] leave feeling the love of our Father in Heaven, feeling the love of our prophet and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles [and] our First Presidency.'
President Dallin H. Oaks opened the celebration by saying, "My dear brothers and sisters, there are some events that persist in almost everyone’s memory. If you were living at the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, you remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard that terrible news. The same is true of the shocking attacks on what we call 9/11. For Latter-day Saints who were adults at that time, the 1978 revelation on the priesthood was an event of such magnitude that it is also etched in memory.
"I.
"The news reached me on a telephone that seldom rang. My two sons and I were working in the yard of a mountain home we built as a place of retreat from my heavy responsibilities as president of Brigham Young University. My sons were between missions. The oldest had returned three weeks earlier, and the youngest was preparing to leave a year later. The earth was caving onto our driveway from a steep slope, and we were trying to stabilize the hillside. We were in the midst of this project, shovels in hand, when the phone rang inside the house. I knew it must be important. Only a small number of people had that telephone number, and all of them had agreed not to call me about anything that could possibly wait.
"The caller was Elder Boyd K. Packer. He told me about the revelation on the priesthood, which was just being announced. We exchanged expressions of joy, and I walked back to the hillside. I sat down on the pile of dirt we had been moving and beckoned to my sons. As I told them that all worthy male members of the Church could now be ordained to the priesthood, I wept for joy. That is the scene etched in my memory of this unforgettable announcement 40 years ago - sitting on a pile of dirt and weeping as I told my sons of this divine revelation.
"Why was the revelation on the priesthood such an occasion of joy? As a young man in the legal profession, I lived in the Midwest and the East for 17 years. The restriction on the ordination and temple blessings of persons of African ancestry - almost invisible to me as I grew up in Utah - was a frequent subject of my conversations in my life in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
"I observed the pain and frustration experienced by those who suffered these restrictions and those who criticized them and sought for reasons. I studied the reasons then being given and could not feel confirmation of the truth of any of them. As part of my prayerful study, I learned that, in general, the Lord rarely gives reasons for the commandments and directions He gives to His servants. I determined to be loyal to our prophetic leaders and to pray - as promised from the beginning of these restrictions - that the day would come when all would enjoy the blessings of priesthood and temple. Now that day had come, and I wept for joy.
"Many Latter-day Saints felt joy at this news. The numbers of valiant and faithful members of African descent who had accepted the gospel despite the restrictions was then very small. Therefore, most of those who rejoiced were Anglo-Americans like me, who witnessed the pain of black brothers and sisters and longed for their relief. Among those who also wept for joy at the priesthood revelation were Dr. Russell M. Nelson and then-deputy commissioner of education Henry B. Eyring. In 1978, both of these men had lived outside the somewhat isolated environment of the Mountain West for more than a total of 40 years. They had also witnessed the pain of this restriction among their associates.
"II.
"When we consider what has happened in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the lives of its members since 1978, we all have cause for celebration.
Institutionally, the Church reacted swiftly to the revelation on the priesthood. Ordinations and temple recommends came immediately. The reasons that had been given to try to explain the prior restrictions on members of African ancestry - even those previously voiced by revered Church leaders - were promptly and publicly disavowed. Institutional policies or practices that could have inhibited the full integration of members of African ancestry, such as the separate congregations common in many Christian churches, were prevented by the continuation of the long-standing LDS policy of ward membership being determined geographically. Similarly, membership records continued to make no mention of race or ethnicity. The Lord had spoken through His prophet, and His Church obeyed.
"In contrast, changes in the hearts and practices of individual members did not come suddenly and universally. Some accepted the effects of the revelation immediately and gracefully. Some accepted gradually. But some, in their personal lives, continued the attitudes of racism that have been painful to so many throughout the world, including the past 40 years. Others have wanted to look back, concentrating attention on reexamining the past, including seeking reasons for the now-outdated restrictions.
