HANK HANEGRAAF:
One of the things that I think is really interesting with regards to Mormon revisionism is the position they have with regards to African-Americans. Today, the President and Prophet of the Mormon Church really calls what happened with regards to their views on African-Americans as a little fit of history. Listen to him in an interview with 60 Minutes Mike Wallace as he talks about what the past policy is and why they put that behind them:
(clip from 60 Minutes interview)
HANK HANEGRAAF:
Now what they call little fits of history, obviously that had a great impact on a whole group of people.
RICHARD ABANES:
Oh sure, for many years, until 1978 the blacks were not allowed to hold the Priesthood. Interestingly, what Hinckley doesn’t say and probably why he wanted to switch the subject was although blacks can now hold the Priesthood, in Mormonism they are still cursed, they’re still cursed because they still have the flat nose and the black skin. This is what Brigham Young said. In fact, what’s interesting too is that not only are they still cursed according to Mormon theology because of sins they committed in their pre-existent life but according to Brigham Young and the early Mormons they were not supposed to get the Priesthood until after all of the children of Adam, or all white people, received the Priesthood and Jesus came back and so what’s happened is that modern Mormonism has actually contradicted what early Mormons believed, what early Prophets taught. So we have sort of a contradiction there of what Hinckley is saying against Brigham Young and this whole revelation about blacks being able to have the Priesthood. But they’re still in my opinion still very biased and prejudiced against blacks.
The Truth about the LDS perspective on African Americans:
- Blacks and the priesthood—Members of African descent were restricted from holding the LDS Church’s lay priesthood until 1978. Understanding the priesthood ban is difficult, because the historical record is not entirely clear about the ban’s institution. There is no contemporary, first-person account of the ban’s implementation. Critics with an agenda, as well as sincere seekers with a laudable abhorrence of racism have used this fact to portray the former (or present) Church and its members as racist. Critics argue that God would not allow His church to ever deny blessings or privileges based on race. (Link)
