"Racist" Mormons

The issue of race within Mormonism, as within other religions, is historically complex, but an objective investigation provides strong evidence that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints neither condones nor deserves to be accused of racism.

The Genesis Group: http://www.ldsgenesisgroup.org

Black LDS: http://www.blacklds.org

Blacks in the Scriptures: http://blacksinthescriptures.com/

"The LDS Church and the Race Issue: A Study in Misplaced Apologetics" by Armand L. Mauss: http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2003_LDS_Church_and_the_Race_Issue.html

"People of African ancestry have been members of the Church since the 1830s. Some joined the Church while slaves and then went west to Utah after they were freed. Black membership has grown significantly in recent years, though it is hard to track because Church membership records do not identify race (they never have, as I understand). Apart from the priesthood restriction, blacks have always enjoyed the blessings of the gospel and Church participation without segregation or demarcation between white and blacks. While some Protestant churches in the U.S. (and a few other parts of the world) routinely separated blacks and whites during worship services prior to the reforms of the Civil Rights Era, such segregation has never been practiced in the LDS Church." Source: http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQRace.shtml#whyjoin

"Interestingly, the exclusion policy applied to ancestry, not to skin color. There were completely white-skinned Americans who had been serving in the priesthood who later found out that they were of partial African descent. These white Americans then had to step down from their priesthood offices. Likewise, natives of the Fiji Islands, who have a beautiful, deep black skin, are apparently not of African descent and were able to hold the priesthood prior to 1978. And Asians, native Americans, Indians, and many other peoples of color have always had access to the priesthood." Source: http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/FQRace.shtml#whyjoin

"In spite of its frank documentation of racist feeling, the Book of Mormon is not in itself a racist document. In fact, it advocates and even idealizes the exact opposite: rather than promoting concepts of racial inferiority, the events and teachings within it clearly suggest that people of different ethnic backgrounds and traditions can truly overcome old hatreds and misconceptions and attain peace, happiness, and unity through the gospel of Jesus Christ." Source: http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=15&num=2&id=508

"Except for a brief lapse in early 1836, Joseph [Smith] advocated taking the gospel to "both bond and free," ignoring race. That spring, the house rules for the Kirtland Temple, the Saints' most sacred building, allowed for the presence of "male or female bond or free black or white." The same policy was followed in Nauvoo, where "persons of all languages, and of every tongue, and of every color...shall with us worship the Lord of Hosts in his Holy Temple." Nothing was done during Joseph's lifetime to withhold priesthood from black members. Joseph knew Elijah Abel, a black man who was ordained at seventy, and is said to have entertained him. As Joseph began to take positions on national issues, he came out strongly against slavery. He favored a policy of "national Equalization," though he retained the common prejudices against intermarriage and blending of the races. When he ran for U.S. president in 1844, he made compensated emancipation a plank in his platform. He urged the nation to "ameliorate the condition of all: black or white, bond or free; for the best of books says, 'God hath made of one blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth.'" Source: Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman, p. 289

"Faced with the prospect of the Klan becoming an actuality instead of an apparition, the Deseret News launched a devastating attack upon the secret order. That the News would lead the initial opposition to the establishment of the Klan was as predictable as it was significant. The secular oracle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Deseret News, though its editorials passed on the opinions of the Mormon Church hierarchy on public affairs to the faithful; since Mormons constituted approximately 70 percent of Utahns, the position of the LDS Church officials obviously would have an important bearing on the future of the Klan in the state. Given the long-standing opposition of the Mormon Church to the Ku Klux Klan for both secular and sectarian [religious] reasons, it is not surprising that the Deseret News viewed the coming of the Klan to Utah with 'disapprobation and contempt'." (Blazing Crosses, p.24) "The single greatest obstacle to the development of the Klan in the Beehive State [Utah] was the Mormon Church." (Blazing Crosses, p.36) Source: http://www.angelfire.com/mo2/blackmormon/BMPB.html

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[ptyler3]

I just left the church after being an always active, life long, mission serving, member for 30 years +. I wanted to believe it was true also. The problem is, you can prove it false 10 different ways now that I opened my eyes. You can see some of those ways if you watch the video my family made after leaving. it is posted at the top of PerfectTheSaints org Or you can search for it on YouTube. It is called "Why Our Family Left the Mormon Church"

[DefendingMormonism]

@ptyler3 Interesting because the reason I am still an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is because I opened my eyes and saw how much I would miss out on outside the gospel of Jesus Christ. People have been trying to "prove it false" ever since the beginning of time, and especially when Jesus Christ walked the earth. People thought by crucifying Christ, killing the Prophet Joseph Smith, they could get rid of the God's kingdom. Not so. It moves forward.

[fhall1106]

First of all, there is much untruth in this video.Much of this video contradicts the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon declares that people of darker complexions were not as righteous as those with lighter skins.The Book of Mormon is obsessed with the whiteness of people. Which it considers "a delightsome people." While this same book declares darker skin people as "loathsome." Though it has many scriptures from the Holy Bible, it is a false book written by a false prophet!

[DefendingMormonism]

@fhall1106 "In spite of its frank documentation of racist feeling, the Book of Mormon is not in itself a racist document. In fact, it advocates and even idealizes the exact opposite: rather than promoting concepts of racial inferiority, the events and teachings within it clearly suggest that people of different ethnic backgrounds and traditions can truly overcome old hatreds and misconceptions and attain peace, happiness, and unity through the gospel of Jesus Christ." -- John A. Tvedtnes

[RCSVirginia]

It is pitiful that Mormons are trying to deny human rights to other Americans. In the past, it was blacks; now, it is gays. This is not just evil and wrong; it is foolhardy. As a non-Christian religion--Mormons have the Book of Mormon, as Muslims have the Koran--they would be one of the groups that would be subjected to discrimination if America were to be a Christian theocracy.

[RCSVirginia]

The Mormon church, also, strongly urges its members to contribute money to hate campaigns against gay Americans in order to deny them their full human rights and strip them of the ones that they currently have. This does not just involve donating to the loathsome Proposition 8 in California and other such referenda and legislation around the country. In addition, Mormons, at the behest of their church, wage an e-mail propaganda campaign designed to stir up hatred against gays.

[LDStothecore]

@ptyler3 If you want to you can probably "prove" anything false. However, you cannot deny the Spirit.

[bubingajv]

@DefendingMormonism Racist feelings? Obviously the racist feelings of Joseph Smith. Why are the racist doctrines taught by Joseph Smith still in the Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine & Covenants? Why were African Americans not allowed into the priesthood until 1970? Why do your leaders teach that the skin of American Indians will become white when they convert to Mormonism? Research it for yourself and find out what Mormonism really teaches.

[MrMarklemore]

@DefendingMormonism - Don't feed the trolls my friend! Your videos are fantastic - keep them coming. :)

[MrBigbear6718]

I would not be surprised that some of the mormons are kkk

[fhall1106]

@DefendingMormonism "In reply to the book of Mormon (frank documentation of racist feeling), the truth of the matter is the book of Mormon is a racist documentation (PERIOD).It teaches that darker skin is a curse. This is a false statement which is never recorded in the Holy Bible. The Bible teaches that God is no respecter of persons unlike the book of Mormon. Anyone who adheres to this book has to be racist or spiritually blind. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch!

[ptyler3]

@DefendingMormonism I completely uderstand where you're coming from as I was in your situation all my life. It's very hard and sometimes impossible to even consider that your most sacred beliefs are not true. The sources I point out in the video are Church sources and are verifiable 100%. I hope you will muster the courage to watch the video our family made, as it is done very respectfully. The active membership of the church has declined all but one year since 2002.