"However, most in the Church, including its senior leadership, have concentrated on the opportunities of the future rather than the disappointments of the past. We have trusted the wisdom and timing of the Lord and accepted the directions of His prophet. We have realized the eternal significance of God’s prophetic teaching that 'one being is as precious in his sight as the other' (Jacob 2:21). In doing so, we have received new impetus to fulfill the command that we are to teach the everlasting gospel unto all - to 'all nations, kindreds, tongues and people' (D&C 42:58).
"III.
"To concern ourselves with what has not been revealed or with past explanations by those who were operating with limited understanding can only result in speculation and frustration. To all who have such concerns, we extend our love and this special invitation. Let us all look forward in the unity of our faith and trust in the Lord’s promise that 'he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female' (2 Nephi 26:33; emphasis added).
"As we look to the future, one of the most important effects of the revelation on the priesthood is its divine call to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Racism is probably the most familiar source of prejudice today, and we are all called to repent of that. But throughout history, many groups of God’s children are or have been persecuted or disadvantaged by prejudices, such as those based on ethnicity or culture or nationality or education or economic circumstances.
"As servants of God who have the knowledge and responsibilities of His great plan of salvation, we should hasten to prepare our attitudes and our actions - institutionally and personally - to abandon all personal prejudices. As President Russell M. Nelson said following our recent meeting with the national officers of the NAACP: 'Together we invite all people, organizations, and government[s] to work with greater civility, eliminating prejudice of all kinds.'
"Even as we unite to abandon all attitudes and practices of prejudice, we should remember that it is not prejudice for the Church to insist on certain rules in furtherance of the Lord’s requirement of worthiness to enter a temple. The Lord has declared that obedience to covenants and commandments is an essential requirement to enjoy sacred blessings. Any attempt to erase divine requirements for eternal life and eternal families would be like trying to establish Satan’s plan that 'all would be saved.' In our premortal lives, we mortals already rejected Satan’s plan. We chose the plan of our Heavenly Father, which provides the freedom to choose and keep the eternal covenants and commandments that apply equally to all. The equality of God is not equal outcomes for all, but equal opportunity for all.
"IV.
"Our determination in this program is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revelation on the priesthood by looking forward. As we do, we express special appreciation for our marvelous members of African descent, especially our African American members who have persisted in faith and faithfulness through a difficult transition period of fading prejudice. Now we unite together in concentrating our attention on the glorious post-1978 effects of that revelation in blessing the children of God all over the world. As our prophetic leaders declared at that time:
'The Lord has now made known his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.'
"Now temples are being built in many nations for the blessing of God’s children on both sides of the veil. On earth and in heaven, we rejoice together. This is essential to our preparation for the Second Coming of Him who declared through a Book of Mormon prophet that 'he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation' (2 Nephi 26:24) and who declared through a modern prophet that 'if ye are not one ye are not mine' (D&C 38:27).
"We now invite you to join us in a program of messages and music that share the joy felt all over the world as more and more of God’s children enjoy the blessings of the gospel we celebrate! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
At the conclusion of the celebration, President Russell M. Nelson said in his extemporaneous remarks, "Dear brothers and sisters, we have been uplifted by the message of President Oaks and by wonderful musicians and dancers. We are especially grateful for Gladys Knight, the Be One Choir, Alex Boyé, and the Bonner family. These talented performers have inspired us all.
"Centuries ago, an exacting lawyer asked the Savior:
'Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
'Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
'This is the first and great commandment.
'And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
'On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'
"Again in 1831, this instruction was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, when the Lord said, 'And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me.'
"Then, by way of emphasis, He added, 'And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself.'
"In the meridian of time, and again in the latter days, the Lord has stressed His essential doctrine of equal opportunity for His children. And tonight, President Oaks has reminded us, '[The Lord] denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female;... all are alike unto God.'
"On every continent and across the isles of the sea, faithful people are being gathered into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Differences in culture, language, gender, race, and nationality fade into insignificance as the faithful enter the covenant path and come unto our beloved Redeemer.
"Ultimately, we realize that only the comprehension of the true Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women. That understanding inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.
"It is my prayer and blessing that I leave upon all who are listening that we may overcome any burdens of prejudice and walk uprightly with God - and with one another - in perfect peace and harmony. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."
