1978: THE PRIESTHOOD BAN IS LIFTED

June 8, 1978

“He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood…”

The First Presidency:
Spencer W. Kimball
N. Eldon Tanner
Marion G. Romney

President Kimball explained how he had wrestled with the priesthood issue before this momentous revelation was received. What isn’t mentioned below is the fact that the temple dedication in Brazil was just months away, and in a nation with the blood of Cain sprinkled so liberally among its population as to challenge the deciphering abilities of Solomon himself, something had to be figured out quickly if there were ever going to be native converts entering the new edifice:

“I had a great deal to fight, of course, myself largely, because I had grown up with this thought that Negroes should not have the priesthood and I was prepared to go all the rest of my life till my death and fight for it and defend it as it was…. I went to the temple alone, and especially on Sundays and Saturdays . . . when I could have it alone. It went on for some time as I was searching for this, because I wanted to be sure . . . I offered the final prayer and I told the Lord if it wasn't right, if He didn't want this change to come in the Church that I would be true to it all the rest of my life, and I'd fight the world against it if that's what he wanted” (Deseret News interview with Spencer W. Kimball as quoted in Lester E. Bush, Dialogue, vol. 12, no. 2, Summer 1979, pp. 10-11).