The Church's Position on Race

[Keq82]

Below are just a few quotes from church leaders regarding race. I understand that the church’s position on race is yet another extremely controversial and fragile topic.    

It is undoubtedly obvious that the church’s doctrine on race strictly banned blacks from the priesthood (up until 1978).  Not only that, but:

1.) Members in Utah practiced slavery

2.) Blacks were treated as “not equal” to whites

3.) A dark skin was treated as a curse from God

How am I supposed to explain to my black friends today that the church was never racist in its teachings/doctrine?  After reading through several talks and teachings from various church leaders, it is evident that banning blacks from the priesthood was regarded as CORE doctrine.  Even as Bruce R. McConkie statedin Mormon DOCTRINE in 1966:  “Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty.”  How am I expected to explain how any Apostle of the Lord proclaimed that blacks should be banned—and then just 12 years later—the position of the church dramatically changed and God suddenly changed his mind?    

 

When you consider just the few quotes listed below, I don’t think there is any way to sweep this racist doctrine under the rug and act as if the church has always been accepting of all people, groups, ethnicities and/or races.  Furthermore, I think many try to avoid this topic or recreate our dark past in an attempt to whitewash and filter our history into something that can be reconciled.  This approach, unfortunately, is problematic because we are acting as if there is nothing wrong with their(church leaders’) actions and teachings, despite the fact that many Americans were advocating for the abolishment of slavery during this same time period.  Even during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960’s many church leaders were still preaching extremely racist doctrine (even found in Mormon Doctrine).  When need to look at this dark part of our historywith disgust and admit our mistakes in order to objectivelyunderstand what actually took place; only then can we truly learn from our mistakes. 

 

 

A few quotes from church leaders on race:

“You may inquire of the intelligent of the world whether they can tell why the aborigines of this country are dark, loathsome, ignorant, and sunken into the depths of degradation ...When the Lord has a people, he makes covenants with them and gives unto them promises: then, if they transgress his law, change his ordinances, and break his covenants he has made with them, he will put a mark upon them, as in the case of the Lamanites and other portions of the house of Israel; but by-and-by they will become a white and delightsome people.”

- Brigham Young

Journal of Discourses 7:336. 

 

- Brigham Young on Slavery Interviewed by Horace Greeley for NY Tribune article Aug 20, 1859

 

“H. G.-What is the position of your church with respect to slavery?

B. Y.-We consider it of divine institution, and not to be abolished until the curse pronounced on Ham shall have been removed from his descendants.

H. G.-Are any slaves now held in this territory

B. Y.-There are.

H. G.-Do your territorial laws uphold slavery?

B. Y.-Those laws are printed-you can read for yourself. If slaves are brought here by those who owned them in the states, we do not favor their escape from the service of those owners.”

 

"It is not the prerogative of the President of the United States to meddle with this matter, and Congress is not allowed, according to the [p.40] Constitution, to legislate upon it. If Utah was admitted into the Union as a sovereign State, and we chose to introduce slavery here, it is not their business to meddle with it; and even if we treated our slaves in an oppressive manner, it is still none of their business and they ought not to meddle with it."

- Brigham Young

Journal of Discourses 4:39-40 

 

Apostle Bruce R. McConkie

"Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. (Abra. 1:20-27.) The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them... negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man's origin. It is the Lord's doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of Spiritual valiance of those concerned in their first estate."

Mormon Doctrine, 1966, pp. 527-528.

 

 

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

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

[CV75]

23 minutes ago, Keq82 said:

How am I supposed to explain to my black friends today that the church was never racist in its teachings/doctrine?

 

***

 

When need to look at this dark part of our historywith disgust and admit our mistakes in order to objectivelyunderstand what actually took place; only then can we truly learn from our mistakes.

 

***

“Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.