"Yvonne Baraketse, the evening’s choreographer and a Latter-day Saint since her days as a refugee in Belgium, said she hopes people come away from Friday’s event with a deeper understanding that 'we all are children of God, that He loves us [and] has a plan for each one of us.' Temanuata Laussen, a member of Gladys Knight’s Saints Unified Voices Choir, expressed the same desire, as well as her gratitude to be a part of the celebration. 'I can't even say how much of a blessing it is to be a part of this,' she said. 'It's just been so neat for all of us to come together with our different cultures, our musical backgrounds, our religious backgrounds. I hope [people] leave feeling the love of our Father in Heaven, feeling the love of our prophet and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles [and] our First Presidency.'
President Dallin H. Oaks opened the celebration by saying, "My dear brothers and sisters, there are some events that persist in almost everyone’s memory. If you were living at the time of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, you remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard that terrible news. The same is true of the shocking attacks on what we call 9/11. For Latter-day Saints who were adults at that time, the 1978 revelation on the priesthood was an event of such magnitude that it is also etched in memory.
"I.
"The news reached me on a telephone that seldom rang. My two sons and I were working in the yard of a mountain home we built as a place of retreat from my heavy responsibilities as president of Brigham Young University. My sons were between missions. The oldest had returned three weeks earlier, and the youngest was preparing to leave a year later. The earth was caving onto our driveway from a steep slope, and we were trying to stabilize the hillside. We were in the midst of this project, shovels in hand, when the phone rang inside the house. I knew it must be important. Only a small number of people had that telephone number, and all of them had agreed not to call me about anything that could possibly wait.
"The caller was Elder Boyd K. Packer. He told me about the revelation on the priesthood, which was just being announced. We exchanged expressions of joy, and I walked back to the hillside. I sat down on the pile of dirt we had been moving and beckoned to my sons. As I told them that all worthy male members of the Church could now be ordained to the priesthood, I wept for joy. That is the scene etched in my memory of this unforgettable announcement 40 years ago - sitting on a pile of dirt and weeping as I told my sons of this divine revelation.
"Why was the revelation on the priesthood such an occasion of joy? As a young man in the legal profession, I lived in the Midwest and the East for 17 years. The restriction on the ordination and temple blessings of persons of African ancestry - almost invisible to me as I grew up in Utah - was a frequent subject of my conversations in my life in Chicago and Washington, D.C.
"I observed the pain and frustration experienced by those who suffered these restrictions and those who criticized them and sought for reasons. I studied the reasons then being given and could not feel confirmation of the truth of any of them. As part of my prayerful study, I learned that, in general, the Lord rarely gives reasons for the commandments and directions He gives to His servants. I determined to be loyal to our prophetic leaders and to pray - as promised from the beginning of these restrictions - that the day would come when all would enjoy the blessings of priesthood and temple. Now that day had come, and I wept for joy.
"Many Latter-day Saints felt joy at this news. The numbers of valiant and faithful members of African descent who had accepted the gospel despite the restrictions was then very small. Therefore, most of those who rejoiced were Anglo-Americans like me, who witnessed the pain of black brothers and sisters and longed for their relief. Among those who also wept for joy at the priesthood revelation were Dr. Russell M. Nelson and then-deputy commissioner of education Henry B. Eyring. In 1978, both of these men had lived outside the somewhat isolated environment of the Mountain West for more than a total of 40 years. They had also witnessed the pain of this restriction among their associates.
"II.
"When we consider what has happened in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in the lives of its members since 1978, we all have cause for celebration.
Institutionally, the Church reacted swiftly to the revelation on the priesthood. Ordinations and temple recommends came immediately. The reasons that had been given to try to explain the prior restrictions on members of African ancestry - even those previously voiced by revered Church leaders - were promptly and publicly disavowed. Institutional policies or practices that could have inhibited the full integration of members of African ancestry, such as the separate congregations common in many Christian churches, were prevented by the continuation of the long-standing LDS policy of ward membership being determined geographically. Similarly, membership records continued to make no mention of race or ethnicity. The Lord had spoken through His prophet, and His Church obeyed.
