Did Elder Snow Misrepresent the Truth on National TV

[Guest]

During the NBC profile on the Church last night on Rock Center with Brian Williams..Elder Snow (corrected), Church Historian was asked about the pre-1978 priesthood ban for blacks of African decent. He said..." We don't fully understand the reasons for this doctrine/policy" Really? Even my TBM wife gaged on that one...she sat up right and said...he's not telling the truth...

So what do you make of his statement? Is the church disavowing 138 years of of prophetic pronouncements? What about Bruce McConkies acknowledgement that we should forget everything that has ever been said regarding blacks and the reasons for the priesthood ban...and in so saying acknowledging that there were some pretty biggeted/racist statements made...did he really expect the world to forget the justification of this ban?

[_Fence Sitter]

The Church is more interested in fitting in than standing out.

[_DarkHelmet]

During the NBC profile on the Church last night on Rock Center with Brian Williams..Elder Scott, Church Historian was asked about the pre-1978 priesthood ban for blacks of African decent. He said..." We don't fully understand the reasons for this doctrine/policy" Really? Even my TBM wife gaged on that one...she sat up right and said...he's not telling the truth...

So what do you make of his statement? Is the church disavowing 138 years of of prophetic pronouncements? What about Bruce McConkies acknowledgement that we should forget everything that has ever been said regarding blacks and the reasons for the priesthood ban...and in so saying acknowledging that there were some pretty biggeted/racist statements made...did he really expect the world to forget the justification of this ban?

They need to fire the PR firm that is telling them to say that. It just makes them look like idiots. You are the leaders of the organization, and you don't know why policies are implemented?

[_Drifting]

It's also a slap in the face for black people who were members prior to 1978.

[_Equality]

[bcspace hat on]No lie here. He said they didn't fully understand the reasoning. Does anyone fully understand the reasoning of anything? Doesn't seem to be the case.[bcspace hat off]

[_Cicero]

Would it really be that hard to say that Brigham Young's comments about the curse of Cain, and the comments of many other regarding blacks in the pre-existence were simply wrong? There are still real racists in the Church, but they are mostly older and I don't even know that they would be all that offended or surprised. I just really don't see that many people, if any, losing their testimonies over such an admission.

The only reason I can think of that explains the Church's refusal to make such an admission is that many of the Twelve, in their heart of hearts, actually still believe that those past statements were true.

[_Gobias]

It was Elder Snow, not Elder Scott.

They have to say they don't know. They can't today say it was ok. And they sure can't say the Great Leaders were wrong.

Nobody in the organization--from a deacon to the freaking Church Historian---can say a priesthood leader was wrong on a particular doctrine at a particular time. So silly.

[_Themis]

Would it really be that hard to say that Brigham Young's comments about the curse of Cain, and the comments of many other regarding blacks in the pre-existence were simply wrong?

Yes it would be. I doubt he thinks it was a mistake. They think it was instituted by God. The 1978 revelation cements it that God instituted the ban. It's easier for PR just to say we don't know, and leave God out of it. It will always be an issue for the church, because they haven't come out and said it was a mistake of people like BY. This is why in other church's it is no longer an issue because they have admitted it was a mistake, but then they didn't claim to be getting revelation from God.

[_Equality]

I wonder, when they say stuff like this, if they think it sounds good to non-members. I mean, the guy basically said that the Mormon Church discriminated against Blacks for a hundred and some odd years but they don't know why they did it. Does that inspire confidence in anyone but the most addle-brained true believer? Say what you will about Hinckley's response to Mike Wallace, at least it made some sense: it's all behind us and it doesn't matter because we are moving forward and that's all that counts. Still not satisfactory, but a whole lot better than "we don't have any idea what the “F” we were doing for 150 years."

[_Drifting]

Would it really be that hard to say that Brigham Young's comments about the curse of Cain, and the comments of many other regarding blacks in the pre-existence were simply wrong?

Yes it would be. I doubt he thinks it was a mistake. They think it was instituted by God. The 1978 revelation cements it that God instituted the ban. It's easier for PR just to say we don't know, and leave God out of it. It will always be an issue for the church, because they haven't come out and said it was a mistake of people like BY. This is why in other church's it is no longer an issue because they have admitted it was a mistake, but then they didn't claim to be getting revelation from God.

It's bizarre that the people who speak with God week in week out don't know why the Priesthood ban was necessary.
Have they not asked?

It is answers from senior figures, like the one Snow gave, that give the impression the Church has something to hide.

Are any of the Apostles from 1978 still alive?