Blacks & Priesthood

Was Racism the Motivating Factor Behind the 1849-1978 Priesthood Restriction on Black Saints?

Second only to plural marriage, the so-called priesthood ban, or racial restriction, is one of the most controversial topics in Latter-day Saint History. If we who hope to share the Restored Gospel with others, we have to overcome the unfounded charges of racism against the Church and acknowledge the imperfections of some of our leaders and the things they said from time to time. Removing American social constructs of “white” and “black” people, using modern science, and Hebrew intent with Restoration scriptures, this topic takes on a meaning the prophets of old intended. We’ll examine the Church’s Essay, “Race and Priesthood” as well. What is says and what it did not say.

What Latter-day Saints need to strongly emphasize is that some leaders have said some wrong things in the past and assert that doctrine is only doctrine when 1) a unified agreement exists between the prophet, First Presidency, and the Quorum of the Twelve, and 2) if it already exists in canonized scripture. In this presentation you will see that race and skin color were not the factors behind the priesthood restriction, and gain a better handle on an ancient and awkward Old Testament curse.

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Culture

Analyzing the First Presidency Message on COVID and the Vaccine – What It Says and What It Doesn’t Say

There has been a lot of frustration surrounding the First Presidency statement about the COVID vaccine. While many decided long ago that the vaccine is

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Culture

The Restoration & Progressivism – A Response to The Atlantic’s “The Most American Religion.”

On December 16, 2020, McKay Coppins wrote an intriguing column on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in The Atlantic. The article included

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Blacks & Priesthood

Are The Books Of Moses & Abraham Racist?

As part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints scriptural canon and companions to the Bible, are the Book of Mormon and the

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Book of Mormon

Can God Really Change One Race Into Another?

When historians for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints published their Race and Priesthood essay, they stated, “Today, the Church disavows the theories

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Blacks & Priesthood

Why Did Brigham Young Regulate Slavery Instead of Abolish It in Utah?

This is part 9 of a 9-part series on the topic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and race relations. See the

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Bible

Biblical Curses are Not Racist & Latter-day Saints Do Not Need to Apologize

This is part 8 of a 9-part series on the topic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and race relations. See the

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Answering Atheists

Patterns of Restoration – How Christ Offers Personal and Institutional Healing

The thing about scripture is that though atheists seem to make it look easy by poking holes here and there or to point to awkward

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Blacks & Priesthood

3 Issues That Still Haunt the Church & 3 Fatal Flaws In the Critics’ Argument

This is part 7 of a 9-part series on the topic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and race relations. See the

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Defend Faith

What Are Apologetics, and What Is My Role?

I recently came across the following quote by Alvin Toffler: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write,

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Blacks & Priesthood

A Tale of Two Interpretations

This is part 6 of a 9-part series on the topic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and race relations. See the

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Defend Faith

The Church’s REAL Name: Addressing Stumbling Blocks to the Restored Church

Telling the world we no longer wish to go by “Mormons,” “Mormonism,” or the “Mormon Church,” names that were never accurate in the first place

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Culture

Why every American should reconsider the SECOND Great Awakening

After the War of 1812, a series of revolutionary changes emerged in society that would set off a chain of events that we’re still living

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Blacks & Priesthood

Was Joseph Smith a criminal, a fraud, and a supporter of slavery?

This is part 5 of a 9-part series on the topic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and race relations. See the

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Culture

George Lucas – Why are there so many religions? (Part 2)

In the first post, Lucas asked, “Mom, if there is only one God, why are there so many religions?” This is a question that has

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Blacks & Priesthood

The restored Church of Jesus Christ was never racist – a response to Millennial Mormons

This is part 4 of a 9-part series on the topic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and race relations. See the

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Answering Atheists

Does God want you to boil and eat your children? Some critics take it there.

As part of an ongoing effort to better understand the Old Testament and to challenge the critics, here is another strange passage that appears in 2

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Answering Atheists

The Old Testament Said What? God condones rape and incest?

In the social media world, there are ample opportunities to get involved in discussions like the one I was engrossed in recently about the Old

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Bible

“One True Church” and the Intent Behind the Statement

There is a Biblical theme that is so repetitive throughout ancient scripture that one might expect that a modern-day counterpart would be accepted with enthusiasm.

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Misconceptions

A Common Misconception – Does the Church of Jesus Christ have an unpaid clergy?