"In contrast, changes in the hearts and practices of individual members did not come suddenly and universally. Some accepted the effects of the revelation immediately and gracefully. Some accepted gradually. But some, in their personal lives, continued the attitudes of racism that have been painful to so many throughout the world, including the past 40 years. Others have wanted to look back, concentrating attention on reexamining the past, including seeking reasons for the now-outdated restrictions.
"However, most in the Church, including its senior leadership, have concentrated on the opportunities of the future rather than the disappointments of the past. We have trusted the wisdom and timing of the Lord and accepted the directions of His prophet. We have realized the eternal significance of God’s prophetic teaching that 'one being is as precious in his sight as the other' (Jacob 2:21). In doing so, we have received new impetus to fulfill the command that we are to teach the everlasting gospel unto all - to 'all nations, kindreds, tongues and people' (D&C 42:58).
"III.
"To concern ourselves with what has not been revealed or with past explanations by those who were operating with limited understanding can only result in speculation and frustration. To all who have such concerns, we extend our love and this special invitation. Let us all look forward in the unity of our faith and trust in the Lord’s promise that 'he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female' (2 Nephi 26:33; emphasis added).
"As we look to the future, one of the most important effects of the revelation on the priesthood is its divine call to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Racism is probably the most familiar source of prejudice today, and we are all called to repent of that. But throughout history, many groups of God’s children are or have been persecuted or disadvantaged by prejudices, such as those based on ethnicity or culture or nationality or education or economic circumstances.
"As servants of God who have the knowledge and responsibilities of His great plan of salvation, we should hasten to prepare our attitudes and our actions - institutionally and personally - to abandon all personal prejudices. As President Russell M. Nelson said following our recent meeting with the national officers of the NAACP: 'Together we invite all people, organizations, and government[s] to work with greater civility, eliminating prejudice of all kinds.'
"Even as we unite to abandon all attitudes and practices of prejudice, we should remember that it is not prejudice for the Church to insist on certain rules in furtherance of the Lord’s requirement of worthiness to enter a temple. The Lord has declared that obedience to covenants and commandments is an essential requirement to enjoy sacred blessings. Any attempt to erase divine requirements for eternal life and eternal families would be like trying to establish Satan’s plan that 'all would be saved.' In our premortal lives, we mortals already rejected Satan’s plan. We chose the plan of our Heavenly Father, which provides the freedom to choose and keep the eternal covenants and commandments that apply equally to all. The equality of God is not equal outcomes for all, but equal opportunity for all.
"IV.
"Our determination in this program is to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revelation on the priesthood by looking forward. As we do, we express special appreciation for our marvelous members of African descent, especially our African American members who have persisted in faith and faithfulness through a difficult transition period of fading prejudice. Now we unite together in concentrating our attention on the glorious post-1978 effects of that revelation in blessing the children of God all over the world. As our prophetic leaders declared at that time:
'The Lord has now made known his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.'
"Now temples are being built in many nations for the blessing of God’s children on both sides of the veil. On earth and in heaven, we rejoice together. This is essential to our preparation for the Second Coming of Him who declared through a Book of Mormon prophet that 'he commandeth none that they shall not partake of his salvation' (2 Nephi 26:24) and who declared through a modern prophet that 'if ye are not one ye are not mine' (D&C 38:27).
"We now invite you to join us in a program of messages and music that share the joy felt all over the world as more and more of God’s children enjoy the blessings of the gospel we celebrate! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
At the conclusion of the celebration, President Russell M. Nelson said in his extemporaneous remarks, "Dear brothers and sisters, we have been uplifted by the message of President Oaks and by wonderful musicians and dancers. We are especially grateful for Gladys Knight, the Be One Choir, Alex Boyé, and the Bonner family. These talented performers have inspired us all.
"Centuries ago, an exacting lawyer asked the Savior:
'Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
'Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
'This is the first and great commandment.
'And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
'On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'
"Again in 1831, this instruction was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, when the Lord said, 'And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me.'
"Then, by way of emphasis, He added, 'And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself.'
