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BYU Professor makes controversial statements about Blacks & LDS Church
ABC4.com ^ | Feb. 28, 2012 | Reported by Kimberly Nelson

Posted on 02/29/2012 11:51:22 AM PST by Colofornian

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – Comments made by a BYU Theology professor opening up old wounds about the LDS church’s policy on African Americans and priesthood.

It was June 9th, 1978 when LDS President Spencer Kimball announced the church was opening its priesthood ranks to all worthy men. Some 30 years later the question why the church denied African Americans priesthood once again taking center stage because a Mormon is running for President.

During an interview with The Washington Post BYU Professor Randy Bott’s explains the denial of priesthood to blacks as saving them from “the lowest rungs of hell reserved for people who abuse their priesthood powers.”

Bott quoted as saying, "You couldn't fall off the top of the ladder because you weren't on the top of the ladder. So, in reality the blacks not having the priesthood was the greatest blessing god could give them."

Don Harwell is the president of the Genesis group for African American Mormons. “How do people come up with this stuff?” asked Harwell. "I get confused and a little discouraged that people still think this way."

Even more disappointing to Harwell is Bott had served in local leadership positions within the church such as a bishop, high councilor and mission president.

Harwell said, "I have yet to read in the scriptures that says the Lord denied us the priesthood. I could be wrong but I read my scriptures every night."

The LDS church had no comment on Bott’s recent interview, but LDS apostle Jeffrey Holland had this to say during an interview with PBS in 2006. "We simply do not know why that practice, that policy, that doctrine was in place,” said Holland.

This much is clear to Harwell. "If it was a commandment believe me it would be written down there would be no mistaking it.”


TOPICS: Current Events; Other non-Christian; Religion & Culture; Theology
KEYWORDS: blacks; lds; mormon; priesthood
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To: Burkean
... WHY I failed to follow SCRIPTURE!!


The Doctrine and Covenants

Section 132

Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Nauvoo, Illinois, recorded 12 July 1843, relating to the new and everlasting covenant, including the eternity of the marriage covenant, and also the plurality of wives (see History of the Church, 5:501–7). Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831.
.
.
.
58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.


 

58 Now, as touching the law of the apriesthood, there are many things pertaining thereunto.

59 Verily, if a man be called of my Father, as was aAaron, by mine own voice, and by the voice of him that bsent me, and I have endowed him with the ckeys of the power of this priesthood, if he do anything in my name, and according to my law and by my word, he will not commit dsin, and I will justify him.

60 Let no one, therefore, set on my servant Joseph; for I will justify him; for he shall do the sacrifice which I require at his hands for his transgressions, saith the Lord your God.

61 And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse aanother, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.

62 And if he have aten virgins given unto him by this law, he cannot commit adultery, for they belong to him, and they are given unto him; therefore is he justified.

63 But if one or either of the ten virgins, after she is espoused, shall be with another man, she has committed adultery, and shall be destroyed; for they are given unto him to amultiply and replenish the earth, according to my commandment, and to fulfil the promise which was given by my Father before the foundation of the world, and for their exaltation in the eternal worlds, that they may bear the souls of men; for herein is the work of my Father continued, that he may be bglorified.

64 And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, if any man have a wife, who holds the keys of this power, and he teaches unto her the law of my priesthood, as pertaining to these things, then shall she believe and administer unto him, or she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord your God; for I will destroy her; for I will magnify my name upon all those who receive and abide in my law.

65 Therefore, it shall be lawful in me, if she receive not this law, for him to receive all things whatsoever I, the Lord his God, will give unto him, because she did not believe and administer unto him according to my word; and she then becomes the transgressor; and he is exempt from the law of Sarah, who administered unto Abraham according to the law when I commanded Abraham to take aHagar to wife.

66 And now, as pertaining to this law, verily, verily, I say unto you, I will reveal more unto you, hereafter; therefore, let this suffice for the present. Behold, I am Alpha and Omega. Amen.


41 posted on 02/29/2012 6:32:10 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Burkean
... SCRIPTURE!!


 

Polygamy: How it all got Started


 
 
 
Joe: Hey Emma!   Guess what!?
 
Emma: You KNOW I hate these guessing games! What is it, Dear?
 
Joe: I heard a voice, probably the Lord, tell me I must take other wives.
 
Emma: WHAT!?   You ding bat!  Don't you KNOW what our precious BOOK says?   After all; YOU are the one that translated it!
 
Joe: Books; schmooks.   All I know is I've been COMMANDED to take other wives and you are to OBEY ME!!!
 
 
Emma:      "Though shalt NOT commit ADULTERY!!!"
 
 
Joe: Silly Woman!  You KNOW better than to take things out of CONTEXT!!!
 
 
 
 
 

 
...and the rest is HISTORY...
 

