Blacks Receive LDS Priesthood

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Death of the Anti-Black Doctrine --Salt Lake City Messenger, December 1979: Bruce R. McConkie wrote: "Negroes in this life are denied the priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority....Negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of spiritual blessings are concerned..." (Mormon Doctrine, 1958, p. 477) But twenty years later, after the church changed its doctrine prohibiting blacks from holding the priesthood, McConkie said: "Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world." ("All Are Alike Unto God," p. 1, emphasis added) This article continues to look at the death of the LDS doctrine prohibiting blacks from Mormonism's priesthood offices and temple ordinances.

Mormon Doctrine Altered - -Salt Lake City Messenger, November 1997: Question to Mormon Prophet Gordon B. Hinckley: "There are some significant differences in your beliefs. For instance, don't Mormons believe that God was once a man?" Hinckley: "I wouldn't say that. There was a little couplet coined, 'As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become.' Now that's more of a couplet than anything else. That gets into some pretty deep theology that we don't know very much about." (San Francisco Chronicle, April 13, 1997) Yet in 1844, founding Prophet Joseph Smith stated: "First, God himself, who sits enthroned in yonder heavens, is a man like unto one of yourselves.... God himself; the Father of us all dwelt on an earth the same as Jesus Christ himself did... You have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves..." (Times and Seasons, Vol. 5. pages 613-14) This article reviews the changes and reversals made to important Mormon doctrines over the past 150 years--including polygamy, the law of adoption, and the ban on blacks holding the priesthood.

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\n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it : Do you have comments or input regarding this or other publications from Jerald and Sandra Tanner. Drop them a line. Also, if you have additional information on this and other LDS related topics they would like to hear from you. (No mindless, blind-faith, dogmatic diatribes please! -- However, sincere differences of opinion and insight are always appreciated).