My lesson, so, today I taught the Relief Society lesson as it's the first sunday and my month for the Presidency message. I've been preparing this lesson mentally for about a month now, since we received an email from the Stake President requesting that we teach a lesson on the statement released on lds.org regarding Race & the Priesthood.
The statement is great - I feel like it's still incomplete - but it's incomplete in my view because we simply do not have the information I seek! That usually comes down to my need to blame, for someone or something to be held accountable. Mostly, that's not a desire for damning judgment or even retribution, but I do always want to know - how did it happen, why did it happen, how can I make sure it never happens again. Clearly on this issue, I need not worry - it's really not my responsibility, and yet - those are still my questions, and they might be other people's questions too after reading the statement (race-and-the-priesthood)
There's a great deal of information in the article - much of it known, some of it clarified and some pieces were new information to me. One of these pieces was the role of Brigham Young as territorial governor and the migration of slave owners to the the newly created Utah Territory in 1850, this appeared significant and was new to me being that ordination to the Priesthood ceased in January/February of 1852. The article states that "The justifications for this restriction echoed the widespread ideas about racial inferiority that had been used to argue for the legalization of black “servitude” in the Territory of Utah". I had recently read a piece cited on a friend's facebook page which referenced some of the statements made by Brigham Young regarding individuals of African descent. The article deeply troubled me. I found myself studying more and more, reading and pondering more and more to reconcile myself with the thought of a Prophet, Seer & Revelator who could say and think the quoted material.
I'm not unfeeling regarding the difficulties of being quoted, but I felt troubled in my heart and did not find peace when pondering on Brigham's statements. That may appear quite disrespectful to refer to a prophet by their given name - but after weeks of study, that is what I felt most aligned and calm in accepting, that those statements were - Brigham's statements, and not the statements of The Lord's anointed. I read so many beautiful, elloquent and reassuring quotes from church leaders, prophets and apostles that confirmed to me that the line of authority was unbroken, even if there are aspects of a Prophet's words I am personally repelled and embarrassed by.
One of the ways I understand and accept the doctrines of Christ's gospel is that as each has been taught or revealed to me it has felt as though I have always known it. That the truths taught have been consistent with my understanding of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, that my personal relationship with them has facilitated the growth of my knowledge and testimony. I loved this quote:
“Truth is by nature
self-evident. As soon as you remove the cobwebs of ignorance that surround it,
it shines clear.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
If truth is eternal (and it is), and doctrine does not change because the source of it is the word of a God - who is the same yesterday, today and forever, and He loves His children, being no respecter of persons, then my image of Him need not vary.
Mormon 9:9 -19:
9 For do we not read that God is the asame byesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no cvariableness neither shadow of changing?
10 And now, if ye have imagined up unto
yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then
have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.
11 But behold, I will show unto you a God
of amiracles, even the God of
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same bGod who created the
heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.
19 And if there
were amiracles wrought then,
why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being?
And behold, I say unto you he bchangeth not; if so he would
cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.
I thought about how, if we accept the 8th article of faith (and I do) we believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. In 2 Nephi 26:33 it states:
"For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."
The statement made on the church website echoes these sentiments, a portion of it reads:
"Toward the end of his life, Church founder Joseph Smith openly opposed slavery. There has never been a
Churchwide policy of segregated congregations.3
During the first two decades of the Church’s
existence, a few black men were ordained to the priesthood. One of these
men, Elijah Abel, also participated in temple ceremonies in Kirtland, Ohio, and
was later baptized as proxy for deceased relatives in Nauvoo, Illinois. There
is no evidence that any black men were denied the priesthood during Joseph
Smith’s lifetime.
In 1852, President Brigham Young publicly announced that men of black African
descent could no longer be ordained to the priesthood, though thereafter blacks
continued to join the Church through baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. Following the death of Brigham Young, subsequent
Church presidents restricted blacks from receiving the temple endowment or
being married in the temple. Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many
theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these
explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church."
"Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in
the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it
reflects actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or
that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to
anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and
present, in any form.
