Jason Horowitz's intriguing presentation in the Washington Post of the history of race and racism within Mormonism evokes a variety of responses, most of them negative. For those of us who know Mormonism intimately, it is tempting to feel deep indignation at the depiction of what we see as a rich and beautiful religious tradition as little more than a vessel for racist fairy tales. But there is a harder and more interesting truth here than just Horowitz's attempt to privilege certain voices -- in this case the Mormon equivalent of a youth minister teaching as a professor in BYU's religion department -- over others to represent Mormonism in the public square.
Some Latter-day Saints, particularly those now over the age of 70, do maintain bizarre, racist claims about the unworthiness of people of African descent. Though Mr. Horowitz's youth minister informant has no authority to speak for the Church at large, and represents what many Latter-day Saints hope is a at most a fringe tradition in its death throes, his words figure prominently in Mr. Horowitz's reportage.
What I think I realized as I processed my feelings of outrage at the words of this BYU professor was that increased scrutiny to its racial history can ultimately work to the good of Mormonism. Church leaders, including Spencer Kimball (the church president who ended the priesthood restriction against those of African descent in 1978) and Gordon Hinckley (the best known Mormon church president in the 20th century), have publicly denounced entrenched racism among certain demographic groups within the church body. Unfortunately, their efforts have not been successful enough to eliminate intermittent espousal of the kinds of scabrous folklore apparently related by this BYU professor. These narratives are deeply cruel, un-Christian, and contrary to the teachings of modern LDS church leaders. It is well past time for those Mormons who still hold them to abandon them forever, with sincere apologies for treasuring racial bigotry for so long.
In an environment where it is easy to dehumanize and deride our intellectual opponents, I do not presume the right to attack this youth minister on personal level, but I strongly denounce his racism. With luck, public embarrassment in the aftermath of Mr. Horowitz's reporting will induce in this professor and his co-travelers the kind of passionate introspection that many Christians, including the Latter-day Saints, believe motivates repentance.
Until the malevolent nonsense masquerading as historical theology about race is exposed to public view, the Church may prove unable to purify itself entirely of the stain of prior racism. Even as many, hopefully most, Latter-day Saints have moved beyond a racist past they unfortunately shared with most of white America, some holdouts will continue to cause difficulty for the Church and its members. While the media should be cautious to avoid heaping blame on a sometimes embattled religious minority and must recognize that racist fringe elements do not speak for the Mormon Church or other individual Mormons, the sunlight of careful, sometimes hostile, reporting about racism may finally disinfect the minds and souls of those Latter-day Saints who maintain racist views. We who value the church can earnestly hope that this debacle will persuade those Latter-day Saints who hold such moth-eaten, malignant beliefs that it is time to abandon them. The Mormonism that emerges from such a movement forward will be a stronger, healthier, more Christian tradition.
Howard Schweber: The Catholicization of the American Right
Monson called Peterson, "a giant among men" in 1984. Monson is the head of the Mormon Church in 2012. That's like calling the head of the KKK a "real hero and inspirational person." The Mormon Church doesn't just have a racist past, it has a racist present.
Here's an article on the Daily Kos about it:
'http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/13/1074037/-Is-the-Mormon-Church-racist-Apparently-black-people-wind-up-as-servants-in-the-Mormon-Heaven-
first, while a BYU religion professor certainly does not speak for the church, the author goes way too far in downplaying the role of such teachers within mormonism. while authoritative statements may only originate from the top, teachers and professors in the CES play a major role as "keepers of the flame" with regard to doctrine and orthodoxy and they have a large influence on the way new generations of members formulate their views on these matters.
second, the author calls on individual lay members of the church to repudiate past racist doctrines while stragely neglecting to call on the LDS church itself to officially do the same! and let's be clear. these are not folk doctrines that grew from the grass roots. these racist rationales came from the highest levels of church leadership. and no, a general statement against racism is *not* a repudiation. the LDS church knows very well which past leaders (and at least one current one in Packer) perpetuated and justified the priesthood ban. why won't they repudiate them?
third, i'm sorry to say it but these racist ideas are not by any stretch "fringe" among current day mormons in the US. i'm about 40 and while these ideas -- predominant among our McConkie reading parents -- are not the majority view among my generation, they are also not a tiny fringe minority view. anyone who says different is either lying or ignorant.
And who is the current prophet?
Nuff said!