“Since that day in 1978, the Church has looked to the future, as membership among Africans, African Americans and others of African descent has continued to grow rapidly.”

https://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng

I find your statement a bit inconsistent and will undermine your efforts: “When [sic] need to look at this dark part of our history with disgust and admit our mistakes in order to objectively understand what actually took place; only then can we truly learn from our mistakes.” Too much subjectivity sabotaging the objectivity.

If anyone still feels disgusted after forgiving, or has a disputing rather than a charitable attitude, he might not be in the best position to convey an objective understanding to those who may be viewing the racism of the past as an obstacle to the love of Jesus for them in the present.

Our mortal probation is maximally complex by design: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth …hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us…” These are our times to profit from the Restoration as it continues to roll forth.

[Keq82]

5 minutes ago, CV75 said:

“Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.

“Since that day in 1978, the Church has looked to the future, as membership among Africans, African Americans and others of African descent has continued to grow rapidly.”

https://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng

I find your statement a bit inconsistent and will undermine your efforts: “When [sic] need to look at this dark part of our history with disgust and admit our mistakes in order to objectively understand what actually took place; only then can we truly learn from our mistakes.” Too much subjectivity sabotaging the objectivity.

If anyone still feels disgusted after forgiving, or has a disputing rather than a charitable attitude, he might not be in the best position to convey an objective understanding to those who may be viewing the racism of the past as an obstacle to the love of Jesus for them in the present.

Our mortal probation is maximally complex by design: “God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth …hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us…” These are our times to profit from the Restoration as it continues to roll forth.

Is this the objective understanding our leaders talk about today?  From the beginning, the church has taught racist doctrine concerning blacks and only changed their stance in 1978.  

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

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

 

[JLHPROF]

42 minutes ago, Keq82 said:

How am I supposed to explain to my black friends today that the church was never racist in its teachings/doctrine?  

Somehow I doubt that is a challenge you face.
You don't seem to be to bothered with defending the Church in anything.

[Keq82]

That's a gereralization you make...you know nothing of me or what I support.  Instead of attacking me, try answering my question.  Unlike most members, the vast majority of my friends are not LDS.  I'm sorry I don't support polygamy and racist doctrine like a lot of other members...

[JLHPROF]

4 minutes ago, Keq82 said:

That's a gereralization you make...you know nothing of me or what I support.  Instead of attacking me, try answering my question.  Unlike most members, the vast majority of my friends are not LDS.  I'm sorry I don't support polygamy and racist doctrine like a lot of other members...

Well, then what elements of Mormon theology do you believe?
Because attacking the Church is all you've done since arriving on the board - I make no apologies for responding in kind.

Edited March 17, 2016 by JLHPROF

[Keq82]

I believe in faith, repentance, the atonement, service, families and the list goes on.  Why is your attempt in answering my question contingent upon what theology I support?  I brought up a valid point and all you can do is deflect the question.  Is stating a fact attacking the church?  The racist quotes I posted are not MY words...

[JLHPROF]

2 minutes ago, Keq82 said:

I believe in faith, repentance, the atonement, service, families and the list goes on.  Why is your attempt in answering my question contingent upon what theology I support?  I brought up a valid point and all you can do is deflect the question.  Is stating a fact attacking the church?  The racist quotes I posted are not MY words...

What answer do you prefer?

1. The early leaders were simply wrong and it has been corrected.
2. The early leaders were operating on limited light and knowledge and God revealed further truth.
3. The early leaders may have been right then but it is wrong today.

Does that really make any difference to the Church NOW?

[ksfisher]

Keq really seems to being trying to stir as many pots as possible.

[JAHS]

I think church leaders back in that day did appear racists to us in our day. The things they said simply reflected the general attitude of most of the public at that time. It depends on what your definition of racist was then compared to now. Back then they would not have considered themselves "racist" and no one would have called them racists. It's just the way things were. Most blacks were slaves and as such had an obligation to their owners. It's important to consider historical things in their proper perspective. We live in a day now where such attitudes that were the norm then do not exist as much now. 

[cinepro]

I believe the LDS Church's position is that we should Win the Race.

