Blacks and the Priesthood
1: Priesthood and Temple Restriction, Essay by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/priesthood-and-temple-restriction?lang=eng
The official statement by the Church on the history and reasoning behind the historical ban on blacks from the priesthood and temple access that ended in 1978. The Church is led by modern day prophets who are also fallible and mortal men, who are allowed by God to be exercise their own agency even when it may hurt others. The line is drawn where they may not permitted by the Lord to lead others to lose their salvation.
2: Blacks & The Priesthood vs. Prophetic Infallibility - Can Prophets Lead the Church Astray? (1 hr 24 min)
A very insightful discussion on the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, how modern day prophets have carried out their responsibilities and held the keys of the priesthood and restoration all while making decisions influenced by their own prejudices and weaknesses. A very good explanation about the process of being a prophet of God and dealing with their own fallibility and the errors they inherited from prophets in the past when it came to lifting the uninspired priesthood ban on blacks.
3: The 1978 Revelation of Reversion and Repair (56 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E87vf3tVK8
This is the sixth episode of a 7-part podcast series on the history of Race and the Priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Historian Paul Reeves is interviewed and reviews the timeline of events leading up to the lifting of the ban on black from holding the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
4: The Real Story of the Priesthood-Temple Ban - Terryl Givens with Paul Reeve (51 min)
In this episode, Paul Reeves and Terryl Givens go both wide and deep on the priesthood-temple ban. Among other historical details, they discuss how the church was broadly criticized as being too inclusive in its early years—not white enough. This became a factor in Brigham Young’s 1852 decision to ban Black people from the priesthood and temple. They also explore some of the explanations that developed in the church to explain the ban during its 126 year duration—and how each of these explanations have since been rejected and disavowed by the church.
5: What Happened in the Room for 1978 Revelation? (36 min)
An accounting of the experience the members of the 1st Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles had when they received the revelation and confirmation that priesthood would and should be extended to all worthy males regardless of race.
6: The Origin of the LDS Priesthood Ban (feat. Mauli Bonner and Kwaku El) (47 min)
Through a somewhat irreverent lens and a humorous approach, the Ward Radio takes on the challenging and sensitive topic of how the priesthood ban in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came about. This discussion spotlights how the Lord works through mortal men and how sometimes that results in them using their agency in ways that are not the Lord’s way and need to be corrected from time to time as expected (i.e. See the entire recorded history or God using mortal men to be his mouth piece.)
7: How President Kimball Persuaded Apostles to Agree on Lifting the Priesthood Ban (20 min)
A close look at how the Prophet, Spencer W. Kimball rallied the apostles and other leaders of his time whoe had been stauntley against lifting the priesthood ban, to change their minds and gained a unanimous decision and an incredible spiritual confirmation that at last they were on the right track.
“There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren which we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, “You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?” And all I can say to that is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.
We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don’t matter any more.”
-Bruce R. McConkie
When God makes a prophet, he does not unmake the man.
-David O. Mckay
“Over the years I've done a lot of deep digging around the history of the LDS Church and have come to the conclusion that the church is a wonderful, living, growing body, forever improving itself, and led by the mouth piece of the Lord. The church is led by Prophets as flawed and imperfect as me, providing a reasonable standard and a bar that I can see myself achieving. I'm eternally grateful that the church's history has lots of complicated and deep flaws, it feels like I'm right at home in my own story.
The church's history really couldn't be any other way as this is the way it's always been since Adam. Mortal men have always been called by God to lead his church all while exercising their own agency and being allowed to see things through their own lens and world view.
It appears that God trusts his Son, Jesus Christ and his Atonement to be big and powerful enough to cover all the issues that inevitably will and have come about as his church is guided by these imperfect people.
Give me a church led by a prophet holding the keys of the priesthood and eternal salvation along with his many flaws, sins, errors and mistakes, these are my people.”
-Dan Preece