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BYU religion prof Bott retiring in June [As previously indicated on FR]
Provo Herald ^ | March 22, 2012

Posted on 03/22/2012 7:27:40 AM PDT by Colofornian

The popular BYU religion professor who last month ignited a public controversy over the views of the LDS Church in regard to blacks and its priesthood -- drawing a sharp rebuke from the church -- is retiring in June with plans to serve a mission.

Randy Bott's son confirmed to the Herald on Wednesday that Bott, a religion professor, was retiring and planned to serve. This has been his father's plan for at least the last year, he said.

In a Washington Post article in February about Mitt Romney's presidential candidacy, Bott was quoted by reporter Jason Horowitz as saying that the denial of the Mormon priesthood to blacks on Earth -- although not in the afterlife -- protected them from the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers.

"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."

Bott also said that giving blacks the priesthood would be like giving a small child the car keys.

His remarks sparked an immediate negative reaction across the country, and a formal statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints repudiating Bott's statements. The church also expressed disappointment that in writing the article Horowitz had not contacted official church representatives.

"The positions attributed to BYU professor Randy Bott in a recent Washington Post article absolutely do not represent the teachings and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints," the statement said. "BYU faculty members do not speak for the Church. It is unfortunate that the Church was not given a chance to respond to what others said.

"The Church's position is clear -- we believe all people are God's children and are equal in His eyes and in the Church. We do not tolerate racism in any form."

The church has never released anything doctrinal as to why black men could not hold the priesthood before 1978. But past leaders, including Brigham Young, made disparaging remarks about blacks in talks to members and in writings.

In March 2006, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles told PBS's Helen Whitney that most speculation on the subject was simply folklore and should not be perpetuated.

A representative for BYU had no comment about Bott's retirement.


TOPICS: Current Events; Moral Issues; Other non-Christian; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: lds; mormon; racism; randybott
From the article: Randy Bott's son confirmed to the Herald on Wednesday that Bott, a religion professor, was retiring and planned to serve. This has been his father's plan for at least the last year, he said. In a Washington Post article in February about Mitt Romney's presidential candidacy, Bott was quoted by reporter Jason Horowitz as saying that the denial of the Mormon priesthood to blacks on Earth -- although not in the afterlife -- protected them from the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers. "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." Bott also said that giving blacks the priesthood would be like giving a small child the car keys.

Ah, open racism from BYU's most popular professor. And he was only repeating comments he wrote in a blog from 2008 -- the very year BYU students voted him as the most popular professor in America! (Why didn't what he wrote in 2008 offend either BYU students or the Mormon church then?)

Well, of course, this BYU prof had general retirement plans. (Who doesn't?) He was forced out...as was reported on FR March 12 -- based upon a report from exMormon.org (March 7): See Preparing to serve — students take missionary class at BYU [Yr later: BYU prof tossed under bus]

From the article: The church has never released anything doctrinal as to why black men could not hold the priesthood before 1978.

So the Provo Herald is now openly lying on behalf of the Mormon church???

The Mormon church thru the years has actually taken great pains to explain why blacks were not part of the priesthood: See...

* Mormon Racism as doctrine, not merely folklore or tradition [Scroll down to sub-title, "Official LDS Church Publications Explain Racist LDS Scriptures"]

* Policy or Doctrine? The Mormon Church ban of blacks before 1978 [Scroll down to 7:40 clip for quotes in segment by Eric Johnson]

1 posted on 03/22/2012 7:27:46 AM PDT by Colofornian
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To: All
From the article; A representative for BYU had no comment about Bott's retirement.

Of course not.

One March, the PR arm of the Lds church -- Church News -- is highly touting Mr. Bott...see Preparing to serve — students take missionary class at BYU [Yr later: BYU prof tossed under bus]...and the very next March, BYU is kicking him to the curb...all minus no comment whatsoever!!!

Why how "loving" those Mormon leaders are!

2 posted on 03/22/2012 7:31:32 AM PDT by Colofornian ( Tell us: Why do we want to vote for ONE socialist to defeat ANOTHER socialist again?)
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To: Colofornian

“By not giving them status, we (lds) we’re blessing them.”
WOW just wow. The arrogance of mormonism will never cease to amaze me.


3 posted on 03/22/2012 7:32:16 AM PDT by svcw (CLEAN WATER & Education http://www.longlostsis.com/PI/MayanHelp2012.html)
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To: All
Just posted @ another thread: Are Mitt Romney’s Mormon beliefs something we should worry about?:

From the [other posted] article: The Mormons famously put their heresy this way: “As man is now, God once was. As God is now, man may become.”