The attitude of the Church with reference to Negroes
remains as it has always stood. It is NOT a matter of the declaration of a POLICY but of DIRECT COMMANDMENT FROM THE LORD, on which is FOUNDED THE DOCTRINE of the Church from the days of its organization, to the effect that Negroes may become members of the Church but that they are not entitled to the priesthood at the present time. The prophets of the Lord have made several statements as to the operation of the principle. President Brigham Young said: “Why are so many of the inhabitants of the earth cursed with a SKIN OF BLACKNESS? It comes in consequence of their fathers rejecting the power of the holy priesthood, and the law of God. They will go down to death. And when all the rest of the children have received their blessings in the holy priesthood, then that curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will then come up and possess the priesthood, and receive all the blessings which we now are entitled to.”
day will come when all that race will be redeemed and possess all the blessings which we now have.” The position of the Church regarding the Negro may be understood when another doctrine of the Church is kept in mind, namely, that THE CONDUCT OF SPIRITS IN THE PREMORTAL EXISTENCE has some determining effect upon the conditions and circumstances under which these spirits take on mortality and that while the details of this principle have not been made known, the mortality is a privilege that is given to those who maintain their first estate; and that the worth of the privilege is so great that spirits are willing to come to earth and take on bodies no matter what the handicap may be as to the kind of bodies they are to secure; and that among the handicaps, failure of the right to enjoy in mortality the blessings of the priesthood is a handicap which spirits are willing to assume in order that they might come to earth. Under this principle there is no injustice whatsoever involved in this deprivation as to the holding of the priesthood by the Negroes.
George Albert Smith
J. Reuben Clark
David. O. McKay
http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/apology
Mormon Apostle Bruce R. McConkie:
"Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world."
Christian Apostle Paul:
"But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!" (Galatians 1:8-9)
That's kinda the whole point about having Apostles in the Church: They can be the conduit for additional light and truth - or even a course correction, when necessary - and be authoritative to the point that even an angel can't override it.
But the anti-Mormon, in bigotry based on religion, tries to stir hatred against Mormons by accusing them of being more bigoted than others. This, even though they used to justify their hatred with statements such as: One of the fist anti-Mormon publications said:
“As the promulgators of this extraordinary legend maintain the natural equality of mankind, without excepting the native Indians or the African race, there is little reason to be surprised at the cruel persecution by which they have suffered..."
"The believers in this miserable production, are known by the name of "Mormonites," and their book is commonly called "The book of Mormon."…” Among them is a man of color, a chief man…”
Joseph Smith had given priesthood to Blacks and Mormons were hated back then because he taught that Blacks were equal to whites, and even superior.
Trying to stir hatred against Mormons the anti-Mormon must twist statements, and refuse to understand. FAIR lds says this (They)” apparently hope that readers will judge the Church or its members or leaders harshly. This is a dangerous wish, since "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again"
I think the reasons we don’t bring these things up is that we are rightly embarrassed. But, of these, I think LDS scriptures are the only ones that condemn slavery. In the Bible Jesus seems supportive, but not when He speaks to LDS FAIR lds says: LDS scripture forbade slavery (Alma 27:9-10, DC 101:79), but Latter-day Saints (like believers in every age) did not always live up to the light given them. Those who practiced slavery during a historical time in which it was legal will have to answer to God's justice and mercy. Perhaps this is why LDS tend to be even more embarrassed.
And why don’t all Christians discuss how early Christian fathers taught that slavery was due to the curse of Ham, and why Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, discuss that they taught "that Blacks were savages, marked for servitude" and not subjects of salvation, and having no souls etc while Mormons were teaching the opposite. And, even in modern times many Churches have these beliefs. (see letter to James Landrith from Bob Jones University, 1998, see Catholic Church racism, Baptists still excluding Blacks, etc etc) And, Muslims taught the same things. And atheists were some of the worst. And gay activists and Santorum and others are still making racists comments.
continued
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.
2 Nephi 30: 6 ...their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and a delightsome people.
3 Nephi 2:15
And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites.
Nice try, but no. Book of Mormon refers to transplants from the Middle East, who became ancestors to the American Indians. Not anyone of African descent. Thus it's an apples and oranges comparison.
My Black family members feel far more accepted among Mormons than others. My congregation has many mixed couples, and in fact, it can be said (and research bears this out) that Mormons are among the most racially integrated and least racist of Churches. We are largely people of color.
If we are going to discuss the past, we should keep in mind that almost all Churches and people have had racist ideas. It is a sad part of American history.
Anti-Mormons in the 19th Century attacked Mormons for our pro-Black stances.
One of the fist anti-Mormon publications said:
"The believers in this miserable production, are known by the name of "Mormonites," and their book is commonly called "The book of Mormon."…” Among them is a man of color, a chief man…”
Another: “As the promulgators of this extraordinary legend maintain the natural equality of mankind, without excepting the native Indians or the African race, there is little reason to be surprised at the cruel persecution by which they have suffered..."
Joseph Smith and apparently Brigham Young had given priesthood to Blacks and Mormons were hated back then because Joseph taught that Blacks were equal to whites, and even superior.
Now, Mormons are accused of being more racist than others, it's sad that a BYU professor would perpetuate these ideas.
Moses 7:22 "And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them."
The tenth LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote,
"It was well understood by the early elders of the Church that the mark which was placed on Cain and which his posterity inherited was the black skin. The Book of Moses informs us that Cain and his descendants were black" (The Way to Perfection, p.107).
Tough to distance yourself from the scriptures and the statements of your prophets, until those are repudiated, which the leaders of the LDS Church have so far not had the courage or ability to do.