Since that day in 1978, the Church has looked to the
future, as membership among Africans, African Americans and others of African
descent has continued to grow rapidly. While Church records for individual
members do not indicate an individual’s race or ethnicity, the number of Church
members of African descent is now in the hundreds of thousands.
The Church proclaims that redemption through Jesus Christ is available to the entire human family on the
conditions God has prescribed. It affirms that God is “no respecter of
persons” and emphatically declares that anyone who is righteous—regardless
of race—is favored of Him. The teachings of the Church in relation to God’s
children are epitomized by a verse in the second book of Nephi: “[The Lord]
denieth none that cometh unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and
female; . . . all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”
Doctrine & Covenants Institute Manual (F4)
"No claim is put forth by the prophets of God to suggest that they are infallible, that everyting they say and do is what the Lord would say and do. Only when they act in harmony with the will of the Lord do they become the Lord's mouthpiece".
History of the Church 5:265
"A prophet was a prophet only when he was acting as such"
But this for me was the absolute gem from April 2012 General Conference: Elder D Todd Christofferson: April 2012: The Doctrine of Christ
"it should
be remembered that not every statement made by a Church leader, past or
present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. It is commonly understood in the
Church that a statement made by one leader on a single occasion often
represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, not meant to be
official or binding for the whole Church. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that
“a prophet [is] a prophet only when he [is]
acting as such.”
President Clark, quoted
earlier, observed:
“To this point runs a simple
story my father told me as a boy, I do not know on what authority, but it
illustrates the point. His story was that during the excitement incident to the
coming of [Johnston’s] Army, Brother Brigham preached to the people in a
morning meeting a sermon vibrant with defiance to the approaching army, and
declaring an intention to oppose and drive them back. In the afternoon meeting
he arose and said that Brigham Young had been talking in the morning, but the
Lord was going to talk now. He then delivered an address, the tempo of which
was the opposite from the morning talk. …
“… The Church will know by the testimony of the Holy
Ghost in the body of the members, whether the brethren in voicing their views
are ‘moved upon by the Holy Ghost’; and in due time that knowledge will be made
manifest.”
"In moments of fear or doubt or troubling times, hold the ground you have already won, even if that ground is limited... Hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes.... The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know...
Let me be clear on this
point: I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am
asking you to be true to the faith you do have... Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on
one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let
those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle."
"Brothers and sisters, this is a divine work in
process, with the manifestations and blessings of it abounding in every
direction, so please don’t hyperventilate if from time to time issues arise
that need to be examined, understood, and resolved. They do and they will. In
this Church, what we know will always trump what we do not know. And remember,
in this world, everyone is to walk by faith.
So be kind regarding human frailty—your own as
well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal
men and women. Except in the case of His
only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work
with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should
we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not
in the divinity of the work. As one gifted
writer has suggested, when the infinite fulness is poured forth, it is not the
oil’s fault if there is some loss because finite vessels can’t quite contain it
all.Those finite vessels
include you and me, so be patient and kind and forgiving."
Yes, an apostle of The Lord said "deal with it". I loved the imagery of the finite vessels struggling to contain the infinite fulness poured forth. I confess my reading of many situations has been less kind, I'm more likely to see self interest, to see cowardice, to be irritated by the mistakes and imperfections mortal men and women are subject to. Remembering compassion is more difficult when you view the perpetrator of a hurt as an aggressor, so often that scenario of the bully and victim triggers that desire for fairness, for justice and even for retribution. Elder Holland's talk reminded me, that imperfect people are all we have to work with - to remember compassion, to exercise mercy and to be humble and patient.
Elder Uchtdorf's talk from the 2013 October Conference Come Join with Us was so healing for me regarding these issues:
"One might ask, “If the gospel is so wonderful, why would anyone leave?” Sometimes
we assume it is because they have been offended or lazy or sinful.
Actually, it is not that simple. In fact, there is not just one reason
that applies to the variety of situations. Some of our dear members struggle for years with the question whether they should separate themselves from the Church.
In
this Church that honors personal agency so strongly, that was restored
by a young man who asked questions and sought answers, we respect those
who honestly search for truth. It may break our hearts when their
journey takes them away from the Church we love and the truth we have
found, but we honor their right to worship Almighty God according to the
dictates of their own conscience, just as we claim that privilege for
ourselves.
