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Jane Manning James and Emma Smith: A remarkable friendship amid deep racial prejudice

The friendship between Jane Manning James and Emma Smith—remarkable in a pre–Civil War era—is documented only in a few scattered lines of historical text.

Feature Stories

7 teachings on racial harmony from Church leaders in the last year

By LDS Living

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we celebrate a man who dreamed of a better nation—a dream of a nation that would “rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

From the Church

LDS Church condemns past racism 'inside and outside the church'

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a forceful statement Wednesday condemning racism, "including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the church." The statement came in response to a Washington Post political story about Mitt Romney's run for the presidency and his faith's former ban on giving black men the priesthood. The story included reported comments from a popular BYU religion professor that included personal speculation about the former ban. Many Mormons were upset by Professor Randy Bott's reported comments and some considered them racist.

Latter-day Saint Life

How a dream of her deceased husband led this convert to become a civil rights activist

By Alexandra Mortenson

“This message is my message to young people. They should have it in their hearts. Let us dig the soil of bitterness, throw in a seed, show love, and see what fruits it can give.”

Podcasts

What led this civil rights activist to join the Church, become the first Black man sealed in Salt Lake Temple

After hearing from a drill instructor at basic training for the Air Force that the Church was racist, Isaac almost stopped his pursuit of the gospel. But after attending a church meeting for the first time with some of his fellow basic training buddies, that all changed.

At NAACP Luncheon, Elder Stevenson Reiterates “All Are Alike Unto God”; Addresses Printing Error in “Come, Follow Me” Regarding Race

By Lindsey Williams

Last summer, President Russell M. Nelson and NAACP President Derrick Johnson issued a joint invitation for all “to work with greater civility, to eliminate prejudice of all kinds, and focus on important interests that we have in common.”

Latter-day Saint Life

First Black man sealed in the Salt Lake Temple shares the moment he heard the 1978 priesthood revelation

By Danielle B. Wagner

In 1967, Isaac Thomas walked onto the Missouri Valley College campus on fraternity pledge night. As one of only 32 black students at the school, he stood out starkly, but, being an outgoing young man fresh from an all-black high school, Thomas didn’t think anything of it. He had never come face to face with the violence and hatred racism breeds—until that night.

Latter-day Saint Life

A Better Way to Carry Oil for Priesthood Blessings

By Handcart Studios (Sponsored)

The following story is a true story.

Fun

11 Unforgettable Moments in Recent LDS History

The phrase “church history” typically conjures images of Liberty Jail, Nauvoo and a dusty trail heading west. But you didn’t have to live in Joseph Smith’s time to experience Church history. Members of the Baby Boomer generation—and even Generation X and Millennials—have seen milestones of their own. Here’s our list of the 11 most unforgettable moments in recent Church history.

Marcus Martins: Focused on the Future, Learning from the Past

Marcus Martins never planned to serve a mission, to be sealed in the temple, or to serve as a bishop. These things would require him to receive the priesthood, and there was a restriction in place that precluded him from doing so. But Martins’s life changed forever on June 8, 1978, when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a revelation extending the priesthood to all worthy male members ages 12 and older. Since that day, Martins has served not only as a missionary, but as a bishop, a temple officiator, a Book of Mormon translator, and a mission president. On this week's episode, Martins explains how he developed a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ even before 1978 and why he has never looked back in the nearly 50 years since he joined the Church.