New Statement on "Race and the Priesthood."

The Church has just published a new statement on "Race and the Priesthood" here. It is part of the new section on lds.org--Gospel Topics--here. The historical subject articles are written by historians who specialize in the specific topic. (There will continue to be more additions, but take a browse. Look at the First Vision Accounts here.)

Though a couple weeks earlier would have been lovely so we could discuss along with Gospel Doctrine lesson 42, alas. I will be mentioning it at the beginning of my class tomorrow.

This is a significant addition to the new introduction to Official Declaration 2 that we've discussed here. Watch some of the additional videos offered also here and President N. Eldon Tanner reading the official declaration for the first time in General Conference here.

The statement outlines the history of the priesthood ban and importantly repudiates the folklore that tried to explain the ban--"Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these explanations is accepted today as official doctrine of the Church." And later: "Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form." No curse of Cain, no descendants of Ham, no fence-sitters in premortal life, anything that would continue to perpetuate any of these ideas should be abolished.

Lesson 44 - Being Good Citizens

This is another lesson that attempts to take a smattering of verses from the Doctrine and Covenants 58:21-22, 26-28; 98:4-10; 134, and Article of Faith 12.

There is much in these verses about obeying, honoring, and sustaining earthly laws as well as doing good of our own accord. The Articles of Faith were originally created for a history of Mormonism written for the Chicago Democrat, but first published in the Times and Seasons in 1842. Mormons waged an uphill battle in the nineteenth century trying to convince Americans that they could be good American citizens, so including a specific article  of the faith to that end seems reasonable and inline with the snippets we get in Joseph's revelations.

Section 134 of the Doctrine and Covenants is likewise an effort to the end. It is not a revelation received by Joseph Smith, though it was later canonized. In August 1835, Joseph was away on a mission to Michigan. Oliver Cowdery and Sidney Rigdon presented this "Declaration of Belief" regarding governments as written by Oliver Cowdery. Here is the earliest version published in the first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, 1835. What is now Section 134 was most frequently quoted in General Conference during the social unrest during the 1960s as church leaders called for respect and order.

There are a lot of different directions we could take with these verses, following the example of Ardis Parshall and her excellent post on this lesson here, I think President Joseph F. Smith's words the same day that the United States entered World War I are significant:
In speaking of nationalities we all understand that in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there is neither Greek nor Jew nor Gentile; in other words, there is neither Scandinavian nor Swiss not German nor Russian nor British, nor any other nationality. We have become brothers in the household of faith, and we should treat people from these nations that are at war with each other, with due kindness and consideration.
Treating everyone as our brothers and sisters despite different nationalities or political persuasions is a hallmark of the gospel. This flies in the face of the oft-used tactic to demonize the opposition and make them a nameless and faceless mass. Rather it asks that we encounter them as believing individuals and our brothers and sisters despite different nationalities and political persuasions.

Section 98 verse 5 offers the caveat of following the law which "is constitutional"--the footnote would apply this to governments in general. The governments should maintain "rights and privileges" for all. Section 58 says if we keep the laws of God then we will likewise keep the laws of the land "for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land." This week I've been thinking a lot about what we do when the laws of the are not inline with God's laws, more significantly when they make us break our covenants. These thoughts only expanded with the death of Nelson Mandela.

The concept of civil disobedience has a philosophical history reaching at least back to the early nineteenth century. As Latter-day Saints we don't have our own comprehensive philosophy of civil disobedience--that is left to us to use our agency to decide. In the nineteenth century Latter-day Saints in Utah actively participated in civil disobedience as the US Federal government began to pass new laws directed at Mormon polygamy. Some went into hiding, some were arrested and jailed as prisoners of conscience. Scripture gives us plenty of examples of governments that tried to get believers to compromise their covenants: King Nebuchanezzer and Sharach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3), Haman and the Jews--particularly Queen Esther (Esther 3), King Noah and his priests versus Abinadi and then Alma (Mosiah 11), Zeezrom and the leaders of Ammoniah versus Alma and Amulek (Alma 14), and more. There is no one way to deal with an unjust government.

