Criticism of Mormonism/Books/One Nation Under Gods/Chapter 16


Claims made in "Chapter 15: Making the Transition"
A FAIR Analysis of:
Criticism of Mormonism/Books
A work by author: Richard Abanes
 Claims made in "Chapter 17: Is Mormonism Christian?"

Claims made in "Chapter 16: Mormon Racism: Black Is Not Beautiful"

Page Claim Response Author's sources

355 epigraph, 597n1

 Joseph Smith said: "Had I anything to do with the negro, I would confine them by strict law to their own species..."
  • History of the Church, vol. 5, 217-218.

356, 597n5

 "Mormonism and racism have for many years been synonymous terms to persons well acquainted with Latter-day Saint beliefs."
  • Thelma Geer, Mormonism, Mama & Me, 24-25. This source is an anti-Mormon work published by Thelma "Granny" Geer (second edition in 1980; expanded 4th edition by 1984; 5th edition 1986). Ms. Geer's book cover announces that she has appeared in two films, The Cult Explosion and The God Makers. It is not clear why Abanes, who clearly has pretensions to writing a 'scholarly' work, would use this type of polemic as a secondary source. Anti-Mormon literature is nothing if not self-referential.
  • Richard N. and Joan K. Ostling, Mormon America: The Power and the Promise, (New York:HarperCollins Publishers, 2000), 103-106. ( Index of claims )
  • Thomas Matthews, "Mormon Racism In Perspective."

356

 The granting of the priesthood to blacks in 1978 "could hardly eradicate the previous 148 years of Mormon racist/white supremacist teachings, all of which directly related to the LDS doctrine of pre-existence."
  •  Internal contradiction: p. 370 tells us that 'Mormons, by and large, were pleased that God had changed his mind at such a convenient time in history.' So, why were the Mormons happy about the revelation if their supposedly racist mindset could hardly be eradicated by the 1978 revelation?
  • And , the evidence shows that Mormons are no more or no less racist than others of the same background.[citation needed]
  • ONUG's double standard on race issues
  • Loaded and prejudicial language
  • Author's statement.

356, n6

 "According to traditional LDS beliefs, everyone's place in the world (e.g. country of birth, social-economic status, etc.) is determined by their conduct in the pre-mortal world."
  • Note that the word traditional. Such teachings have been repudiated. Revelation has clarified false or incomplete former beliefs.
  • The author presumes the Saints believe in prophetic infallibility. They do not.
  •  Misrepresentation of source: Abraham 3꞉22 only says that God chose 'noble and great' spirits to be his spiritual leaders in the pre-mortal world. It says nothing about country, socio-economic status, etc.
  • Pearl of Great Price, Book of Abraham 3:22.

357, 597n7, 9-11

 The author makes the following statement:

These admirable spirits served God well, followed his commands, and did the most with their talents before coming to earth. Consequently, they are rewarded by being born into favoraable circumstances. To be specific, they are born as Mormons in America, or at the very least, somewhere in a predominantly Caucasian country. More righteous spirits are born with more advantages. Less commendable spirits, however, are born with fewer advantages, into lives of greater or lesser quality depending on how poorly they performed in the pre-earth world. Moreover, they are born as non-whites. This is their punishment for not having been all they could have been during the pre-existence.

A quote from Apostle Mark E. Petersen is provided to support this assertion.

  • Mark E. Petersen, "Race Problems As They Affect The Church," Address At the Convention of Teachers of Religion On the College Level, delivered at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utha, August 27, 1954.
  • John J. Stewart, The Glory of Mormonism, inside flap book cover and 144.
  • Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, 61.

357, 597n8

 "[C]lassic LDS teachings" have taught that black is not an "honourable body."
  • Orson Hyde, Speech of Orson Hyde, Delivered Before the High Priests' Quorum, in Nauvoo, April 27th, 1845, Upon the Course and Conduct of Mr. Sidney Rigdon, 309.

358, 597n13

 "Those who bravely fought on Christ's side were born as privileged Mormon whites, while those who were indecisive and/or less valiant in the celestial struggle were born black."
  • B.H. Roberts, "To the Youth of Israel," The Contributor, vol. 6, 296-297.
  • Bruce McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 527.

358, 59714-15

 Brigham Young and Bruce R. McConkie claimed that blacks were of the lineage of Cain.

360, 598n23-26

 "In 1966, Bruce McConkie (ordained an apostle in 1972) agreed with this teaching in his popular Mormon Doctrine, saying: 'The negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned...[B]ut this inequality is not of man's origin. It is the Lord's doing." Joseph Fielding Smith made a similar statement.

 [needs work]Check edition between 1958 and pre-1978.

  • McConkie, 527.
  • Joseph Fielding Smith, mimeographed letter, July 9, 1963. Quoted in Stewart, The Glory of Mormonism, 154.
  • Lowery Nelson, letter to First Presidency, October 8, 1947. Quoted in Steward, 146.
  • LDS First Presidency, letter to Lowery Nelson, July 17, 1947. Quoted in Steward, 153.

361, 598n27

 "Fourth generation Mormon" Thelma Geer said:

"As a white Mormon, I proudly accepted the teaching that my fair skin and Mormon parentage signified that I had been one of God's most intelligent and obedient born-in-heaven spirit children....As a reward for my superior attributes and attitudes, I had been singled out, trained, and qualified to be born a white Latter-day Saint, deserving of emulation, adulation, and eventual deification. All dark-skinned people, even darker-complexioned Caucasians...had been inferior spirits in heaven."

