The Mormon Church and Blacks: A Documentary History

The Mormon Church and Blacks: A Documentary History chronicles the complex relationship between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Black people through primary source documents. The book presents letters, meeting minutes, official statements, and personal records spanning from the church's founding to modern times. The authors organize materials chronologically to trace the evolution of Mormon policies, practices and doctrines regarding race and priesthood restrictions. Key documents reveal internal church discussions, public statements, and responses to social pressures during different historical periods. Through careful curation and contextual analysis, Harris and Bringhurst examine how Mormon leaders and members grappled with questions of race within their faith tradition. The work provides insight into broader themes of American religious history, institutional change, and the intersection of race and religion.

Readers note this book compiles primary source documents that trace the Mormon Church's evolving policies on race, particularly regarding Black members. Several reviewers call out the authors' neutral presentation style that lets the historical records speak for themselves rather than injecting commentary. Liked: - Comprehensive collection of hard-to-find historical documents - Chronological organization helps show policy evolution - Includes both official church statements and dissenting voices Disliked: - Some sections lack sufficient context for the documents - Too academic/dry for general readers - Could use more analysis connecting documents together Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (11 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (6 ratings) Notable review: "Unlike other works that try to explain or justify the priesthood ban, this book simply presents the evidence... letting readers draw their own conclusions." - Goodreads reviewer

Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness by W. Paul Reeve Documents how early Mormons navigated racial identity in 19th century America while facing persecution and accusations of racial mixing.

Black and Mormon by Newell G. Bringhurst Presents perspectives from African American Mormons and scholars on the historical exclusion of Black members from LDS priesthood and temple rites.

For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism by Russell W. Stevenson Chronicles the relationship between Black people and Mormonism from a global perspective, including experiences in Africa, the Caribbean, and Brazil.

Saints, Slaves, and Blacks: The Changing Place of Black People Within Mormonism by Newell G. Bringhurst Traces the evolution of Mormon racial policies from Joseph Smith's time through the 1978 priesthood revelation.

The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in America by Edward J. Blum, Paul Harvey Examines how religious groups in America, including Mormons, have shaped and been shaped by racial concepts in their depictions and understanding of Jesus.

🔷 Prior to 1978, Black members of the Mormon Church were banned from entering temples and receiving priesthood ordination - a policy that began under Brigham Young's leadership in 1852 🔷 The book includes previously unpublished documents showing how some Mormon leaders used pseudoscience and folklore to justify racial restrictions within the church 🔷 Author Matthew L. Harris spent over a decade collecting and analyzing primary source documents from church archives, personal journals, and correspondence to compile this comprehensive history 🔷 The 1978 revelation allowing Black members full participation came after significant external pressure, including civil rights protests and the church's desire to expand missionary work in Africa and Brazil 🔷 Several prominent Mormon leaders, including David O. McKay and Hugh B. Brown, attempted to end the priesthood ban decades before 1978 but faced strong opposition from more conservative church authorities