The example I will focus on in my lesson is that of Helmuth Hübener, a Latter-day Saint teenager in 1940s Germany. Watch this on Hübener's actions and think about the situation of the German Saints, those in Hübener's ward including his bishop. Don't ignore the real danger they were all in. In 1941 Hübener listened to BBC broadcasts and believed that the Nazi government was not telling the German people the truth, he felt it his duty to share the truth and used a typewriter he had from a church assignment to type leaflets which he and his friends distributed. In February 1942 Hübener worked to translate his pamphlets into French and distribute them among prisoners of war. He was arrested by the Gestapo at work. For his actions he became the youngest person sentenced to death by the Volksgerichtshol and executed.

The Lord wants us to be involved. He asks us to care and to seek out good people to lead. He wants us to be agents unto ourselves and do much good of our own accord. We have to decide what that means for us individually.

Lesson 43 - "Take Upon You My Whole Armor"

The oft-cited biblical analogy comes from Paul--his letter to the Ephesians (6:10-13)--and though we may question why it is included here in a Doctrine and Covenants or Church History course it likewise is found in Joseph's revelations in Doctrine and Covenants 27:15-18. It is a stretch, but hence the placement of this very non-historical lesson in this manual.

Honestly, I've never been a big fan of war analogies. As such, the armor of God has never been at the top of my analogy list. After some armor of God lessons, I have been left thinking--wait if I don't read my scriptures one day, does that mean I've left my breastplate at home and can be bludgeoned to death? Not ideal for a cynical punk kid.

In this 2002 BYU devotional Elder Ballard gave me imagery my cynical self can better work with--chain mail (I could maybe buy into kevlar too):

I like to think of this spiritual armor not as solid pieces of metal molded to fit the body, but more like chain mail. Chain mail consists of dozens of tiny pieces of steel fastened together to allow the user greater flexibility without losing protection. I say that because it has been my experience, covering many more years than you have yet been privileged to live, that there is not one great and grand thing we can do to arm ourselves spiritually. True spiritual power lies in numerous smaller acts woven together in a fabric of spiritual fortification that protects and shields from all evil. (There is another version of the talk here.)

As such the armor of God becomes something like drops of oil in our lamps. We must be about preparing ourselves so that we might enter in with the Bridegroom and we are strong enough to wait for Him to show up. He always takes longer than we think He will.

Beyond this, I will focus my lesson on two elements. 1) Joseph's vision of Satan, the war in heaven, and pre-mortal life as expounded in the revelations and 2) specifically how we can become intellectually and spiritually strong in our understanding of church history specifically--since that is our topic of study.

Initially we will focus on the vision of Perdition (The Lost One) and his sons (and daughters?!?!) recorded in Section 76:25-38. This should likewise go with a discussion of Moses 4. The son of the morning reference is a comparison to Venus--the brightest in the heavens before the sun rises. I think 76 verse 29 is likewise essential here: He (Satan) maketh war with the Saints, and encompasseth them roundabout." Maketh is in present tense. Other revelations talk about the firey darts of the adversary--they continue, the war in Heaven continues and we need to be prepared.

Note the role of agency in those who become heirs of Perdition (the lost ones--are they lost boys?). Satan (the Devil -  gr. Diabolos one who divides) chose to fall and those who follow him likewise choose. They are not just weak and overcome by Satan, but "they suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome." To become an heir of Perdition, one must have a complete knowledge, rebel, and reject it completely. My little note on the possibility of daughters of Perdition-- some in the past have supposed that it is not within the capacity of women to rebel to that degree. I believe that if we truly subscribe to the complete agency and autonomy of women, then we have to believe in the possibility. If women have the capacity to receive a complete knowledge then they likewise have the possibility to reject it. 

Years ago during the Mark Hoffman tragedy, Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave an address to CES instructors--"Reading Church History." He simply asked people to be critical as they read. We need to take time to evaluate. Elder Oaks specifically talked about being aware of uncertainties, lack of context, bias, truths and half-truths, balance, and evaluation. As a historian I don't believe that anyone, save God, is objective (sorry journalists). We all have bias to some degree. At best a historian can work to be balanced. As we read, we desperately need to intellectually evaluate those things we take in and not forget to rely on the Spirit.