[Keq82]

5 minutes ago, JLHPROF said:

What answer do you prefer?

1. The early leaders were simply wrong and it has been corrected.
2. The early leaders were operating on limited light and knowledge and God revealed further truth.
3. The early leaders may have been right then but it is wrong today.

Does that really make any difference to the Church NOW?

I'm hoping it's # 1.  I believe it's # 1 in a lot of ways.  Yes, it makes a difference because we can't just sweep our difficult past under the rug.  When I have non member LDS friends read these quotes, how should I respond?  I just end up apologizing for the awful way the church has treat blacks...up until 1978.  

[JAHS]

1 hour ago, Keq82 said:

Even as Bruce R. McConkie statedin Mormon DOCTRINE in 1966:  “Negroes in this life are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty.” 

At the time Elder McConkie said this he was right. But God changed that with a new revelation and Elder McConkie was one of the first to admit that what he said before the announcement was now wrong. 

[The Nehor]

CFR that you have black friends to whom you wish to share the LDS church's policy on race.

[Buckeye]

Keq82,

You're new enough here that I'm not sure if you're seriously looking for help or just looking to stir the pot. I'll assume the best in this response, but if you want to productively stick around here, you'll find that you need to be more balanced. There's space here for critiques of church teachings, but if that's all one does no one takes you seriously. Take that as advice from one of the more liberal guys on this board (i.e., I support women's ordination and gay marriage).

My response - as brief as I can make it - is as follows. Joseph was radically advanced on many racial issues for his time, in particular his views of native americans. Unfortunately, he died. And one of the costs of receiving Brigham's organizational skills to keep the LDS movement alive was that Brigham's racism - in particular his dislike of interracial unions (a very common view at the time) - took strong hold in the church. I don't think it accurate to say that the priesthood/temple ban was a "core" doctrine until post-WWII. To be "core", it would have to matter to a lot of members and there simply were very few black members. That's not to discount the experiences of Elijah Abel, Jane Manning James, and others. It's just that in lilly-white Utah, the church didn't have to face its racism head on for most of the period that the ban was in effect. The doctrine only became "core" when it began to be questioned in the post-WWII era (see the letters of Lowry Nelson to the FP which led to the 1949 FP statement) and as missionary work began to take hold in Africa and Brazil. To our discredit, the church doubled-down on its doctrine in order to preserve claims to authority (a poor habit we developed during the process of ending polygamy) and with a few exceptions (e.g. Hugh B. Brown) the church was very slow to reconsider its position as societal pressure grew. The breaking point came because of Brazil. We were struggling to define what "black" really meant for a society that did not keep sharp lines like the US tried to (for example, using patriarchal blessings to pronounce lineage tended to backfire when members later did their genealogy, realized they had too much african decent, and had to have their priesthood rescinded) and the brethren thought it unfair to exclude members from the temple since they'd sacrificed so much to build it. The end came not as a direct result of societal pressure, but because the majority of members stopped believing the teaching and began praying/hoping for a change. Elder Holland was one such example (see his interview in the PBS documentary The Mormons). The formal doctrine changed in 1978, but unfortunately the church was slow to completely cut ties with the racist teachings until we were embarrassed by BYU professor Bott during the Romney 2012 campaign. Today, the church doctrine is very clear against all forms of racism except one - there still remains a question as to whether the ban was the will of God, or merely tolerated by God as a cost of working with imperfect servants. The best source to point your friends to is the church's essay on Race and the Priesthood, which gives a lot of history (though it excludes key points such as the 1949 FP letter), renounces all racist teachings, but leaves for members to decide what the ban really meant. Judging by the trajectory of our good youth, I expect in another decade that the church will finally be comfortable saying the ban was not inspired. 

