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If there is one area of Mormon doctrine that reveals its origins as being from the mind of men
rather than the revelation of God, it must be in the teachings of the Mormon church regarding
race and nationality. It is in those teachings that the true revelation materializes, in that the
Mormon church attempted to perpetuate the false, disgraceful and demeaning views and beliefs
held by many people; namely that there are races and nationalities that are inferior to others;
conversely that there are races and nationalities (namely one race and nationality) that are
superior to others. From a false, contrived, humanistic and non-Biblical view, the Mormon church attempted from its inception in 1830 and into the 1970's, to justify the segregation and subjection to slavery of the black people. With the declaration and manifesto of 1978 that allowed black men to attain the priesthood in the Mormon church, which had been denied to them for 148 years, Mormon Prophet Spencer Kimball declared, "...we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these, our faithful brethren ..." The duplicity and fraud inherent in Prophet Kimball's statement is revealed, not by critics of the Mormon church, but by the Mormon church leaders themselves, by what they have said and taught for those 148 years in which black people were denied the same positions in the church as the white membership and were, in fact, relegated to positions of slavery in this life and in the next life to come. THE ORIGIN OF THE BELIEF - THE BOOK OF MORMON This differentiation of people and their assignment to levels of inferiority, based on skin color, begins in the Book of Mormon and continues with the revelations, pronouncements and teachings of later prophets, presidents and apostles in the Mormon church. "And he caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceeding fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them." Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 5:21 The curse on the rebellious "white and delightsome" Nephites was to have their skin turn black. "And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; and their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites; and their young men and their daughters became exceedingly fair, and they were numbered among the Nephites, and were called Nephites." Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 2:14 - 16 All a Lamanite (native American) had to do was to become a member of the Nephite group and follow their dictates to become "white and exceedingly fair". "And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of god; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a white and delightsome people." Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 30:6 When the gentiles received the gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the fathers of the Nephites, their skin color began to change from dark to light and their children, in just a few generations, would become a "white and delightsome people." This wording has since been changed from the 1830 version and now reads, "pure and delightsome". Apparently, some in the Mormon church decided that Joseph Smith's "inspired" words directly from god were not proper, and changed the words to make them more socially acceptable. But even the change betrays the underlying meaning; dark skinned people are "unpure" and white skinned people are "pure". It does not matter how the words are changed, the fact is that Mormon belief is that darker skinned people are inferior to lighter skinned people. There are numerous other references in the Book of Mormon which mention the color of skin as being related to cursing and blessing as apportioned by god. In all cases, cursing by god results in a darker skin, while blessing by god results in a lighter or completely white skin. This reference to light and dark takes the comparison of daylight and night, as a parallel correlation to good and evil, and twists the meaning to apply to skin color. It is a faulty comparison, because "white" skin is not truly white and "black" skin is not truly black. What individuals really mean by "white", is in relation to themselves. Whichever group deems themselves to be "white" sets themselves as the standard and all other persons, not like themselves, are assigned degrees of inferiority depending on how far those particular people deviate from the self-defined standard of the leadership. This is a dangerous and monstrous system, because it allows any group to set itself apart as the "chosen" or "righteous" based on skin color, regardless of where they may fall within the parameters regarding the skin colors of humanity. Any group can set the standard and declare any person, who is darker or lighter than the arbitrary standard, is inferior and undeserving. What is so abhorrent in this process, is that it provides a convenient means for a group to mistreat and abuse fellow human beings, and at the same time justify their actions, by appealing to their revelation from god, in which he agrees and encourages that conduct. Who can resist the law of god, especially when the god believes just like you? STRENGTHENING THE BASIS OF BELIEF - THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE Moving out of the Book of Mormon, which provides the foundation for inferiority based on darker skin color, the leaders of the Mormon church (prophets, presidents and apostles) amplified the belief and took it far beyond what was written in the Book of Mormon. "...from Ham sprang the race which preserved the curse in the land." LDS Prophet Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, Abraham 1:24 "For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people." LDS Prophet Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:8 "And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all people, save it were the people of Canaan, to repent." LDS Prophet Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:12 It is the teaching of the Mormon church that the people of Canaan, the Canaanites, are the descendants of Cain, who killed his brother Able. As a result of this murder, god cursed Cain and his descendants with a black skin. It is even claimed, in the above Moses 7:12, that god even withheld the message and call to repentance from the people of Canaan because of their