It is time to change the name of Brigham Young University.
I earned two degrees from BYU, the flagship university of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brigham Young was the founding leader of Utah and iconic pioneer of the west.
However, arguably, there is not a more successful white supremacist in American history when considering his impact on keeping his church, his community, and his state “white and delightsome” for nearly 200 years.
Young single handedly created and ingrained teachings of racial violence, segregation and white moral authority that enabled a social norm that not only oppressed black lives, but taught his followers that white supremacy was a mandate from God. In a speech to the Utah Legislature on Jan. 23, 1852, Young said:
“In as much as we believe in the Bible ... we must believe in slavery. This colored race have been subjected to severe curses ... which they have brought upon themselves. And until the curse is removed by Him who placed it upon them, they must suffer under its consequences.”
I learned Young’s teachings in high school seminary when I was taught that my parents’ interracial marriage was a disappointment to God and that my black friends’ skin was a curse due to their actions in a premortal realm.
Today the LDS church calls on others to look inside and find racist practices and “root them out.” However, this hypocritical call comes from a religious empire and financial behemoth that, in part, stands as a monument to the actions and teachings of Brigham Young and white supremacy.
With calculated campaigns and flashy photo-ops, the LDS Church uses the words of racial justice but has completely and utterly failed to look at its own roots and repent and atone for the violence and oppression in its own history, especially the effects of the teachings of Brigham Young.
It is time for the LDS Church to take demonstrative steps to look to its own roots and eradicate the teachings, philosophy and structures of white supremacy that were started by Brigham Young, and which are blatantly practiced and espoused by many at my alma mater.
The LDS Church can start this process and clearly show students, faculty, alumni and the larger faith community that it is serious about rooting out the racial injustices in its own body.
It is time to change the name of BYU.
Well said. It is also time to remove the racist parts of the Book of Mormon.
Last edited by Guest on Sun Jun 21, 2020 9:49 am, edited 2 times in total.
Brigham Young wrote:The negro is damned, and is to serve his master till God chooses to remove the curse of Ham
Brigham Young wrote:The moment we consent to mingle with the seed of Cain the Church must go to destruction, - we should receive the curse which has been placed upon the seed of Cain, and never more be numbered with the children of Adam who are heirs to the priesthood until that curse be removed.
White and Delightsome, Brigham Young, Mormon Despot
The first negro who attempts to breach the sacred doors into the holy temple will be hanged from the nearest tree. Death on the spot against the negro who mixes his seed with the children of Israel.
quote from the article above;
I witnessed Young’s teachings as a missionary when my Utah-raised trainers yelled from our church-owned vehicle “[racial slur] doggy dog” every time we passed a black man on the street, and when my white BYU classmates disrespected and heckled an LDS Latino professor who was visiting to share minority perspective.
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I agree that something should be done about this but it is not so easy to find the best path. Why not a sharp rap to the face with your knuckles? Well a clear statement of objection and a refusal to be quiet about totally unacceptable behavior would be better. But perhaps criticism would not be acceptable. If so self removal from the situation would be appropriate. Complaint to superiors would be appropriate. Myself I never encountered Mormons who would behave in such a way but I can believe such could have existed.
Would it help solve things to remove or alter passages in the Book of Mormon? I always thought the priesthood ban was based upon interpretation of the Book of Abraham.
Lets delete Brigham Young, the most famous Mormon and the link upon which SLC authority claims rest upon? It just does not seem remotely likely to happen. It would be difficult but still more likely to admit that the past leaders made some errors. One might even manage apologies for the error. At present those appear to be bridges too far.
I may not know for sure what the best answer is but I suspect it is better to just be honest about the important role of Brigham Young and keep the name. (perhaps the strength of my view should be limited by the observation that I never considered going there and the closest to the campus I have been is to drive up Provo canyon)
True on both accounts. Brigham Young was polygamous. He had sex with multiple women who were under his control. Wives and more wives -- did he think to rival king Solomon?
Second, he was a racist. There is no question about that. He was the highest representative of the Mormon Church and as such reflected the attitude and belief of the Mormon god when it came to discussing Negros.
Leaders of the Utah Valley settlement were not persuaded. Deter-mined to take action, Isaac Higbee traveled to Salt Lake City to petition personally for authority to launch a punitive expedition. On January 31 he attended a meeting with President Young, his counselors, the Quorum of the Twelve, and militia commander Daniel H. Wells. Apostle Parley P. Pratt, who had recently returned from his southern exploration, argued that the only alternatives were abandoning Utah Valley (with the resultant break in communications with settlements further south), de-fending the Utah Valley settlement, or leaving the Utah Valley settlers to their destruction. He recommended "it best to kill the Indians." Higbee responded that "every man and boy [in Utah Valley] held up their hand to kill them off. . . ." The record does not indicate that Higbee made any mention of the murder of Old Bishop—the incident that had precipitated the dilemma. Willard Richards added to the above by declaring "my voice is for war, and exterminate them." Young, convinced of the need for action, and persuaded by the unanimous recommendation of all those present, ordered a selective extermination campaign to be carried out against the Utah Valley Indians. He ordered that all the men were to be killed—women and children to be saved if they "behave themselves" —and military orders were immediately drafted to that effect by General Wells. Wells's "Special Order No. 2," dated January 31 and addressed to Capt. George D. Grant, commander of the militia company sent from Great Salt Lake City, reads in part:
10 An account of the dialogue of the January 31 meeting can be found in BYC, Microfilm reel 80, box 47, folder 6. Brigham Young is quoted as stating: "I say go [and] kill them. . . . Tell Dimick Huntington to go and kill them—also Barney Ward—let the women and children live if they behave themselves. . . . We have no peace until the men [are] killed off—never treat the Indian as your equal." Wells's Special Order No. 2 can be found in the Utah State Archives,
Apparently DCP didn't find this historical fact very uplifting for his version of "Mopologetic Truth" and refused to post a similar link I put on his blog some months back.
His response aside from the censorship.
http://disq.us/p/25c8544
Dr. VelhoBurrinho DanielPeterson • 7 months ago
I don’t see any reason to be ashamed of facts. Go look it up. The church is the one who should be ashamed.
DanielPeterson Mod Dr. VelhoBurrinho • 7 months ago
The Church never engaged in "genocide."
