Question of Blacks & the Priesthood.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had many claims of wrong doing hurled at them, but none that seems to be as baseless as being "Racist". The bases of this charge is created by our critics because our church (which was established in 1830) until June 1978; withheld the responsibility and duties of the priesthood from those of African descent.  

For the critic of the LDS church this charge of racism has become (what I like to call) a “broken record argument”. Racism has never been the motive for withholding the priesthood from those of African descent. The scriptures show that the priesthood has been withheld from certain people simply because it has been the will of the Lord! In a country where so many burdens have been felt by African-Americans, "denying" them the priesthood appears on the surface to be one more trial of racism for them to bear. We will see that this is not the case and that the Lord has shown us many scriptural examples to prove this.

Let us begin with the LDS scripture that has created much of the misunderstanding, or fuel for misrepresenting the views of the church.  In Abraham 1: 21-27 we are informed that the 1st king of Egypt was a descendant of Ham. (Verse 21). In verse 23  we learn that Ham's wife came with a name meaning "that which was forbidden".  This being “forbidden” implies that she carried the mark of Cain.

 Now here in verse 24 we read the information that has many up in arms, "from Ham, sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land". Many Bible scholars agree that from Ham sprang the African race, so this is why the text about a curse is so explosive. ( see the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Online http://www.internationalstandardbible.com/H/ham-(1).html ) In verses 26-27 we are informed that the curse is "pertaining to the Priesthood" and that Pharaoh was "of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood." The text here doesn't say anything about God cursing some men with black skin for any nefarious reasons. Because of these verses found in Abraham 1, the critics accuse the Mormons of being racist for withholding the priesthood from the “black race”! But the real question to ask should be; “is God just in giving the priesthood to some people but not others?”

In the scriptures, God has made it very clear that his power and authority is his to give to whom he will. In times past, much like during the 1900's, God chose select individuals to bare his priesthood.   It should be remembered that up until the time of the children of Israel priesthood had been passed from father to son. But in Exodus 40: 12-16 we see how God changed who would be allowed to hold his priesthood. In this scripture we learn that Aaron, the brother of Moses, and his sons were to receive the priesthood. In Num 8: 5-18 it is clarified that the "Lord spake unto Moses" to "take the Levites from among the children of Israel."  To do what?  To make the Levites the priesthood holders for the people of God, instead of all the believers of God having the Priesthood! Let me here insert a question, "If the LDS people are charged as Racist, for not allowing those of African descent the right to hold the priesthood, does that also make God a Racist as well?  For we see that any people who were either born into or later joined the people of God, would be denied the priesthood, since they are not of the children of Levi.   

In Num 8: 13-18 we see the Lord withholding his priesthood from the firstborn of all the children of Israel and giving it to the Levites for no other reason except that they were descendants of Levi.  This means that the 11 other tribes were without priesthood authority because the Lord withheld it from them. 

What are the LDS accused of? Withholding priesthood from those born of a certain lineage- and this is exactly what God was doing.  God tells us in Isa 55:8-9 "my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." God does not distinguish who he will love or save based on skin color, but he has in the past picked certain people from certain families to hold his priesthood.

 Here is a new question to ponder, is it more "racist" to withhold the priesthood from a person or withhold from them the gospel of salvation altogether?

 Even back in the days of Isaiah the Lord revealed that in the Latter-days the gospel would go to "all nations and tongues" and "they shall declare my glory among the gentiles." (Isa 66: 18-19) So with this kind of knowledge and foresight, would it make sense to withhold the gospel message from the world? Yet, we find Christ instructing just that in Matt 10.  In verse 1 Christ chooses 12 disciples and gives them power over the devil and to heal the sick.  In verse 5 he sends them out with these instructions to go "not into the way of the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not.”  

Many may deny the fact that Jesus was withholding the gospel from those who were not the "chosen people," but Matt 15: 22-28 strengthens this view point. Here is the story of a Gentile woman whose daughter was taken over by a devil. She believed that Christ could heal her daughter and she cried out to him for mercy. "But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him saying, send her away (verse 23).” He then tells her that he is only sent to the house of Israel. She came to him saying "Lord, help me (verse 25)." His response was, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs (verse 26).” I wish here to make one thing clear, I do not believe in any way Jesus Christ was a racist!  But can you see the hypocrisy of those who claim the LDS people are racist because they feel that God commanded the priesthood not to be given to some people when it was offered to others. And yet, here the son of God denied (at 1st) this woman a blessing because she didn't belong to the right family, the house of Israel. The story ends well with the woman exercising faith and the Lord granting her blessing. Notice that she could have been offended.   But instead she continued in faith until the blessing was hers. We can conclude that it is not "racist" for someone to be denied the priesthood or the gospel if the Lord commands such (remember Isa 55: 8-9).

Eventually we see that all people were to be taught and allowed to join Christ’s Church so they could be saved. After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ he instructed his Apostles to “go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” and “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”(Mark 16:15-16) We do not know if the priesthood was freely given to every man that joined the church! We read Paul’s words in the book Hebrews that “no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.” (Heb 5:4) This shows that God is still in charge of who he would give his priesthood to. It also shows that men, just because they want the power to act in the name of God, cannot just claim it.

Thankfully in 1978, the Lord said it was time for every worthy male to receive the Priesthood.  This was more than 30 years ago.   Some critics say since this didn’t happen before the civil rights movement; it proves that the LDS church is racist.  If the critics have a problem with the timing, they’ll just have to take it up with the Lord.