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By Ray Anderson
INTRODUCTION: Why did the Lord deny the priesthood to men of African descent until 1978? It is an issue I have struggled to comprehend, and a question I have asked about many times in my life, but at no time have I received an answer that is even remotely satisfying. Finding no comfort in logic or reason, I have usually taken the matter on faith, resting in the assurance that such mysteries will one day be understood, even if beyond the veil. Still, as assuring as faith can be, I have never really been satisfied, either intellectually or spiritually. While it has always been an issue that is best tucked away and forgotten, if possible, it is also one that is vulnerable to exposure by inquisitive friends and coworkers, and a press that writes about it from time to time. It was the latter that finally broke down all my defenses beyond repair. I recently read an article in USA Today that highlighted historical problem areas for the church, and needless to say, the priesthood ban was one of the first issues listed. For some reason, I was so disturbed this time that I was determined to find answers right away - even that very night. I searched the internet, and quickly found that there were answers to be had. After only a few minutes of searching, I was directed to informative online books and comprehensive research articles, and spent most of that first night reading. In the days and nights that followed, I spent every spare moment studying, thinking, and praying. Ironically, what began as a sincere quest to justify and strengthen my faith in the Church and its long-time priesthood policy ended as a paradigm-busting reality check, and ultimately, a loss of faith. Perhaps the most alarming realization of all for me was that the proclamation of 1978, in which the First Presidency declared that “every worthy male” would have the right to the priesthood, didn’t introduce Blacks to the priesthood, it reinstated them. A handful of Black men did hold the Priesthood in the early days of the church. The infamous doctrine that denied priesthood rights to the Black race was evidently not in force until after the Prophet Joseph Smith’s death. It is not my intent to spend much time interpreting past statements and events. I believe they speak for themselves. My thoughts are laid out in detail in the conclusion. This link will provide you with a few biographical sketches of early Black members of the church: Bios for Elijah Abel, Walker Lewis, and Jane Manning James The links below represent a chronological history of much that has been uttered by church officials on the subject. Some of these statements were made in personal letters or in council meetings, but for the most part, they were made publicly in sermons, official declarations, and church magazine articles. This list in no way represents the full body of available commentary on the priesthood ban. All quotes are taken from the two articles cited below1, and I encourage you to read both in their entirety. My own thoughts and commentary precede selected quotes. EARLY CHURCH VIEWS ON SLAVERY AND THE BLACK RACE JOSEPH’S VIEWS CHANGE IN THE NAUVOO, ILLINOIS PERIOD BEGINNINGS OF THE “PRE-EXISTENCE THEORY” INTO THE 20th CENTURY: COUNTDOWN TO 1978 1Newell G. Bringhurst, “Elijah Abel and the Changing Status of Blacks Within Mormonism,” and Lester E. Bush, Jr., “Mormonism’s Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview,” in Neither White Nor Black: Mormon Scholars Confront the Race Issue in a Universal Church, edited by Lester E. Bush, Jr. and Armand L. Mauss (Signature Books; Midvale, Utah, 1984). |
