"Amazing Grace", the "800 pound Gorilla, in the room"!

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

I grew up hearing the beautiful song, "Amazing Grace", almost every Sunday. It would some times be interchanged with the song, "Just As I Am". Both songs we songs of pleading in an attempt pull at the heart strings of all in attendance and entice members, or visitors to answer the "Altar Call", which was done every Sunday, or for others to "recommit" again to Jesus Christ. It was, while I was growing up, and one room Church. In the early days, no indoor plumbing, only "out houses", and no A/C . It was also a segregated Church, Black people were not allowed to attend. The few times, where a Black man or woman, being new to the area would wonder in, two Deacons, would calmly go back to where they sitting, and politely give then the name of nearby Black congregations, always with a handshake calling them, "Brother and Sister". But such activities would anger my Mother (God bless her soul). She was angry that our Church would do this, and insisted we leave. Knowing my Mother as I do, it was all she could do than to go outside in the hopes of finding them to apologize. 

Between the year my Father died, and when my Mother passed away, this tiny Church (after 125+), became two rooms. At the insistence of my Mother, I spoke at my Father's funeral. So when she passed away, she had already told me (the youngest of four children) to speak when she passed away. It was a very difficult burying my last parent. So, I went about praying and reading, and searching for inspiration. I arrived at Church very early, and noticed they had an indoor font for Baptism, (in this large new room) etched in store were the words of "Amazing Grave", written by John Norton, and knowing the story of how it came to be. At that moment I received the inspiration I was seeking.   

So so after a few pleasant remarks, I told the Church that everywhere I go, these people and memories I take with me, my experiences and memories of them with me. I turned to the hymnal, find the song and read parts of the song. I then pointed out that John Norton, used to be a "slave trader". I also (since my Mother loves the song and story) spoke of it, and then spoke of his conversion. John Norton, found himself so weighted down with his horrible sins, that he had place else to look, so he "looked up". At look up he did, and received salvation, and that the weight that was crushing him, was being lifted away. I recently found a story about it, and shared (a video) it with every friend and family on FACEBOOK. I received no amens, no replays, not even a rebuke. Usually when I share "Christ like stories", I get many, many, many, Amen's or thank you's. 

I am posting this here, because many years ago, while teaching Gospel Doctrine, the next week's lesson addressed the the 2nd Offical Declaration. So I asked two different members who lived in Utah, when the "Priesthood Ban" was lifted, so I wanted their imput. This was two guys who never miss Church, but both did no show. So, I asked and older Sister, what did she think? Her opening comments worried me, but thankfully she brought it home. Be it the song, "Amazing Grace", where so many in Church (as I still teach), often try to over explain what "salvation by Grace" means, out of fear that others don't understand the topic. As we are all saved by Grace, and were it not for God's Amazing Grace, nothing any of us would matter. We are "saved by Grace", we are rewarded and exalted, buy our deeds bs actions, but only because we have "Grace".

Also, living here in the great Southeast, it would seem that few want to the source of the song. Also the life of the man, John Newton, who sold all that he had to build a Church, one in which he preached and wrote Amazing Grace, but also cared for the Church himself. He was also instrumental in help to stop the "slave trade", this was also due to the fact that, William Wilberforce, leader of the House of Commons, and his best friend, James Penn, England's Prime Minister. Both of who worship in John Newton's Church. The song itself was a sermon that Norton wrote. 

Anyway, what will it take for us to be mindful and loving of have a more diverse membership? Also, who here on this board, how did you feel about the day the ban was lifted? If there are any, please share.  

[RevTestament]

1 hour ago, Bill "Papa" Lee said:

I grew up hearing the beautiful song, "Amazing Grace", almost every Sunday. It would some times be interchanged with the song, "Just As I Am". Both songs we songs of pleading in an attempt pull at the heart strings of all in attendance and entice members, or visitors to answer the "Altar Call", which was done every Sunday, or for others to "recommit" again to Jesus Christ. It was, while I was growing up, and one room Church. In the early days, no indoor plumbing, only "out houses", and no A/C . It was also a segregated Church, Black people were not allowed to attend. The few times, where a Black man or woman, being new to the area would wonder in, two Deacons, would calmly go back to where they sitting, and politely give then the name of nearby Black congregations, always with a handshake calling them, "Brother and Sister". But such activities would anger my Mother (God bless her soul). She was angry that our Church would do this, and insisted we leave. Knowing my Mother as I do, it was all she could do than to go outside in the hopes of finding them to apologize. 

