Which justification did your parents use to explain the priesthood ban on blacks?

[Brother of Jared]

My parents were born in the 30's, and they taught me that church leaders, especially David O. McKay, always wanted to give black members the priesthood, but knew that if they did many white people would leave the church or not join because the US was racist just too racist at the time. In essence, the church had to conform to the rest of the world or else it wouldn't grow. Once the rest of the world progressed enough, the Lord allowed the priesthood to be given to blacks.

I believed the same thing until a few years ago when I learned that Joseph Smith had originally allowed blacks to hold the priesthood and it wasn't until Brigham Young had trouble with some black guy who was bedding a bunch of his targeted women that the priesthood ban on blacks became part of the church.

[pellegrino]

this was never discussed in my home when I was growing up. My father grew up in the segregated south and never thought much about inequalities it was just "we had ours and they had theirs." Even now, my parents don't ever discuss things like this and when they do it becomes a "I don't know much about that."

I am grateful that they never discussed it, it allowed me to make up my own mind about things.

[Uncle Ted]

My parents were born in the 30's, and they taught me that church leaders, especially David O. McKay, always wanted to give black members the priesthood, but knew that if they did many white people would leave the church or not join because the US was racist just too racist at the time. In essence, the church had to conform to the rest of the world or else it wouldn't grow. Once the rest of the world progressed enough, the Lord allowed the priesthood to be given to blacks.

I wonder what some of the "more set in their ways" folks working/attending in the temple would say if this happened...

Cast a black Adam and Eve in films shown in Mormon temples.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/lifesty...-race.html.csp

What a great suggestion.

[Indy Coug]

My parents didn't say anything about the whys and wherefores. I do remember clearly my Mom crying for joy when she told me about the 1978 announcement. I was young and didn't even realize not everyone could hold the Priesthood.

[Topper]

My parents were born in the 30's, and they taught me that church leaders, especially David O. McKay, always wanted to give black members the priesthood, but knew that if they did many white people would leave the church or not join because the US was racist just too racist at the time. In essence, the church had to conform to the rest of the world or else it wouldn't grow. Once the rest of the world progressed enough, the Lord allowed the priesthood to be given to blacks.

I believed the same thing until a few years ago when I learned that Joseph Smith had originally allowed blacks to hold the priesthood and it wasn't until Brigham Young had trouble with some black guy who was bedding a bunch of his targeted women that the priesthood ban on blacks became part of the church.

I don't know the Brigham story. Tell us more.

[Guest]

My parents have never discussed this topic with me even though the subject of race has come up before. Honestly, I think my parents are clueless as to the "darker" side of church history.

In the 1950s, Mark E. Peterson said that blacks could enter the celestial but only as servants. (http://en.fairmormon.org/Mormonism_a...aven_as_slaves)

Now I know that not all church leaders had the same views as Mark E. Peterson did on this topic (as was already mentioned, David O. McKay thought of blacks as equals) but the fact that there were church leaders like this tells me that the church was more or less ok with it. This means that the church was hardly the human rights supporting, chivalrous organization it has always painted itself to be. This is one of the topics that I have always had serious issues with.

[SandYFan]

I don't remember my parents justifying it. I was born after 1977, and my parents had black friends when we lived in Delaware when I was young. I played with their kids and thought nothing of it. I don't think I learned about the priesthood restriction until I was around 10 or so.

[Uncle Ted]

I don't know the Brigham story. Tell us more.

I don't think they tell this one in Utah Seminary either. Wikipedia is your friend...

Some researchers have suggested that the actions of William McCary in Winter Quarters, Nebraska led to Brigham Young's decision to adopt the priesthood ban in the LDS Church. McCary was a half-African American convert who, after his baptism and ordination to the priesthood, began to claim to be a prophet and the possessor of other supernatural gifts. He was excommunicated for apostasy in March 1847 and expelled from Winter Quarters. After his excommunication, McCary began attracting Latter Day Saint followers and instituted plural marriage among his group, and he had himself sealed to several white wives.

