[PapaBear3625]

Seems like they’re in a pickle. If Mormons rely on Joseph Smith’s authority as a prophet to legitimize their reorganization of the church and reinterpretation of Scripture, they cannot very well disavow that authority when it comes to racist verses. Either he was rely enough to break off from the rest of Christianity to follow only him, or he wasn’t. If he wasn’t reliable when it came to the racist parts, why should anyone think he was reliable enough to follow off into the hinterlands on matters of salvation?

The problem comes from the modern-day article of faith that anything with racist connotations is automatically false and evil.

What happens if they just go "OK, our scriptures are racist. So?"

If you want really racist stuff, take a look at the Hindu caste system, and its theological underpinnings.

[Elsie]

If you want really racist stuff, take a look at the Hindu caste system, and its theological underpinnings.

Look!!

Over THERE!

[Elsie]

If you want really racist stuff, take a look at the Hindu caste system, and its theological underpinnings.

But that 'system' is now mostly done away with.

They can 'blame' it as being the product of a different time and different values.

[Boogieman]

What happens if they just go “OK, our scriptures are racist. So?”

---

Well, if they admit the scriptures are racist, it leaves only a few possibilities. Either:

a) Joseph Smith is a reliable prophet, but the Mormon God is racist.

or

b) God isn’t racist, but Joseph Smith is not a reliable prophet

Obviously, neither option is attractive from a PR standpoint.