“Listen so that you can understand. Listen so that you can feel. Listen so that you can receive inspiration.” —Thabo Lebetho

You may have heard the profound quote by Lorenzo Snow, “As man now is, God once was: As God now is, man may be." But you may not have heard BYU professor Dr. Marcus Martins’s thoughts that then “God ... could very well be like me.” Martins believes that “if [God] lived on an earth like ours with the same plan of happiness, then it might not be so far from [the] truth to say that [He] could be Asian, Pacific Islander, African, Hispanic, Mauri, or American. We really don’t know, but it is worth considering.” In this special bonus episode of Sunday on Monday, we’ll discover how all have been truly alike unto God since the very beginning, and how race and the priesthood relate to the Old Testament.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the revelation on the priesthood in June 1978, which allowed all worthy black male Church members’ to have the priesthood. As we celebrate this event, let us learn more about our black brothers and sisters around the world.

Much like the beautifully crocheted and intricately designed cloths that are used to cover the altars in the temple, all of God’s children — the whole human race — are bound together by a single thread, said Sister Sharon Eubank, first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency.

To call Mia Love a minority is an understatement. She’s a black woman who won an upset primary race to become the Republican candidate in Utah’s 4th Congressional District. If elected, she’d be the first black Republican congresswoman in the House of Representatives. Love, who has attracted lots of national Republican support, also stands out because of her religion: She’s a Mormon. The politician is a poster child for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ campaign to present a more diverse face to a historically very white church.

Marcus H. Martins holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, masters in Organizational Behavior, and a Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion, Race and Ethnic Relations. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he worked as a systems analyst and project manager for the Brazilian government and as a freelance consultant before moving to the United States in 1990. He served as Chair of the Department of Religious Education at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, and teaches Church Organization and Leadership, Marriage, and occasionally Managerial Leadership. Previously he taught at BYU and Ricks College, and has lectured on a variety of topics throughout the U.S., Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, and Malaysia. Among his topics of interest are: strategic management in a global environment, computer technology, languages, law, politics, and world cultures. His current research focuses on temple symbolism, the implications of the doctrines of the restoration on daily religiosity, and the impact of globalization forces, technology, and immigration on the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints. He wrote the book Setting the Record Straight: Blacks and the Mormon Priesthood published by Millennial Press. Brother Martins joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1972, and in 1978 became the first Latter-day Saint with Black African ancestry to serve as a full‑time missionary in the twentieth century. Since then he has served as a mission president, twice as bishop, six times as stake high councilor, and also as temple officiator, and translator of the Book of Mormon. He married Mirian Abelin Barbosa and they have four children and seven grandchildren. Brother Martin's YouTube Channel: DrMHMartins Brother Martin's Website: DrMHMartins.com

Comments made by a BYU Theology professor opening up old wounds about the LDS church’s policy on African Americans and priesthood. It was June 9th, 1978 when LDS President Spencer Kimball announced the church was opening its priesthood ranks to all worthy men. Some 30 years later the question why the church denied African Americans priesthood once again taking center stage because a Mormon is running for President.

Other than her conservatism, there is little about Mia Love that doesn’t stand out in Utah. She is a black Republican, a 36-year-old mother of three, a fitness instructor and mayor of a growing town. Now, her congressional race against a popular incumbent whom Republicans have struggled to defeat has made Love a minor celebrity among GOP stalwarts.

On Tuesday, April 6, Ryan Gabriel, a beloved sociology professor at Brigham Young University, delivered a powerful devotional titled “Healing Racism through Jesus Christ.”

A member of the Church has created a YouTube channel Understanding Mormonism, where he has posted a few videos explaining Mormon beliefs in a simple, personal way. These are great videos to share with friends and family, or anyone that has questions about the Church.