Mormons grapple with race decades after ban on black leaders

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Brady Mccombs, Associated Press
Updated 2:57 pm, Friday, June 1, 2018

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Mormon church on Friday will celebrate the 40th anniversary of reversing its ban on black people serving in the lay priesthood, going on missions or getting married in temples, rekindling debate about one of the faith's most sensitive topics.

The number of black Mormons has grown but still only accounts for an estimated 6 percent of 16 million worldwide members. Not one serves in the highest levels of global leadership.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has worked to improve race relations, including calling out white supremacy and launching a new formal alliance with the NAACP, but some black Mormons and scholars say discriminatory opinions linger in some congregations from a ban rooted in a belief that black skin was a curse.

In a 2013 essay , the church disavowed the reasons behind the ban and condemned all racism, saying the prohibition came during an era of great racial divide that influenced early church teachings. Blacks were always allowed to be members, but the nearly century-long ban kept them from participating in many important rituals.


Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Mormons-grapple-with-race-40-years-after-ending-12959315.php

[erronis]

1. Why would any logical, intelligent, rational, ethical person - black or white or other be part

of this cult?

I guess I've not studied enough about MSR (Main Stream Religions) or cults such as xscientology or xian-science or mormanism to understand the attraction.

I have sorta figured out that most of it is about power and money. But what's in it for the flocks? Lightening their wallets/bank accounts? A special place in some heaven that's never been demonstrated to exist?

If all of the "pastors" and all of their fleeced ones want to go colonize Alpha Centauri, I wish them well. But not on my tax $s.

[moreland01]

2. From the article . . .

"What else are they wrong about? Are they wrong about gay marriage? Are they wrong about female ordination?" Reeve said. "If they got race and the priesthood wrong, what else could they be wrong about? I think that's part of the fear."

Indeed. But, like all "religions", they're going to have to dive really deep to figure out what all they are wrong about. On the surface, though, an apology would be the least they could do.

[jb5150]

3. I grew up around Mormons, and ...

even briefly went to boy scout meetings at a Mormon church. For the most part I found them to be hard working, honest people, but they have some really odd beliefs. One of my friends, who was Mormon (this was 40 years ago), told me he believed that if a black person became a Mormon they would turn white. I'm not joking, he actually said that.

[hatrack]

4. Well, uh . . . . OK . . . .

[keithbvadu2]

5. Old enough to marry

Old enough to marry