Why is LDS so racist?

Question

The Negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow there from, but this inequality is not of man's origin, it is the Lord's doings." (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 526-527).

"Had I anything to do with the *****, I would confine them by strict law to their own species, and put them on a national equalization" (Joseph Fielding Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 270; History of the Church, 5: 218

Answer 1

It is all false doctrine. Look to the Bible for all truths. ANY religion that bans other races in any way is not correct!

Answer 2

Funny question...

During Moses's time, only the men from the tribe of Levi could hold the priesthood. So does this mean that got hated the other 11 tribes, women, and gentiles?

In the Old testament the cananites and egyptians (aka "black people") were refered to as cursed and couldn't hold the priesthood. In Ancient Egyptian paintings, whenever an egyptian "priest" was performing one of their "pagan" ceremonies, they would paint themselves white, because they knew that you had to be white to hold and excercise god's priesthood.

While Christ was on the earth, in the beginning, only Jews were taught the gospel and held the priesthood. It was later that it was decreed "go unto all the world (aka the gentiles). So did god hate the gentiles and the women before then?

Holding the priesthood is not so much a blessing as it is a tool which enables one to serve others. God has alwasy loved all of his children and he has always restricted who could hold it.

The real question is this: Was this god's will and was it revealed to Gods Prophet on the earth.

If it was in fact god's will, then maybe you need to figure out why. If it wasn't god's will, then the mormons are just making stuff up.

However, if you determine that the LDS church is racist for this reason, then you must logically concluded that all christians and jews are also racist for the exact same reasons.

The bottom line is that you don't understand the priesthood of god.

Answer 3

First, let's define the word "racist." Here is a quick dictionary definition: "noun: a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to others."

Does the LDS Church teach that one race is superior to others? No. Your race does not make you inferior or superior to others. All that matters is your obedience to God's will.

Does God have a plan that involved some differences in the challenges we face, or do we all face exactly the same challenges? Some are poor, some are rich, but God does not hate poor people. Some are blessed with healthy bodies, some have serious health problems. But God does not love the healthy and beautiful more than the sick. Did Jesus come first to the Jews, and later send his disciples to the Gentiles? Yes, but God does not love the Jews more than the Gentiles. Were the descendants of Aaron given the priesthood, but not other "races"? Yes, but this did not make the descendants of Aaron superior to others.

Answer 4

Excuse me? It wasn't the Mormons who were riding around in bedsheets, burning crosses, and hanging black people. It was those good Christians who love to ridicule other religions to feel more secure about themselves. I'm sure that if you went back into any churches history, you can find some racist opinion said by one of it's leaders. Even back in the 1800s when such views were popular, Mormons didn't believe in slavery while those wonderful, self-righteous "Christians" did. If you do your homework you would know that Mormons now allow people of any color to hold the priesthood and temple blessings, as they have for some time. I happen to go to church and see people with all kinds of racial backgrounds. Before you go calling Mormons judgmental bigots, go take a good look in the mirror.

Answer 5

They are not really racist but because they promoted one race they had to demote another race. They promoted the American Indians as being the two lost tribes of Israel and because the race of Canaan was darker skinned assumed this meant only Black people, but that is not true either because Jews and Arabs are both darker skinned people. But I think they have gotten away from that teaching today but this was originally taught by Joseph himself. But racism existed in Jewish days also because they did not associate with Gentiles or Samaritans in the exact same way.
This was why them Pharisees hated Jesus for the good Samaritan story. He was calling the people that they hated the good one of the bunch

Answer 6

Just like all scripture, this was a sign of the times. This was written at a time when blacks (or Negroes as you called them) were considered inferior by all of society, including themselves. LDS also believe that blacks are descendants of Cain, whose skin was blackened by God after killing Abel. I guess it answers the question of where did different races come from. No other religion really tackles this question with anything that makes sense or isn't constantly shifting.