dark skin. Not only are the black skinned people considered inferior, but they were unworthy even to receive the message of repentance, let alone to receive forgiveness. It is Mormon teaching that Ham, one of the survivors of the flood, married a black woman whose name was Egyptus. The black race was continued through her black daughter, whose children became the Egyptians; the first Pharaoh being black. "Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham; and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth. From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land. The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of ham, and the daughter of Egyptus, which in the Chaldean signifies Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden. When this woman discovered the land it was under water, who afterward settled her sons in it; and thus, from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land. Now the first governor of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham... Pharaoh, being a righteous man, ...seeding earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers...even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessing of the earth, and with the blessing of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood" LDS Prophet Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, Book of Abraham 1:21 - 26 "And after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation upon the earth as well as God..." LDS Prophet third President John Taylor, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 22, p. 304. The incredible teaching of the Mormon church is not only that the black person is cursed by god and a descendant of Cain and Ham, but is also the representative group of Satan on this earth. It was also necessary, thus inevitable, that some group be a representative of Satan and the black people are that group. This doctrine of the inferiority of persons with dark skins does not limit itself to those who are on the earth. The doctrine applies to the spirits in the heavenly world as well. Since Mormons believe that all spirits are fathered on a heavenly planet by their "heavenly Father", and are sent to earth to inhabit the babies of human beings, there must be some reason why these unsuspecting spirits find themselves in the body of an inferior person. Mormon theology has the answer to that dilemma by claiming that spirits in heaven, who are less noble, obedient or diligent, are restricted in human life by being placed in the bodies of black people. Thus, the black person is doubly cursed by being born with a black skin, as a descendant of Cain, and also having an inferior spirit because of its conduct in a prior spiritual life. This belief in the inferiority of the black people even prevents them from exercising a proper religious relationship with god and attaining the spiritual position that all other people are entitled, because black people are prevented from attaining to the priesthood, a necessary step in order to be glorified and become a god. Black people were considered inferior in the previous spiritual world, are inferior in this world and would be inferior in the spiritual world to come. The question must come to mind as to why Black people became inferior in the previous world? The answer is in relation to this world, Adam and Eve and the "gospel" of the Mormon church. According to Mormon belief, when the "Heavenly Father" created this world and placed Adam and Eve in it, it was necessary to have a protagonist (Satan) and a savior (Jesus Christ). God asked his spirit children, in the heavenly world, to draft a plan for the salvation of this earthly world. Both Satan and Jesus Christ, who are considered to be brothers in Mormon doctrine, presented the "Heavenly Father" with plans. Apparently, Satan wished to have more power than god wished him to have, so Satan's plan was rejected and the plan of Jesus Christ was accepted. As a result, Satan rebelled against his "Heavenly Father" and warfare broke out in heaven. Those children of the "Heavenly Father" who did not fight well or ran from battle as cowards were cursed by the "Heavenly Father" and given black skins (spirits) as a result of their actions. These were the less noble children and became the Black people of this world. Apparently there were different degrees of cowardice and that is why there are differing shades of skin color in the world and why there are different nationalities. In Mormon doctrine, the whitest of the white races are the most noble and fought the most valiant fight against the forces of Satan in heaven and are rewarded by their skin color in this world. PROPAGATING THE BELIEF - The Mormon PROPHETS, PRESIDENTS and APOSTLES It did not seem to matter to the prophets, presidents and apostles of the Mormon church that there was an obvious conflict between the Book of Mormon and The Pearl of Great Price. The contradiction is revealed in the following passages: "Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men: and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance. Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden. For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 26:27, 28, 33 "And it came to pass that Enoch continued to call upon all people, save it were the people of Canaan, to repent." LDS Prophet Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, Moses 7:12 "Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham; and was a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth. From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land. The land of Egypt being first discovered by a woman, who was the daughter of ham, and the daughter of Egyptus, which in the Chaldean signifies Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden. When this woman discovered the land it was under water, who afterward settled her sons in it; and thus, from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land. Now the first governor of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham... Pharaoh, being a righteous man, ...seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers...even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessing of the earth, and with the blessing of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood" LDS Prophet Joseph Smith, Pearl of Great Price, Book of Abraham 1:21 - 26 Apparently