Peterson tries to excuse himself from the Priesthood Ban era

[I Have Questions]

Bott retired from his teaching position in order to serve a senior mission with his wife (unlike the subject of the OP who believes himself above such counsel from the Prophets). Saying he was forced into early retirement seems to be social media exaggeration as far as I can see.

Randy Bott’s comments seem to have been the catalyst for the Church writing and publishing “Race and the Priesthood”.

So this means A) MsJack was incorrect, and B) his comments occurring immediately prior to his retirement was the sheerest of coincidences?

Not necessarily. It means MSJack was repeating pure speculation (unless MSJack knows Randy personally?) when MSJack asserted he was forced into retirement. Coincidences do happen.

If MSJack was speaking based on being privy to non public knowledge then that’s a different thing. But I think MSJack would have declared that up front.

[Shulem]

I hope that I’ve made it clear enough and mentioned often enough that I found the pre-1978 priesthood ban baffling and, to say the least of it, awkward, and that I was absolutely delighted when it was rescinded.

Suppose your parents weren't all white. Suppose one of them was a little too dark, even BLACK like Anubis in Facsimile No. 3 whereby according to Briggy-boy Young, the second President of Mormonism: Blacks are banned from the Lily-White KKK Nazi Mormon Priesthood Club because flat nosed people are ugly and depraved -- second classed spirit citizens! How would that make you feel, Dan, knowing you are not worthy to be ordained because your skin is just a little too dark or impure blood flows through your veins on account of sins practiced by those who lived thousands of years ago? You know you must be punished for their transgressions because Briggy-boy doesn't like darkies.

Your brain, Peterson, is soaked in Mormon poison. You *are* brainwashed!

The day that I heard about President Spencer W. Kimball’s priesthood revelation — I was in Zollikofen, Switzerland, at the time, slowly returning from six months in the Middle East — was one of the happiest days of my life.

How about the day when I (Shulem) discovered the missing jackal snout hacked out of the printer's plate of Facsimile No. 3? Was that another happy day in which you noted in your personal journal?

What has Interpreter said about it? A blog written on a 5th grade level by apologists who love to lie.

YOU are a racist, Dan. Prove me wrong, you fat-ass liar! Tell us about the lead plate.

I hope that I’ve made it clear enough and mentioned often enough that I found the pre-1978 priesthood ban baffling and, to say the least of it, awkward, and that I was absolutely delighted when it was rescinded. The day that I heard about President Spencer W. Kimball’s priesthood revelation — I was in Zollikofen, Switzerland, at the time, slowly returning from six months in the Middle East — was one of the happiest days of my life. I glowed for weeks thereafter.

Surely you followed Kimball's mandate and kept a personal missionary journal.

Please, provide/publish a clip from your personal missionary journal that indicates one of the happiest days of your life when you learned about the revelation.

Let's see WHAT you wrote, Dan. Publish it!

Peterson,

This is your golden opportunity to prove Shulem is wrong and has falsely accused you. This is your chance to prove Shulem is a buffoon.

Publish your journal entry to show that it was one of the happiest days of your life. We are waiting! So, prove me wrong. Put up or shut the hell up.

And, don't forget, you are dealing with Shulem, the most notorious antiMormon alive!

[Tom]

Technical note, Shulem: DCP wasn’t serving a mission in 1978. (I have no idea if he kept a journal in 1978.)

[I Have Questions]

Technical note, Shulem: DCP wasn’t serving a mission in 1978. (I have no idea if he kept a journal in 1978.)

That’s right. Peterson had already spent two years of his life voluntarily spreading a message that, amongst other things, blacks people were “less than” and couldn’t hold the Priesthood and couldn’t visit the temple, because they were black. That black skin was the sign of a curse from God. Peterson propagated the message and is now seeking to gaslight everyone that he stood apart back in the day. He didn’t. He actively sold that message. As did everyone who served a mission prior to 1978. Unwittingly or not, missionaries prior to 1978 were actively spreading racist beliefs.

