What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

The catch-all forum for general topics and debates. Minimal moderation. Rated PG to PG-13.
Post Reply
_antishock8
_Emeritus
Posts: 2425
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:02 am

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _antishock8 »

Some interesting on-topic comments from the Internetz:

memikeyounot // Jun 29, 2008 at 8:38 am

I am a former ‘mo, nearly 60 years old, and I could share many stories about racism and prejudice in the church. Growing up in the church, my church leaders thought nothing of calling black people “darkies” and worse. I went on a mission to Brazil from 1968-70, and Brazil’s population in those days was over 50% African American; we ran into many interracial couples. It was difficult to baptize them when they found out about the church’s ban on giving the black men “the priesthood” and I knew it was wrong then. Talk about being brainwashed. The “prophet” lifted the ban in 1978, after many hours of “prayer”. (Of course, that doesn’t even address the fact that women can’t hold the priesthood, when most of the women in the church are much better people and stronger leaders than any of the men.)


Lessie // Jun 30, 2008 at 9:28 am

Good grief. I had hoped that stuff was gone from the hand book. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though. When I was till at BYU-I my freshman year, there was a forum about interracial marriage and it’s problems. I didn’t attend, but I found it troubling, especially since my “brown” (as she called herself) roommate was engaged to a white local. I had seen them and knew there was nothing wrong with their relationship. I didn’t know why anyone felt the need to mess with such a personal decision.


This is pretty par for the course in my experience. When growing up it wasn't uncommon for me to hear my parents use the n-word, forbid me from putting up a poster of a black athelete, or hear fellow church members put down or assign negative values to non-whites. The Mormon church states over and over and over again that their membership should rid itself of racial prejudice, but then eeeeeeevery once in a while it slips some seriously screwed up stuff in a lesson manual. They would be better off just getting out of the racial issue all together.

I'm pretty sure people of the same social, racial, and economic backgrounds have just as many, if not more, crappy marriages and divorces than people who mix up their ethnicities, cultures, races, income levels, etc...
You can’t trust adults to tell you the truth.

Scream the lie, whisper the retraction.- The Left
_christopher
_Emeritus
Posts: 177
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2006 2:17 pm

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _christopher »

antishock8 wrote:Some interesting on-topic comments from the Internetz:

memikeyounot // Jun 29, 2008 at 8:38 am

I went on a mission to Brazil from 1968-70, and Brazil’s population in those days was over 50% African American;




Not to get off topic, but how can 50 % of Brazil's population be African American? Do South American's use this divisive term as well as us in the US? The stupidity of politically correct terms.
_antishock8
_Emeritus
Posts: 2425
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:02 am

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _antishock8 »

christopher wrote:
Not to get off topic, but how can 50 % of Brazil's population be African American? Do South American's use this divisive term as well as us in the US? The stupidity of politically correct terms.


I'm sure they don't even though Brazil falls within the Americas. The person making the statement, obviously, is ethnocentric.
You can’t trust adults to tell you the truth.

Scream the lie, whisper the retraction.- The Left
_JohnStuartMill
_Emeritus
Posts: 1630
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 12:12 pm

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _JohnStuartMill »

So, is DCP going to man up and concede the point about the death penalty for black-white marriage?
"You clearly haven't read [Dawkins'] book." -Kevin Graham, 11/04/09
_Daniel Peterson
_Emeritus
Posts: 7173
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:56 pm

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _Daniel Peterson »

JohnStuartMill wrote:So, is DCP going to man up and concede the point about the death penalty for black-white marriage?

"Man up and concede"???

I've never denied the clear fact that Brigham Young said that he believed that the law of God prescribed the death penalty for a priesthood holder who married and had children by a woman whose lineage prohibited her offspring from holding the priesthood.

That was never at issue.
_Gazelam
_Emeritus
Posts: 5659
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 2:06 am

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _Gazelam »

There was a priesthood ban. The seed of Ham were denied the priesthood based on the apostacy of that bloodline soon after the flood.

Interacial marriage was taught against in the early days of the church due to the spiritual death that would ensue. A member of the church who marries outside the church would be introducing into the family heretical teachings and culture. A man of another race would obviously not hold the priesthood and would in effect be denying the blessings of the priesthood to their posterity. This is akin to spiritual death.(As Bro. Peterson has struggled to explain here).

After the priesthood ban was lifted in very recent times the only rule involved now is that we should marry into a similar culture, as Nehor has sought to explain. And this is merely to encourage ease in a relationship.
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. - Plato
_antishock8
_Emeritus
Posts: 2425
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 2:02 am

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _antishock8 »

Gazelam wrote:There was a priesthood ban (only for black men). The seed of Ham (he was black??) were denied the priesthood based on the apostacy of that bloodline soon after the flood.

Interacial marriage was taught against in the early days of the church due to the spiritual death that would ensue (if you marry a black person). A member of the church who marries outside the church (a black person) would be introducing into the family heretical teachings and culture. A man of another race (black) would obviously not hold the priesthood and would in effect be denying the blessings of the priesthood to their posterity (because they would be black). This is akin to spiritual death (ie. "you're black").(As Bro. Peterson has struggled to explain here).

After the priesthood ban was lifted in very recent times the only rule involved now is that we should marry into a similar culture (not a black person if you're white), as Nehor has sought to explain. And this is merely to encourage ease in a relationship.
You can’t trust adults to tell you the truth.

Scream the lie, whisper the retraction.- The Left
_DarkHelmet
_Emeritus
Posts: 5422
Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 11:38 pm

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _DarkHelmet »

Gazelam wrote:
After the priesthood ban was lifted in very recent times the only rule involved now is that we should marry into a similar culture, as Nehor has sought to explain. And this is merely to encourage ease in a relationship.


Many rules on marriage have come and gone. How long until the "rule" of marrying into the same general culture and racial background is lifted?
"We have taken up arms in defense of our liberty, our property, our wives, and our children; we are determined to preserve them, or die."
- Captain Moroni - 'Address to the Inhabitants of Canada' 1775
_JohnStuartMill
_Emeritus
Posts: 1630
Joined: Sun Dec 07, 2008 12:12 pm

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _JohnStuartMill »

DCP,

Sure, but you did contest the idea that a ban was ever in effect. If Brigham Young clearly intended to mete out the divinely-prescribed punishment for black/white intermarriage, then a ban certainly WAS in effect.
"You clearly haven't read [Dawkins'] book." -Kevin Graham, 11/04/09
_Daniel Peterson
_Emeritus
Posts: 7173
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:56 pm

Re: What do LDS generally believe about interracial marriage?

Post by _Daniel Peterson »

JohnStuartMill wrote:Sure, but you did contest the idea that a ban was ever in effect.

That's correct. Shades provided no evidence that the death penalty was actually in effect in Utah for marriage between a priesthood-holding man and a priesthood-lineage-ineligible woman.

JohnStuartMill wrote:If Brigham Young clearly intended to mete out the divinely-prescribed punishment for black/white intermarriage, then a ban certainly WAS in effect.

But Shades provided no evidence that the death penalty was actually in effect in Utah for marriage between a priesthood-holding man and a priesthood-lineage-ineligible woman.
Post Reply