Why Race Is Still a Problem for Mormons

New York Times ^ | August 18, 2012 | John G Turner

[greyfoxx39]

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.................In a June 1978 letter, the first presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaimed that “all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color.” Men of African descent could now hold the priesthood....

The revelation may have lifted the ban, but it neither repudiated it nor apologized for it. “It doesn’t make a particle of difference,” proclaimed the Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie a few months later, “what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June of this year, 1978.”

McConkie meant such words to encourage Mormons to embrace the new revelation, and he may have solemnly believed that it made the history of the priesthood ban irrelevant. But to many others around the country, statements of former church leaders about “the Negro matter” do, in fact, matter a great deal.

The church would benefit itself and its members — and one member in particular, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee — by formally repudiating the priesthood ban and the racist theories that accompanied it.

-SNIP-

The priesthood ban had sweeping ecclesiastical consequences for black Mormons. They could not participate in the sacred ordinances, like the endowment ceremony (which prepares one for the afterlife) and sealings (which formally bind a family together), rites that Smith and Young taught were necessary to obtain celestial glory.

-SNIP-

Most Protestant denominations, however, gradually apologized for their past racism

[IWONDR]

come out come out where ever you all are. the mormon haters on FR cannot help themselves. that’s why you, greyfoxx, Tenn Nanna, colofornication, SoConPubbie et al are constantly posting articles about mormons. they cannot accept that a patriotic American who happens to be mormon is running against a Muslim-hiding-in-plain sight. Romney appears to have no history himself of racism, can the same thing be said of the democratic party? what about the most honourable Harry Byrd of WVa?

God Save America from 4 more years of BO.

[Tennessee Nana]

NOT ONE SINGLE BLACK MORMON RECEIVED A MORMON DRAFT DEFERMENT.
_________________________________________

I didnt know that...

The black mormons were not “temple mormons” and would not have been deemed “worthy” to be “entitled” to a deferment...

They were just cannon fodder to the Mormons...

Im sure Obama has the specs on how many died in Nam...

[greyfoxx39]

Will liberals (that is who is mostly against Mormons in an irrational way)

LOTS of Christian Evangelicals are against mormonism, and it's only "irrational" to mormons who see the truth of their sect exposed.

The victimhood for mormons isn't working anymore..you should drop it.

[2ndDivisionVet]

So you claim that the Latter Day Saints preach a racist doctrine to this day? Or that they preached racism prior to 1968? Then what do you say about all the denominations who deny females the priesthood, such as all the major Catholic faiths, the Baptists, Pentacostals, etc. Are they sexist? Are many major denominations “homophobic” because they deny homosexual marriage? See where this is going? Governor Romney was not a “mover & shaker” in Mormonism prior to 1968, he was raised in that faith. Mr. Obama joined Jeremiah Wright’s UCC Black Liberation Theology church of his own free will as an adult and brought his fiance with him after they were engaged, as well as being married there and baptizing his children there, as well. See the difference?

[colorcountry]

Yep, it is all my fault that the NYT posted this.

....Shhhhh we shouldn’t mention it....maybe it will just go away.

[greyfoxx39]

One of the interesting things about multi-rich white bread Mitt running for president is the fact that the "victimhood" that mormons have enjoyed for 180 years looks pretty bogus when Mitt and family show up on their jetskis with their purebred horses.

[ansel12]

NOT ONE SINGLE BLACK MORMON RECEIVED A MORMON DRAFT DEFERMENT.

Black Mormon draftees died, while Mitt ate soft cheese in the Bordeaux region of France, having been granted the "Whites Only" draft deferment that the Mormon church was allowed to issue.

Ansel12

[colorcountry]

The year was 1978 not 68. I will give your typing the benefit of the doubt and not accuse you of trying to move the goal post.

[ansel12]

So you claim that the Latter Day Saints preach a racist doctrine to this day? Or that they preached racism prior to 1968? Then what do you say about all the denominations who deny females the priesthood, such as all the major Catholic faiths, the Baptists, Pentacostals, etc. Are they sexist? Are many major denominations “homophobic” because they deny homosexual marriage?

I predicted that Bishop Romney's taking over of the GOP would lead to conservatives adopting this kind of thinking, and of former conservatives creating these kind of arguments.

Is this really where you want us all to go?

