First Presidency Letter on Blacks/Priesthood

[_mms]

This First Presidency letter regarding the "negro" seems to be attempting to quite forcefully correct anyone who claims the Church's withholding of the Priesthood (etc) from blacks was just a "policy." In fact, it seems to go quite far in explaining the basis for the withholding. How do those who now claim it was just a "policy" deal with this?

http://bycommonconsent.com/2004/04/21/a ... residency/

[_moksha]

The position of the Church regarding the Negro may be understood when another doctrine of the Church is kept in mind, namely, that the conduct of spirits in the premortal existence has some determining effect upon the conditions and circumstances under which these spirits take on mortality and that while the details of this principle have not been made known, the mortality is a privilege that is given to those who maintain their first estate; and that the worth of the privilege is so great that spirits are willing to come to earth and take on bodies no matter what the handicap may be as to the kind of bodies they are to secure; and that among the handicaps, failure of the right to enjoy in mortality the blessings of the priesthood is a handicap which spirits are willing to assume in order that they might come to earth. Under this principle there is no injustice whatsoever involved in this deprivation as to the holding of the priesthood by the Negroes.

Yes, but this was written at a time when many still believed in a flat Earth. We have come a long ways since then and we are now hesitant to proffer things we just made up as explanations.

.

[_Everybody Wang Chung]

Nice try, mms. Just because the First Presidency agrees in writing on a certain doctrine and publishes this in an official publication, it doesn't mean it's doctrine. Wait......oops.

[_Hasa Diga Eebowai]

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