Pew has a new report, A Portrait of Mormons in the U.S.. Most of it is is unsurprising, but this caught my eye:
Converts are more likely than lifelong members to come from minority racial and ethnic groups. One-in-ten converts to Mormonism are black, and nearly all black Mormons are converts. An additional one-in-ten Mormon converts are Hispanic, and just 72% are white; by contrast, 91% of lifelong Mormons are white. Converts are also more than three times as likely as lifelong members to be immigrants to the U.S. (14% vs. 4%).
The sample size may be small, so the 1 in 10 figure could be a fluke, but this is striking in light of the fact that blacks did not become recognized as equal to non-blacks within the Mormon church until 1978 (people of black African ancestry were excluded from the priesthood).
Or it may be that people realize that having the priesthood witheld for a time from one's family is something that's prominent in the Bible and DOES NOT mean a lower rank or lesser position. The tribe of Levi for an extended portion of the Biblical account was the only tribe admitted to the priesthood, that doesn't seem to have alientated, nor lessened the importance of, the other members and converts to Israel's congregation.
I have trouble understanding why any person of color would want to join a church that taught that their "coloredness" was a punishment from God. Stockholm Syndrome? Or just another in a myriad of way churches sweep large portions of their history under the rug.
As far as ongoing revelations go, is it God's way of saying, "Nevermind that stuff I said about burning your skin to punish you for your sins. I was only kidding. Now pay my church, and you can have a planet of your own in the afterlife."
As far as ongoing revelations go, is it God's way of saying, "Nevermind that stuff I said about burning your skin to punish you for your sins. I was only kidding. Now pay my church, and you can have a planet of your own in the afterlife."
you make the cost vs. benefit seem positive :-)
"I have trouble understanding why any person of color would want to join a church that taught that their "coloredness" was a punishment from God." - Quite, I think most likely, they just don't know about it. The missionaries are hardly going to tell them, and, my understanding is that even once you're a paid-up member, it's just not talked about. Unless you read "anti-Mormon" writings, you might well never find out, and members (of all races) are warned not to do that.
the fact that the lamanites are cursed with dark skin because of their iniquity is one of the most repetitious features of the book of mormon, as opposed to the "white and delightsome" nephites. additionally, the idea that dark skin is the mark of cain is pretty common among many american white mormons in my experience. but these issues bleed into folk theology complicated by the lack of a professional mormon priesthood.
also, mormons made distinctions between different types of dark-skinned people. ergo, their missions to the peoples of the pacific, native americans, and not to peoples of african ancestry before 1978. from what i recall it was specifically the pre-formed souls of black africans who followed satan in heaven and so were cursed. though it's been a while....
The Bible is replete with examples of people and nations not having the privilege of having the gospel preached to them or holding the priesthood--some for a period of time, and some for a lifetime. The Lord has his own agenda, timetable, and reasons. It may be because the Lord has inflicted a curse upon a line in certain cases, or perhaps it's something totally unrelated--God isn't required to explain exactly why he does everything the way he does. Several prophets have spoken in the name of the Lord and explained the situation, but most people just speculate or postulate because they just don't know why it's the way it is--they just accept that the Lord must have his reasons.
This shouldn't affect the way we view our fellow man. As Mormons, we are taught to love and respect all children of God, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, etc. The Bible and Book of Mormon especially both teach that God will be completely fair to everyone in the end, that he looks upon the heart, that there is salvation for both the Jew and the Gentile, no matter what color they are.
This report also says that 3% of all Mormons in the U.S. are black, which agrees with several earlier estimates. This is more remarkable when considering that this report also says that 42% of U.S. Mormons are in Utah and Idaho, which have very small black percentages.
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As impressive as this is, the global numbers are more so: with the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ in Africa, Brazil, and the Caribbean, BETWEEN 1 IN 10 AND 1 IN 20 MORMONS WORLDWIDE IS BLACK.
Let's keep in mind that at the turn of the century, over 4 million evangelicals were registered with the KKK. What the Mormons did, was nothing in comparison to this. How short our memories are. Even today, blacks are treated better by Mormons over their evangelical counterparts.
Already in Nigeria there is an exmormon group dedicated to exposing the lies and deceits of the Mormons . I don't suppose many black Mormons know that so called Mormon Apostle Mark Peterson in his book 'Way of Perfection ' taught that the black skin of negroes was emblematical of eternal darkness .
You can be sure that blacks will always be at the bottom of the Mormon pile and the 'white and delightsome' mormons will always be the Apostles and Prophets . To the best of my knowledge there is only one black man in the seventy and he was appointed only this year { no doubt a purely token gesture }
This post is nothing more than an anti-Mormon poke-in-the-eye from an individual with the pretension of being "scientific."
Since the priesthood revelation of 1978, the expansion and growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints among Africans and persons of African descent has been rapid. There are a quarter million Africans who are now members of the Church. There are LDS congregations in Harlem for crying out loud.
Statements of the early Mormon pioneers (all of whom were abolitionists, BTW) never indicated that blacks were an inferior race. Joseph Smith, our founder, actually ran for president of the US in 1844. Part of his campaign platform included ending slavery in a phased manner. His plan included the purchase the slaves freedom by the sale of lands in the West and reducing the pay of Congress. He intended not only to free the slaves, but to educate them so they could have equality. Even Abraham Lincoln never intended for the black race to be equal to the white race, as evidenced in his comments in his debate with Stephen R. Douglas.
