What a load of crap. Blacks were withheld from holding the priesthood not because they're "unworthy to God" or unworthy of anything. Nothing like that was ever said to justify the prohibition. Women don't hold the priesthood in the LDS Church, or the Catholic Church for that matter, as well but that doesn't mean they're unworthy or not loved by God. Many churches withhold the priesthood or ministry, or however you term, it from women. It hardly makes you or your faith misogynist any more than the LDS Church policy was racist, i.e. based in some presumption of blacks being inferior or unworthy.
The likely reason for blacks having been denied the priesthood was because of the massive growth of the LDS Church in Africa once the priesthood was extended to blacks. Prior to 1978, the year the priesthood was extended to blacks, the LDS Church's finances were extremely precarious. They were not the wealthy church they are today. Had the kind of explosive growth occured in Africa pre-1980 that occured after, it could have bankrupted the church. The prohibition on blacks holding the priesthood had the effect of tamping down the growth of the church in Africa until the church could become financially strong enough to support the substantial welfare and infrastructure needs associated with a surge in membership growth on the continent. It was in the 80s when the church's finances really began to boom. I'm sure you will laugh, but one could very well point to this as evidence of divine guidance of the affairs of the LDS Church because as it happened when the priesthood was given blacks church growth in Africa went wild and put tremendous pressure on church resources, a welcome problem, but occuring at a time the church could manage it financially.
You know, I'm not a Romney fan and won't be supporting him in 2012 nor did I in 2009. But why is it necessary to make ignorant, vicious attacks on his personal beliefs in order to support your opposition of him? It seriously undermines your credibility and makes you appear petty.
And by the way to correct further inaccuracies in your post, Romney is hardly a "powerful church leader." The job of Bishop and Stake President are all local positions akin to the head minister of a local congregation. And most LDS men hold the priesthood. So these aren't exactly "high power" church offices.
Just to save your time, I won't read or respond to any reply. It is clear from what I've seen you're a bomb thrower out to trample peoples's sacred beliefs and thus a waste of any more of my time.
Sounds like a lot of gibberish to me, and you cannot compare the sexes and the priesthood to a religion banning Americans of a certain race from joining the white men like Mitt Romney and his white sons in serving above basic member.
I would love to hear what the powerful religious leader, Mitt Romney, was teaching about his religion’s racism during all those years, we can be certain that it was a constant question from Americans, personally I was stunned in 1978 when I learned what the Mormons were doing.
I noticed you addressed me first. Wasn’t my quote.
Had the kind of explosive growth occured in Africa pre-1980 that occured after, it could have bankrupted the church.
_________________________________________________
WHAAAAAAAATTTTTT ???
The mormon corporation TAKES IN tithes etc...
The morg doesnt GIVE OUT more than 1% of its haul....
Theres no way the multi billion dollar mormon corporation would have gone bankrupt...
It was their bigoted racist doctrines and attitudes that kept the mormon corporation from allowing blacks to be priesthood holders..
BRIGHAM YOUNG
Journal of Discourses
Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African Race? If the White man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so.
Vol. 7, pg. 290-291
Cain slew his brother. . . and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin.
You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind. The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race—that they should be the “servant of servants;” and they will be, until that curse is removed.
From Wikipedia on Harold Bingham Lee, 11th president of the LDS
It was Lee who blocked the LDS Church from rescinding the Negro doctrine in 1969, a move favored by Hugh B. Brown. In 1969, after McKay’s health failed, and some others within the church leadership thought the doctrinal basis for the exclusion of people of African ancestry from the priesthood was shaky, the remaining First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (minus Harold B. Lee, who was traveling) voted to rescind the racial exclusion policy; however, that vote was reversed when Lee returned and called for a re-vote, arguing that the policy could not be changed without a revelation. (Quinn, Michael D. The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City: 1994 Signature Books Page 14)
When McKay died in 1970 Joseph Fielding Smith became church president and Lee was called as First Counselor in the First Presidency. He continued to gain practical experience for what was expected to be a long presidency of his own, he being decades younger than Smith.
However, Lee’s presidency proved one of the briefest in the history of the church, lasting from Smith’s death in July 1972 to Lee’s sudden fatal heart attack in December 1973.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
God don’t like racists