god was confused as to what he had said in both the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham. In the Book of Mormon, god says he does not withhold the gospel from any man "and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile." However, the same god, in The Pearl of Great Price, not only withholds the preaching of the gospel, through Enoch, to the Canaanites, he also prevents Pharaoh who, "being a righteous man, ...seeking earnestly to imitate that order established by the fathers...even in the reign of Adam, and also of Noah, his father, who blessed him with the blessing of the earth, and with the blessing of wisdom", from participating in the priesthood set up by god. It must be that god is very forgetful about what he has said, or he is a liar, or someone else has spoken in his place. In spite of the doctrinal problems associated with their "inspired" scriptures, the Mormon leaders continued to move ahead with their teaching, even to the point of receiving additional revelations from god on the subject. "Having learned with extreme regret, that an article entitled, 'Free People of Color,' in the last number of the Star, has been misunderstood, we feel duty bound to state, in this Extra, that our intention was not only to stop free people of color from emigrating to this state, but to prevent them from being admitted as members of the church." Reprinted in LDS, History of the Church, vol. 1, pp. 378-379. "DEAR SIR:--This place having recently been visited by a gentleman who advocated the principles or doctrines of those who are call Abolitionist, ''' I fear that the sound might go out, that "an Abolitionist" had held forth several times to this community, ...all, except a very few attended to their own vocations, and left the gentleman to hold forth his own arguments to nearly naked walls. I am aware that many, who profess to preach the Gospel, complain against their brethren of the same faith, who reside in the South, and are ready to withdraw the hand of fellowship, because they will not renounce the principle of slavery, and raise their voice against everything of the kind. This must be a tender point, and one which should call forth the candid reflections of all men. And more especially before they advance in an opposition calculated to lay waste the fair states of the South, and let loose upon the world a community of people, who might, peradventure, overrun our country, and violate the most sacred principles of human society, chastity and virtue... I do not believe that the people of the North have any more right to say that the South shall not hold slaves, than the south have to say the North shall. How any community can ever be excited with the chatter of such persons, boys and others, who are too indolent obtain their living by honest industry, and are incapable of pursuing any occupation of a professional nature, is unaccountable to me; and when I see persons in the free states, signing documents against slavery, it is no less, in my mind, than an army of influence, and a declaration of hostilities, against the people of the South. What course can sooner divide our union? ... I do not doubt, but those who have been forward in raising their voices against the South, will cry out against me as being uncharitable, unfeeling, unkind, and wholly unacquainted with the Gospel of Christ ...the first mention we have of slavery is found in the Holy Bible... And so far from that prediction being averse to the mind of God, it remains as a lasting monument of the decree of Jehovah, to the shame and confusion of all who have cried out against the South, in consequence of their holding the sons of ham in servitude... I can say, the curse is not yet taken off from the sons of Canaan, neither will be until it is affected by as great a power as caused it to come; and the people who interfere the least with the purpose of god in this matter, will come under the least condemnation before him; and those who are determined to pursue a course, which shows an opposition, and a feverish restlessness against the decrees of the Lord, will learn, when perhaps it is too late for their own good, that god can do his own work, without the aid of those who are not dictated by His counsel." LDS Prophet Joseph Smith, History of the Church, vol. 2, pp. 436 - 438. From a letter written for the Messenger and Advocate, 1836. It might have been that the god of Joseph Smith was an advocate and supporter of slavery, but his appeal to the God of the Bible is a different matter entirely. There is no dictate from the God of the Bible establishing slavery, and no condemnation of the sons of Canaan by causing them to have black skin. Those ideas were a fabrication, having been invented long before they were adopted by Joseph Smith. He was simply picking up on the ideas currently in vogue, and adopted them into the Mormon doctrines. The decrees of the God in the Bible are not the decrees of the god of Joseph Smith. "We feel it to be our duty to define our position in relation to the subject of Slavery. There are several men in the Valley of the Salt Lake from the Southern Sates, who have their slaves with them." Millennial Star, 1851. "I tell you, this people that are commonly called Negroes are the children of old Cain. I know they are, I know that they cannot bear rule in the priesthood, for the curse on them was to remain upon them, until the resedue (sic) of the posterity of Michal (sic) and his wife receive the blessings.. and hold the keys of the priesthood... In the kingdom of God on the earth the affricans (sic) cannot hold one partical (sic) of power in government." LDS Prophet Brigham Young, Brigham Young Addresses, Ms d 1234, Box 48, folder 3, February 5, 1852. "When all the other children of Adam have had the privilege of receiving the Priesthood, and of coming into the kingdom of God, and of being redeemed from the four quarters of the earth, and have received their resurrection from the dead, then it will be time enough to remove the curse from Cain and his posterity." LDS Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 2, p. 143, 1854. "You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessing of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind. The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race--that they should be the 'servants of servants;' and they will be, until that