The Church and Race: All Are Alike Unto God

[_Equality]

Who were they? Why not say the Church's Prophet and his fellow Apostles sought divine guidance? Why not say "the Lord's Prophet at the time, President Spencer W. Kimball, prayed in unison with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for, and received, a revelation from God ending the ban"?0[/b] sought divine guidance (Note that President Newsroom says the church leaders sought divine guidance but does not state that they received such guidance. And no use of the word "revelation." Why is that? Interesting word choice.)regarding the issue...

I think criticism is important, but it's also important to get all the facts if possible. Because the editorial doesn't give out all the specific details doesn't mean there's something "fishy" going on. I'm sure you can find much more detail about the circumstances of the revelation online, but from my own experience, I recall listening to Elder Rex D. Pinegar speak at an Australian stake centre in the late '70s. He spoke for over an hour, and gave us specific insights into the circumstances of what happened. He said some of the older GAs voiced strong opinions against lifting the ban (perhaps McConkie was one?), and they debated the issue freely. He said he was amazed at how open and emotionally charged the debate was among some of them, almost like politicians debating policies. In the end, he said, there was [b]no question of which direction the Church was to take, and that this came to them in the form of revelation, and each was satisfied that God had inspired President Kimball to move in this direction. [/b]

Ray, that was my point. I have heard or read many of the apostles who were there when the revelation was received speak or write about it in no uncertain terms, saying that it was a "marvelous manifestation of the Spirit" and stuf like that. It's interesting to me that perhaps the most momentous "revelation" church leaders have supposedly received in the last 100 years or so is not even referred to or described by President Newsroom in the statement about the priesthood ban being lifted. The language was obviously very carefully crafted. I find it interesting that President Newsroom did not say that a "revelation" was received and did not use the word "prophets" but the more generic "church leaders." It's almost as if President Newsroom wants to downplay a fundamental distinguishing Mormon truth claim, namely that the church is led by living "prophets, seers, and revelators" who receive continuing revelation from Jesus Himself.

[_RayAgostini]

Ray, that was my point. I have heard or read many of the apostles who were there when the revelation was received speak or write about it in no uncertain terms, saying that it was a "marvelous manifestation of the Spirit" and stuf like that. It's interesting to me that perhaps the most momentous "revelation" church leaders have supposedly received in the last 100 years or so is not even referred to or described by President Newsroom in the statement about the priesthood ban being lifted. The language was obviously very carefully crafted. I find it interesting that President Newsroom did not say that a "revelation" was received and did not use the word "prophets" but the more generic "church leaders." It's almost as if President Newsroom wants to downplay a fundamental distinguishing Mormon truth claim, namely that the church is led by living "prophets, seers, and revelators" who receive continuing revelation from Jesus Himself.

I see your point, now. Maybe because it was a short editorial they went with the more generic description. This wasn't solely President Kimball's revelation, though. My understanding of what occurred is that if a majority had opposed it, President Kimball would have been willing to drop it. Hugh B. Brown suggested as much back in the early '60s, but no one was ready for it then.

Bruce R. McConkie:

We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don’t matter any more.

It doesn’t make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June of this year, 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement, and the Lord has now given the revelation that sheds light out into the world on this subject. As to any slivers of light or any particles of darkness of the past, we forget about them...

On this occasion, because of the importuning and the faith, and because the hour and the time had arrived, the Lord in his providences poured out the Holy Ghost upon the First Presidency and the Twelve in a miraculous and marvelous manner, beyond anything that any then present had ever experienced. The revelation came to the president of the Church; it also came to each individual present. There were ten members of the Council of the Twelve and three of the First Presidency there assembled. The result was that President Kimball knew, and each one of us knew, independent of any other person, by direct and personal revelation to us, that the time had now come to extend the gospel and all its blessings and all its obligations, including the priesthood and the blessings of the house of the Lord, to those of every nation, culture, and race, including the black race. There was no question whatsoever as to what happened or as to the word and message that came.....

In my judgment this was done by the Lord in this way because it was a revelation of such tremendous significance and import; one which would reverse the whole direction of the Church, procedurally and administratively; one which would affect the living and the dead; one which would affect the total relationship that we have with the world; one, I say, of such significance that the Lord wanted independent witnesses who could bear record that the thing had happened.

Now if President Kimball had received the revelation and had asked for a sustaining vote, obviously he would have received it and the revelation would have been announced. But the Lord chose this other course, in my judgment, because of the tremendous import and the eternal significance of what was being revealed. This affects our missionary work and all of our preaching to the world. This affects our genealogical research and all of our temple ordinances. This affects what is going on in the spirit world, because the gospel is preached in the spirit world preparatory to men’s receiving the vicarious ordinances which make them heirs to salvation and exaltation. This is a revelation of tremendous significance.

(Emphasis added)

All Are Alike unto God

I think what's not available in the editorial, is in McConkie's BYU speech.

[_Brackite]

The gospel of Jesus Christ is for everyone. (Really? Everyone? Including people who write editorials or letters to the editor disagreeing with the church's stance on gay marriage? Including people who publish articles about Heavenly Mother? Including people who publish PG-13 rated calendars featuring shirtless male missionaries?) The Book of Mormon states, “black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). This is the Church’s official teaching. (This scripture pre-dates the priesthood ban. If it is Church doctrine now, was it not church doctrine at the time the ban was instituted? And wasn't this scripture part of the canon the entire time the ban was in place? If this scripture provides a basis for not having a priesthood ban, why was a new revelation needed in 1978 to change the policy? Why couldn't the Prophet have just said something like "I was reading the Book of Mormon and saw this scripture verse that I guess no previous Prophet ever noticed before. Looks like we have to lift the ban because the Book of Mormon says so."?)

Great Point here! According to LDS Theology, A Man must receive six ordinances in order to fully come unto the Lord God.
Here are the six ordinances that a man must receive in order to fully come unto the Lord God.

1. A Man must be Baptized by immersion by one holding the “Proper” Priesthood Authority.
2. A Man must be Confirmed a member of the LDS Church and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of "Authoritative" hands.
3. A Man must be ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood.
4. A Man must be ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood.
5. A Man must receive his Temple Endowments within an "House of the Lord" (An LDS Temple).
6. A Man must be Married for time and all eternity within an "House of the Lord" (An LDS Temple).


From about 1848 until 1977, a man with African Ancestry was not able to receive ordinances numbers three through six, and therefore he wasn't able to fully come until the Lord God according to LDS Theology.
The LDS Priesthood Ban clearly violated Second Nephi Chapter 26 Verse 33.