"In the meridian of time, and again in the latter days, the Lord has stressed His essential doctrine of equal opportunity for His children. And tonight, President Oaks has reminded us, '[The Lord] denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female;... all are alike unto God.'
"On every continent and across the isles of the sea, faithful people are being gathered into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Differences in culture, language, gender, race, and nationality fade into insignificance as the faithful enter the covenant path and come unto our beloved Redeemer.
"Ultimately, we realize that only the comprehension of the true Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women. That understanding inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.
"It is my prayer and blessing that I leave upon all who are listening that we may overcome any burdens of prejudice and walk uprightly with God - and with one another - in perfect peace and harmony. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."
100th Stake in West Africa
On June 24, 2018, the boundaries of the Lagos Nigeria Agege Stake and the Lagos Nigeria Ikeja Stake were realigned to create the Lagos Nigeria Ojodu Stake, the one hundredth in West Africa. A combined celebration was hosted by all three stakes, attended by community leaders and the Africa West Area Presidency.
A commemorative video was also made giving a brief overview of the Church's growth in each country in the region.
A Sacred and Imperative Duty
At the August 2018 FairMormon Conference, Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the Seventy gave a presentation entitled "A Sacred and Imperative Duty" about the need for ordinary Latter-day Saints to be involved in apologetics and sharing the gospel online. He said, "Pretend you are John, a 23-year-old socially conscious recent graduate beginning your career on the east coast. As you move on to the next stage in life, you begin thinking about spirituality. The missionaries contact you, and you agree to meet with them. You have an engaging and enlightening discussion with them in your apartment and agree to meet again soon. You subsequently mention this to a good friend who warns you that Mormons are racist. Curious and intrigued, you obviously google it.
"As you review the results of your search, you see that there must be some truth to this, based on the nature of the results:
"Just to name a few.
"These results all look interesting, but, you’re really not that interested in reading a bunch of articles. You would rather watch a video. So, you switch to YouTube and do the same search.
"Again, there seems to be a lot content on the issue, but nothing from the Church itself. The HuffPost entry appears first, so you click on the Huffpost video.
"This is your first exposure to the fact that, for a time, the priesthood was not conferred upon black men. A list of other suggested videos on the topic appear to be somewhat consistent. Wanting to give the missionaries the benefit of the doubt (which rarely happens), you take the pass along card they left and type in Mormon.org.
"The results on Mormon.org show a complete blank on the issue and you begin to wonder why you found so much on the google and YouTube search. Still curious, you use the 'ask a friend' option on Facebook, where you quickly get lost in a sea of blogs.
"Even if you were amazingly persistent and somehow found lds.org, you may only find a very recent blog post on Healing the Wounds of Racism, but not the Gospel Topics essay written on this topic or any Church Newsroom articles. Good content often does exist, but it can be very difficult to find, and often does not address key questions in consistent and engaging ways.
"We have failed John in this scenario. Missionaries confront scenarios like this every single day, in every language in the world. Now, not all topics are this problematic, and, in fact, this scenario may look much different today with the recent ‘Be One’ celebration that took place on June 1 of this year. We need to create and promote content that effectively communicates what we believe and why in clear, authentic and engaging ways, especially on some of the most prevalent search topics. Too often our content uses words and expressions completely unfamiliar to those outside the Church. We don’t need a deep doctrinal dive to address basic questions."
"As you review the results of your search, you see that there must be some truth to this, based on the nature of the results:
- 'The new face of Mormon racism'
- 'The History of Racism and White Supremacy in the Mormon Church'
- 'Racism in the Mormon Church'
"Just to name a few.
"These results all look interesting, but, you’re really not that interested in reading a bunch of articles. You would rather watch a video. So, you switch to YouTube and do the same search.
"Again, there seems to be a lot content on the issue, but nothing from the Church itself. The HuffPost entry appears first, so you click on the Huffpost video.
"This is your first exposure to the fact that, for a time, the priesthood was not conferred upon black men. A list of other suggested videos on the topic appear to be somewhat consistent. Wanting to give the missionaries the benefit of the doubt (which rarely happens), you take the pass along card they left and type in Mormon.org.