I've quoted Assistant Church Historian Richard E. Turley before, but it is important that we read enough church history. Some think that church history is a problem they need to inoculated against, I disagree, church history is not a disease. The danger is not reading enough church history--not ever taking the initiative to go beyond a Primary understanding of church history. The danger is not reading enough--not having enough background to be able to evaluate what you read. Elder D. Todd Christofferson gave this BYU-Idaho devotional a week before conference this fall. (He also mentions the Hoffman episode.) He spoke of Joseph Smith, but likewise about how we approach church history. I especially like the don't be superficial and use the Spirit. A deeper understanding of church history can bolster and strengthen our faith. I have spent more than a decade with some difficult issues in church history, this has not negated or injured my faith, it has deepened it and strengthened it.

Lesson 42 - Continuing Revelation to Latter-day Prophets

THE LONG PROMISED DAY
My focus here will be Official Declaration 2 and the extension of not only priesthood to all worthy men, but extending temple blessings to everyone. 


If you want to talk or read about Correlation try Matt Bowman's chapter on Correlation in his book The Mormon People (maybe Amazon will let you read most of it).  If you want to think about the blessing of new scriptures go back and look at this. 

Please everyone read Edward Kimball's fantastic (but long) article on the revelation on the priesthood here. It is 75 pages, so start now. I would also encourage you to look at Paul Reeve's comments on Elijah Able here. I'm looking forward to his book.

Let's begin with the scriptural standard found in 2 Nephi 2:33
[God] inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.

That is something that we know. That is the Lord's standard. 

There are a lot of things that people created using their own reasoning between the reification of the priesthood ban and 1978. (If you're wondering why I sound amorphous here--read the articles above.) In 1988 on the ten year anniversary of the revelation, Elder Dallin H. Oaks made this comment: “... It’s not the pattern of the Lord to give reasons. We can put reasons to commandments. When we do we’re on our own. . . .Let’s [not] make the mistake that’s been made in the past, here and in other areas, trying to put reasons to revelation. The reasons turn out to be man-made to a great extent. The revelations are what we sustain as the will of the Lord and that’s where safety lies.” [Dallin H. Oaks (Interview to the Associated Press, in Daily Herald, Provo, Utah, June 5, 1988)]. Things like the pre-existence hypothesis (blacks of African descent were not valiant in the pre-existence - fence sitters), the preparedness hypothesis (blacks were not prepared to receive the priesthood or the converse - other church members were not prepared to receive the priesthood), some sort of missing criteria for pre-ordination, and the heredity of curses have all been used at various times by individuals, some in authority to try and reason why there was a priesthood ban. 

Some of the reasoning of some 19th century Saints was a part of their historical context. The idea that blacks (specifically African descent) were desended from Cain was nearly ubiquitous. The line of reasoning went this way: God cursed Cain for killing Abel and placed a mark on him, Cain's descendants were black – people are assuming that the mark was blackness, blackness comes upon the canaanites so another assumption comes that the Canaanites were descendants of Cain, Pharaoh, descended from Ham and his wife Egyptus had Canaanite blood, so Cain’s blood survived the flood and although Pharaoh was blessed by Noah for righteousness. He was cursed pertaining to the priesthood (So this would make one final assumption that the denial of priesthood was independent of righteousness and must have been derived from some pre-mortal cause). Brigham Young was a part of this culture that accepted this clearly racist idea. The idea that blacks were somehow fence-sitters in pre-mortal life is entirely Mormon. We need to do a better job so that people don't just return to these old explanations when they have nothing to say. 

