A Note from Meetinghouse Mosaic on the Following Document: We recognize that this is not a perfect document and people may have a variety of feelings toward what information is included (or left out). We acknowledge the hard parts and hold space for those feelings. We also want to celebrate the bold and direct statements that were made. We see this document as a great step forward and wait with anticipation for more reconciliation, repair, and improvement in regards to race and the church.
“Race is a concept that categorizes people based on the color of their skin or other physical features. Unfortunately, race is often used to justify mistreatment or to suggest that one group is better than another. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that everyone is an equal child of God regardless of race, ethnicity, background, skin color, or nationality. The Book of Mormon teaches that “all are alike unto God.”
God loves all His children. We are equal in His eyes, and He recognizes our divine potential to progress and become like Him. He wants each of us to return to live with Him and receive eternal life. Our differences bring beautiful variety to our lives. While we may judge one another based on outward appearance, “the Lord looketh on the heart.”
Racism has been a challenge throughout history across many cultures. Latter-day Saints are not immune from the tendency toward racist attitudes and actions. President Russell M. Nelson taught: “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!”
…God does not love one race more than another, and living prophets and apostles invite anyone with racial prejudice to repent. The scriptures repeatedly teach that God loves all people and does not favor one person or group over another because of their appearance, national origin, or social status. Today’s prophets have made clear that Latter-day Saints should work with others to eliminate racial prejudice. “I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice,” President Nelson taught. Similarly, President Dallin H. Oaks called on Church members to “help root out racism.”
In speaking against racism, Elder Peter M. Johnson of the Seventy counseled: “We need to be kind to one another and accept each other’s differences. The Lord loves diversity—if he didn’t, he would have created everything exactly the same. The Lord also loves oneness, inclusiveness and belonging. This is our Father in Heaven’s design and that’s why he placed us here on earth with different opportunities, backgrounds, cultures, nationalities and differences—so that we can all come together and, through Christ, lift each other up.”
Sister Tracy Y. Browning testified: “God told me when I was sixteen years old that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was His Church. That the Book of Mormon was His word. That prophets and apostles still lived and guided His work. That I was to gather myself with His people, in the water [through baptism] and in the temple, and make covenants with Him. He told me that I belonged; that I was His. That I was purchased with the blood of our Savior Jesus Christ. That my inheritance was eternal life with God the Father, and God the Son. And He told me that the melanin in my skin, or the skin of my children, or the skin of my ancestors, would never change these truths. Not even an uncomfortable part of the Church’s history can change it. The gospel of Jesus Christ is not racist, and He stands at the head of His Church.”
Any form of racism is unacceptable to the Lord and has no place in His Church. We all have to guard against racism. Sometimes we may sin and say unkind or hurtful things to another based on their race or nationality. When we do, we must repent and seek the divine assistance of Jesus Christ to be in good standing with the Lord.
What is the Church doing today to promote better racial relations? The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a global faith. Its diverse membership strives for unity through living according to the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Church’s teachings and organization encourage members of different races and ethnicities to regularly minister in one another’s homes and serve alongside one another as teachers, as adult and youth leaders, and in other assignments in their local congregations.
In its publications, the Church includes the perspectives of members of diverse racial backgrounds who share their experiences as Heavenly Father’s children so “that all may be edified of all.” The Church also celebrates the contributions of past Latter-day Saints from various ethnic groups in its published histories. FamilySearch has developed resources focused on blessing people of all races, digitizing and transcribing records from a wide variety of sources to help people connect with their ancestors, relatives, and heritage.
The Church and its leaders work in various communities throughout the world to promote equality and improved opportunities for racial minorities. For example, in the United States the Church works with organizations in the Black community to improve access to education and promote racial harmony. Church leaders also call on individual Latter-day Saints to look for ways to root out racism in their hearts, congregations, and communities. President Nelson has declared: “I grieve that our Black brothers and sisters the world over are enduring the pains of racism and prejudice. Today, 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.”
…Book of Mormon teachings about the mark once associated with the Lamanites do not pertain to individuals of Lamanite descent today nor to any other people. …The Church affirms Nephi’s teaching that the Lord “denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female.” Latter-day Saints are blessed as they heed the Book of Mormon’s repeated warnings against pride and embrace its teaching that “all are alike unto God.”
What is the Church’s position on white supremacism?
The Church has issued the following statement about white supremacism: “There are some among the various pro-white and white supremacy communities who assert that the Church is neutral toward or in support of their views. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the New Testament, Jesus said: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself’ (Matthew 22:37-39). The Book of Mormon teaches ‘all are alike unto God’ (2 Nephi 26:33).
“White supremacist attitudes are morally wrong and sinful, and we condemn them. Church members who promote or pursue a ‘white culture’ or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.”
The Church does not teach that mixed-race marriages are wrong and does not discourage interracial marriage. Many interracial, international, and intercultural couples share a strong foundation in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and are sealed in holy temples.
…Some believe that their own appearance and customs are normal and view people who look different from them with suspicion or negativity. This unfortunate tendency is reflected in the histories of several of the world’s major religions. For centuries, many people perpetuated negative stereotypes about people from sub-Saharan Africa, often linking darker skin with the curse of Cain mentioned in the book of Genesis. Sadly, for a long time, this idea was used to justify the sinful practices of racial prejudice and slavery. The Church today condemns racial and cultural prejudice in any form.
…Book of Mormon or other scriptural passages should never be used to justify racial prejudice or discrimination.
Does the Church teach that Jesus Christ was a white northern European, as is sometimes depicted in Church art?
No. Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem to a Jewish woman and raised in Nazareth.
The fact that some popular Church artwork has portrayed Jesus as white does not mean, as some have mistakenly argued, that Jesus was “white” according to a modern understanding of race.
What can we do when we see or experience racial prejudice in our congregations? Despite our efforts to live God’s standards, racism may still occur among Church members. Elder Fred A. “Tony” Parker, who served as an Area Seventy, shared his experience: “When I’ve been a victim of racism, I’ve found success in meeting it head-on, forgiving the individual and addressing the issue. If someone says something to hurt my feelings, I need to find a way to help him understand why that hurt. It is an opportunity not only to forgive but to build a relationship so that the person doesn’t just look at Tony Parker as an African-American but as a child of God. Jesus taught forgiveness, and He taught us when we have been offended to take it to the individual and work it out.”
If racial prejudice arises in our congregations, we can look for ways to kindly and courageously speak up for the dignity and rights of those who are harmed or marginalized. As the Apostle Paul taught, the health of the body of Christ depends on the health of all members. It’s important that we stand up for each other and defend what is right. Everyone benefits when racial prejudice is corrected. However difficult it may be to raise our voices or find the right words to express ideas clearly and kindly, we can talk to local leaders for counsel on how to help stop racism within our congregations. We can also share teachings from living prophets to help members recognize our responsibility to lead out in overcoming racism. Local leaders can work to ensure that members of all races in their congregations have opportunities to serve.
Addressing racism is a long-term process. Change ultimately comes as we are filled with charity—the pure love of Christ. To be filled with charity, we must come to truly understand what it means to love God with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
The teachings of Jesus Christ and our kind, persistent effort can help improve attitudes and behaviors within our congregations and within ourselves. All of us can reach out to people who are different from us, get to know them, serve them, and come to love them.”