"The results on Mormon.org show a complete blank on the issue and you begin to wonder why you found so much on the google and YouTube search. Still curious, you use the 'ask a friend' option on Facebook, where you quickly get lost in a sea of blogs.
"Even if you were amazingly persistent and somehow found lds.org, you may only find a very recent blog post on Healing the Wounds of Racism, but not the Gospel Topics essay written on this topic or any Church Newsroom articles. Good content often does exist, but it can be very difficult to find, and often does not address key questions in consistent and engaging ways.
"We have failed John in this scenario. Missionaries confront scenarios like this every single day, in every language in the world. Now, not all topics are this problematic, and, in fact, this scenario may look much different today with the recent ‘Be One’ celebration that took place on June 1 of this year. We need to create and promote content that effectively communicates what we believe and why in clear, authentic and engaging ways, especially on some of the most prevalent search topics. Too often our content uses words and expressions completely unfamiliar to those outside the Church. We don’t need a deep doctrinal dive to address basic questions."
Honoring William and Marie Graves
On September 11, Oakland First Ward Bishop Greg Call started a GoFundMe campaign with the explanation, "William and Marie Graves are an African American couple who joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1911 in Oakland, California, and remained faithful members of the Oakland Branch throughout their lives.
"Marie was a dressmaker and William was a Pullman Porter. They lived on Magnolia Street in West Oakland and worshipped at the LDS chapel on MacArthur and Webster.
"Marie remained faithful to her death in 1930 at age 52. William continued to attend Church after her death, until he passed in 1940, at about age 80.
"The Graves are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland. Marie has a headstone, but William has no marker.
"In 2018, a group of members of the Oakland First Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 'Friends of William and Marie Graves,' began an initiative to learn more about the Graves family and honor their inspiring story. The purpose of this fundraiser is to pay for the purchase and installation of a marker at the Graves's burial site to honor their legacy of faith and testimony. We have selected a modest granite obelisk, and will include a plaque paying tribute to the Graves. It is expected to be completed and ready for installation in January 2019."
With a $3,000 goal, the campaign raised $3,950 from 37 donors.
"Marie was a dressmaker and William was a Pullman Porter. They lived on Magnolia Street in West Oakland and worshipped at the LDS chapel on MacArthur and Webster.
"Marie remained faithful to her death in 1930 at age 52. William continued to attend Church after her death, until he passed in 1940, at about age 80.
"The Graves are buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Oakland. Marie has a headstone, but William has no marker.
"In 2018, a group of members of the Oakland First Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 'Friends of William and Marie Graves,' began an initiative to learn more about the Graves family and honor their inspiring story. The purpose of this fundraiser is to pay for the purchase and installation of a marker at the Graves's burial site to honor their legacy of faith and testimony. We have selected a modest granite obelisk, and will include a plaque paying tribute to the Graves. It is expected to be completed and ready for installation in January 2019."
With a $3,000 goal, the campaign raised $3,950 from 37 donors.
Redeeming a People
On September 20, Darius Gray was the featured speaker at Utah State University's twenty-third annual Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture in the Tabernacle at Logan, Utah. He titled his remarks "Redeeming a People: The Critical Role of Historical Examination in Moving Cultural and Moral Trajectories".
Me (C. Randall Nicholson) with Darius Gray following the lecture
Jane and Emma
On October 12, the independent film "Jane and Emma" was released by Excel Entertainment, offering a fictionalized account of the unlikely friendship between Emma Smith and Jane Manning James. The Church offered to match opening day ticket sales with a donation to the NAACP of up to $40,000, which was reached. Jeanetta Williams, president of the NAACP Salt Lake Branch, said, "The NAACP applauds the producers of the film Jane and Emma for working to bring to light [this] figure in Latter-day Saints history. The donation will help further the NAACP’s mission to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination."
