Do mormon's believe black people are decendents of the devil?

Question

I heard this on tv and was wondering if it was true. I

Answer 1

no they don't.

i was raised a Mormon and stopped going at 18 , and was taught that they are our brothers , they were denied the priesthood until 1978( i think been along time scince ive been to church) because it was taught that they had the mark of Cain on them, Joesph smith the founder of the church actually allowed blacks to have the priesthood but Brigham young changed it after Joesph smiths martyrdom

but never has it been taught that they were decedents of the devil , so even when they were not allowed the priestood they were still our brothers

that was just some good old hate tactics

Answer 2

No official Church publication has ever said anything of the sort. In fact, Joseph Smith, the founder, ran for president on an anti-slavery platform in a pro-slavery area. Several of the Mormon pioneers who crossed the plains were African American including some who accompanied Brigham Young. I have personally known some African American Mormons who have been in the Church for decades.

There was a period of time when Black people were denied the Priesthood in the Church. During that time some leaders have speculated on racial issues using language and ideas that would be racist by today's standards, but it is clear that any speculation was opinion and not Church doctrine.

The Mormons I know will tell you that the Church leadership prayed for a change in policy for many many years, but God would not allow it until 1978. Why they were denied at all or why it got changed has never been officially explained other than that it was God's will in both cases.

Since that time the Church has grown very quickly in African countries including Nigeria, the Ivory Coast, Ghana and others. The Church has much leadership both in local areas around the World and its in general leadership that is African American. The general leadership also is represented by Hispanic, Asian, Polynesian, and non-US citizens as well as Caucasians.

Answer 3

Not true. From the founding of the church, blacks were allowed the priesthood. However,during the middle to late 1800s etc a belief from mainline protestants called the "Curse of Cain" crept up in LDS policy. The Curse goes like this: In Christianity and Judaism, the curse of Cain and the mark of Cain refer to the Biblical passages in the Book of Genesis chapter 4, where God declared that Cain, the firstborn of Adam and Eve, was cursed, and placed a mark upon him to warn others that killing Cain would provoke the vengeance of God. Cain's curse and mark have been interpreted in several ways.
Some Christians have interpreted the Biblical passages so that the "mark" is thought to be part of the "curse". In 18th century America and Europe, it was commonly assumed that Cain's "mark" was black skin, and that Cain's descendants were black and still under Cain's curse. Accepting the theory that God had cursed black people, racists have used the curse as a Biblical justification for racism. These racial and ethnic interpretations of the curse and the mark have been largely abandoned even by the most conservative theologians since the mid-20th century, although the theory still has some following among white supremacists and an older generation of whites, as well as a very small minority of Christian churches.

Leaders of the church from before the start of the civil rights movement spoke out against the curse of Cain, but in the late 1800s or so those of black african priesthood were not allowed to have the priesthood (given to worthy men 12 and older). Even when leaders were dispelling the false doctrine of the curse of cain, the policy hadn't been changed. Needless to say, the church took a lot of flack for this, but the policy wasn't changed until 1978. That being said. Mormons do not believe black people are descendants of the devil and that the curse of cain is an absolutely untrue interpretation of scripture.

I'm LDS, have friends who are LDS and black, and work with mostly African Americans. I can tell you that what I said is true.

Answer 4

Nope - not in any way shape or form. This is yet another lie about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you have any further questions about this feel free to e-mail me.

It never ceases to amaze me how many lies and rumours there are out there about this church.

Here are some lies placed here as "answers" in just the last few minutes:
"They believed that up through 1978 and preached it openly. Now they have to be more politically correct, so they still talk about it but not in the same way."

"They believe they were cursed with black skin and inferior brains because of the sins of their ancestors. As to the Devil, the Mormons believe God, The Devil and Joseph Smith are the Trinity."

"they do believe that."

"They seemed pretty shocked by the site of real Jews in the world! And not too welcoming of them.Very closed society and they have 'official party lines' to tell outsiders, and then they have the reality of what they believe and practice (THAT I know for a fact)." ...lol...yep "real" factual buddy

"I've heard of it. I think the mormons are bias to black people althought I haven't studied on that part yet. Only their false doctrine. Eve seen a black mormon?" (...cripes...there are black people in the leadership of the church!)

PS - I have several good Mormon black friends

I am a member of this Church and the above statements are outright untruths. I cannot stress this enough...

Again - it never ceases to amaze me how many lies there are out there about the LDS Church.

Answer 5

Decendants of the Devil?? For that the Devil would have to have a body... and we don't believe he does.

I'm sure you've heard the story of Cain and his brother Able.... I'm guessing that there was more than just a vocational difference between them... Cain was a hunter, Abel was a farmer.

For some reason, God accepted Abel's sacrifice, but not Cain's. Cain was jealous and killed his brother, then tried to hide his crime/sin. For the murder of his brother (and the attempted cover-up, God cursed Cain and all his decendants The dark skin is a sign of the curse. The curse is much more serious than a mere darkening of the skin. I'm not sure what all rights, blessings were involved.

The curse was lifted in 1978... Sure, the skin color is still around, but now it means (doctrinally) nothing.

Answer 6

Not true. Mormon's believe Satan doesn't have a body and can't have decendents.

Answer 7

And Sponge Bob Squarepants lives in a pineapple under the sea...

Don't believe everything you see on TV...

Answer 8

LeGrand Richards stated: "Well, we don't want to get that as a doctrine. Think of it as you will. You know, Paul said 'Now we see in part and we know in part; we see through a glass darkly. When that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away, then we will see as we are seen, and know as we are known.' Now the Church's attitude today is to prefer to leave it until we know. The Lord has never indicated that black skin came because of being less faithful. Now, the Indian; we know why he was changed, don't we? The Book of Mormon tells us that; and he has a dark skin, but he has a promise there that through faithfulness, that they all again become a white and delightsome people. So we haven't anything like that on the colored thing."

Joseph Fielding Smith: "That ***** race, for instance, have been placed under restrictions because of their attitude in the world of spirits, few will doubt. It cannot be looked upon as just that they should be deprived of the power of the Priesthood without it being a punishment for some act, or acts, performed before they were born."

John Taylor: " . . . after the flood we are told that the curse that had been pronounced upon Cain was continued through Ham's wife, as he had married a wife of that seed. And why did it pass through the flood? Because it was necessary that the devil should have a representation a upon a the earth as well as God;.... "

ibid: "As a result of his rebellion, Cain was cursed with a dark skin; he became the father of the Negroes, and those spirits who are not worthy to receive the priesthood are born through his lineage."

And, of course, Brigham Young, Prophet of God: "You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind.
The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings.
This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race--that they should be the "servant of servants;" and they will be, until that curse is removed."

Lies, lies, lies! Except they're coming from the 'faithful' instead, it seems...

Answer 9

I've heard of it. I think the mormons are bias to black people althought I haven't studied on that part yet. Only their false doctrine. Ever seen a black mormon?

To dude88 and Chris B: repent and turn away from your false religion. Accept the true Jesus Christ of the bible as your Savior and Lord.

Answer 10

No we don't believe that.
I never heard anywhere that the devil had any decendents.