Does the LDS Church forbid interracial dating or marriage?

Question

I just read in a book titled "Mormon America" that the Church does not allow dating or marriage between blacks and whites.
Is that true?

Answer 1

Not hardly! don't know where that one came from. Our stake president is black, his wife is white.

(For non-members, the Stake President is the leader of a group of 8 to 15 congregations, so that's pretty high up in the leadership of our faith.

If someone asked me about dating a member from a different race, I'd tell them marriage is a difficult thing, and coming from starkly different social backgrounds can really add to the stress of marriage. Getting along with inlaws can be difficult indeed! Still, one of my granddaughters is black (she's adopted), and I would not discourage her if she fell in love with a white man. Who he is matters, not the color of his skin!

Answer 2

That must be an old book, based on the fact that in the earlier days of the church, blacks were not allowed to hold the Priesthood. Since that is no longer true, and all worthy men in the church regardless of race can hold the priesthood, interracial marriage is totally acceptable.

Answer 3

I am a former Mormon and I don't ever recall any interracial dating however for a long time African Americans were thought to be inferior the men and were not allowed to become Deacons and in the Priesthood. However that changed a long time ago. It could very well be true. They are very strict on dating and don't encourage much dating before marriage although men aged 19-20 are encouraged to go on a Missions trip and young women aged 21-22 to go on a missions trip. The men go for 2 years and the women go for 18 months. And generally they marry afterwards after their missions trip. Most couples marry in the temple although if you don't have a temple recommendation you can't go inside a Mormon temple.

Answer 4

I know many interracial couples in the church. Acceptance is about the same as the general population. In candid moments a parent will say they didn't think it was a good idea at the beginning, but now they love their son/daughter-in-law so much, they can't imagine it otherwise.

Answer 5

That is incorrect...

My sister and her husband of 16 years are both mormon she is white he is black,,, He converted 3years ago (Maybe 4 I really can't remember the date) they were recently (In the last year) sealed in the Mesa Arizona Temple...

I was raised by Mormon parents, never once do I remember being discouraged or forbidden from dating anyone based on the person's race.. I have dated people of all races over the years no one ever said a word about it..

Answer 6

VERY UNTRUE!!!

My sister-in-law's brother and his wife are interracial. They were married in the temple and have 4 beautiful children and still married nearly 20 years later. We have SEVERAL interracial couples in my ward, all married and sealed in the temple. That would be like telling someone who is from France that they can't marry someone from Hawaii, makes no sense whatsoever.

EDIT: kathmrc is WRONG!!! Blacks were given the Aaronic Priesthood all along. They were not given the Melchezedeck Priesthood until the 70's. A Deacon is the lowest office in the Aaronic (lower or lesser) priesthood.

Answer 7

Certain church leaders certainly made their 'opinion' known about misogyny up to the mid seventies, but by that time the opinions of the church membership had already changed. Unfortunately, the church has been rather lax in recanting and discrediting those former remarks by stating they were merely 'opinions'. These 'opinions' helped shaped the racial sentiments of millions of saints, so it appears that only hindsight verifies or invalidates the "Word of God" as spoken by Apostles and Prophets.

Answer 8

1

Answer 9

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

LDS - "Now WE ARE GENEROUS WITH THE *****. WE ARE WILLING that the ***** have the highest kind of education. I WOULD BE WILLING to LET every ***** DRIVE A CADILLAC IF THEY COULD AFFORD IT. I WOULD BE WILLING that they have all the advantages they can get out of life in the world. BUT LET THEM ENJOY THESE THINGS AMONG THEMSELVES." LDS "Apostle" Mark E. Petersen, "Race Problems - As They Affect The Church," Address delivered at Brigham Young University, August 27, 1954, as quoted in Jerald and Sandra Tanner's book entitled, "The Changing World of Mormonism," p. 307, emphasis added.

atheist

Answer 10

It was true at one time. It's out of date now due to the cultural change of the civil rights movement and social pressure.

This does not change the fact that it was previously normal Mormon chruch policy, however. Supposedly validated through their own home-grown "prophets".