Director and producer Chantelle Squires said, "As we were developing the story of Jane and Emma, we knew that the pain and prejudices Jane faced back in 1844 were no different than pain and prejudices that are faced today. We labored intensely on the script to make this film accessible to a wide audience because we really feel that as a community we need to be honest with ourselves about this issue and our part in it. Otherwise we will be having the same exact conversations another 150 years from now.... It's a lot harder to brush aside the conversation about racial injustice when you have connected to and love someone who is dealing with it. That's one of the reasons why we were so passionate about making this film and why we worked so hard to make it accessible to a wide audience. Jane is a remarkable woman and her story is one that so desperately needs to be told."
In "Are Mormons Having a Public Conversation Everyone Else Should Be Having?" Matthew Faraci wrote, "It's exactly the kind of film Americans - faithful, sorta-faithful, and not-even-in-the-neighborhood-of-faithful alike - should go see when it hits theaters this October. By putting this piece out there, Mormons are demonstrating a willingness to have an open, uncomfortable conversation that some churches in America’s Christian community have been meticulously avoiding.... Dealing with this uncomfortable conversation is the only way we can get past it. Only when we confront its stark, awful reality can we begin to heal as religious communities, as non-religious communities, as a nation."
In "Are Mormons Having a Public Conversation Everyone Else Should Be Having?" Matthew Faraci wrote, "It's exactly the kind of film Americans - faithful, sorta-faithful, and not-even-in-the-neighborhood-of-faithful alike - should go see when it hits theaters this October. By putting this piece out there, Mormons are demonstrating a willingness to have an open, uncomfortable conversation that some churches in America’s Christian community have been meticulously avoiding.... Dealing with this uncomfortable conversation is the only way we can get past it. Only when we confront its stark, awful reality can we begin to heal as religious communities, as non-religious communities, as a nation."
Blackface at BYU
On October 26, Riley Waldman reported in the Daily Universe, "Turmoil over NBC personality Megyn Kelly’s comments about blackface and Halloween costumes became a timely case study at BYU as broadcast students were producing a live diversity project along with students at Morgan State and West Virginia universities.
"Racial and race-specific costumes at Halloween - like the movie character Black Panther and costumes portraying Native Americans - are part of a broader discussion about costumes as Halloween approaches.
"A student wearing blackface as part of a football player costume was part of a Halloween contest in the BYU AdLab on Thursday. Black students at the event complained to the school’s director, and word of the incident spread among students and on social media just as a inter-campus 'Kerner+50' diversity symposium was being aired by all three campuses on Friday.
"The project was designed to examine progress on racial issues since the federal Kerner Commission report was issued 51 years ago.
"Communications student Allie Jones was at the costume event.
'I don’t think anybody really even got it,' Jones said of the costume. 'But then afterwards I was like, "Oh no." Because the thing is, in our program we focus on diversity as a way to gain other people’s insights and to speak for people who can’t speak for themselves.'
"School of Communications Director Ed Carter said he wasn’t at the event but talked to students who were offended by the costume and to the student who wore the offending costume.
'That really is not what the School of Communications is trying to teach students. In fact we’re trying to teach them the opposite,' Carter said. 'We have a deep basis to be offended and, as a community and school-wide, to stand up and say we don’t tolerate it or condone it.'
"Carter said he has already discussed the idea of mandatory diversity training for students and faculty, especially those participating in a professional lab like the Adlab.
"BYU Newsline, a daily newscast produced by broadcast journalism students, along with students and faculty from Morgan State University and West Virginia University hosted the live lecture broadcast.
"The BYU blackface incident coincidentally showed the need for diversity training. Black students’ confidence in reporting their objection to the incident is a likely indicator of progress in dealing with racial issues.
"The situation parallels this week’s tumult involving Megyn Kelly.
'You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character,' Kelly said on her show, which NBC said Friday afternoon it was cancelling.
Jones said she does not believe the student dressed in blackface with any malice or ill intent and said he probably just didn’t think things through. 'I just think he was trying to be funny, but he wasn’t doing it the right way, and it wasn’t good,' she said.
"After the meeting, the student posted an apology for his costume on a social networking app.
'To the awesome men and women of this great Adlab family, I want to openly apologize for what I did today. I realize it was offensive and not appropriate at any level and especially here where we have such an open and inviting culture,' he said. 'I hope everyone can believe that what I did was purely unintentional, but I do realize it was unprofessional.'
