Posted on 02/29/2012 11:51:22 AM PST by Colofornian
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – Comments made by a BYU Theology professor opening up old wounds about the LDS church’s policy on African Americans and priesthood.
It was June 9th, 1978 when LDS President Spencer Kimball announced the church was opening its priesthood ranks to all worthy men. Some 30 years later the question why the church denied African Americans priesthood once again taking center stage because a Mormon is running for President.
During an interview with The Washington Post BYU Professor Randy Bott’s explains the denial of priesthood to blacks as saving them from “the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers.”
Bott quoted as saying, "You couldn't fall off the top of the ladder because you weren't on the top of the ladder. So, in reality the blacks not having the priesthood was the greatest blessing god could give them."
Don Harwell is the president of the Genesis group for African American Mormons. “How do people come up with this stuff?” asked Harwell. "I get confused and a little discouraged that people still think this way."
Even more disappointing to Harwell is Bott had served in local leadership positions within the church such as a bishop, high councilor and mission president.
Harwell said, "I have yet to read in the scriptures that says the Lord denied us the priesthood. I could be wrong but I read my scriptures every night."
The LDS church had no comment on Bott’s recent interview, but LDS apostle Jeffrey Holland had this to say during an interview with PBS in 2006. "We simply do not know why that practice, that policy, that doctrine was in place,” said Holland.
This much is clear to Harwell. "If it was a commandment believe me it would be written down there would be no mistaking it.”
Let me get this straight...the Mormon god determines that who does and who doesn't have certain positions in the Mormon church by sheer reason of skin color alone. That's what the Mormon church did -- and that's what this BYU prof just reinforced.
Doesn't that make the Mormon god a racist?
There.
I said it. I accuse the false god of Mormonism -- the God that is NOT of the Bible -- of being a racist.
ALL: Watch this Andrew Rannells singing 'I believe' -- note the line where this Mormon "missionary" tries to proclaim the Mormon "gospel" to a black person.
Here's the quote in context...From the article: During an interview with The Washington Post BYU Professor Randy Bott’s explains the denial of priesthood to blacks as saving them from “the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers.” Bott quoted as saying, "You couldn't fall off the top of the ladder because you weren't on the top of the ladder. So, in reality the blacks not having the priesthood was the greatest blessing god could give them." Don Harwell is the president of the Genesis group for African American MORMONS. “How do people come up with this stuff?” asked Harwell...Even more disappointing to Harwell is Bott had served in local leadership positions within the church such as a bishop, high councilor and mission president. Harwell said, "I have yet to read in the scriptures that says the Lord denied us the priesthood. I could be wrong but I read my scriptures every night."
Now...with BYU professors making these kind of comments, who doesn't think this kind of thing wouldn't be a daily drumbeat if it came down to Romney vs. Obama?
The MSM must think Mitt has this thing wrapped to bringing this out now.
Since the key issue of ObamaCare will be settled, the only other two issues relevant to the campaign will be "can a trust fund baby really understand the plight of the middle class?" and "just how much does Mitt Romney owe his wall street buddies?"
Well, yes.
Hasn’t this been obvious to anyone with half a brain since Romney first began running against the Mulatto?
Race, race, race. Obama has used the race card ever since he first came on the national scene, with no basis whatsoever.
So what does the braindead opposing party do? Hand him the ammo: Nominate a candidate with a long heritage of verifiable racist beliefs.
Just wrap that second term up in a big glittery bow right now and hand it to the Marxist.
I want to cry.
Will someone with clout PLEASE pull the cord on the Romney campaign?
I thought there was something about the story of Cain and Able where God marked Cain. The belief was that the skin color of blacks was a sign of that mark as decendants- ergo, the different treatment.
All three share a base assumption that blacks are inherently inferior, and are therefore not able to:
1) fend for themselves in this cold, cruel world, in the case of slavery
2) succeed on their own merits, in the case of affirmative action
3) understand theological concepts, in the case of the Mormon bishop
All three arguments are disgraceful.
...my apologies: the man is a Mormon professor, NOT a Mormon bishop...
“Bott had served in local leadership positions within the church such as a bishop, high councilor and mission president”
God marked Cain to protect him from vengeance for Cain killing Able. (Gen. 4:15) Therefore the mark wasn't skin-motivated -- nor was it in response to having committed murder...but was actually a sign of mercy that protected Cain...
God later established cities of refuge for manslaughterers to go live to protect them from vengeance by victims' relatives.
Jesus Christ then became the Ultimate Refuge who would save even manslaughterers and murderers from their sin.
Only some 19th century (and for Mormon, 20th century as well) people linked the "mark of Cain" as being skin-linked and a curse.
Gen. 4:11-12 shows the curse upon Cain was to be exiled...a vagabond...and unable to grow his own crops...not any mark put on him.
Cain's descendents came down thru Noah...so who is claiming that Noah was black?
Cool. It looks like he is both a professor AND a bishop. And I have no doubt that he is equally racist in both roles.
“How do people come up with this stuff?” asked Harwell
Watch them try to explain Joseph Smith’s following prophecy of when Christ was coming again:
“I earnestly desired to know concerning the coming of the Son of Man & prayed, when a voice said to me, Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou are 85 years old thou shalt see the face of the son of man. Therefore let this suffice & trouble me no more on this matter.”
This is supposedly either “opinion”, “too vague to understand”, or, my favorite - “Since the “if” was never satisfied, the rest is moot”. I guess the “voice” couldn’t forsee the future, unlike Joseph.
The origins of this belief go back much further than Joseph Smith and Mormons, and was a widespread interpretation of Biblical history in 19th century America.