In January of 2017, a group known as ‘MormonLeaks’ – led by Ryan McKnight – released financial information regarding stipends, compensations, or salaries of General

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Bible

Does the Bible warn against Joseph Smith’s angelic messenger?

As my class was learning about the Second Great Awakening, one of my students reiterated a popular notion amongst Evangelical and mainline Protestant sects, that

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Bible

What does the Bible say about a homosexual community, and is it time to privatize marriage?

Fears of a Donald Trump presidency have sounded alarms that his VP, Mike Pence, has an agenda to overturn the SCOTUS decision legalizing gay marriage,

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Culture

“The Story of God with Morgan Freeman” – Can we unite on our shared beliefs?

Actor Morgan Freeman and the Executive Producer, Lori McCreary, appeared on Yahoo in an interview to discuss the upcoming National Geographic series “The Story of God

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Culture

8 Biblical Parallels to Joseph Smith’s Seer Stone

  About a year ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released a picture of Joseph Smith’s seer stone, the same stone that Smith

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Politics

War & Peace – A Disciple’s Duty in the Land of the Free

I have updated this article I posted below from that was in the context of the 2016 Presidential race among Republican candidates. This is not

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Blacks & Priesthood

Is the Book of Mormon Racist?

This is part 3 of a 9-part series on the topic of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and race relations. See the

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Bible

The Pope – A man of God, or just another man?

  This week’s historic visit from Pope Francis to the U.S., which included a speech before Congress and a visit to the White House, begs a few

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Culture

Trendiness and Tragedy – the desensitization of sin and societal decay

With all the talk of gay marriage and homosexuality being a sin, why don’t Christians take up the topic of drunkenness as a sin? This

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Bible

Barriers to the Restoration & Reaching Fellow Bible Believers

It would do well for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to reflect on the media coverage their faith received from

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Bible

Pt. 3 – God’s Word and the Unpopular Notion of “One True Church”

The following is part three of this three-part series. For part one click here. For part two click here. A recent Newsmax article highlighted an

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Bible

Pt. 2 – God’s Word and the Unpopular Notion of “One True Church”

The following is part two of a three-part series. For part one click here. For part three click here.  Recall in part one that we looked

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Bible

Pt. 1 – God’s Word and the Unpopular Notion of “One True Church”

The following is part 1 of a 3-part series. For part 2 click here. It must be admitted that the least attractive contention in all

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Plural Marriage

Sensationalism and Realities of Early Latter-day Saint Polygamy

Below is an essay I wrote for a research assignment analyzing primary sources in my first semester of graduate school at Sam Houston State University.

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Culture

George Lucas asks, “Why are there so many religions?”

“If there is only one God, why are there so many religions?” -George Lucas In an interview with Charlie Rose (see video below), George Lucas

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Culture

Dan Brown’s ‘Da Vinci Code’ Questioned Christianity’s Origins – A comparison of ancient texts

In my Graduate program in History with Sam Houston State University, our professor asked us to compare books of the New Testament with books that

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Bible

The Bible is Awesome, but is it Complete?

Why do Bible believers need the Book of Mormon? Is the Bible perfect and complete?  From blogger, Greg Trimble: “The Bible is a pretty awesome

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Blacks & Priesthood

Was Racism the Motivating Factor Behind the 1849-1978 Priesthood Restriction on Black Saints?

Second only to plural marriage, the so-called priesthood ban, or racial restriction, is one of the most controversial topics in Latter-day Saint History. If we who hope to share the Restored Gospel with others, we have to overcome the unfounded charges of racism against the Church and acknowledge the imperfections of some of our leaders and the things they said from time to time. Removing American social constructs of “white” and “black” people, using modern science, and Hebrew intent with Restoration scriptures, this topic takes on a meaning the prophets of old intended. We’ll examine the Church’s Essay, “Race and Priesthood” as well. What is says and what it did not say.

What Latter-day Saints need to strongly emphasize is that some leaders have said some wrong things in the past and assert that doctrine is only doctrine when 1) a unified agreement exists between the prophet, First Presidency, and the Quorum of the Twelve, and 2) if it already exists in canonized scripture. In this presentation you will see that race and skin color were not the factors behind the priesthood restriction, and gain a better handle on an ancient and awkward Old Testament curse.

View More