"Carter said he recognizes the university is where students learn, sometimes from their mistakes, but this instance still needs to be taken seriously and is clearly out of line with the school’s Diversity Statement.
'I take this as an opportunity to say there’s still a lot of remaining issues that we all need to do better on,' he said."
Carter released a statement to faculty, staff and students, which read in part, "I wanted to make you aware of a situation that took place here yesterday. One of our communications students showed up yesterday at a costume party in blackface. This may come to your attention through public media sources. The incident is not in line with the values of the BYU School of Communications. In our Statement on Diversity, we discuss, among other things, one of the bases of our effort to understand and embrace all people - that we are all children of God and that the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and serve our brothers and sisters, all of whom are of equal (and infinite, divine) worth."
Next: The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 2019
Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
"Racial and race-specific costumes at Halloween - like the movie character Black Panther and costumes portraying Native Americans - are part of a broader discussion about costumes as Halloween approaches.
"A student wearing blackface as part of a football player costume was part of a Halloween contest in the BYU AdLab on Thursday. Black students at the event complained to the school’s director, and word of the incident spread among students and on social media just as a inter-campus 'Kerner+50' diversity symposium was being aired by all three campuses on Friday.
"The project was designed to examine progress on racial issues since the federal Kerner Commission report was issued 51 years ago.
"Communications student Allie Jones was at the costume event.
'I don’t think anybody really even got it,' Jones said of the costume. 'But then afterwards I was like, "Oh no." Because the thing is, in our program we focus on diversity as a way to gain other people’s insights and to speak for people who can’t speak for themselves.'
"School of Communications Director Ed Carter said he wasn’t at the event but talked to students who were offended by the costume and to the student who wore the offending costume.
'That really is not what the School of Communications is trying to teach students. In fact we’re trying to teach them the opposite,' Carter said. 'We have a deep basis to be offended and, as a community and school-wide, to stand up and say we don’t tolerate it or condone it.'
"Carter said he has already discussed the idea of mandatory diversity training for students and faculty, especially those participating in a professional lab like the Adlab.
"BYU Newsline, a daily newscast produced by broadcast journalism students, along with students and faculty from Morgan State University and West Virginia University hosted the live lecture broadcast.
"The BYU blackface incident coincidentally showed the need for diversity training. Black students’ confidence in reporting their objection to the incident is a likely indicator of progress in dealing with racial issues.
"The situation parallels this week’s tumult involving Megyn Kelly.
'You do get in trouble if you are a white person who puts on blackface on Halloween, or a black person who puts on whiteface for Halloween. Back when I was a kid, that was OK, as long as you were dressing up as, like, a character,' Kelly said on her show, which NBC said Friday afternoon it was cancelling.
Jones said she does not believe the student dressed in blackface with any malice or ill intent and said he probably just didn’t think things through. 'I just think he was trying to be funny, but he wasn’t doing it the right way, and it wasn’t good,' she said.
"After the meeting, the student posted an apology for his costume on a social networking app.
'To the awesome men and women of this great Adlab family, I want to openly apologize for what I did today. I realize it was offensive and not appropriate at any level and especially here where we have such an open and inviting culture,' he said. 'I hope everyone can believe that what I did was purely unintentional, but I do realize it was unprofessional.'
"Carter said he recognizes the university is where students learn, sometimes from their mistakes, but this instance still needs to be taken seriously and is clearly out of line with the school’s Diversity Statement.
'I take this as an opportunity to say there’s still a lot of remaining issues that we all need to do better on,' he said."
Carter released a statement to faculty, staff and students, which read in part, "I wanted to make you aware of a situation that took place here yesterday. One of our communications students showed up yesterday at a costume party in blackface. This may come to your attention through public media sources. The incident is not in line with the values of the BYU School of Communications. In our Statement on Diversity, we discuss, among other things, one of the bases of our effort to understand and embrace all people - that we are all children of God and that the gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and serve our brothers and sisters, all of whom are of equal (and infinite, divine) worth."
Next: The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 2019
Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
