"Our dear prophet, Russell M. Nelson, declared: “I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice. I plead with you to promote respect for all of God’s children.” As a global and ever-growing Church, following this invitation from our prophet is a vital prerequisite for building the Savior’s kingdom in every nation of the world. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that we are all begotten spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents who truly love usand that we lived as a family in God’s presence before we were born on this earth. The gospel also teaches that we were all created in the image and likeness of God.Therefore, we are equal before Him,for He “hath made of one blood all nations of men [and…
"The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches that we are all begotten spirit sons and daughters of heavenly parents who truly love usand that we lived as a family in God’s presence before we were born on this earth. The gospel also teaches that we were all created in the image and likeness of God. ...President Nelson further emphasized the importance of spreading dignity and respect for our fellow beings when he stated: “The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent! … It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and…
Before the Priesthood Ban Was Enacted– “Other Black men converted in the early decades of the Restoration, but not all of them were ordained to the priesthood. That, however, was nothing out of the ordinary. Not all white men were ordained, either, and no enslaved men were ordained in the South.17 In the nineteenth century, the purpose of ordination was to provide each congregation with leadership, not to ensure that all men held priesthood office. In 1842, the branch in Brandywine, Pennsylvania, for example, reported 124 total members, which included seven elders, two priests, three teachers, and two deacons, while the branch in Salem, Massachusetts, counted 66 members, with one elder and one priest.18 Not until the early decades of the twentieth century did the Church systematically ordain young men…
“execute the curse of Almighty upon that race without being commanded to do it and they will have to be punished for rising up and inflicting this curse upon [the] descendants of Adam. Shall we assume the right without the voice of [the] Lord speaking to us and commanding us to [introduce] slavery into our territory. …[When] in [our] situation we are legislating in [the] capacity of people who desire to serve God, in [the] capacity [to] be the most benefit to [the] nations abroad, is it not known to this honorable council the light in which slavery is looked upon by almost every enlightened nation or heathen? They look upon it with disgust" -Elder Orson Pratt before the Territorial Legislature on slavery. 27 January 1852. Church Record 100 91.-…
“They come into the world slaves mentally and physically. Change their situation with the white & they would be like them. They have souls and are subjects of salvation.”
Joseph F. Smith's Notes from a conversation with Elder Elijah Able "Joseph said he was entitled to the priesthood and all the blessings. He received a patriarchal blessing under the hands of Father Joseph – and blessed as his own son."
In 1884, Jane James wrote to President John Taylor concerning temple admission: "I realize my race & color & cant expect my Endowments as others who are white," she wrote. "My race was handed down through the flood & God promised Abraham that in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blest & as this is the fullness of all dispensations is there no blessing for me?" -Jane E. James to John Taylor, Dec. 27th 1884, Church History Library.- In 1889, Church Patriarch John Smith gave Jane a second patriarchal blessing:“The Lord has heard thy petitions,” Smith assured James. He continued, “He knowest the secrets of thy heart, He has witnessed thy trials and although thy life has been somewhat checkered His hand has been over thee…
“Church President David O. McKay was uncomfortable with McConkie's book and its authoritative title and so he commissioned a committee to investigate. Two senior Apostles, Mark E. Petersen and Marion G. Romney, documented what they considered to be 1,067 errors and recommended it not be republished.”
”I had a great deal to fight," he later recalled, "myself, largely, because I had grown up with this thought that Negroes should not have the priesthood and I was prepared to go all the rest of my life until my death and fight for it and defend it as it was.” "The doctrine or policy has not varied in my memory. I know it could. I know the Lord could change his policy and release the ban and forgive the possible error which brought about the deprivation."
"The tribe of Levi analogy, however, begins with a false premise- -that only the tribe of Levi held the priesthood anciently. Book of Mormon peoples were not Levites, and they held the priesthood, as did other Old Testament leaders such as Melchizedek and Elijah. Even if we confine ourselves to the tribe of Levi's role in the tabernacle, I still believe it is a poor analogy. None of the other tribes were prevented from partaking of the ordinances necessary for their salvation in the way that the temple and priesthood restrictions prevented people of Black African descent from so doing. The tribe of Levi was given authority to administer tabernacle rituals for and in behalf of the other tribes. Their function was to welcome the other tribes into the tabernacle…
