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

Twenty years ago, who would have predicted the 2012 U.S. presidential race would pit a black incumbent against a white Mormon? Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney. The matchup is both thrilling and complicated for one particular group — black Latter-day Saints.

This article is republished with permission from Book of Mormon Central. For more inspiring and instructive content on the Book of Mormon visit Book of Mormon Central, subscribe to our mailing list, see our YouTube videos, and follow us on Facebook.

“Major events in the nation, and within the Church, have necessitated honest examinations of our past, and of our hearts.”

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.

The wave of support for racial justice following the senseless murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, after countless others, has been encouraging. Moved by recent events, we wonder what more we can do to keep our baptismal covenant “to mourn with those that mourn.”1

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated the 35th anniversary since the announcement of the revelation allowing black men in the faith to receive the priesthood. The announcement was breaking news on June 9th, 1978, and many members of the LDS Church said it was one of those moments they will never forget how they felt.

This story was originally published by LDS Living in May 2018.

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

“As my focus on Christ and His Atonement increased, the vision of Heavenly Father’s unified human family became clearer.”