Black People and Mormonism

Black People And Mormonism

From the mid-1800s until 1978, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) had a policy against ordaining black men of African descent to the church's lay priesthood. This resulted in black members being unable to participate in some temple ordinances considered necessary for salvation. Though the church had an open membership policy for all races, relatively few black people who were aware of the racial policy joined the church, despite reassurance that the ban would one day be lifted when "all the other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the priesthood and the keys thereof".

Historically, Mormon attitudes about race were generally close to the national average. Accordingly, before the Civil rights movement, the LDS policy went largely unnoticed and unchallenged. Beginning in the 1960s, however, the church was criticized by civil rights advocates and religious groups, and in 1969 several church leaders voted to rescind the policy, but the vote was not unanimous so the policy stood. In 1978, church leaders led by Spencer W. Kimball declared they had received a revelation instructing them to reverse the racial restriction policy. The change seems to have been prompted at least in part by problems facing mixed race converts in Brazil. The church opposes racism in any form and today has no racial policy.

In 1997, there were approximately 500,000 black members of the LDS Church, accounting for about 5% of the total membership; most black members live in Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean. Since 1997, the black membership has grown substantially, especially in West Africa, where two temples have been built.

Read more about Black People And Mormonism:  Before 1847, Racial Policy Under Brigham Young, Racial Restriction Policy, 1880–1950, 1951–1977, Racial Policy Ends in 1978, Interracial Marriages, 1985 To Present, Black Membership

Famous quotes containing the words black people, black and/or people:

    I marvel at the many ways we, as black people, bend but do not break in order to survive. This astonishes me, and what excites me I write about. Everyone of us is a wonder. Everyone of us has a story.
    Kristin Hunter (b. 1931)

    If violence is wrong in America, violence is wrong abroad. If it is wrong to be violent defending black women and black children and black babies and black men, then it is wrong for America to draft us, and make us violent abroad in defense of her. And if it is right for America to draft us, and teach us how to be violent in defense of her, then it is right for you and me to do whatever is necessary to defend our own people right here in this country.
    Malcolm X (1925–1965)

    Since the beginning of time, three-quarters of the mental energy and of the lies inspired by vanity have been expended for their inferiors by people who are only abased by such expenditure. And Swann, who was easygoing and unaffected with a duchess, trembled at the thought of being scorned and put on airs when he was with a housemaid.
    Marcel Proust (1871–1922)