Between the year my Father died, and when my Mother passed away, this tiny Church (after 125+), became two rooms. At the insistence of my Mother, I spoke at my Father's funeral. So when she passed away, she had already told me (the youngest of four children) to speak when she passed away. It was a very difficult burying my last parent. So, I went about praying and reading, and searching for inspiration. I arrived at Church very early, and noticed they had an indoor font for Baptism, (in this large new room) etched in store were the words of "Amazing Grave", written by John Norton, and knowing the story of how it came to be. At that moment I received the inspiration I was seeking.   

So so after a few pleasant remarks, I told the Church that everywhere I go, these people and memories I take with me, my experiences and memories of them with me. I turned to the hymnal, find the song and read parts of the song. I then pointed out that John Norton, used to be a "slave trader". I also (since my Mother loves the song and story) spoke of it, and then spoke of his conversion. John Norton, found himself so weighted down with his horrible sins, that he had place else to look, so he "looked up". At look up he did, and received salvation, and that the weight that was crushing him, was being lifted away. I recently found a story about it, and shared (a video) it with every friend and family on FACEBOOK. I received no amens, no replays, not even a rebuke. Usually when I share "Christ like stories", I get many, many, many, Amen's or thank you's. 

I am posting this here, because many years ago, while teaching Gospel Doctrine, the next week's lesson addressed the the 2nd Offical Declaration. So I asked two different members who lived in Utah, when the "Priesthood Ban" was lifted, so I wanted their imput. This was two guys who never miss Church, but both did no show. So, I asked and older Sister, what did she think? Her opening comments worried me, but thankfully she brought it home. Be it the song, "Amazing Grace", where so many in Church (as I still teach), often try to over explain what "salvation by Grace" means, out of fear that others don't understand the topic. As we are all saved by Grace, and were it not for God's Amazing Grace, nothing any of us would matter. We are "saved by Grace", we are rewarded and exalted, buy our deeds bs actions, but only because we have "Grace".

Also, living here in the great Southeast, it would seem that few want to the source of the song. Also the life of the man, John Newton, who sold all that he had to build a Church, one in which he preached and wrote Amazing Grace, but also cared for the Church himself. He was also instrumental in help to stop the "slave trade", this was also due to the fact that, William Wilberforce, leader of the House of Commons, and his best friend, James Penn, England's Prime Minister. Both of who worship in John Newton's Church. The song itself was a sermon that Norton wrote. 

Anyway, what will it take for us to be mindful and loving of have a more diverse membership? Also, who here on this board, how did you feel about the day the ban was lifted? If there are any, please share.  

Spoken very eloquently Bill. Amazing Grace was my grandmother's favorite song, which I too sang at her funeral. I am not sure she was aware of its derivations, but I became so some decades ago. I believe you do very well to point out that this song was written by a man torn by his sins of beating and enslaving innocent men, women and children. Every time we sing it, we should remember the sin of slavery and the racism it engendered. I believe our nation can bury the ramifications of its slavery days, but I hope we do not bury the memory of participating in this sin. As a child I was shocked by what even my own parents sometimes said. I did not live in a black neighborhood, but I never treated blacks differently from others I encountered. I never teased them or put them down. I have known many fine black people, and have studied Martin Luther King enough to know that he was a great leader who sacrificed much to overcome the lingering racism you also saw while growing up. The priesthood ban troubled me, and I struggled to understand it. It was the one thing I can say held me back from the Church a little. I do recognize that God may have been behind it, but I believe if so, it was because of man's own weakness, and not being ready to live the full gospel, rather than by any favoritism on God's part. The Book of Mormon is clear that Whites and Blacks and all are alike unto God, and that He is no respecter of persons. I believe some of the racist ideas spilled from LDS pulpits can be easily refuted by the simple concepts taught by Joseph Smith - that all on the earth are here because they agreed to Heavenly Father's plan. Thus, blacks could not have been servants of Satan in their pre-existence since they obviously agreed to God's plan of salvation, and cannot serve two different Gods. I believe the Church has finally gone a long way towards recognizing it was wrong. For this I am grateful. I am not sure it is enough to heal the wounds created. It would have been much better if the Church had offered the blessings of the temple covenants to members such as Elijah Able, and had simply endured the lampooning of the Church in the Eastern print. If we had endured the scorn together with our black brethren and sisters, I believe they would much more readily believe the sincerity of our missionaries now.

[Somebodyz]

deleted 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Somebodyz

[Maidservant]

I was younger than 8.  I didn't understand the church at all at that point.  I thought church was basically my Primary and Junior Sunday School experience (which was held weekday) and thus was about singing songs and answering questions like "How many animals did Noah take on the ark?"  Raise my hand.  "Two of each!"  I don't remember anything happening at home like prayer or Family Home Evening.  I didn't know who Joseph Smith was until I was about 8 or maybe even after my baptism.  I didn't even know there was a Book of Mormon until later than that.  I found out I was a child of God when I was 9 years old (it was the most amazing experience to be told that).

