Close Topic Options

Blacks & The Mormon Priesthood - Page 14

I remember reading it in some early church publications. (I think)? [I need to get my information verified].

Priesthood Mormon and Blacks

Yes, Brigham Young as well as others said so...but again Brigham said so many "interesting" things.

Blacks & The Mormon Priesthood Studies Doctrine Mormon

A lot of it it's just pure speculation. We don't know for sure the answer to that.

Page 14 Priesthood Mormon and Blacks

It's not speculation at all. If you study the Gospel you will find it, I have found some stuff, just can't think of it.

Priesthood Mormon and Blacks

It is speculation and one of the apostles (Can't remember who) spoke on the television show on PBS and said that's Mormon folklore and we should not continue repeating those things.

Blacks & The Mormon Priesthood

Rather than formulate an opinion from an authoritarian standpoint (Because the Authorities opinions are far from unanimous) I'm going to take this question from a theoretical standpoint.

To deny a family the great blessing and privilege of the Holy Priesthood based solely on the genetic quality of pigmentation creates a great schism within the human soul. On the one hand, a Saint has a righteous desire to reach out and bring their fellow men into the Covenant; while on the other, they must deny it to certain men because of their race even if they are in all other ways qualified for it. The denier suffers as well as the denied. If the Lord made that law, and if the Lord is good, then all those made to suffer the law deserve to be given a just explanation as to why they must suffer.

It was said by some that it is not merely the color of the skin that is the grounds for the denial, but rather the cursed blood line that it represents. The Bible and the Book of Mormon apparently support the idea that dark skin is a curse as seen in the marking of Cain and the Marking of the Lamanites (I wonder who was the cursed progenerator of the Asian race). Is it not written in the Articles of our Faith that "man shall be punished for his own sins?" The article does not merely mean that it is only Adam's sin that we are not guilty of, but that we are not guilty of ANY of our ancestor's sins. A man is his own man and will be judged for his actions alone. Nothing else is reconcilable with that article and nothing else is reconcilable with the human heart.

How could it be that God would allow a race to be punished for the sin of an ancestor then 5000 years deceased?

Some may say that the denial of the priesthood is not punishment at all, it is merely the withholding of blessings. Is there a difference? The priesthood, which includes the temple ordinances, is only the sole power by which a family can obtain the blessings of exaltation. How could denying that be punishment?

Some may say that it is only a temporary withholding of blessings, that they will have the priesthood ordained to them in the next life. What good can God do by denying them those blessings in the present? We can not allow ourselves to justify injustice in this life by saying that it will be justified in the next. Why deny a family the assurance of exaltation in this life when they fully deserve it?

Having not been given an adequate explanation for the need of our suffering, and in defense of the Goodness of God, I propose that the doctrine denying the priesthood to the blacks did not come from the Lord. It's source could only be the prejudice of those at the head of the church in it's younger days, propagated and perpetuated by tradition and deference to authority. I don't believe it to be the case that the early church leaders had a particularly strong prejudice against the blacks. In fact, the opposite seems to be true. But, prejudice was the norm in American society and I doubt they were able to fully overcome it. No doubt, upon observing the indentured and debased condition of the blacks as a race, a theological reason was sought after. Why did God allow it? Connecting this condition with the accounts of cursing in the scriptures, I'm sure, was natural. It would have seemed reasonable to believe that the blacks were still subject to that curse. The doctrine of a preexistence helped to explain how spirits are dispersed among the various peoples. Those less worthy spirits must be the blacks. How could the early church leadership justify giving the Holy Priesthood to a cursed race? They couldn't. I don't know of any canonized revelation denying priesthood to the blacks. I'm sure the church leaders felt that God had already shown so plainly the justification for the doctrine that they felt no direct revelation was necessary.

Blacks & Mormon Priesthood - Page 14

TheMark:

Where in the Scriptures does it say the mark of Cain is dark skin? (And please don't quote me Bruce R. Mc Conkie and his "interesting" views on the topic. He is not authority, never has been and really messed up with this topic when he said the Blacks would never have the Priesthood on Earth.)

I agree 100%.

Blacks & Mormon Priesthood Mormon Doctrine Studies - Page 14

What is the purpose of this site? To find ways to disagree with the church more and more? To formulate our own doctrines? To establish our views are better then the churches? (Better then prophets that we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators?)

We do realize the Lord has his own rules.
Why was only Sons of Aaron able to hold the priesthood in ancient times? Why was a whole nation denied the Melchizedek Priesthood all together? Why was the gospel only preached to one nation while Christ was on the earth. Why don't woman hold the priesthood now? We don't second guess any of these decisions by God. But once it happens in our “modern day” we assume it has to be made up by men? No way God would do that now?

Does that sound any different then any other religion explain why there isn't revelation, isn't any more scripture. The same answer is given, God doesn't do that now, He did that back then but he doesn't do that now.

Or does he? (See the end)

Because not holding the priesthood does not stop the blacks from receiving Exaltation. Meaning even though they don't receive all that other men got, it wasn't held against them for not getting the priesthood (It would be pretty dumb of God to do that).

Joseph Fielding Smith taught this.

That last paragraph is kind of interesting. People assume that we understand things when we really don't! So was it any type of punishment for the blacks! No! They were not stopped in there progression (Which is why we are on this earth) at all! They receive all the blessings any other member can obtain.

I don't claim to know any of these answers! There are more questions then answers! We do know what is taught about pre-mortal life and how assumptions are made. We know that based off of what we did in the pre-mortal life does affect us here. What this was we don't know! We can't make that guess, we don't have enough information. Years a go I found this scripture interesting! I leave it for what it is!

So, there is a revelation in the current D&C that states that a people (Those that persecuted the early saints) well be cursed. That they well be cut off from the ordinances. That they well not have right to priesthood and the posterity after them. I'm guessing Man must have written that section, because God doesn't do that now.