As for the meta-question of what one should do with a history of modern racist leaders, I don't see why our leaders shouldn't be given the same patience that Nephi (racist), Peter (anti-gentile), and many OT prophets (racists and genocidists) are given. For me, the answer/peace comes by (1) strongly condemning the wrong teachings given in the past and (2) recognizing that the very reason I can make that condemnation is that prior peoples, including leaders, struggled mightily over many years to purge themselves of such notions so that I was not cursed with them. Rather than condemn the people, I am grateful that I can stand on their shoulders and reach for something higher. It is in that spirit that I also do not condemn current church leaders/members for their opposition to further light and knowledge (e.g., expanding marriage to LGBT couples and priesthood ordination to women and girls), but patiently reach for these better things myself and trust that, as with past generations, mine will slowly bend toward the arc of more righteousness. 

Okay, so not so brief. But that's how I explain it to my friends (and especially my children).

Edited March 17, 2016 by Buckeye

[CV75]

2 hours ago, Keq82 said:

Is this the objective understanding our leaders talk about today?  From the beginning, the church has taught racist doctrine concerning blacks and only changed their stance in 1978.  

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

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

It seems you are looking for an objective understanding in others, when I thought you were trying to find an objective way of viewing the racism of the past for yourself.

I tend to look at how things were done in the past and which we might find objectionable today with an attitude of charity, especially when I consider what I have forgiven and been forgiven of. In this way, I can be objective about facts and offenses and yet remain subjectively charitable in choosing how I respond. It helps me look to the future, move ahead and help others to do the same. I have found that this is the best way to invite the Spirit into Gospel conversations which can sometimes touch on sensitive subjects.

I think Elder Morrison’s quote contains both objective and religious information which speaks of racism as sin, specifically as the enmity engendered by a sense of superiority by reason of race.

[HappyJackWagon]

Quote

How am I supposed to explain to my black friends today that the church was never racist in its teachings/doctrine?

You don't. The church absolutely was racist but they are trying to correct this.

Likewise you would not try to tell your black friends that the country was never racist or that most every church in the country has been racist in the past. Racism was a cultural norm. It's despicable but we can't pretend it wasn't reality.

All we can do is recognize the error try to make it better now.

[rpn]

In the 1800's, it was common across faiths to use the biblical language supporting slavery.   But it was JS's presidential political platform to buy back slaves and return them to africa.   Spencer W. Kimball was the fourth president of the church to explore changing the priesthood ban, the first being around 1890, and then in the 1910's and 1950's.   Until 1978, leaders just didn't feel impressed to change it.   And even though it is true that people who were slave owners were  baptized, it is not true that slave owners were allowed to do what slave owners outside the church did --- there are records of excommunications of members whose female slaves gave birth to babies outside of marriage (and it wasn't the women slave excommunicated.  

One family from Missouri gave Green Flake to BY in Winter Quarters.  Bro Flake had been told that he could stay and be sold to his masters brother or if he believed the Gospel, he could continue with the family to meet up with the saints.   There is some question about whether the Flakes gave him to BY for tithing, but Bro Flake ended up being BY's driver (including driving him into the valley) for many years.   After that first group of saints reached the valley, Bro Flake built his master a home and then returned to Winter Quarters to be with them in the journey to SL.   His owners went on to California, and his master died.  His widow wrote BY and told him that he needed to return Green Flake because she was destitute and needed to sell him to support herself.  BY reply (which still exists) says that BY doesn't know where Bro Flake is and therefore cannot return him (as though Bro Flake could have remained hidden from BY if BY wanted to find him.   None of that suggests that the core doctrine or racism permeated the leadership of the church or even the people.

Yes, there were leaders and members who have quoted and tried to explain the bible passages about slavery over the years.   But you cannot quote Bruce R. McConkie without also acknowledging that after June 6, 1978, he said that now he knew what he hadn't earlier known and he knew he'd been wrong in all those things.

[Guest]

How do you explain it? Yes racism has always been the nature of mankind in every age, and we have changed and will will continue to evolve into the "People" God wants to call his own. 

[Tacenda]

My husband served in the Jackson, Mississippi mission and just today mentioned he regrets telling investigators that the reason for the PH ban was because Cain killed Abel.