McCary's behavior angered many of the Latter Day Saints in Winter Quarters. Researchers have stated that his marriages to his white wives "played an important role in pushing the Mormon leadership into an anti-Black position" and may have prompted Young to institute the priesthood and temple ban on black people. A statement from Young to McCary in March 1847 suggested that race had nothing to do with priesthood eligibility and the earliest known statement about the priesthood restriction from any Mormon leader (including the implication that skin color might be relevant) was made by Apostle Parley P. Pratt a month after McCary was expelled from Winter Quarters. Speaking of McCary, Pratt stated that he "was a black man with the blood of Ham in him which lineage was cursed as regards the priesthood".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_people_and_Mormonism#William_McCary

I wonder what "supernatural gift" William had that attracted those white women to him instead of Brigham.

[wuapinmon]

I wonder what "supernatural gift" William had that attracted those white women to him instead of Brigham.

The Stick of Joseph?

[All-American]

I don't think they tell this one in Utah Seminary either. Wikipedia is your friend...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_people_and_Mormonism#William_McCary

I wonder what "supernatural gift" William had that attracted those white women to him instead of Brigham.

Did any of his followers ever go back (to the church)?

[Uncle Ted]

Did any of his followers ever go back (to the church)?

I don't know but if what they say is true then most likely not.

[LA Ute]

I don't remember it ever coming up for discussion. My parents probably knew no black people -- Dad and Mom were born in Salt Lake City in 1913 and 1917, respectively. My mom seemed to think black people were strange and exotic. (We had one black in my elementary school. He was very popular but also pretty exotic to most of us.) I do recall my dad telling me that the ban was temporary and would end someday. Oddly, my mom's non-member family was not only very anti-Mormon but also very racist. The only racial epithets or jokes I ever heard inside anyone's home were when I was with my aunts on my mom's side. I had forgotten that until just now. I have wondered how my mom, growing up in that family, could have had such seemingly benign racial attitudes.

[PaloAltoCougar]

There was a lot of cognitive dissonance growing up in my house with respect to the race issue. My mom was pretty racist, saying once that she’d rather die than see one of us marry “a colored person.” She strongly opposed fair housing legislation, in part because she believed once blacks began moving into a neighborhood, values would plummet because “they tend to be shiftless and don’t take care of things.” On the other hand, the N word was verboten in our house. And when my dad’s company built a couple of convalescent hospitals, he picked black men to run them; one proved to be rather incompetent, but his wife picked up the slack, and the other was really great (plus he came to Mrs. PAC’s and my wedding reception and gave us a great gift). When that’s guy’s church in West Oakland (a black congregation) burned down, my dad’s company donated labor and materials to rebuild it, after which the church hosted a special program and dinner honoring my parents (which I think had a softening effect on my mom).

But both of my parents bought into the “Seed of Cain” and the “less valiant” arguments (they were both raised in Utah, under very meager circumstances). Growing up, I did as well, although even in grade school I rejected the Seed of Cain part of the analysis—I remember challenging my mom on the point (“So if the Second Article of Faith is true, why should negroes be punished for Cain’s transgression?). By the time I was in high school I began to have problems with the less valiant thing as well, and found it repugnant by the time the ‘70s rolled around.

My parents were totally cool with the ’78 declaration. The moment I learned of it, along with the JFK assassination, the moon landing, 9/11, and the ’84 National Championship game are among the few pivotal instances in my life where the details remain very vivid.

[Pelado]

I was probably still in diapers when it changed. I don't remember how or if my patents justified it, but I did hear most all the "reasons" that have already been mentioned - they weren't ready, less valiant, seed of Cain, etc.

[LA Ute]

The moment I learned of it, along with the JFK assassination, the moon landing, 9/11...are among the few pivotal instances in my life where the details remain very vivid.

For me too. I also remember a general feeling of elation and relief that lingered for several days.