curse is removed; and the Abolitionists cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree." LDS Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p.290, 1859. Long before the American Civil War began, the leaders of the Mormon church took up the cause of the southern states and made the issue of slavery the prime movement that took the nation closer to the conflict. There were many reasons for the Civil War, slavery not being the least of them, but for the Mormon church it was a primary reason, because it foresaw that the abolishment of slavery in the United States would affect the plans of the leadership of the Mormon church to establish their own country in which slavery would be condoned, practiced and taught. Even after the Civil War, when the issue of slavery had been decided and Utah had no choice but to give up the institution of slavery, there was no concession regarding the belief that the black person was inferior: "...a colored man ...is not capable of receiving the Priesthood, and can never reach the highest Celestial glory of the Kingdom of God." Angus M. Cannon, The Salt Lake Tribune, October 5, 1884. It was not Brigham Young's belief that the black person would never receive blessings from God, but that he would not receive those blessings in this life and could not attain to the priesthood in this life either. The black person would be the last to receive those blessing after everyone had received theirs. Whether the black person could attain to godhood is not stated. "Ham will continue to be servant of servants, as the Lord decreed, until the curse is removed. Will the present struggle free the slave? No... Can you destroy the decrees of the Almighty? You cannot." LDS Prophet Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 250, 1863. . "How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, and they never can hold the priesthood or share in it until all the other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessing of the Priesthood and the keys thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam's children are brought up to that favourable position, the children of Cain cannot receive the first ordinances of the priesthood. They were the first that were cursed, and they will be the last from whom the curse will be removed. When the residue of the family of Adam come up and receive their blessings, then the curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will receive blessing in like proportion." LDS Prophet Brigham Young, The black man can eventually reach the "Celestial Kingdom", but he will not receive any blessing until everyone else has received theirs; and those blessings will be given out "in like proportion". Since the black man was cursed in the spiritual world and the physical world, the "like proportion" must be very small and there is no indication that he will be able to attain to godhood. MOVING INTO THE TWENTIETH CENTURY The teaching of Brigham Young that black people would eventually receive blessings in the "Celestial Kingdom" probably did not set well with many in the hierarchy of the Mormon church. Many continued to believe and teach that black people would continue to be servants in the next world. "The same efforts he said had been made by Aunt Jane to receive her endowments and be sealed to her husband and have her children sealed to their parents and her appeal was made to all the Presidents from President Young down to the present First Presidency. But President Cannon conceived the idea that, under the circumstances, it would be proper to permit her to go to the temple to be adopted to the Prophet Joseph Smith as his servant and this was done. This seemed to ease her mind for a little while but did not satisfy her, and she still pleaded for her endowments." Related by LDS President Joseph Fielding Smith, August 26, 1908. Excerpts from "The Weekly Council Meetings Of The Quorum Of The Twelve Apostles" as printed in Mormonism-Shadow or Reality? p. 584, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. "In the spirit of sympathy, mercy and faith, we will also hope that blessings may eventually be given to our Negro brethren, for they are our brethren - children of God - notwithstanding their black covering emblematical of eternal darkness." LDS Prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, The Way to Perfection,, p. 102. 1931. It would seem that Joseph Fielding Smith had no confidence in the doctrine of Brigham Young regarding the eventual blessings that black people would receive. He claimed to be an advocate for the black people in hoping for obtaining their future blessing, but he did not present the teaching that had already been given by Brigham Young. He also continued to condemn the black people in their position of "eternal darkness" and the Mormon church continued the condemnation and discrimination, never going back to their own foundational scriptures in the Book of Mormon proving that they had made a colossal doctrinal error. THE STONE WALL BEING BUILT As time progressed into the twentieth century, racial unrest began to increase and the emergence of the civil rights movement began to put pressure on the Mormon church to review its beliefs and teachings. The secular world was already changing and the legal and social system of the nation was absorbing the idea of equality, but the Mormon church began a retrenchment and braced to defend the doctrine of inequality until the last possible moment. It was the Civil War being fought all over again by the Mormon church and there was no possible way to win. "Is there reason then why the type of birth we receive in this life is not a reflection of our worthiness or lack of it in the pre-existent life? ...can we account in any other way for the birth of some of the children of God in darkest Africa, or in flood-ridden China, or among the starving hordes of India, while some of the rest of us are born here in the united States? We cannot escape the conclusion that because of performance in our pre-existence some of us are born as Chinese, some as Japanese, some as latter-day Saints. These are rewards and punishments, fully in harmony with His established policy in dealing with sinners and saints, rewarding all according to their deeds... Let us consider the great mercy of god for a moment. A Chinese, born in China with a dark skin, and with all the handicaps