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I will try an experiment. I have a friend I call "my professor" of nearly 10 years who's recently told me he's black. After I asked him "When did that happen?" he said he always considered himself black. His black skin should have been a clue for me but his name is Latino so whatever. We'll have to explore the issue in the future over several bottles of rum, if we ever get it.

Anyways, I'm absolutely certain he's not familiar with this doctrine and what it says. I want to see how he reacts when I ask him to read it (and he will.) Then I want to hear what he thinks about romney after that or the book of mormon.

He's a genius and no one I know who has met him disputes that. If anyone will dig into an issue and uncover facts, he will. We can ask him to be our "barometer" for the coming storm this fall. Will it be springtime for romney or will he get blown away?

I'll contact my pal within the week, if not I know I'll see him in the next 10 days so maybe I'll put together a vanity post on it.

He deserves to know either way.

“Where is the hope? I meet millions of people who feel demoralized by the decay around us. The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us, or what laws we pass, or what great things we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people. And that’s where our hope is in this country. And that’s where our hope is in life.”

—Charles Colson

I will try an experiment. I have a friend I call "my professor" of nearly 10 years who's recently told me he's black. After I asked him "When did that happen?" he said he always considered himself black. His black skin should have been a clue for me but his name is Latino so whatever. We'll have to explore the issue in the future over several bottles of rum, if we ever get it. Anyways, I'm absolutely certain he's not familiar with this doctrine and what it says. I want to see how he reacts when I ask him to read it (and he will.) Then I want to hear what he thinks about romney after that or the book of mormon. He's a genius and no one I know who has met him disputes that. If anyone will dig into an issue and uncover facts, he will. We can ask him to be our "barometer" for the coming storm this fall. Will it be springtime for romney or will he get blown away? I'll contact my pal within the week, if not I know I'll see him in the next 10 days so maybe I'll put together a vanity post on it. He deserves to know either way.

Good experiment...

Here's the verses you need to show him:

Note: The Mormon church has only changed one Mormon "scriptural" verse on race since its 1978 "change."

No other of its racist verses have been altered or repudiated. They still stand "on the books" as "sacred" representations of the view of the Mormon gods. To review these rather disturbing Mormon "scriptures," click on these three links:
* Mormon Racism as doctrine, not merely folklore or tradition
* "Renounce and Repudiate": Will Republicans Hold Romney to Obama Standard?
* Pro-Rick Santorum pastor slams Mitt Romney’s religion [post #55 by Tennessee Nana...a post, btw, where TN challenges a Mormon about these verses -- but the Mormon doesn't respond]

Obviously many of these verses overlap within these three sources...but you can cut & paste them together...Also...on the 2nd link above, go directly to the original article...as it was excerpted for a 300-word count...and some of the words were elipsed...

There is no denying that the Mormon teaching on race is and will be a problem for Romney.

Here is a good summary from catholic.com:

http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/whats-the-real-story-on-mormon-beliefs-and-race

This is what it said about the 1978 developments:

Dated June 8, 1978, and released the following day, President Kimball’s “Official Declaration—2” (as it is now called in the Mormon scripture Doctrine and Covenants) came after “extended meditation and prayer in the sacred rooms of the holy temple.” He presented the changed doctrine to his counselors, the Twelve Apostles, and other leaders, who approved it unanimously. The day has come, he said, when the Lord now grants to “every faithful, worthy man in the Church . . . the holy priesthood . . . [and] the blessings of the temple.” The declaration was presented to the general membership and ratified pro forma on September 30, 1978.

Though this opening of the priesthood to all races moved the Mormon Church into a less racist position regarding its practice, Mormon teaching remained unaltered. The new “revelation” did not change the previous Mormon teaching that people are born black because of their sins in the pre-existence.

That definitely clarified some things for me. I’m still having a hard time seeing how “people are born black because of their sins in the pre-existence” is more offensive than “white people are the devil...right now,” although both are at least somewhat offensive.

I had a long talk with my pal today and he said he'd try to call back tonight once he read the initial article and then researched the text and quotes on the net.

I will post what he tells me tonight or tomorrow.

Cheers!