 
 
 
 
 
THE BOOK OF JACOB
THE BROTHER OF NEPHI
CHAPTER 2
 
  24 Behold, David and Solomon truly had many wives and concubines, which thing was abominable before me, saith the Lord.
  25 Wherefore, thus saith the Lord, I have led this people forth out of the land of Jerusalem, by the power of mine arm, that I might raise up unto me a righteous branch from the fruit of the loins of Joseph.
  26 Wherefore, I the Lord God will not suffer that this people shall do like unto them of old.
  27 Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none;
  28 For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts.
  29 Wherefore, this people shall keep my commandments, saith the Lord of Hosts, or cursed be the land for their sakes.
  30 For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things.
  31 For behold, I, the Lord, have seen the sorrow, and heard the mourning of the daughters of my people in the land of Jerusalem, yea, and in all the lands of my people, because of the wickedness and abominations of their husbands.
  32 And I will not suffer, saith the Lord of Hosts, that the cries of the fair daughters of this people, which I have led out of the land of Jerusalem, shall come up unto me against the men of my people, saith the Lord of Hosts.
 

Or even HERE:
 

 1 Timothy 3:2-3
 2.  Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
 3.  not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
 
 
1 Timothy 3:12
   A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well.
 
 
 Titus 1:6
   An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.



 
 
Emma: That's IT!   I'm LEAVING your sorry *!!!
 
Joe:  DARN you Emma; you were TOLD to accept this!!   Wait!!!   I hear a voice again!!!
 
 


 
THE
DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS
SECTION 132
 
  51–57, Emma Smith is counseled (commanded) to be faithful and true; 58–66, Laws governing the plurality of wives are set forth.
 
 
  51 Verily, I say unto you: A commandment I give unto mine handmaid, Emma Smith, your wife, whom I have given unto you, that she stay herself and partake not of that which I commanded you to offer unto her; for I did it, saith the Lord, to aprove you all, as I did Abraham, and that I might require an offering at your hand, by covenant and sacrifice.
  52 And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, areceive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph, and who are virtuous and pure before me; and those who are not pure, and have said they were pure, shall be destroyed, saith the Lord God.
  53 For I am the Lord thy God, and ye shall obey my voice; and I give unto my servant Joseph that he shall be made ruler over many things; for he hath been afaithful over a few things, and from henceforth I will strengthen him.
  54 And I command mine handmaid, Emma Smith, to abide and acleave unto my servant Joseph, and to none else. But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be bdestroyed, saith the Lord; for I am the Lord thy God, and will destroy her if she abide not in my law.
  55 But if she will not abide this commandment, then shall my servant Joseph do all things for her, even as he hath said; and I will bless him and multiply him and give unto him an ahundredfold in this world, of fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, houses and lands, wives and children, and crowns of beternal lives in the eternal worlds.
  56 And again, verily I say, let mine handmaid aforgive my servant Joseph his trespasses; and then shall she be forgiven her trespasses, wherein she has trespassed against me; and I, the Lord thy God, will bless her, and multiply her, and make her heart to brejoice.


42 posted on 02/29/2012 6:32:48 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Burkean
The idea that dark skin was the mark of Cain was cerrtainly not invented by Mormons, and they were hardly the only ones evoking it well into very recent history.

For a group that REBUILT upon the ashes of Christianity, and had the 'most correct book' of any, and got REVELATIONS directly from GOD; how on Earth could they have POSSIBLY been so screwed up??

43 posted on 02/29/2012 6:35:12 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Burkean
But we can celebrate the blessing that the idea has been discarded by most reasonable folk of either religious persuasion.

The old 'ignore the man behind the curtain' ploy.

44 posted on 02/29/2012 6:36:14 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Burkean
Guess what would have happened to THIS dude; back in the day!


Watch this video on www.youtube.com
…and I'm a MormonWife, mother, and Mayor. My name
is Mia Love, and I'm a Mormon.
YouTube.com/Mormon
Oh oh!
45 posted on 02/29/2012 6:37:43 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Apollo5600
Which would be impossible, since the great flood would have killed all of Cain’s descendants as well as all those not in the immediate family circle around Noah.

MAYBE not; as we have NO idea where Noah's wife and 3 daughters-in-law were from!

46 posted on 02/29/2012 6:44:17 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Elsie

Ezra Taft Benson


Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994) was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.
 

In 1953, Benson was appointed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture by President Eisenhower. Benson accepted this position with the permission of Church President David O. McKay and therefore served simultaneously in the United States Cabinet and in the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
 
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Taft_Benson

47 posted on 02/29/2012 6:46:32 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Elsie

Grain of salt time:

http://www.bibleinfo.com/en/content/what-was-noahs-wifes-name


48 posted on 02/29/2012 6:50:05 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Elsie

but WAIT!

There’s MORE!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse_of_Ham


49 posted on 02/29/2012 6:52:05 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Colofornian; Pelham

I’m a white southerner.