of that race seems to have little opportunity. But think of the mercy of God to Chinese people who are willing to accept the gospel. In spite of whatever they might have done in the pre-existence to justify being born over there as Chinamen, if they now, in this life, accept the gospel and live it the rest of their lives they can have the Priesthood, go to the temple and receive endowments and sealings, and that means they can have exaltation. Isn't the mercy of God marvelous? Think of the Negro, cursed as to the priesthood... This Negro, who, in the pre-existence lived the type of life which justified the Lord in sending him to the earth in the lineage of Cain with a black skin, and possibly being born in darkest Africa--if that Negro is willing when he hears the gospel to accept it, he may have many of the blessing of the gospel. In spite of all he did in the pre-existent life, the Lord is willing, if the Negro accepts the gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. If that Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the celestial kingdom. he will go there as a servant, but he will get celestial glory." Race Problems--As They Affect The Church, LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen, address given at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, delivered at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, August 27, 1954. Going into the generation of the civil rights movement, the Mormon church reached back into its history for a doctrine that would keep the black person from being the same as other good and worthy Mormons, even if the black person was "faithful all his days". "...when the Lord chose the nations to which the spirits were to come, determining that some would be Japanese and some would be Chinese and some Negroes and some Americans, He engaged in an act of segregation. ...when He cursed the descendants of Cain as to the Priesthood, He engaged in segregation... Who placed the Negroes originally darkest Africa? Was it some man, or was it God? and when He placed them there, he segregated them... The Lord segregated the people both a to blood and place of residence. At least in the cases of the Lamanites {Native Americans} and the Negroes we have the definite Word of the Lord Himself that He placed a dark skin upon them as a curse - as a punishment and as a sign to all others." Race Problems--As They Affect The Church, LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen, address given at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, delivered at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, August 27, 1954. The Mormon church placed itself into a position that it could not adequately defend. The doctrine of inferiority was not defensible in the Book of Mormon, but found its support solely in one verse in the Book of Abraham which would eventually become a great embarrassment to Mormon leaders for an entirely different reason than that associated with race. There are questions to be asked and answers must be given. The Mormon church might make a case, through their own "revelations" and "scriptures" that the Lamanites {Native Americans} black people are cursed with a dark skin. However, there are Chinese and Japanese that have skins that are more white that most Mormons and conversely there are Mormons with darker skins than many Native Americans and black persons. Just where is the judgement being applied: is it in relation to skin color or is it in relation to race? Jews are also of a darker skin, but they are the "covenant people" of god. Why are they not included and denied glorification? The answer to the question appears to be racial in nature. And the racial application pertains to Native Americans and black persons only. Perhaps it is the two racial groups that the Mormons felt were the greatest threat, because of their proximity, that are cursed by god, providing the reason and justification for a plan of segregated action that would help to protect the Mormon group from outside influences that were not in accordance with the composition of the group as a whole. Not only was the Mormon church opposed to the freedom of the slaves, it was also actively pursuing a non-active policy in which the gospel, that the Book of Mormon said was for every human being, was being deliberately withheld from persons with black skin. "...the Mormon church tried to avoid doing missionary work among the black people. Apostle Bruce R. Mc Conkie stated: 'The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them...' (Mormon Doctrine, p. 477). William E. Berrett said that: "...no direct efforts have been made to proselyte among them." (Mormonism and the Negro, part 2, p. 5). The Mormon writer Arthur M. Richardson very bluntly stated: '...the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, has no call to carry the gospel to the Negro, and it does not do so." (That Ye may Not Be Deceived, p. 13). Quoted from The Changing World of Mormonism, Chapter 10, p. 300, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. The mixing of the black and white races was one of the greatest fears of the Mormon church. If black people could not attain to the priesthood, then for a Mormon to mix his blood by marriage with a black person would mean that the children of that marriage would have black blood in them and would be disqualified from the priesthood. "Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." LDS Prophet Brigham young, Journal of Discourses, Vol. 10, p. 110. "Now what is our policy in regard to inter-marriage? As to the Negro, of course, there is only one possible answer. we must not inter-marry with the Negro. Why? If I were to marry a Negro woman and have children by her, my children would all be cursed as to the priesthood. Do I want my children cursed as to the priesthood? If there isn't any argument, therefore, as to inter- marriage with the Negro, is there? There are 50 million Negroes in the United States. If they were to achieve complete absorption with the white race, think what that would do. With 50 million Negroes inter-married with us, where would the priesthood be? Who could hold it, in all America? Think what that would do to the work of the Church! Race Problems--As They Affect The Church, LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen, address given at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, delivered