Racism was never the reason for the priesthood ban. However, even if it were (speaking hypothetically), shouldn't the Church be commended for its progress? Anti-Mormons simply want an albatross to hang around our necks. Well, they can just keep it. We've moved on and black Mormons are to be found everywhere, fully integrated into our organizations. It's time for anti-Mormons to get over it.
After all, isn't anti-Mormon bigotry still bigotry?
There are several articles and videos on the subject at the Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormonism web site.
So whatever happened to those golden tablets Joseph Smith found?
Elliot, you're living in a fantasy land if you think that the early Mormons were just shrugging their shoulders and saying, "Well, we can't imagine why God is withholding the priesthood from black people. Maybe some day..."
Here is Brigham Young's thinking about race relations, "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." (Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.10, p.109)
Anyone considering Mormonism should read their history carefully and extensively. Mormonism is not the mainstream, feel good, denomination that they try to present today. It has a dark and quirky history.That is not bigotry, it is documented fact. What they teach their followers has changed significantly over the years, and they have made effort to hide the dark parts. Their discrimination against blacks is only the "tip of the iceberg."
KingM & Anne , thank you both for your contributions may I add to what you said by mentioning the following statement from the late Mormon Prophet Spencer W Kimball . He said
" I saw a sriking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today ... The day of the Lamanites is nigh . For years they have been growing delightsome , and now they have been growing white and delightsome as they were promised . In this picture of twenty Lamanite missionaries , fifteen of the twenty were as light as Anglos , five were darker but equally delightsome . The children in the home placement program in Utah are lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservation ."
This ludicrous and horrible statement which along with all the other terrible statements uttered by leading Mormons down through the decades has never been condemned and repudiated by the current leadership of the LDS .
It is a tragedy beyond words that people are deceived by this cult - but thank God there is a steady flow of Mormons who leave .
Brigham Young didn't start out against blacks. He approved of many ordinations while Joseph Smith was alive and even when the pioneers reached Utah.
As leader of the Church, Brigham Young allowed the ordination of black Mormons. Elijah Abel, a black Mormon Seventy (a position just under Apostle) received his "Endowments" in the Nauvoo Mormon Temple, when Brigham Young led the Church, in 1846.
Brigham Young allowed the ordination to the priesthood of at least three black men: Walker Lewis, William McCary, and Enoch Abel (son of Elijah Abel).
History reveals that Brigham Young DID NOT ACCEPT the Curse of Cain Doctrine at first, but did after the "McCary Incident" of 1847 in which a half-Negro half-Native American Mormon Elder seduced a number of white Mormon women; claiming he was a "Lamanite Prophet" and that he was Adam reincarnated, and telling each female she was Eve reincarnated. This shocked and enraged Brigham Young, who then accepted Christendom's "curse of Cain" doctrine.
History records that the Church and America weren't ready for black priesthood clergy in all white Churches until 110 years later.
I am a Mormon, am not racist, and have friends who I love and cherish of all kinds of ethnicities, ilks, and backgrounds. I have never met a racist Mormon in my 30 years as a member. We are all children of God, and "God is no respector of persons". I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that only through Him can we overcome the obstacles of physical death (through the resurrection) and the spiritually deadening effects of sin (through our repentance and grace and mercy of Jesus). I love my life, family, and others more because of the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. Despite all the frits of history in the Church, errors made by humans, half-lies, outright lies, mischaracterizations, and anything else anti-mormons choose to hurl against the Church, the individual lives of Mormons are being enriched and brought closer to their Savior. Read the Book of Mormon! It will change your life as it did mine and bring you closer to Jesus Christ.
Yes , yes Mike you are good with the green jello Mormon sentimentality , but when are you and other Mormons going to face up to the dreadful teachings of your organization concerning black people ?
Why was the Book of Mormon changed (1980) in 2 Nephi 30v6 from ' white and delightsome ' to ' pure and delightsome '? What credibility has this absurd novel when you are changing the text to cover up a previously held racist view . What was Joseph Smith looking at when he was supposedly looking at the Gold Plates in Reformed Eygptian with his pair of glasses which he called the Urim and Thumim ? Did he see ' white and delightsome ' or ' pure and delightsome' ? And just in case any dishonest Mormon tries to suggest white is to be uderstood as pure I simply ask that they look at the quote I gave in a previous posting from Specer W Kimball who clearly understood 2 Nephi 30v6 in terms of skin colour .
No thank you I dont want to know the Mormon Jesus who the Mormons say was the Devil's brother and a polygamist
Lastly may I remind people that Mitt Romney went along with all this horrible racist teaching and did not question it at all
I've met a couple black Mormons. Family-values, preppy, conservative types. God love 'em.
Andrew,
Go to www.fairlds.org for answers to your questions. There is a search bar that is pretty handy there, and I'm sure all of your objections are covered.
BTW - I picked up on your green jello quip, and thought it was pretty funny. I think the Mormon cultural stereotypes are well-deserved and pretty funny.
Good luck on your search for truth...I have told you what I know.