In fact, because the message remains in today’s Books of Mormon, current missionaries are also spreading a racist message buried within the scriptures they are handing out.

[Shulem]

Technical note, Shulem: DCP wasn’t serving a mission in 1978. (I have no idea if he kept a journal in 1978.)

Thank you for that correction! I recalled he served in Switzerland but dating his missionary era to 1978 was a blooper on my part thinking he served when he was a little older but as it was he was typical missionary age, 19. The correct date should be 72-74 in the Switzerland Zürich Mission.

Peterson should have been keeping a journal in June of 1978 (age 25) if he was following the strong admonition of President Kimball who was adamant about keeping personal histories, journals. It was practically a commandment! He continued his education with BYU which offered close proximity among church leaders and AI indicates he was living in Jerusalem in June of 78 when the priesthood revelation was given. I would like to know (and assume you would too) what Peterson said in his journal about one of the happiest days of his life and see if it matches the claim he made on his blog. Surely he made an entry(s) about this most important change in LDS policy/doctrine regarding blacks and the priesthood.

What did he say?

Dan? Speak up. Testify. This is your chance to rake Shulem under the coals! Are you gonna let it slide?

Technical note, Shulem: DCP wasn’t serving a mission in 1978. (I have no idea if he kept a journal in 1978.)

That’s right. Peterson had already spent two years of his life voluntarily spreading a message that, amongst other things, blacks people were “less than” and couldn’t hold the Priesthood and couldn’t visit the temple, because they were black. That black skin was the sign of a curse from God. Peterson propagated the message and is now seeking to gaslight everyone that he stood apart back in the day. He didn’t. He actively sold that message. As did everyone who served a mission prior to 1978. Unwittingly or not, missionaries prior to 1978 were actively spreading racist beliefs.

In fact, because the message remains in today’s Books of Mormon, current missionaries are also spreading a racist message buried within the scriptures they are handing out.

Right. And it wasn't so much because of policy© but by way of doctrine® that was protected and maintained by all Church Presidents leading up to Kimball's so-called revelation. The will and mind of Mormon God was that blacks would not receive the priesthood until such time as the Lord would lift the curse and the posterity of Ham could fully partake of all the blessings of the restored gospel. That was Mormonism! That was doctrine! And because of that, the policy was in place and strictly enforced.

In 1980, I was called to serve a fulltime stake mission and set apart to serve as a missionary for 2 weeks because one of the missionaries in the Seattle Mission fell ill. It was an amazing experience. I recall visiting with some elders at their home and one of the elders was black! I noticed there was tension between the elders that seemed to revolve around the fact there was a black missionary serving at the side of white missionaries and I'll never forget the expression of one of the elders who couldn't hide his prejudice because his countenance was quite expressive. Of course, that was my interpretation. My personal journal(s) have not survived but were shredded many years ago when I left the church. That was my way of coping. Reading that crap after the fact was painful.

[MsJack]

[Not necessarily. It means MSJack was repeating pure speculation (unless MSJack knows Randy personally?) when MSJack asserted he was forced into retirement. Coincidences do happen.

If MSJack was speaking based on being privy to non public knowledge then that’s a different thing. But I think MSJack would have declared that up front.

The race scandal happened at the end of February 2012. Bott departed from his teaching post mid-March 2012. The Brigham Young University winter semester ends at the end of April; I never once saw a professor quit teaching mid-semester, and imagine this only happens for extreme health, family, or misconduct reasons. Bott's retirement then quietly became public news in June 2012, and he received no retirement or emeritus fanfare despite being one of the most popular teachers in the history of BYU. That is not how the retirement of a popular and long-serving professor usually goes.

So no, I don't have inside information on this particular incident, I just understand how academic calendars and retirements work. It's myopic to think that the two things (three things, really: the scandal, the mid-semester departure, and the sudden yet quiet retirement) are unrelated.