One difference, I might add, is that though you can find, if you look hard enough, some 19th century Southern Baptists & a few other pastor-types who adhered to this view...these were usually local & regional views.
Plus they were mere "opinions."
That can't be said of Brigham Young's comments...nor of the Lds "prophets" and "apostles" which followed him...You see, the Mormon "prophets"...
(1)...supposedly give "revelations" directly from the Mormon god...those aren't mere opinions...if these were FALSE opinions, ensuing Mormon leaders would have told us that these men were speaking as false prophets (they haven't)
(2) plus it wasn't "localized" Mormonism...but represents (and STILL does...given that they have a university named after him) universal Mormonism! The Mormon "prophets" speak for the entire church. None of their previous leaders' words have been rescinded, rebuked, etc.
That can't be said of Protestants who HAVE and DO repudiate such regional 19th century opinions.
Let's look @ the lineup of Lds leadership views re: Cain:
Brigham Young:
*“Cain slew his brother....and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the FLAT NOSE AND BLACK SKIN...” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, pages 290-291)
*“The rank, rabid ABOLITIONISTS, whom I call BLACK-HEARTED Republicans, have set the whole national fabric on fire.” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, page 110)
* Per Young, Joseph Smith classified these people as The Seed of Cain. Young said that "Joseph Smith had declared that the Negroes were not neutral in heaven, for all the spirits took sides, but 'the posterity of Cain are black because he (Cain) committed murder. He killed Abel and God set a mark upon his posterity'" (The Way to Perfection, Joseph Fielding Smith, p.105).
Third Lds 'prophet' John Taylor:
Reacting to abolitionist Horace Greeley's visit of Utah:
* “... I WOULD NOT TALK TO HIM: I FELT MYSELF SUPERIOR TO SUCH A MEAN CONTEMPTIBLE CUR. I knew he was not after truth, but falsehood. “This Greeley is one of their popular characters in the East, and one that supports the stealing of NIGGERS and the underground railroad....he is one of the prominent newspaper editors in the Eastern country, and he is a POOR, MISERABLE CURSE.” (Journal of Discourses, Vol. 5, page 119)
* From Black Skin and the Seed of Cain (Mormonism Research Ministry): On two separate occasions, third LDS President John Taylor stated that it was God's plan to allow the seed of Cain to remain on the earth in order for the devil to be properly represented. On August 28, 1881, he declared, "And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God" (Journal of Discourses 22:304). The following year, Taylor reiterated his former comment when he said, "Why is it, in fact, that we should have a devil? Why did the Lord not kill him long ago? Because he could not do without him. He needed the devil and a great many of those who do his bidding to keep men straight, that we may learn to place our dependence on God, and trust in Him, and to observe his laws and keep his commandments. When he destroyed the inhabitants of the antediluvian world, he suffered a descendant of Cain to come through the flood in order that he might be properly represented upon the earth" (Journal of Discourses 23:336).
Lds 'prophet' Joseph Fielding Smith...an Lds 'apostle' for 60 years plus became the 'prophet' from 1970-1972:
* “Not only was Cain called upon to suffer, but because of his wickedness HE BECAME THE FATHER OF AN INFERIOR RACE.” (The Way to Perfection, page 101)
“There is a reason why one man is BORN BLACK and with OTHER DISADVANTAGES, while another is BORN WHITE with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient; more or less, to the laws that were given us there.” (Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, page 61)
LDS 'apostle' Bruce McConkie:
McConkie was writing about those who "were more valiant than others…Those who were less valiant in pre-existence and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed upon them during mortality are known to us as the negroes. Such spirits are sent to earth through the lineage of Cain, the mark put upon him for his rebellion against God and his murder of Abel being a black skin...The present status of the negro rests purely and simply on the foundation of pre-existence" (Mormon Doctrine, p.527, 1966 ed.).
The fact that contemporary Mormons can't bring themselves to condemn these statements or these men tells us a LOT!
That tells me either they, too, are racists...or, that they harbor racism in their midst. Given that Utah Mormons have long fostered animosity vs. monogamy by harboring bigamy and polygamy...this problem shows how out of touch Mormons are socially and Biblically.
Unlike Mormons who weasel around the above statements, let me be unequivocably clear: The above comments stink to the highest heaven...and the stink is still found on the very clothes the Mormons wear today because they won't shed these clothes "odored" by Brigham Young, John Taylor, Joseph Fielding Smith, Bruce McConkie & many other Lds leaders!
Oh oh.....the head Mormon is about to have another revelation to clear this up......depending on what the lawyers say.
A big difference is that Presidential candidate (running against a black President), Mitt Romney, was teaching and following this theology while the rest of us were waiting for the second Star Wars movie, and watching Animal House with Jim Belushi, and eating microwave pizzas.
Boy, if the mormon grassroots are giving it to the Mormon hierarchical racists on the Eve of Super Tuesday...just wait til Obama & the MSM launch their SuperTuesday, their SuperWednesday, their SuperThursday, ... diatribes vs. Racist Mitt...
Way to go establishment Republicans...putting a good ole boy country club Repub in the lead ... a guy who's nailed the "no blacks allowed" on the outside of the club and gave 10% of his income to the club...and what? No peep about the racist policies the first 13 years of his adult life? Why not, Mitt?
I understand the point, but I don’t see enough significant difference between the “opinions” you cite from the Mormon leaders, and the myriad of “opinions” that one could find from 19th and 20th century Souther Baptists. The idea that dark skin was the mark of Cain was cerrtainly not invented by Mormons, and they were hardly the only ones evoking it well into very recent history.
But we can celebrate the blessing that the idea has been discarded by most reasonable folk of either religious persuasion.
See post 17, there is quite a difference.
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