Another major issue I find with LDS church doctrine that I feel warrants an apology:
Africans and the priesthood/interracial marriage:
16 January, 1852, recorded in Wilford Woodruff s journal Brigham Young said: "Any man having one drop of the seed of [Cain] ... in him cannot hold the priesthood and if no other Prophet ever spake it before I will say it now in the name of Jesus Christ I know it is true and others know it."
Really? I think that the founder/restorer of the LDS church saw it otherwise: http://byustudies.byu.edu/Reviews/Pages/reviewdetail.aspx?reviewID=117
Brigham Young: "Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African Race? If the White man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Journal of Discourses 10:110)
Joseph Fielding Smith, 1963: "'Darkies' are wonderful people and they have their place in our church."
Brigham Young: February 5, 1852, address to the legislature: "We know there is a portion of inhabitants of the earth who dwell in Asia that are negroes, and said to be jews. The blood of Judah has not only mingled almost with all nations, but also with the blood of Cain, and they have mingled there seeds together; These negro Jewes may keep up all the outer ordinenances of the jewish releigeon, they may have there sacrifices, and they may perform all the releigeous seremonies any people on earth could perform, but let me tell you, that the day they consented to mingle their seed with Cannan, the preisthood was taken away from Judah, and that portion of Judahs seed will never get any rule, or blessings of the preisthood until Cain gets it. Let this Church which is called the kingdom of God on the earth; we will sommons the first presidency, the twelve, the high counsel, the Bishoprick, and all the elders of Isreal, suppose we summons them to apear here, and here declare that it is right to mingle our seed, with the black race of Cain, that they shall come in with with us and be pertakers with us of all the blessings God has given to us. On that very day, and hour we should do so, the preisthood is taken from this Church and kingdom and God leaves us to our fate. The moment we consent to mingle with the seed of Cain the Church must go to desstruction, -- we should receive the curse which has been placed upon the seed of Cain, and never more be numbered with the children of Adam who are heirs to the priesthood untill that curse be removed."
There you have it, according to the Prophet: June 9, 1978- the day the LDS church lost its priesthood authority.
10 comments:
The thing I don't get is how black people are supposed to be the "seed of Cain." Um, what about that flood thing? Wasn't everyone supposed to have been killed but Noah and his family?
Just a thought.
Just put your questions away on this shelf... it'll eventually all make sense...
Ham, the son of Noah, received the "curse of Canaan". Which modern revelation says that Ham became the recipient of the same curse as Cain.
Sources, please.
Ok, you don't know me, but I linked into this blog the other day as a link from another blog. As a thoughtful Mormon and dedicated historian, I, too, have faced many of these questions--and investigated them.
I noticed that Peter asked Anonymous (who is not me, btw) for sources, I'm giving you a few links that may be helpful. I am not jumping into this conversation to try to change your mind, since your mind is made up, but simply to answer questions that others reading this blog may have. I hope you don't mind.
Here's what the Encyclopedia of Mormonism says about Blacks:
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=%2FEoM&CISOPTR=4391&REC=9&CISOBOX=blacks
Here's a link that gives the references that talk about "Ham, the son of Noah, receiving the 'curse of Canaan'":
http://en.fairmormon.org/Blacks_and_the_priesthood/The_%22curse_of_Cain%22_and_%22curse_of_Ham%22
(The above site has several other entries in addition to this one that you can look up on blacks and the priesthood.)
BTW, here is another excellent site with many links that address many of the concerns listed in these blogs. Sure, it won't change your mind, but for those who want to hear the other side of the story, how other intellectuals have worked things out, this is a good place to start, especially since it gives links to arguments BOTH PRO AND CON and all of the statements are well documented.
Here's the site:
http://www.fairlds.org/
I hope this helps.
Oh, and one more thing.
I also want to say that I acknowledge that sometimes prophets make mistakes. Prophets, even in the Bible, made mistakes from time to time--only Jesus was perfect. By following Christ and his divinely guided yet imperfect prophets, I have found peace and joy that I have never experienced anywhere else.
For me, faith is choice. And when I choose faith, I feel at peace. When, in the past, I've chosen doubt, I have never had peace; instead I've experienced turmoil, anger, and sometimes depression. When I chose to read the scriptures daily and thoughtfully as well as approaching God in sincere prayer, asking him to help me to resolve my questions, my turmoil ceased, and I was able to answer my questions and return to a deep, satisfying peace. Through the experiences of many years, I have come to know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that the fullness of it is housed in The Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. I know this through my own repeated experiences--both intellectual and spiritual.
Janice-
I'm glad that it works for you. It didn't work for me, for the reasons I've detailed above (or is it below?)
You mention feeling turmoil, anger and depression when you doubt the church. That is normal. When I got past doubt and began to consider that the church was not as it portrayed itself, I immediately felt all those things begin to lift, my mood lightened and I felt a new perspective on life unlike anything I had ever felt before. My path is not for everyone, but I've been from one side of the issue to another. I've been in your shoes. Have you been in mine? I really do think the grass is greener over here.
One thing that should be noted to the hundreds or thousands of people that might use Janice's links to investigate more information: FairLDS is not an impartial source for information on the LDS church, although the people there do indeed speak as if they are scholars.
Nor are BYU links, used as proof of LDS doctrine, impartial. Try Google.
I appreciate your testimony and I'm sure you feel good when you share it. But please understand that by testifying that you 'know' something, you reject and disregard as trivial any opposing feelings or opinions, and that's not a good way to have a conversation.
I just jumped into the conversation to give links that might be helpful. I'm sorry that you took offense at my testimony. It was not meant to be a slam. From my point of view, my strong beliefs/ testimony do not trivialize others. I celebrate truth and honesty wherever it is found. I'm sorry if I came across differently than I intended. If you have the right to share your strong beliefs that the church is false (something that could be offensive to me), I certainly have the right to share my strong belief that is it true (even though it might be offense to you).
I do not intend to extend this conversation. I am simply too busy, besides, I don't even know you. My intent was simply to put some information out there.
I was not implying that the links were impartial. There is no such thing as true impartiality, even on Google. :) However, I am glad that these sites are not afraid of linking you to voices that are different from theirs and what I would call anti-Mormon.
Do not interpret my ending my part of this conversation as ducking the questions you raise. I just don't have time to deal with it--and from the tenor of your comments I assume that whatever I had to say that was in opposition to your tightly-held beliefs wouldn't be seriously considered anyway.
Janice- sorry to take up your time.
To anyone else that continues to read:
I never said nor implied that the church was false, just that it is not what it claims to be.
Also, my sources come from non-antimormon places- places like the Journal of Discourses, pioneer journals, familysearch.org and the D&C.
I'm very glad to know that you feel the church is true. If anyone has any evidence that this is the case, I'd love to see it.
AAAHHHHH I found the evidence of Cain's lineage:
President John Taylor: "And 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 upon the earth as well as God;..." Journal of Discourses, Vol. 22, page 304
It's all starting to make sense now...
Post a Comment