Black and Mormon

Bys: Newell G. Bringhurst and Darron T. Smith

Book Overview

The year 2003 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the lifting of the ban excluding black members from the priesthood of the Mormon church. The articles collected in Newell G. Bringhurst and Darron T. Smith's Black and Mormon look at the mechanisms used to keep blacks from full participation, the motives behind the ban, and the kind of changes that have--and have not--taken place within the church since the revelation responsible for its end.

This challenging collection is required reading for anyone concerned with the history of racism, discrimination, and the Latter-day Saints.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 025202947X
• ISBN13: 9780252029479
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press
• Length: 173 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Insightful discussion

These articles were so insightful on being African American in a society that runs everything by white standards and then it delves deeper into how that affects African Americans in the Mormon church. How do they deal with the racist policies of the Church before the Priesthood ban was lifted in June of 1978? Many talk about how hurt they were, but how through their own personal experience with God they've been able to work through it. Other articles talk about how since most of the LDS church in America is white, how they don't want to talk about race, but how it really needs to be addressed and that a lot of people in answer to why there was a priesthood ban continue to spread false folklore like "they weren't valiant enough in the preexistence or they are descended from Cain and thus cursed." These are completely false and yet are still used as reasons, which truly impact negatively African American members. Black Americans have huge insights and ideas and culture to bring to the Church...I would really love to see more active hymns in the church, saying a few amens in agreement during sacrament meeting would be great! I think it's very important to be aware about who we are and how we relate to others. Let's embrace all cultures over the world and incorporate their beautiful traditions into ours as well and truly become a worldwide church. I really recommend this book for all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or for those interested in African American studies. It helps us see ourselves in a new light and to change what we didn't know was ignorant or insensitive before.

LDS' stormy relationship with black people.....

Black and Mormon proves to be a highly interesting book that relates directly with the LDS and their relationship with the black people of the United States throughout their history. The key element of this book lies around then President Kimball's revelation that blacks who have been denied priesthood rites by their church due to their ethnic heritage, was finally granted that right on 8 June 1978. This book is collection of essays that deals with the priesthood ban imposed by the LDS leadership during the late 1840s, its effects on the black members and after the banning have been removed, how that racist past still affected the church today. All essays written here proves to be well written, well research and highly informative to the subject at hand. Some of the authors are black LDS members and their words and perceptions may surprise many of the white LDS members who may read this book. Many of the essays overlapped each other due to the narrow subject matter and sometimes, that helped to reinforced the information. The book is only 172 pages and that includes the index and footnotes pages. It is no great secret that LDS practiced overt racism toward their black members before the ban was lifted and relied on old near-mythological doctrines to denied many of their black membership, the full fellowship into their ranks. The book explained these doctrines very clearly and how they became part of the accepted practice of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints until that fateful day in June 1978. The book also sadly reflects on LDS refusal to confront their own racist history and how such attitude hampered their efforts to deal with these problems they have with their non-white members - especially blacks. Adjustment of white Mormons in accepting blacks as full members have not been easy and its no small wonder that many blacks still feel alienated in their own church. Ironically, the book pointed out that like polygamy, racist anti-black doctrines still lies within the framework of the LDS church. LDS' refusal to deal or remove these doctrines may trouble many. This means that only their policies that has changed, not their doctrines. This means that LDS could easily restore polygamy or ban blacks from priesthood anytime in the future if the political and social situation allow them so. Overall, a very informative book that provides a lot of information about the racial relationship between LDS and the black people, especially those within their own ranks. Book come highly recommended as an introduction to this subject matter for further reading.