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...