Race And The Lds ChurchEdit
Race has been a persistent and controversial dimension of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In its early decades, church leaders taught and enforced policies that restricted black men from holding the priesthood and limited certain temple participation for some members. The modern church now emphasizes the spiritual equality of all people and asserts that priesthood and temple blessings are available to all worthy members, regardless of race. The turning point came with Official Declaration 2 in 1978, which lifted the priesthood ban and opened avenues for broader missionary work and leadership opportunities across the globe. Since then, the church has pursued a practical path of growth in Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America, and other regions, while continuing to wrestle with the legacy of past policies and how they are understood in relation to doctrine, culture, and history. LDS Church Official Declaration 2 Race and the Priesthood
History
The early church and the shaping of race discourse
From the founding era, race and ethnicity intersected with how scripture was interpreted and how church governance operated. The growth of the church in the United States and abroad brought it into contact with diverse populations, and early leaders used a mix of scriptural interpretation and cultural context to explain who could receive priesthood authority and temple ordinances. Statements and teachings from this period occasionally invoked concepts that later critics would repudiate or reframe. In theological discussions, terms such as Lamanite—a designation from the Book of Mormon used to describe certain groups in the ancient record—were applied in ways that reflected 19th-century attitudes as much as genuine historical concerns. The church today treats many of these earlier explanations as historical context rather than timeless doctrine, and emphasizes that gospel principles apply across races. See discussions around curse of Ham and other racialized readings that circulated in that era, which are now widely recognized as out of step with current church understanding. Book of Mormon Lamanite curse of Ham
The priesthood ban and the mid-20th century stance
For more than a century, the church restricted black men from the priesthood and, in practice, from certain temple ordinances. This policy was not presented as a universal doctrinal statement but as a policy that reflected the church’s interpretation of scripture and its social environment at the time. During this period, church growth in various parts of the world, including Africa and the Caribbean, brought new questions about how such policies would be reconciled with congregations that sought fuller participation. Critics have framed the era as an instance where culture and organizational inertia trumped ideals of religious liberty and equal opportunity; supporters have argued it was a complex, historically contingent matter rather than a straightforward doctrinal decree. Africa Temple Priesthood
The 1978 revelation and its aftermath
In 1978, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve announced Official Declaration 2, restoring priesthood eligibility to men of all races. Leaders described the change as a revelation and a manifestation of divine will that transcended the previous policy. The immediate effects included expanded missionary work, greater participation in leadership by members from diverse backgrounds, and shifts in temple policies and practices where applicable. The change is often cited as a turning point that reconciled church practice with a broader American and global movement toward civil rights and religious freedom. Official Declaration 2 First Presidency Quorum of the Twelve
The modern church and ongoing dialogue about race
Today, the church emphasizes that all people are children of God and that spiritual worth is not determined by race. The organization's leadership has continued to address race through statements, essays, and guidance aimed at clarifying the relationship between scripture, revelation, and historical experience. The church has also engaged in dialogue about indigenous identity, colonial history, and the interpretation of scriptural passages that were once used to justify exclusion. In this ongoing process, the church has stressed unity, service, and humanitarian relief as core expressions of gospel living, while acknowledging that its past policies are not a model for contemporary doctrine. Lamanite Race and the Priesthood Church and race
Controversies and debates
Doctrinal versus cultural origins
A central debate concerns whether the priesthood ban and related restrictions were rooted in doctrinal revelation, in cultural norms, or in bureaucratic inertia. From a conservative or traditionalist perspective, debates often center on how to maintain doctrinal integrity while adapting to changing social norms. Proponents of this view argue that the church’s core teachings about agency, revelation, and priesthood authority remained constant even as social circumstances changed; they view the 1978 reversal as a disciplined adjustment, rather than a repudiation of core beliefs. Critics, however, contend that the episode reveals a pattern of racial bias encoded in institutional practice, a charge that supporters counter by emphasizing the church’s ongoing repentance and reform. Revelation Official Declaration 2
Woke criticism and its counterarguments
Critics from outside the tradition have argued that the church’s historical policy was a form of racial discrimination embedded in organizational structure. From the perspective favored here, such criticisms are often seen as an overstatement of current doctrine and a neglect of the church’s present commitments to equality, service, and religious liberty. Proponents argue that the church’s evolution demonstrates a willingness to align practice with evolving understandings of justice, while skeptics may insist that immediate cultural reform was slower than public expectations. The discussion frequently centers on how to assess the weight of past practices against present doctrine and the pace of reform. Religious freedom Race and the Priesthood
Indigenous identity and the Lamanite framework
The church’s use of the term Lamanite and related interpretive frames for indigenous peoples has drawn scrutiny as well as revision. Contemporary scholarship and official church statements encourage a more careful reading of scripture in light of historical context and scientific understanding of genetics, culture, and history. The aim in many discussions is to distinguish eternal gospel principles from culturally conditioned explanations about ancestry and ethnicity. Lamanite Book of Mormon