  • Thelma Geer appeared in the film The God Makers.
  • She and the author do not disclose that these are 'folk beliefs.' Such teachings have been repudiated. Revelation has clarified false or incomplete former beliefs.
  • The author presumes the Saints believe in prophetic infallibility. They do not.
  • This was true even when Geer wrote in 1980.
  • Geer, Mormonism, Mama & Me, 24-25. The author cites Geer yet again. This source is an anti-Mormon work published by Thelma "Granny" Geer (second edition in 1980; expanded 4th edition by 1984; 5th edition 1986). Ms. Geer's book cover announces that she has appeared in two films, The Cult Explosion and The God Makers. It is not clear why Abanes, who clearly has pretensions to writing a 'scholarly' work, would use this type of polemic as a secondary source. Anti-Mormon literature is nothing if not self-referential.

361, 598n28, 31

 Interracial marriage was prohibited and considered "one of the most heinous of deeds." Brigham Young condemned it.

362, 598n29-30

 Mark E. Petersen said that segregation was acceptable, and the interracial marriage "posed a danger."
  • Petersen, "Race Problems As They Affect The Church."

364, 599n40

 "In Turner's estimation, the response of Mormons to the Civil Rights movement was lackadaisical at best. Their apathy was due in part to strong feelings of racial superiority infused into them by years of white supremacist teachings."
  • Wallace Turner, The Mormon Establishment, 229

365, 599n44

 Steve Holbrook "had given up his missionary work after being instructed by church leaders 'not to work with the poor and to tell blacks that they should attend the church of their choice, but not the Mormon church.'"
  • Robert Gottlieb and Peter Wiley, American Saints: The Rise of Mormon Power, 179-180.

366

 David O. McKay was "blocked from [giving Blacks the priesthood] by other high-ranking Mormon leaders; specifically, apostles Ezra Taft Benson, Harold B. Lee, and Joseph Fielding Smith."
  • No citations specific to this claim. The following citations talk about Benson and the John Birch Society and his "racist/anti-Communist views."

367

 George Wallace wanted Benson to be his vice-presidential running mate and wrote to President McKay with this request. When McKay denied Wallace's request, this "served to illustrate the serious in-fighting and strained relations between Benson and his supporters on one side, and more moderate high-ranking LDS authorities on McKay's side."
  • No citation provided.

368

 By the time Spencer W. Kimball took over as Church president "the church had been enduring non-stop pressure to conform with America's realization that racial inequality had to end."
  • No citation provided.

369, 599n57

 President Kimball had to change the priesthood restriction because of the new temple in Brazil.
  • Gottlieb and Wiley, 184,.

370, n58

 "Like the Manifesto, the 1978 policy change was billed as a 'revelation' from God"
  • Declaration 2, released to Deseret News, June 9, 1978, page 1A.

370

 "Mormons, by and large, were pleased that God had changed his mind at such a convenient time in history."
  •  Internal contradiction: On page 356, we are told the 1978 revelation 'could hardly eradicate the previous 148 years of Mormon racist/white supremacist teachings.' So, why were most Mormons "pleased" if they were still suffering from the burden of racist attitudes? Why would racists be happy about the change?
  •  History unclear or in error: Social pressure on priesthood issue?
  • Sarcasm
  • No source provided.

370

 "Lifting the ban also opened up missionary doors to the Caribbean, Central America, Haiti, and other lands where Black ancestry is prominent in the population."
  •  [ATTENTION!]Was there no missionary work going on in these locations prior to 1978?
  • No source provided.

370

 "As a result [of the priesthood revelation], millions of dollars began flowing into the church's coffers. Thus began Mormonism's move toward becoming one of the world's wealthiest religions."
  • No source provided.

370, 599n59

 Brigham Young said that Blacks would not receive the priesthood until after the resurrection of the dead.
  • Brigham Young, [ Journal of Discourses 2:143].
  • Brigham Young, [ Journal of Discourses 7:290-291].

371, 600n63

 "The spiritual 'out' for Mormons is that rather illogical belief that the words of a living prophet...always supercede the teachings of a dead prophet."
  • John Lewis Lund, The Church and the Negro: A Discussion of Mormons, Negroes, and the Priesthood, 45.

372

 The following question has "never been adequately answered by Mormons...If God has removed the curse that at one time kept Blacks from the priesthood, then why has he not removed the marks of that curse..."
  •  The author's claim is false: The answer is clear and has been answered by LDS apostles.

372

 "The following question has "never been adequately answered by Mormons...If some spirits continue to be cursed with black skin because of their unrighteous behavior in the pre-mortal world, then why does that same unrighteous behavior now no longer disqualify them from the priesthood?"
  •  The author's claim is false: The answer is clear and has been answered by LDS apostles.

372

 The following question has "never been adequately answered by Mormons...If black skin is no longer a sign of a special curse, then does that mean white skin is no longer a sign of a special blessing?"
  •  The author's claim is false: The answer is clear and has been answered by LDS apostles.

372

 The following question has "never been adequately answered by Mormons...If a racially mixed couple conceived a child before June 9, 1978, and in so doing sinned by mixing a cursed seed (Black) with an un-cursed seed (White), then after June 9, 1978, were they still guilty of the sin of race-mixing since Blacks were no longer cursed from the priesthood?"
  •  The author's claim is false: The answer is clear and has been answered by LDS apostles.
  •  Misrepresentation of source: Brigham_Young_on_race_mixing, as mention in the entry on p. 361, Brigham Young's remarks were not made in a context of 'marriage,' but in one of sexual exploitation.

Further reading

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