Elder McConkie promoted some of those opinions. Yet, after the revelation was received in June 1978 this is what he said:  

Forget everything that I have said, or that President Brigham Young or ... whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation.  We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world. ...It doesn’t make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about [this] matter before the first day of June of this year, 1978. ... As to any slivers of light or any particles of darkness of the past, we forget about them.” [Bruce R. McConkie, "All Are Alike Unto God," in Charge to Religious Educators (1982), pp.152-155) Read the whole thing here.] Not a particle of difference, they were wrong. Regrettably, collectively we have not left those particles of darkness completely behind. 

If you don't believe me, how about President Hinckley from 2006: 
Racial strife still lifts its ugly head. I am advised that even right here among us there is some of this. I cannot understand how it can be. It seemed to me that we all rejoiced in the 1978 revelation given President Kimball. I was there in the temple at the time that that happened. There was no doubt in my mind or in the minds of my associates that what was revealed was the mind and the will of the Lord.

Now I am told that racial slurs and denigrating remarks are sometimes heard among us. I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ. How can any man holding the Melchizedek Priesthood arrogantly assume that he is eligible for the priesthood whereas another who lives a righteous life but whose skin is of a different color is ineligible? [“The Need for Greater Kindness,” Ensign, May 2006, 58–61.]

We do not know exactly when the ban originated, I think that Paul Reeve has a good argument with the reification of the ban in the early 20th century. But we do know a few things.

We know that Elijah Able (or Able or Ables) was a negro or a mulatto (depending on the census - racial classifications are historically constructed and therefore consistently in flux) who was baptized and ordained to the priesthood, was ordained a seventy, and wore his life out (literally) serving missions for the Lord. Elijah was washed and anointed in the Kirtland Temple, but never received temple ordinances. 

Timeline:

Sept.  1832   Baptized

3 March 1836  Ordained an Elder by Joseph Smith

1839  Ordained a 70 by Zebedee Coltrin

Pre-1877   Requested temple ordinances of Brigham Young

1879  Requested the same of John Taylor

Some have blamed the priesthood ban on Zebedee Coltrin who said Joseph taught blacks should not be ordained in 1834. Coltrin was remembering this in 1879, 45 years after the fact. One might ask if this was the case, then why did Coltrin ordain Able a 70 in 1839. Able was not the only black man to be ordained in the 19th century. 

Edward Kimball's article provides a good outline for how things progressed within the church structure and within Spencer Kimball himself that led to the 1978 revelation. Think about the transition that Apostle Kimball went through when he became Prophet. He transitioned from one was loyal and didn't seem to ask questions (in contrast with another apostle, Hugh B. Brown) to realizing nothing would happen if he didn't take it upon himself to seek out answers and petition the Lord. 

I would also encourage you to watch Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons here. (Sorry, you have to buy it.) You can also buy it here.

A bit more. By Common Consent just published a post by Paul Reeve here. He and I refer to some of the same sources, but he has a couple additions. Two that I think are particularly important from the LDS Newsroom and speak to the folklore rationale for the ban--like fence-sitters--that we need to banish. Here and here.

Lesson 41 - Every Member a Missionary.

We have already talked about missionary work a bit. Here and here.

I particularly like the new section of the Church History website devoted to pioneers in many lands here. So many great stories. I like this one here about a Chinese convert and a new Book of Mormon translation. And the work of Joseph William Billy Johnson in Ghana before missionaries ever entered the country here.

In case you haven't already read them, I've posted an article with examples of early Mormon women sharing the gospel through their letters here and Rebecca Williams sharing the gospel with her father here.

Apparently I don't have that much left to say for the third lesson on missionary work. :)

Lessons 39 and 40 - "The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn to Their Fathers" and Finding Joy in Temple and Family History Work

Reading for Lesson 39: Doctrine and Covenants 2; 110:13-16; 138; JSH 1:37-39. Lesson 40 doesn't have a reading assignment.

Were I teaching both of these lessons, I would focus on 2, 110, JSH and likely combine it with a little 128:15-28 one week and then focus on 138 the other week. But I am out of town and only teaching one of the two so who knows what I will do. :)

A couple textual notes about section 2. The promises of the fathers--the patriarchal fathers. We're talking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob here--the Abrahamic covenant. We have a few differences between section 2, JSH, and Malachi.

