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	<title>Mormonism &#38; the Mormon church &#187; Blacks</title>
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	<link>http://richardkmiller.com/mormonism</link>
	<description>Thoughts from a Mormon on Mormonism and the Mormon church</description>
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		<title>30th Anniversary of Black Mormons receiving the priesthood</title>
		<link>http://richardkmiller.com/mormonism/30th-anniversary-of-black-mormons-receiving-the-priesthood/</link>
		<comments>http://richardkmiller.com/mormonism/30th-anniversary-of-black-mormons-receiving-the-priesthood/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 04:54:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blacks]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced a fine video to commemorate the priesthood being available to men of all races, including black Mormons.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has produced a fine video to commemorate the priesthood being available to men of all races, including black Mormons.</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/13uvDGlcQ8o&#038;hl=en"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/13uvDGlcQ8o&#038;hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p>
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		<title>A Black Man in Zion</title>
		<link>http://richardkmiller.com/mormonism/a-black-man-in-zion/</link>
		<comments>http://richardkmiller.com/mormonism/a-black-man-in-zion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 14 Aug 2006 18:03:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Richard</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Blacks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mormon church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mormonism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Racism]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Last weekend I attended the FAIR Conference where, among other good speakers, I heard Marcus Martins speak about being a &#8220;black man in Zion&#8221;. Marcus joined the Mormon church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1972, a time when the Church did not allow blacks to hold the priesthood. In 1978 when the priesthood was [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Last weekend I attended the <a href="http://www.fairlds.org/conf06a.html">FAIR Conference</a> where, among other good speakers, I heard <a href="http://w2.byuh.edu/academics/religion/martins.htm">Marcus Martins</a> speak about being a &#8220;black man in Zion&#8221;.  Marcus joined the Mormon church in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1972, a time when the Church did not allow blacks to hold the priesthood.  In 1978 when the <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/2">priesthood was extended to all worthy males regardless of skin color</a>, Marcus received the priesthood and was the first black to serve as a <a href="http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/missionary/index.htm">Mormon missionary</a>.</p>
<p>Here are my notes from his talk:</p>
<ul>
<li>The priesthood ban is an &#8220;undeniable part of history but an insignificant part of the present&#8221;.</li>
<li>Blacks have an opportunity to exercise faith that other races will never have.</li>
<li>I believe the priesthood ban was never part of the everlasting gospel, but a custom or law in response to a societal situation</li>
<li>Priesthood ban not instituted by revelation?  &#8220;For me this would be enough to explain the ban.&#8221;</li>
<li>&#8220;The ban didn&#8217;t prevent me from receiving blessings&#8221;</li>
<li>The Nephi-Sam continuum: &#8220;To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know&#8230;&#8221; while &#8220;to others it is given to believe on their words&#8221; (<a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/46/13-14#13">D&#038;C 46:13-14</a>).  Sam apparently didn&#8217;t experience what Nephi did but he believed Nephi and was blessed.</li>
<li>We must ask ourselves: Am I faithful, obedient, loyal?</li>
<li>The 1978 revelation extending the priesthood to blacks helps fulfill <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/1/20#20">D&#038;C 1:20</a>, and was another step in &#8220;restoration of all things&#8221;.</li>
<li>The lifting of the priesthood ban parallels the extending of the Gospel to the Gentiles in biblical times.</li>
<li>It&#8217;s His Church.  He can do whatever he wants with it.</li>
<li>Time is a time for activity, not activism.  All I want to do is serve in the Church.</li>
<li>We can teach the past without opening wounds.</li>
<li>There&#8217;s so much war and hatred and people who can&#8217;t let go of past prejudices.  They should follow the counsel of Paul to be an &#8220;example of the believers&#8221;.</li>
<li>My experience is a result of my ancestors being brought to Brazil as slaves by others of my ancestors</li>
<li>Joseph in Egypt (a symbol of the Savior) also sold as slave and knows what it&#8217;s like</li>
<li>Someday I will have thrones, principalities, and dominions</li>
<li>In 1973, President Kimball met with my father (<a href="http://www.meridianmagazine.com/people/030610martins.html">Helvecio Martins</a>) and told him that if he remained faithful, he&#8217;d receive all blessings of the Gospel.  He repeated the promise at the laying of the cornerstone of the Sao Paulo temple in 1977.</li>
<li>Should Church apologize so we can move on?  I don&#8217;t think so.  No apology needed because the ban was not instituted by Revelation.</li>
<li>President David O. McKay considered lifting the ban but received &#8220;not now&#8221;.  Harold B. Lee also received a &#8220;not now&#8221;.</li>
<li>If Lord took away the priesthood again, I wouldn&#8217;t have to hometeach!  (Just kidding)</li>
<li>Some people still harbor racism.</li>
<li>The ban wasn&#8217;t racist but it was a religious justification for racism in some members.</li>
</ul>
<p>Additional reading:<br />
<a href="http://www.lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-602-20,00.html">The Need for Greater Kindness</a>, by President Gordon Hinckley<br />
<a href="http://www.blacklds.org/">BlackLDS.org</a>, a website dedicated to black members of the Mormon church<br />
<a href="http://www.fairlds.org/FAIR_Conferences/2003_Black_Latter-day_Saints.html">Black Latter-day Saints: A Faith-FULL History</a><br />
<a href="http://www.fairwiki.org/index.php/Blacks_and_the_priesthood">FairWiki: Blacks and the Priesthood</a></p>
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