When did the 'Mormons" decide racism was not a good thing.?

Answer 1

On 1963-OCT-06, the General Conference of the LDS issued a civil rights statement:

"During recent months, both in Salt Lake City and across the nation, considerable interest has been expressed in the position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on the matter of civil rights. We would like it to be known that there is in this Church no doctrine, belief, or practice that is intended to deny the enjoyment of full civil rights by any person regardless of race, color, or creed.

We say again, as we have said many times before, that we believe that all men are the children of the same God and that it is a moral evil for any person or group of persons to deny any human being the rights to gainful employment, to full educational opportunity, and to every privilege of citizenship, just as it is a moral evil to deny him the right to worship according to the dictates of his own conscience.

We have consistently and persistently upheld the Constitution of the United States, and as far as we are concerned this means upholding the constitutional rights of every citizen of the United States.

We call upon all men everywhere, both within and outside the Church, to commit themselves to the establishment of full civil equality for all of God's children. Anything less than this defeats our high ideal of the brotherhood of man."

In 1978 the barrier to priesthood was removed.

Answer 2

The Church has condoned racism? Many take much out of context...but anyone who looks at things IN CONTEXT of what is actually being said, the norms of the day inside the Church and outside the Church. You would see there was no racism.

Answer 3

In 1978.

Answer 4

Thats kinda funny because thats what we talked about at church today. Mormons have never held racist ideas, its just that before 1978 God told them that they couldn't ordain blacks to the preisthood. We don't know why, just that God didn't want it right then. In 1978 President Kimball gave the announcement that he had recieved revelation from God that blacks and all other minorities could receive the priesthood. For more information here is a talk I found that will answer a lot of your quesitons... http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=006ca1615ac0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

Answer 5

There have always been prominent black members of the church. Similarly, Utah was the first state to give women the vote - in fact, when they wanted to become part of the United States they had to TAKE AWAY the right of women to vote.

In the 1800s the church was no more racist than any other group of people in the Americas, and other Christian churches were far more outrageous in the way they treated ethnic minorities. However, I believe it was 1978 when the priesthood was extended to all worthy male members regardless of race.

Answer 6

Nonsense. I in basic terms agree on one element - "opposite" sexism, etc., is BS. there is not any "opposite" approximately it - discriminating against somebody because of the fact of which "team" they belong to is misguided. it is the two racist (or sexist, etc.) to make extensive assumptions approximately whites, blacks, women individuals, adult men, gays, straights, etc. Why do human beings see issues in such black and white words? purely because of the fact which you're a member of an oppressed team, it would not supply you carte blanche to accomplish a little oppressing your self. in basic terms with the aid of having dignity and exhibiting class can we advance purely like women individuals, for occasion, or blacks, or gays, or regardless of. which ability no longer being somewhat sexist or racist and then whining which you're oppressed your self, so it would not "count variety".

Answer 7

Actually, there were some African American Mormons that received the priesthood (authority to act in a leadership role) in the early 19th century, but most were given the priesthood after a revelation in 1978.

Most churches have a past history of discrimination (Catholics discriminated against Jews and Muslims in the middle ages, southern Protestants discriminated against African Americans in the 18th and 19th centuries, some Muslims have discriminated against "infidels" in recent years, etc). Unfortunately, in the past (before I was born), Mormons taught some of the same things about blacks that Southern Protestants taught (Curse of Cain/Ham, etc) and so did not allow blacks to hold leadership positions in the church. Unlike Southern Protestants, however, Mormons never segragated their congregations and always taught that blacks could go to heaven.

However, all that changed decades ago. Modern Mormonism is very much opposed to discrimination of any kind. Ironically, many who discriminate against us (professional anti-Mormons) hypocritically accuse us of being discriminators!

The Mormon Church is not a racist church. I'm Mormon, and my wife is black. We were married in a Mormon temple, where the officiator told us that God approved of our marriage. My wife is treated well at church, as are the other African American members of our congregation. I've had a black bishop in several different Mormon congregations of which I've been a member.

Many anti-Mormons, however, intentionally misrepresent Mormon teachings in an attempt to discredit Mormonism. I've written about this type of discrimination on my site at allaboutmormons . com/brief_critique_anti-mormon_propaganda.php . Pay careful attention to the video at allaboutmormons . com/ENG_Video62.php .

To learn more about racial diversity in the Mormon church, visit allaboutmormons . com/racial_diversity_mormon_church.php .

Also, to see videos of black Mormons, visit these sites:

allaboutmormons . com/ENG_Video44.php
allaboutmormons . com/ENG_Video76.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6VOBVDcSec
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8V0oh2lNA0

Answer 8

Only a bed sheet wearing, cross lighting, member of the Klan would be asking a question like this.

Answer 9

the members of the church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints have never considered racism a good thing, in the early days, we were abolishonists, we wanted freedom for all including people of color

Answer 10

I believe that it was in the 70'S or Early 80's..... that they Ordained their FIRST BLACK Mormon Elder!

Thanks for Asking ! RR