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Bonus: Race and Priesthood in the Old Testament

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.

71: The Gift of Curiosity

In this episode, we explore one of the ways that we can become better storytellers and better listeners through cultivating our holy curiosity. In honor of Black History Month, we revisit the faithful story of Isaac Thomas, a black Latter-day Saint who converted to the gospel in the 1970's despite the fact that he would be unable to hold the priesthood or participate fully in the restored gospel he loved. We'll also hear from Tamu Smith and Zandra Vranes, (aka the Sistas in Zion) who give us their tips for better ways to interact with one another across cultural divides.

Latter-day Saint Life

How we misinterpret “black” and “curse” in the scriptures: Insights from an African American convert

By Danielle B. Wagner

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

Podcasts

‘The body of Christ is not complete unless all members are included’: The motive behind honoring Black pioneers

Mauli Bonner is on a mission—a mission to have a monument built to honor Black Latter-day Saints. It all began with a desire to learn more about his heritage as a Black member of the Church. Thus, he began a journey that many would’ve thought would shake his testimony. But instead, he found his testimony being strengthened.

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How Elder Corbitt’s focus on Christ helped him navigate the priesthood ban

By Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt

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

Latter-day Saint Life

New Website Focuses on History of Blacks in the Church & Celebrates Their Contributions

By Dr. Quintard Taylor

African Americans have been members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints almost since its founding in 1830. Their numbers were initially small, but their role was significant. Green Flake, for example, Brigham Young’s driver and scout, was one of the first Mormon pioneers to reach the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

Latter-day Saint Life

What Does "White and Delightsome People" Mean in the Scriptures?

By Book of Mormon Central

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.

5: Waiting Upon the Lord

In this episode, Isaac Thomas shares the story of how he gained a testimony and joined the church in 1976 at a time when he, as a Black man, could not receive the priesthood. He recounts the heartbreak and joy he found as he faithfully served and waited for a revelation that would restore the Priesthood to every worthy male member of the Church.

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Celebrate Black voices with these LDS Living resources

We hope you will take the time to watch and listen to some of these stories and acknowledge the beauty of diversity, the importance of equality, and the power of discussion and conversation.

Op-ed: Follow Christ to eliminate racism

By Bryant Jensen

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