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Growing up in Utah, I learned the following things about blacks in Sunday School:
1- Blacks were less valiant in the War In Heaven
2- Blacks are descendants of Cain (who was an associate of Lucifer in the preexistence)
3- Blacks are cursed and not worthy of the priesthood (until 1978)
Luckily, those messages weren't reinforced at home because honestly, since there were only two black kids in my whole high school, it wasn't a big issue. Now I'm living in the South and at certain times, I'm the minority. Some of my favorite neighbors and co-workers are black, the man I want to vote for president is black, but should I be wary as clearly the color of their skin lets me know they are less valiant if I learned anything from my church lessons? What about you, what has the church taught you about race and how will that factor into your vote on election day? Can you believe LDS church teachings and still vote for Obama?
Like a waterfall in slow motion, Part One
2 years ago
16 comments:
I don't remember being taught any of those three reasons growing up in the church. Then again, we didn't have many black members in our ward, either. (If it's important, I'm a life-long member in Missouri.)
Actually, those aren't "doctrinal" teachings, so much as personal speculation by certain early members that have been picked up on and "accidentally" passed further down. A good reference for issues on "Blacks" and the church, read a small easy read entitled "Blacks and the Priesthood" from a series called Setting The Record Straight.
Actually three concepts outlined in her post are exactly as I learned at church and in seminary classes (grades 7 through 12). They were taught as doctrine, openly discussed in classes and were the topic of many sacrament meeting talks.
I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the era in which we were raised. I was born in 1983.
Come to think of it, I seem to remember hearing them as speculation, but never as doctrine.
One thing I am always baffled to hear is that "Blacks" were fence-sitters in the War in Heaven. If they were fence-sitters, how in the world did they manage to get to earth at all?
I'd like to see where any general authority made the revelation that blacks were less valiant in the War in Heaven. I think that's a terrible thing to say, and I was never taught that in church- ever. Not even in discussions about blacks and the priesthood. And, just because someone is a descendant of sombody, it doesn't mean that that someone is the same kind of person as that somebody. The same principle applies to us being the descendants of Adam and Eve. To condemn blacks on Cain's account is parallel to going against "We believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgressions."
To the anonymous commenter above me- I totally agree! You would think that Heavenly Father would say, "Nope, you can't go anywhere til you make a descision," lol, you know what I mean? And I was also never taught that Cain was an associate of Lucifer. That doesn't make sense... if he was an associate of Lucifer in the preexistence, how the heck did he come to earth and get a body and not be cast out with the rest of Lucifer's followers?
lol after reading some recent "Scientific American," articles and having read both the Bible and the Book of Mormon, my father and I came up with a theory that we amusingly use to make our more conservative family members cringe when they get too overwhelmingly weird. Here's the back story information for our theory. 1. people originally came from Africa. 2. people usually react negatively as a first impulse to other people who look different from them (what they do in the second second of their reaction is a different piece of information. 3. people from Scandinavian backgrounds tend to be extremely hairy (I would know I'm Danish/Swedish and fuzzy like a carpet).
So here's the theory we invented for entertainment's sake. Since people originally come from Africa, people are supposed to be black. Since Cain was born hairy and with another distinctive mark, the odd markings mean he was white and furry (like a viking). So he was initially mistreated for looking different by those around him, not knowing how to cope he went a little insane and jealousy drove him to kill Able. He was then exiled, and fled north, which is why northern European cultures have been so ultra violent over their history. And further, Cain married into the Giants of biblical myth, which is why so many Scandinavian countries' populations are so tall.
M, here is the full text of a talk given by Apostle Mark E. Peterson
http://mormonstories.org/other/mep1954.txt
Here's a taste of it:
"Think of the Negro, cursed as to the Priesthood. Are we prejudiced,
against him? Unjustly, sometimes we're accused of having such a
prejudice. But what does the mercy of God have for him? This Negro,
who in the pre-existence life lived the type of life which justified
the Lord in sending him to the earth in the lineage of Cain with a
black skin, and possibly being born in darkest Africa - if that
Negro is willing when he hears the gospel to accept it, he may
(16)
have many of the blessings of the gospel. In spite of all he did in
the pre-existent life, the Lord is willing, if the Negro accepts the
gospel with real, sincere faith, and is really converted, to give
him the blessings of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. If that
Negro is faithful all his days, he can and will enter the Celestial
Kingdom. He will go there as a servant, but he will get a Celestial
resurrection. "
So, it was definitely taught that blacks were less valiant in the preexistance.
"T said...
"I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the era in which we were raised. I was born in 1983."
Very good point. I graduated from high school in the mid 1960's. I think the dialogue on this issue had "mellowed" a bit by the 1980's.
I also very distinctly remember Sacrament meeting sermons testifying about a number of Lamanite (Indian) families who's skin color lightened after joining the Church. I remember as a Deacon questioning the quorum leader about what had physically changed in their bodies to lighten their skin. I was very impressed with the idea that a lighter skin resulted from finding and following the gospel and wondered exactly what had occurred.
There were also regular discussions in my ward about how the Lamanite children who had left their homes in Arizona to attend school in nothern Utah had noticably whiter skins. As a teen ager I deduced it might have something to do with less exposure to the sun, rather than from attending church with their mormon host families. I didn't mention that to my Teacher's quorum leader however.
I'd learned by then that some questions were better left unasked.
Intereseting post, we're only a couple of days away from seeing who will be the next U.S. president. Seeming like this has been an extra long campaign. The new president, whomever it might be, has some very challenging issues to address and, hopefull, solve.
I was born in the fifties and I was absolutely taught the three things the author states. I was asked out in college by a very popular and talented black athlete and declined because I was taught in LDS seminary that good LDS girls do not date blacks. After I declined, he asked me if I declined because LDS girls are not allowed to date blacks. I was embarrassed as I answered yes. Four years later blacks received the priesthood. Modern-day revelation?
I was never thaught that blacks wereless valiant,etc. There were several blacks in my ward growing up. Read the Doctrine and Covenants if you have doubts on this. There is no information more accurate than that which comes from Prophets,past and present. There were no fence sitters in the pre existence. It was one side or the other.
These are NOT doctrinal teachings of LDS church. The idea that Blacks were cursed and descendants of Cain predated Joseph Smith. Some LDS converts brought these concepts with them when they joined the LDS church.
This is folklore not doctrine, and LDS people who may have taught it were expounding folklore, not true religous doctrine. It does not appear in written works recognized as authentic gospel doctrine.
The president isn't even black and what does his skin color have to do with it. I did not vote for him, but I do not condemn him because he is the typical president. Frankly, I think it's pretty cool that we finally have change in the "White" house!
blacks are less valiant. why do we all dance around it? that was the way in the pre-existance and thats how it is now.
Actually, being that Cain’s lineage was African is really not a curse as it is written. If Cain’s was the bloodline of the African (dark skinned) people and he was first born… What were Adam & Eve? Were they black people too, No. I will tell you what they were; Adam being that the black blood is most dominate, he was of the darker bloods; African the premiere. Black blood can mix with any race to create that very race or his own. Lighter races don’t have as much variation or diversity in the blood. Eve was of the lighter Asian being the dominant, the Asian type eyes are in every nationality. So, that being said, what was the image of God? I will tell you; African. God really is so complex, but if you just be honest with yourself and except the truth. “Life is so much smoother.”
All leaders of the church have made mistakes, including every single president. All are human and, therefore, prone to error. Christ taught us to forgive and warned us that our own trespasses might not be forgiven if we fail to forgive others. Some leaders taught us wrong, plain and simple. The real question is: Does any person on the earth hold the keys to the priesthood?
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