was a discrimination case pending in 10th district court when the Mormons had a 1978 revelation about blacks?

Question

Last week PBS ran a show about the Mormons that included a segment about Blacks. Of course they said they had a revelation that 'now' (1978) it was time to include Blacks. But wasn't there a decision about a discrimination case in the 10th district court in Denver that was about to be released? I believe it involved the NAACP, LDS and Boy Scouts of
America.

Answer 1

I doubt it. And not just because I am Mormon.

The USA has a strong history of allowing religious groups that do not accept government funding to set their own rules.

For example, recently the Boy Scouts of America were allowed to keep their rule of no homosexual leaders. They also do not allow athiests to be members of their troops.

Mormonism allowed blacks to be members and work for them if the position did not require a temple recommend. They did not allow black men to hold the priesthood, which prevented them from being able to enter the temple.

Answer 2

Very interesting. I'd be interested to know more about the case, so please provide a link if possible.

My understanding of the proximal cause of the 1978 "revelation" was that people in Africa were becoming interested in the Church, and the Church realized that it had a major problem if it didn't change course. Without black priesthood holders, the church couldn't get any real foothold in Africa.

As it turns out, the Church grew a little in Africa, but it exploded in Brazil, where there are many members of mixed ancestry (partially African).

Also, the "revelation" upset (and still upsets) some Mormons, who left the church when they found out that the Church would be less racially "pure" than it once was. All this in spite of the fact that Joseph Smith might have ordained black people in his time (though the evidence is somehwat equivocal).

In short, Brigham Young was openly racist and screwed things up; nobdoy corrected the racism problem; the church realized it was a problem very, very late; the church is growing now that it has changed course (and getting more tithing funds, etc.).

But do post a link about the case you're referring to if you've got one.

Answer 3

I would not be surprised...it's kind of like the way that ordeal about the novel that Joseph Smith allegedly stole to create his little Book of Mormon that went away. I would really love to see the concrete evidence that the ancient Bible people made it to the Western Hemisphere by different arks to become the people that have become the Native American indigenous people Columbus and other Europeans discovered in the 1400s. I know the people here prior to the Europeans did not grow facial hair like those early Jews and their ancestors did...and were the pyramids so similar to the Egyptian pyramids? They don't look like the same thing to me...the American pyramids have flat tops for sacrificing on them. The African pyramids were true pyramids...and did not appear to have little flat tables on top for sacrificing. I know the early art work and the tribal artwork of the existing tribes looks very similar to the patterns I see in the handcrafts of the Hmong, Mien and other Asian groups. So were these Asians also the offspring of Abraham and the others we read about in the Bible? What's the connection...? Lots of questions to your question...sorry I had no answers.

Answer 4

That was the Boy Scouts mot the church. The church said it would no longer make it a requirement that a boy must belong to the Aaronic priesthood to be a troup leader. This is because, not just blacks, but other non-members join LDS scout troops.

But, that did not affect he priesthood. There is no way the government could have forced the church to give the priesthood to anyone. It is GOD'S prieshood. HE will give it to whom HE will. Since the priesthood is not a job, it's not covered by any laws.

Answer 5

I would not be surprised if several suits had been filed. I was under the impression that many colleges and universities would NOT play with BYU, thus denying the Morg of easily earned TV distribution rights.

It was money, not the law that brought the church in line.

Answer 6

never hear of it.