Lds "prophet" Lorenzo Snow is the one who delivered this doctrinal couplet into the hands of Mormons. But he was merely giving a succinct version of the doctrine promoted by Joseph Smith in 1844...from the King Follett sermon.

But let's "Personalize" this couplet: Mormons essentially believe the following: “As Mitt Romney is now, God once was. As God is now, Mitt Romney may become.”

NOW do you understand the blasphemy a bit better?

Or how about this application of Mormon doctrine? “As Harry Reid is now, God once was. As God is now, Harry Reid may become.”

And with Professor Randy Bott, we can add: “As Randy Bott is now, God once was. As God is now, Randy Bott may become.”

4 posted on 03/22/2012 7:58:30 AM PDT by Colofornian ( Tell us: Why do we want to vote for ONE socialist to defeat ANOTHER socialist again?)
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Comment #5 Removed by Moderator

Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

To: Colofornian

And we all know how loving Mormons can be once one has done something that the leadership condemns.

This guy is going to experience the shunning that Mormons are famous for if you don’t toe the line.


7 posted on 03/22/2012 8:21:11 AM PDT by freedomlover (Make sure you're in love - before you move in the heavy stuff)
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To: Colofornian

bump


8 posted on 03/22/2012 9:50:15 AM PDT by redhead (Alaska: Step out of the bus and into the food chain.)
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To: Colofornian
A representative for BYU had no comment about Bott's retirement.

I wonder if ANY of them are willing to COMMENT on the following???





"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."

Brigham Young-President and second 'Prophet' of the Mormon Church, 1844-1877- Extract from Journal of Discourses.



Here are two examples from their 'other testament', the Book of Mormon.

2 Nephi 5: 21 'And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people, the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.'

Alma 3: 6 'And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men.'



August 27, 1954 in an address at Brigham Young University (BYU), Mormon Elder, Mark E Peterson, in speaking to a convention of teachers of religion at the college level, said:

"The discussion on civil rights, especially over the last 20 years, has drawn some very sharp lines. It has blinded the thinking of some of our own people, I believe. They have allowed their political affiliations to color their thinking to some extent.I think I have read enough to give you an idea of what the Negro is after."

"He is not just seeking the opportunity of sitting down in a cafe where white people eat. He isn't just trying to ride on the same streetcar or the same Pullman car with white people. It isn't that he just desires to go to the same theater as the white people. From this, and other interviews I have read, it appears that the Negro seeks absorption with the white race. He will not be satisfied until he achieves it by intermarriage."

"That is his objective and we must face it. We must not allow our feelings to carry us away, nor must we feel so sorry for Negroes that we will open our arms and embrace them with everything we have. Remember the little statement that we used to say about sin, 'First we pity, then endure, then embrace'...."

(Rosa Parks would have probably told Petersen under which wheel of the bus he should go sit.)



1967, (then) Mormon President Ezra Taft Benson said,

"The Communist program for revolution in America has been in progress for many years and is far advanced. First of all, we must not place the blame upon Negroes. They are merely the unfortunate group that has been selected by professional Communist agitators to be used as the primary source of cannon fodder."



We are told that on June 8, 1978, it was 'revealed' to the then president, Spencer Kimball, that people of color could now gain entry into the priesthood.

According to the church, Kimball spent many long hours petitioning God, begging him to give worthy black people the priesthood. God finally relented.



Sometime before the 'revelation' came to chief 'Prophet' Spencer Kimball in June 1978, General Authority, Bruce R McConkie had said:

"The Blacks are denied the Priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty.

The Negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain 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 doings."

(Mormon Doctrine, pp. 526-527).



When Mormon 'Apostle' Mark E Petersen spoke on 'Race Problems- As they affect the Church' at the BYU campus in 1954, the following was also said:

"...if the negro accepts the gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get celestial glory."



When Mormon 'Prophet' and second President of the Church, Brigham Young, spoke in 1863 the following was also said:

"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."

(Journal of Discourses, Vo. 10, p. 110)





Yeah; Native Americans are althroughout the Book of MORMON; too.

 

“I saw a striking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today ... they are fast becoming a white and delightsome people.... For years they have been growing delightsome, and they are now becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised.... The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation.

At one meeting a father and mother and their sixteen-year-old daughter were present, the little member girl-sixteen-sitting between the dark father and mother, and it was evident she was several shades lighter than her parents—on the same reservation, in the same hogan, subject to the same sun and wind and weather.... These young members of the Church are changing to whiteness and to delightsomeness.

One white elder jokingly said that he and his companion were donating blood regularly to the hospital in the hope that the process might be accelerated.

 

(Improvement Era, December 1960, pp.922-23). (p. 209)

 



 

9 posted on 03/22/2012 10:01:44 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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