Some
struggle with unanswered questions about things that have been done or
said in the past. We openly acknowledge that in nearly 200 years of
Church history—along with an uninterrupted line of inspired, honorable,
and divine events—there have been some things said and done that could
cause people to question.
Sometimes
questions arise because we simply don’t have all the information and we
just need a bit more patience. When the entire truth is eventually
known, things that didn’t make sense to us before will be resolved to
our satisfaction.
Sometimes
there is a difference of opinion as to what the “facts” really mean. A
question that creates doubt in some can, after careful investigation,
build faith in others.
And,
to be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in
the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said
or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or
doctrine.
I
suppose the Church would be perfect only if it were run by perfect
beings. God is perfect, and His doctrine is pure. But He works through
us—His imperfect children—and imperfect people make mistakes.
To those who have separated themselves from the Church, I say, my dear friends, there is yet a place for you here. Come and add your talents, gifts, and energies to ours. We will all become better as a result.
Some might ask, “But what about my doubts?”
It’s
natural to have questions—the acorn of honest inquiry has often
sprouted and matured into a great oak of understanding. There are few
members of the Church who, at one time or another, have not wrestled
with serious or sensitive questions. One of the purposes of the Church
is to nurture and cultivate the seed of faith—even in the sometimes
sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty. Faith is to hope for things which
are not seen but which are true.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters—my dear friends—please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith.
We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the
divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ."
I know hearing this talk at conference, I really felt it was for me, I shared the talk and Elder Holland's with the people I knew had those common concerns and questions. I know Heavenly Father heard my prayers, He understood my questions and He sent my answer in the way I would expect Him to - through His appointed Prophets and as Elder Christofferson promised the Holy Ghost ratifies truth to the membership of the church.
We can ask to see, to know, and to believe for ourselves as Nephi asked
to see Lehi’s vision.
We can take our queries, questions, concerns and doubts to the Lord as
the boy Joseph did in the Grove of trees.
We can call upon our Heavenly Father through his Son for the mighty
miracles we need in our lives as the man whose son cast himself into the fire
did – and can say LORD I BELIEVE – Help though my Unbelief.
We can hold the ground we’ve won until further light and knowledge are
confirmed by the spirit in our minds and in our hearts to answer the questions
and fears we experience in this mortal existence.
Do I know why The Lord allowed the privilege of Priesthood ordination and Temple blessings to be denied to His children, at a time when it would have given so much comfort, so much solace, protection and power to an oppressed and degraded people. No. But, I do know that Christ felt everything they experienced while atoning in the Garden, he knows the pain of segregation, of degradation, of distance from Heavenly Father, he knows what it felt like on the slave ships from Ghana to Virginia and he allowed it to be so.
I know many people feel that as a White Woman, I have no place to feel so connected to the issue of Race & the Priesthood, yet - Martin Niemöller's poem has meant a lot to me in my life. On January 6, 1946 he read his poem in a speech stating:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
Though my struggles as a white woman in western culture are privileged struggles in comparison to those of women throughout history and across the world, my complaints about body image socialisation, the sexualisation of women in the media, growths in the multi-billion dollar pornography industry and the ever increasing market and trading in sexual slavery are assaults on my gender, on my freedom and my conscience can't tolerate the blood and sins of this generation, not for women and not for humankind. No one is going to give you their power in this world, until we see that we are all connected, that our blindness to the suffering of others blights the soul we owe to God. I won't be giving away my very limited power either, but I might share it, use it in ways to uplift, to honour, to embolden, and to buoy up those whose battles are perhaps not directly my own.
Am I still concerned that prophets led/ lead us astray, No. Not because I think them any less fallible than Brigham Young or any other mortal man or woman, but because the Holy Ghost testifies of truth and I have the opportunity to ask the questions and voice the concerns and weigh the doctrine and take it to my Heavenly Father to know for myself that His promises are sure.
So in short - as Elder Holland had it:
”Honestly acknowledge your questions and
your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all
things are possible to them that believe.”
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