Though the sealing keys are restored with section 110 in 1836, the ordinances that we think of in connection to the sealing power begin to be introduced to the Saints in the 1840s. But it is not until the 1870s that the practice of proxy endowments and sealing for your own ancestors begins amongst the saints. Read Richard Bennet's article on the 1877 commencement here. And for a good look into the LDS nineteenth century concept of adoption read Jonathan Stapley and Samuel Brown's articles here (the intro begins on page 1).

Now we'll move on to section 138. This is Joseph F. Smith's contribution to the canon. Note the process he talks about to receive the vision (v1-11). He is pondering the scriptures and the atonement, particularly 1 Peter 3-4. We'll talk more about what is going on in his life and in the world at the time, but this process of pondering is really important. Look at Section 76--Joseph and Sidney record a similar process leading to the vision of the three degrees of glory. They asked, they received an initial answer, but the pondering continued and the veil was pulled back, and they were able to see into eternity.

Context is also really important here. Read George Tate's examination of Joseph F.'s biographical context, World War I, and the 1918 influenza pandemic here. Death is not only pervasive in Joseph F's own life, but this is likewise the context for those Saints who first hear of the vision in General Conference and people across the globe. The Great War was bad enough and then came the flu. More people died from the 1918 influenza pandemic than in WW1--read this tidbit. (Think Downton Abbey Spanish influenza--poor Lavinia.) October 1918 is the height of the pandemic in the United States.

This is my favorite headstone in the Salt Lake Cemetery. Mary Fielding Smith died in relative obscurity in 1852. Joseph F had lost his father at 5, at 14 he lost his mother. This would not be the end of his loss (a second plea to read George Tate's account above). Yet, out of his personal loss comes a flood of light and comfort. Because he sought answers of the Lord in the midst of his anguish the rest of us are blessed.

As for the finding joy in temple and family history bit, I'll defer to Joseph's words recorded in section 128. As he writes of the "welding link" between fathers and mothers and children he asks, "Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth; glad tidings for the dead; a voice of gladness for the living and the dead; tiding of great joy." That welding link can be a key part of the Lord trading "the oil of joy for mourning." (Isaiah 61:3)

Lesson 38 - "In Mine Own Way"

The reading assignment for this week is 38:30; 42:30-31, 42; 58:26-28; 104:13-18.

These are many of the same scriptures used to learn about the Law of Consecration. If you remember when we talked about consecration here, as the Lord established the Law of Consecration it was to take care of everyone--physically and spiritually. The Lord kept reminding the Saints, "thou wilt remember the poor" (42:30).

Section 58 encourages us to be "wise" and "anxiously engaged," not to "be slothful servants" (58:26-28). If we are agents unto ourselves, we act. We do good of our accord, we don't always have to be commanded. As my dad reminded me as I left on my mission, "anxiously engaged"--not just anxious. Perhaps remember what the Lord does with the lukewarm? (Revelation 3:16)

The welfare program of the church is an example of grassroots efforts that brought about change for the whole of the church.
In December 1930, Harold B. Lee was called as stake president to the Pioneer Stake in Salt Lake City. He and his two counselors, Charles Hyde and Paul Child, began their tenure in the midst of the destruction of the Great Depression and saw great deprivation in their stake. They immediately went to work to meet the needs of their stake. They asked the presiding bishopric if they could change the regular path of tithing and fast offerings from their stake. Rather than sending the moneys to the general church fund, they asked to keep the funds within the stake to create a resource for bishops to help those in need. They created employment services, gave work to those without, better utilized farmer's excess crops, and in the process created a patters for what would eventually become the church wide welfare program. (Out of laziness, this was me quoting myself. For the source and an opportunity to look at the other historical examples of LDS grassroots efforts read this.)
Read Paul Child's first-person account of the "Physical Beginnings of the Church Welfare Program" here. Read Leonard Arrington and Wayne Hinton's history of the "Origin of the Welfare Plan" article here.

Even though this is last, don't miss Steve Harper's important explanation of the allusion from 104:18 here.