Answer 7

That book you cited is by one apostle, and it was written prior to 1978. The Priesthood was extended to all worthy males in the world after prophet Pres. Spencer K. Kimball prayed for weeks about the matter, asking when it would be the right time. It may have been just a matter of waiting until black men in more than one country were ready in order to promote communication and support. It is important to realize that there is such a thing as ongoing revelation, and when it was the right time for the Priesthood to be extended to everyone, it was done so.

Answer 8

You are obviously misinformed. This might have been a thing of the past, but it is not something that is current. Read "Official Declaration #2" in the Book of Mormon. It states all WORTHY male members can receive the Priesthood. Just like all WORTHY people can go to the Temple and receive the blessings there. It has nothing to do with race. You have to be worthy... and being worthy means keeping the commandments of God.

Answer 9

You haven't seen the exposition they did on 3 Nephi and what it means when a black truly repents. That is really fuel for your fire.
The people who put this together have incorporated into the religion they were building the biases they held personally.

Answer 10

We are not saying that ****** aren't eaqual. This was back in bible times. The Lamanites did not obay, so the Lord turned their skin black. That was then and now, we don't believe african americans to be evil just because they have ancesters that were wicked. GET THAT RIGHT BEFOR CRITICIZING OTHER FAITHS!

Answer 11

Short answer: We're not.
Our response to such questions must be one of faith. We simply trust the wisdom of God and accept his timetable. We know that he loves all his children and that the withholding of certain blessings for a time and season will not go unrewarded.

The details to provide clarity:

"QUESTION

Why were blacks denied the priesthood for so long?

ANSWER

A meaningful response to this question rests on an understanding of what the priesthood is. That understanding is generally not had by those asking the question. A typical dictionary definition is "the office and vocation of a priest." For a Latter-day Saint, the priesthood is appreciably more than that. The priesthood embraces the power and authority to act in the name of God. It is the authority to represent Deity in teaching the gospel and in performing the ordinances of salvation. Independent of the Spirit of revelation there can be no priesthood. One can hardly profess to speak for a God who will not speak to him. In legal terms, priesthood can be likened to the power of attorney, which is the legal authority by which one person acts in the name of another.


If one accepts the Latter-day Saint claim to priesthood--that is, that only within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can the authority be found to speak for God--one must at the same time accept what God has said through that priesthood. This was the principle that Christ taught when he told the meridian Twelve, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you" (John 15:16). Thus if one believes that Peter, James, and John did in fact confer the authority they received from the Savior upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery, one must also believe that the priesthood is to function as those to whom the apostles entrusted it direct. On the other hand, if a person does not believe that Latter-day Saints have this authority, then he cannot be asking the question out of concern for those denied this priesthood. Such a person should be relieved rather than offended that the Latter-day Saints have not given to others a priesthood in which he does not believe.
Answers to questions about why the Lord, in his wisdom, chooses to withhold certain privileges or blessings from certain people for a period of time are generally not known to us. At the time of Moses, the Melchizedek Priesthood was taken from the children of Israel. In its stead they were given the Aaronic, or Lesser, Priesthood. This priesthood was restricted to worthy males of the tribe of Levi. We are told in a revelation on the priesthood that the higher priesthood was taken because the children of Israel failed to sanctify themselves that they might stand in the presence of God (see D&C 84:19-25). This statement, however, leaves unanswered the question about why unborn generations were denied the priesthood because of the failure of their progenitors. Many similar situations exist. Why, for instance, are some nations required to wait so much longer than others to receive the blessings of the gospel? Or why are some couples who want children so badly unable to have them? Or why are some who desire to find a companion to whom they can be sealed in the temple unable to do so?

Our response to such questions must be one of faith. We simply trust the wisdom of God and accept his timetable. We know that he loves all his children and that the withholding of certain blessings for a time and season will not go unrewarded.
Joseph Fielding McConkie, Answers: Straightforward Answers to Tough Gospel Questions, 16-36. "