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Democratic Party is the party of the Klu Klux Klan, Trail of Tears, Knights of the Golden Circle, Know-Nothings, Jim Crow, Segregation, George Wallace, Bull Conner, filibustering the Civil Rights Act, George McGovern, John Edwards, the Chicago Machine, Tammany Hall, World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the failure of the Bay of Pigs, losing China, Pearl Harbor, peacecreeps, Communist sympathizers, Henry Wallace, almost every pedophile politician, SEIU, ACORN, the Federal Reserve, the income tax, etc., etc.

[IWONDR]

“Consequently the Mormons bloc voted for their hated enemy Ronald Reagan in 1980”

where o where did you get this idea that mormons hated Ronald Reagan? Can you provide a single reliable source for this accusation? are you talking about Harry Reid here? mormons are like most other denominations that are comprised of folks with various political persuasions. and most mormons that i am acquainted with are conservative in their beliefs and most probably supported RR. you just can’t help yourself being the supposed true Christian that you claim to be casting dispersions at others. let he that is without sin cast the first stone: i believe Christ said.

You and your ilk will not be happy until our Muslim-hiding-in-plain sight is re-elected.

God Save America from 4 more years of BO.

[IWONDR]

‘Im sure Obama has the specs on how many died in Nam...’

i’m sure if BO doesn’t have that number you will be more than happy to provide it to him.

[ansel12]

they cannot accept that a patriotic American who happens to be mormon is running against a Muslim-hiding-in-plain sight. Romney appears to have no history himself of racism,

Since Mitt's line immigrated to America in 1842, to personally serve Joseph Smith, after having converted in England, there is not a shred of evidence that any of his line have been "patriotic", not a one has ever served our nation in uniform, or displayed "patriotism".

Mitt and Blacks? Mitt's life has never crossed paths with one, so you don't know how he would react.

[Tennessee Nana]

Then what do you say about all the denominations who deny females the priesthood,
___________________________________________

Do you mean what do you say about all the denominations of Mormonism who deny females the priesthood ???

I think the Mormons are sexist bigots and are discriminating against women...

Dont worry6 Obama has the goods on Willard about this too...

against Willard has never spoken out against his own religion for the continual violation of basic civil rights up to today...

Thank you...

Good point...

BTW I can remember the news on TV at the time that the Mormons were forced kicking and screamoing into allowing black men to be part of the religion...

Some lovely Conservative Mormon women went to the Mormon hierarchy and asked about women being granted the same equal rights to the priesthood now that all the men had it...

They were chasized mocked and mistreated by the men in theiur religion as though they had committed grave sins...

It got in the news because the women exposed the bigotry of the Mormon men...

During 2008 when i mentioned the abuse these nice women suffered I w3as told by Mormon FReepers that the women were lesbians and feminists and disrupters..

This was not the case at all ...

In those 1978 news casts the women were just polite nicely dressed wives and mothers and lifelong faithful Mormons...

I was appalled and disgusted at the time at the hypocracy and meanness of the Mormon prophet and his minions and I was disgusted at the attempt to rewrite history by the Mormons in 2008...

The women were just like Ann Romney...

Now is she a feminist ???

[colorcountry]

I gotta agree with you here IWONDR, Mormons highly supported Reagan. I don’t know what Nana is talking about here.

[colorcountry]

I gotta agree with you here IWONDR, Mormons highly supported Reagan. I don’t know what Nana is talking about here.

[2ndDivisionVet]

No, I was trying to show her the spuriousness of her weak argument. Am I to be blamed for the anti-Semetic words and writings of Martin Luther due to my membership in the church that bears his name? Many modern scholars and other individuals consider George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln and other giants of yesteryear to have been racist, sexist, genocidal and worse, based on the standards of today.

[2ndDivisionVet]

What say you of all the Catholic, Baptist, Pentacostal and other women who have no more access to their preisthood than the LDS women? You seem to be glossing that over. Either it is wrong for ANY denomination to withhold that role to women, or it is just a tenent of their religion. You can’t have it both ways, FRiend.

[IWONDR]

” One of the interesting things about multi-rich white bread Mitt running for president is the fact that the “victimhood” that mormons have enjoyed for 180 years looks pretty bogus when Mitt and family show up on their jetskis with their purebred horses.”

are you talking about the victimhood that Michele Obama and her hubby have claimed to have experienced as they take their vacations to expensive resorts at taxpayer expense, and wear very very exclusive designer labels, and hobnob with the rich and famous in Hollywood? it’s that very victimhood that has gotten them into the whitehouse.

[2ndDivisionVet]

"...Dont worry6 Obama has the goods on Willard about this too..."

There it is, finally. You're rooting for Barack Obama!! See, don't you feel better, now that it's off your chest and out in the open?