“The patriotism of Pennsylvania's religious teachers was pure. They threw in their whole weight of character and influence to promote a cause which made others equal with themselves; for the glorious privilege of seeing a people free. Her heroes bore the horrors of war, not to away the tyrant's scepter, or enjoy a lordling's wealth, but to found an asylum for the oppressed, and prepare a land of freedom for the tyrant's slave. Her statesmen, while in the councils of the nation, devoted all their wisdom and talents to establish a government where every man should be free; the slave liberated from bondage and the colored African enjoy the rights of citizenship; all enjoying equal rights to speak, to act, to worship, peculiar privileges to none. Such were Pennsylvania's sons at…
“Evidence suggests that enslaved people like John Burton were baptized of their own accord. In fact, in cases where white Latter-day Saints enslaved more than one person, there is no situation where all enslaved people were baptized, an indication that the enslaved were not forced to follow their enslavers into the faith.”
Break off the shackles from the poor Black man, and hire him to labor like other human beings, "He pointed to the great American paradox as a problem that needed resolution: a nation founded on the principles that "all men are created equal" simultaneously held "some two or three millions of people . .. as slaves for life, because the spirit in them is covered with a darker skin than ours." …He similarly called on the promises of the U.S. Constitution to be fulfilled and left no doubt that in his view that document "meant just what it said without reference to color or condition."
“We likewise call on government, business, and educational leaders at every level to review processes, laws, and organizational attitudes regarding racism and root them out once and for all. It is past time for every one of us to elevate our conversations above divisive and polarizing rhetoric. Treating others with respect matters.”
“We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church." Church Statement Regarding Washington Post's Article on Race and the Church.
“The pioneers no more discovered the great basin than Columbus discovered America. …From the day the 1847 pioneers first put their plows in the ground, "settlement" for them would mean displacement for Indians. ...I think telling the rest of the story requires one to acknowledge that Indians made sincere and often heroic efforts to absorb the tide of Mormon emigrants and to peacefully and even symbiotically co-exist with them. …Regardless of how one views the equities of Indian-Mormon relations in those times, the end result was that the land and cultural birthright Indians once possessed in the Great Basin were taken from them. …What we can do? The least we can do from a distance of 160 years, is to acknowledge and appreciate the monumental loss this represents on the…
“As world citizens, we have more in common than we might suppose. That is not only true for us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but also for all children of our Heavenly Father. … If we only would focus on the life experiences and hopes we have in common, it should not be too hard to get along with individuals, communities, and nations—regardless of where we live and regardless of what our backgrounds or life circumstances may be. If world history has taught us anything, we learn that it is a human tendency to think of ourselves as being the ‘good guys’—as the heroes of the story. And those who think and behave differently? Well, they are the ‘bad guys.’ When we see others as…
“I feel the light, the optimism, and the witness that come from the influence of the Holy Ghost whenever I remember, ponder about, and strive to emulate the Savior of the World. … We must try to love as He loved. He made no distinction between the poor and rich, the young or old, the healthy or infirm. He did not shun those of different faiths or those of different cultural backgrounds. He loved everyone. He loves everyone. And He has commanded us to ‘love one another,’ as He has loved us (John 15:12).”
“When some advocates voice insults or practice other minor provocations, both sides should ignore them. Our society already has too many ugly confrontations. If we answer back, we tend to mirror the insult. Far from being a weakness, reconciling adverse positions through respectful negotiation is a virtue. As Jesus taught, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God’ (Matthew 5:9). All that is necessary for unity and a broad coalition to promote our common need for religious freedom is our shared conviction that God has commanded us to love one another, including our neighbors with different beliefs and cultures.”
“I reiterate my call1 to members of the Church everywhere to abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice and to promote respect for all of God’s children. This is a hallmark of all true followers of Jesus Christ. Abandoning prejudice must go well beyond what we say at the pulpit. We also need to abandon hurtful and insensitive comments in our conversations, in our private messages to one another and on social media, and, most importantly, in our own hearts. This will happen as we fully embrace the teachings of the Savior Jesus Christ, who said, ‘Love one another; as I have loved you’ (John 13:34). May we strive to follow Him by living up to His lofty, loving, and inclusive example.”