My culture and my family and myself are or have been under literal and metaphorical attacks from blacks and other minorities for decades.

Ask me if I give a shite about this crap.

Yankees who never deal with minorities keep their panties in a wad over anything to do with crackers thinking or acting bad over the poor black man.

I could care less. My culture is the one under attack, the only thing attacking them is themselves and pandering.

Mormons are mostly irrelevant.

I despise Romney for being a liberal and a liar but race card playing by conservatives smells like runny fresh dog poop.


50 posted on 02/29/2012 6:55:32 PM PST by wardaddy (I am a social conservative. My political party left me(again). They can go to hell in a bucket.)
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To: Fred Nerks; Freeper; philman_36; Gvl_M3; Flotsam_Jetsome; Berlin_Freeper; Hotlanta Mike; ...
Image and video hosting by TinyPic

.

“I Will Be a Second Mohammed”

In the heat of the Missouri “Mormon War” of 1838, - Joseph Smith made the following claim, “I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, - whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Alcoran [Koran] or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us — ‘Joseph Smith or the Sword!’ ”[1]

It is most interesting that a self-proclaimed Christian prophet would liken himself to Mohammed, the founder of Islam. His own comparison invites us to take a closer look as well. And when we do, we find some striking — and troubling — parallels. Consider the following.

. . . . .Check out # 22.

Thanks, Fred Nerks.

51 posted on 02/29/2012 9:33:11 PM PST by LucyT
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To: Fred Nerks

Mormons, Muslims, I always got them confused as a kid. They sound similar and both are polygamous...


52 posted on 02/29/2012 10:43:16 PM PST by Plummz (pro-constitution, anti-corruption)
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To: marsh2
I thought there was something about the story of Cain and Able where God marked Cain. The belief was that the skin color of blacks was a sign of that mark as decendants- ergo, the different treatment.

Maybe you should consider actually reading the Bible.

13And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. 15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

1) No mention of what the mark was--none what-so-ever. Assuming it was skin color is reading your own ideas into the text, instead of accepting what the text has to say.

2) No mention of Cain's descendants--none what-so-ever. Assuming this mark was passed down to Cain's descendants is, again, reading things into the text that are not there.

3) The mark was put there to protect Cain, not as a form of punishment. Nowhere does it say the mark was a punishment for Cain. Those that say it was a punishment are (once again) reading things into the text that just aren't there.

53 posted on 03/01/2012 8:12:22 AM PST by Brookhaven (Mitt Romney will right-size the economy--just like he did your job when he bought your company)
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To: Brookhaven

We’ve really sunk low when one has to EXPLAIN what has been PLAINLY written!


54 posted on 03/01/2012 9:28:25 AM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: wardaddy
"I’m a white southerner.

My culture and my family and myself are or have been under literal and metaphorical attacks from blacks and other minorities for decades."

I'm a southern woman, and I had my own experiences in school, especially junior high, being harassed and spat on by black students. My sister-in-law, who was raised to be a lady just like I was, got bused to a largely black high school and had to learn how to physically fight to defend herself from the ongoing attacks.

55 posted on 03/01/2012 9:39:51 AM PST by CatherineofAragon (I can haz Romney's defeat?)
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To: WayneS
...my apologies: the man is a Mormon professor, NOT a Mormon bishop...

Whatever his title, he might not have it for long. If his comments become too controversial, he might be asked to take one for the team.

56 posted on 03/01/2012 9:55:02 AM PST by CommerceComet (If Mitt can leave the GOP to protest Reagan, why can't I do the same in protest of Romney?)
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To: Elsie
In my experience, people take so many things for granted (because they've heard it all their life), that they often don't get the meaning of a passage, even if the passage is obvious.

I like to use this passage for people that maintain racially mixed marriages are somehow unbiblical:

And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. Num 12:1

Ethiopian is sometimes translated as cushite, but they mean the same thing--someone from sub-saharan Africa. In other words, a black person. As backed up by this verse:

"Can the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil. Jer 13:13

The plain reading of the text would indicate that Moses was married to a black woman. Does this mean that Moses was part of a mixed marriage, or that Moses himself was black? Either would fit the text, but if you get into a discussion of this passage with someone opposed to mixed marriages you'll find they'll gladly twist this bit of scripture into all kinds of knots in an attempt to hold onto their preconceived notions.

57 posted on 03/01/2012 10:44:50 AM PST by Brookhaven (Mitt Romney will right-size the economy--just like he did your job when he bought your company)
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To: Elsie

What a happy looking family!


58 posted on 03/01/2012 12:01:27 PM PST by WayneS (Comments now include 25% more sarcasm for no additional charge...)
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To: WayneS

EXACTLY!!

What ELSE would you expect to find in the “I am A MORMON” website?


59 posted on 03/01/2012 12:16:59 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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To: Brookhaven

60 posted on 03/01/2012 12:18:23 PM PST by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going)
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