at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, August 27, 1954. THE LIE EXPOSED The impossibility of the position that the Mormon church placed itself is readily apparent. How could they know if a person had a black ancestry? If the person did not appear black and stated that they had no black heritage, then how could any one know the reality? The Mormon church proceeded just as if nothing is amiss. What is the resolution of the matter when a person attains to the priesthood or becomes a prophet or apostle, not knowing that they have a black ancestry? Did the Mormon church know, with 100% assurance, that no president, prophet or apostle with a black ancestor had served in the church? "Ninth President David O. McKay conceded: 'I know of no scriptural basis for denying the Priesthood to Negroes other than one verse in the Book of Abraham (1:26); however, I believe, as you suggest that the real reason dates back to our pre-existent life.'" (Mormonism and the Negro, part 2, p. 19). Quoted from The Changing World of Mormonism, Chapter 10, p. 300, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. "Tenth President Joseph Fielding Smith admitted that he could not find any scriptural basis for not allowing blacks to hold the Priesthood other than the statement in the Book of Abraham which is part of the Pearl of Great Price: 'It is true that the Negro race is barred from holding the Priesthood, and this has always been the case. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught this doctrine, and it was made known to him, although we know of no such statement in any revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon, or the Bible". (The ImprovementEra, Vol. 27, p. 565). Quoted from The Changing World of Mormonism, Chapter 10, p. 300, by Jerald and Sandra Tanner. It would have been well for LDS Presidents Joseph Fielding Smith and David O. McKay to have distanced themselves farther from the Book of Abraham than they did. The recent discovery of the original papyri, from which LDS Prophet Joseph Smith claimed to have translated the Book of Abraham, has proved beyond any doubt that the translation was a fraud and that LDS Prophet Joseph Smith lied about making the translation. The papyri that he claimed to have used was part of the Egyptian Book of the Dead and has nothing to do with Abraham or anything that is written in the Book of Abraham. There never was a prohibition against black persons attaining to the priesthood in the Mormon church and there never was any word from God on the matter. All the arguments and rhetoric on the subject, attesting to the correctness and godliness regarding the enslavement of human beings, was based on a complete fabrication; a monumental lie from the mind, pen and voice of Joseph Smith, the first "Prophet", President and "Seer" of the Mormon church. There is a greater question to be asked, and the answer from the Mormon church will not be forthcoming, because the answer is obvious and it would destroy the church from the top to the bottom: If LDS Prophet Joseph Smith lied regarding his "translation" of the Book of Abraham, then why is his "translation" of the Book of Mormon accepted without any original manuscripts (the gold plates)? LDS Prophet Joseph Smith has been proved to be a liar regarding one major "translation", because the original document used in the "translation" was found and compared to his "translation" and his doctrine regarding the inferiority of persons of black skin was proved false as a result. The Book of Abraham was a complete and total fabrication by Joseph Smith, and the original document is available. How can he be trusted in his claim that the Book of Mormon is a legitimate translation when there are no original documents? How can a Mormon believer trust a liar, especially when his soul is at risk for eternity? THE BIBLE SPEAKS AGAINST THE LIE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE In Relation To Its Mission "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matthew 28:19 (KJV) "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Mark 16:15 (KJV) In Relation To Its Converts "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men..." Titus 2:11 (KJV) "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of god: being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus..." Romans 3:21 - 24 (KJV) "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him..." Acts 10:35 - 36 "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all." Colossians 3:11 (KJV) In Relation To The Position Of Believers "But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name: which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12 - 13 (KJV) In Relation To Truth "...and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32 (KJV) "...for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth..." Colossians 1:5 - 6 (KJV) In Relation To Jesus Christ "Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." John 14:6 (KJV) "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in god through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." Romans 5:8 - 11 (KJV) "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12 (KJV) In Relation To God "No man can come to Me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:44 (KJV) "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with god, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." John 1:1 - 2 (KJV) In Relation To The Holy Spirit "Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of god. That which is born of the flesh is flesh: and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." John 3:5 - 7 (KJV) "But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you." Romans 8:11 (KJV) "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to god, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the spirit..." I Peter 3:18 (KJV) In Relation to Grace "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8 - 9 "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." Romans 11:6 (KJV) "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of god; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Whom god hath set forth to e a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of god; to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law." Romans 3:23 - 28 (KJV) |
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