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Black Mormons Share What Else Was Restored the Day Blacks Received the Priesthood

"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embraces the universal human family. Latter-day Saint scripture and teachings affirm that God loves all of His children and makes salvation available to all. God created the many diverse races and ethnicities and esteems them all equally," reads the opening to the Church's Gospel Topics Essay "Race and the Priesthood."

Famous Latter-day Saints

How a Black NFL Player Converted to the Church Just 4 Years After the Priesthood Ban Ended

By Alexandra Mortenson

Burgess Owens played starting position for the Oakland Raiders when they won the Super Bowl in 1981. Just a year later, good LDS teammates and the feeling that there was “something missing” led Owens to meet with the missionaries.

Latter-day Saint Life

What the Church has said about myths, false doctrines surrounding race and the priesthood

Over time, Church leaders and members advanced many theories to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions. None of these explanations is accepted today as the official doctrine of the Church.

Elijah Abel: Black Mormon Pioneer

[Wednesday marked] the 33rd anniversary of the restoration of the priesthood to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of African decent. On June 8, 1978 LDS church leaders announced that the priesthood would be extended to Mormon men of every race. Those who were there for that remarkable day have said that they can remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news.

Latter-day Saint Life

Find Out What Was Changed in the Updated "Race and the Priesthood" Gospel Topic Essay

MR says: See what interesting insights were added to the Church's in-depth essay which explores the role of race and the priesthood in our Church History.

Three Mormon myths about blacks and the priesthood

February is black history month. Many white members of The Church will say “who cares?” or “good for them!” or even “aren’t they over that yet?” and move on about their daily tasks. That’s unwise. With the presidential election in full swing, our faith and our history of race relations has come under the spotlight of public scrutiny and the intensity will continue to grow. As that happens, I am hopeful that we as members are educated to move the discussion forward instead of saying things that are harmful to the Church and hurtful to many of our members.

Latter-day Saint Life

How to Talk to Your Kids About Race and the Priesthood

By Sherilyn Olsen

With the Church's special worldwide event on June 1to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1978 revelation on the priesthood, now is the perfect opportunity for parents to discuss the priesthood and temple ban with their children. We hope the following article will help facilitate this important discussion in LDS homes.

Latter-day Saint Life

Elder Sitati Addresses Priesthood Ban and African Saints

Elder Joseph W. Sitati of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke at the “Black, White and Mormon” conference Friday, October 9, 2015, at the University of Utah on the topic of “Race and the International Church.” Elder Sitati, who is from Kenya, addressed self-reliance, race and the growth of the Church in Africa.

Q&A about Elijah Abel/Ables and the Politics of Race within Mormon History

Recently, two biographies were published on Elijah Abel/Ables, a black Mormon man who held the priesthood in the nineteenth century with the blessing of Joseph Smith and many of his contemporaries. Rather than attempt a traditional review, I decided to write a conversations post with Russell Stevenson, the author of one of the two biographies. Stevenson is an independent scholar with a master’s degree in history from the University of Kentucky. He recently self-published Black Mormon: The Story of Elijah Ables. In order to make the post easier to read, I have arranged the questions I asked and Stevenson’s responses into categories.

Latter-day Saint Life

Race, the Priesthood, and Temples: A History of the Priesthood Ban (and How It Ended)

By W. Paul Reeve

The Church’s history with race is complex and controversial. Here is a look at the priesthood and temple bans, the “curses” associated with dark skin, and the evolution of LDS beliefs and doctrine.