Mormons still battle with race issue after ban lifted
SALT LAKE CITY: The Mormon church on Friday celebrated the 40th anniversary of reversing its ban on black people serving in the lay priesthood, going on missions or getting married in temples, rekindling debate about one of the faith’s most sensitive topics.
The number of black Mormons has grown but still only accounts for about 6% of 16 million worldwide members. Not one serves in the highest levels of global leadership.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has worked to improve race relations, including calling out white supremacy and launching a new formal alliance with the the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in the US, but some black Mormons and scholars say discriminatory opinions linger in some congregations from a ban rooted in a belief that black skin was a curse.
In 2013, the church disavowed the reasons behind the ban and condemned all racism, saying the prohibition came during an era of racial divide that influenced early church teachings. Blacks were always allowed to be members but the nearly century-long ban kept them from participating in many important rituals.
Scholars said the essay included the church’s most comprehensive explanation for the ban and its 1978 reversal, which leaders say came from a revelation from God.
But it didn’t include an apology, leaving some unsatisfied.
“A lot of members are waiting for the church just to say, ‘We were wrong’,” said Phylicia Norris-jimenez, 30, a black Mormon and member of the Black LDS legacy committee, a group of women who organised a conference yesterday in Utah to honour the legacy of black Mormon pioneers.
She said non-black church members still struggled with how to talk about the ban or understand the pain it caused. The anniversary celebration honoured something that never should have existed but was a good gesture and would encourage discussion about race.
Fellow group member Lashawn Williams found comfort in her belief the ban was a “policy of people, not a policy of God”, made during a racist time. Williams, an assistant professor in social work, would like an apology.
“If we preach repentance, we should definitely embody it.”
The theme of the celebration in Salt Lake City was “Be one”, a reference to a Mormon scripture. Gladys Knight, one of the most famous black Mormons, performed and top church leaders gave speeches.
President Russell Nelson said comprehending true brotherhood and sisterhood could inspire people to “build bridges of co-operation instead of walls of segregation”.
Nelson’s first counsellor, Dallin Oaks, acknowledged the “pain and suffering” the ban caused while urging members to “look forward in the unity of our faith”.
Darius Gray, co-founder of the Genesis Group that supports black Mormons, said the church and its doctrine weren’t racist but racism lingered in the faith as it did in society. He had many calls from Mormons concerned about how they’re being treated, which he attributed to a rise in racism since President Donald Trump was elected. – AP/ African News Agency (ANA)