So I was younger than 8.  My mother was listening to General Conference on the radio in our small apartment (in Pocatello, Idaho).  I didn't know it was General Conference then; that's hindsight.  I'm sure me and my brothers and sisters were just playing--not made to listen to it.

But I saw my mother crying--tears down her face.  THAT I noticed.

"Why are you crying?"

She did some explaining I'm sure fit for my age about how black men could now hold the priesthood.  She was very happy and touched by that to the point of tears.  I didn't understand priesthood and to be honest I probably had never seen a black person in my life; but I hadn't imagined differences and divisions of human beings before then.  So both the division and the repair(ish) were being explained to me at the same time.

Being a child, I said what I meant from what arose in mind and heart and I remember asking her something like: "But why would they do that?"  Meaning, why wouldn't they be allowed to have the priesthood before?  I was imagining something along the lines of elementary school playground manners, and shouldn't everyone be included when a game is being played?  I was troubled thinking of the hurt of being left out.  I did recognize a sense of why people were happy because it meant they (the Church or whoever had been 'mean' before) had repented and became friends again.  So it didn't and did make sense to me back then, but it was with my child's mind.

Anyway, lots of water under the bridge since then, but that was how the moment went for me.

[Spammer]

I was 13 and a deacon in a ward West of I-15 in the Salt Lake Valley. I was sitting with the other deacons up front. The bishop announced and read OD 2 over the pulpit.  I was sitting next to his son, who said "I'm not passing the sacrament with a [n-word]!"  I was kind of shocked, but not as much as I should have been.  Racist folklore that used to be doctrine (curse of Cain, African people were less valiant in the present-earth life and descended from Cain through Ham) was taught to us at home, in Sunday School and deacon's quorum. Brazil nuts were called '[n-word] toes' and 'ding dong ditch' was called '[n-word] knocking.'

That's all I remember about the announcement.

 

Edited January 1, 2018 by Spammer

[Meerkat]

I now realize, based on the Church's statement, that withholding the priesthood from black men did not come by revelation.  Upon hearing the doctrine, as a new member, I always believed God had his reasons, but someday the priesthood would be given to all worthy men, as stated by Brigham Young.

When Christ was on earth, he went first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles.  I thought maybe there was a similar rationale for delaying the priesthood to blacks.  I have no doubt this was very hard for black families to swallow.  (It was hard, as a new convert, to wait a year to attend the Temple.)

There is also the scripture that says: "29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
            30 But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first." Matt. 19

That was reinforced when our friend Bob was baptized.  One fast and testimony meeting about four months after baptism, he stood and testified "I don't know why I can't hold the priesthood.  But I do know the Book of Mormon is true.  I have assurance from the Spirit that someday I will enjoy every blessing that anyone else does, including priesthood and Temple blessings." He knew how precious the Gospel was, even waiting for the priesthood. 

The next year the statement came.  As far as I could see up here in Washington, everyone was happy, especially Bob.  We rejoiced with him.

Over the years, he and his wife had eight children.  Several served missions.  Bob and his wife love the Gospel as much as anyone I know.  His wife serves in the Temple and has been ward organist for years..  A couple years later, we had a black bishop in Tacoma.  I remember it.  He was such a natural, I don't think anyone gave it a second thought here, or even thought of race.  In fact, I thinks that's how it is in the Church for the most part.

I believe God will bring everyone to the same level of understanding before the judgment.  None of us can saved in ignorance.  And that statement represents the mercy and understanding of the God I worship. 

I'm sure those of us who once harbored or harbor prejudice today will have the opportunity to discard it, if we want to live where God lives.

I'm grateful we have a living prophet.  And I'm grateful the Lord comforts and sustains us regarding mistakes we and our leaders make.  This is mortality.  If we didn't make mistakes, we would have no need for a Savior.  But we do.  And His Grace and patience  are what bring us through all our blunders.

Edited January 2, 2018 by Meerkat

[Eek!]

On ‎12‎/‎30‎/‎2017 at 10:49 PM, Bill "Papa" Lee said:

Anyway, what will it take for us to be mindful and loving of have a more diverse membership?

I think we are better people when we draw a large, inclusive circle rather than a small, exclusive one.   I think there were members who were already drawing that larger, more inclusive circle well before the 1978 Proclamation came out, despite official teachings that justified exclusiveness.  (Unfortunately I was not one of them.)

Likewise, I think there are members who are drawing a larger and more inclusive circle today, despite official teachings that justify exclusiveness.

Anyway, there's a group called The Blind Boys of Alabama who have a rendition of Amazing Grace that gets me every time.  If you don't have four and a half minutes, just listen to the first forty-five seconds or so:

 

Edited January 6, 2018 by Eek!