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Mormonism and White Supremacy: American Religion and The Problem of Racial Innocence
To this day, churchgoing Mormons report that they hear from their fellow congregants in Sunday meetings that African-Americans are the accursed descendants of Cain whose spirits--due to their lack of spiritual mettle in a premortal existence--were destined to come to earth with a "curse" of black skin. This claim can be made in many Mormon Sunday Schools without fear of contradiction. You are more likely to encounter opposition if you argue that the ban on the ordination of Black Mormons was a product of human racism. Like most difficult subjects in Mormon history and practice, says Joanna Brooks, the priesthood and temple ban on Blacks has been managed carefully in LDS institutional settings with a combination of avoidance, denial, selective truth-telling, and determined silence.
As America begins to come to terms with the costs of white privilege to Black lives, this book urges a soul-searching examination of the role American Christianity has played in sustaining everyday white supremacy by assuring white people of their innocence. In Mormonism and White Supremacy, Joanna Brooks offers an unflinching look at her own people's history and culture and finds in them lessons that will hit home for every scholar of American religion and person of faith.
As America begins to come to terms with the costs of white privilege to Black lives, this book urges a soul-searching examination of the role American Christianity has played in sustaining everyday white supremacy by assuring white people of their innocence. In Mormonism and White Supremacy, Joanna Brooks offers an unflinching look at her own people's history and culture and finds in them lessons that will hit home for every scholar of American religion and person of faith.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2020
77 people are currently reading
1107 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Brooks
26 books58 followersJoanna Brooks is a national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning scholar of religion and American culture. She covers Mormonism, faith, and politics for ReligionDispatches.org and has been named one of “50 Politicos to Watch” by Politico.com.
A twenty-year veteran of the Mormon feminist and LGBT equality movements, Brooks grew up in a conservative Mormon home among the last great orange groves of Orange County, California. She attended Brigham Young University and received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
A twenty-year veteran of the Mormon feminist and LGBT equality movements, Brooks grew up in a conservative Mormon home among the last great orange groves of Orange County, California. She attended Brigham Young University and received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
October 6, 2020
"I love my faith community and believe we can do better." (p. 205)
It is with this hopeful purpose that Joanna Brooks writes this scholarly, honest history of white supremacy in the mainstream LDS Church. Brooks discusses how the Black priesthood and temple ban morphed from misinformation and folk doctrine into an official policy of the Church, given credibility by the emerging belief in the infallibility of latter-day prophets. Brooks also addresses the history following the 1978 official declaration that removed the ban, noting both positive steps towards transparency (such as the Gospel Topics essay, "Race and the Priesthood") and instances of "undergrounding" and deflection of the topic.
To me, a white, faithful member of the Church who grew up learning the gospel both on Sundays and at home, a descendent of Utah pioneers, Brooks' unflinchingly honest approach was, at times, uncomfortable. We in the Church have been warned against finding fault with our leadership, from local bishops to general authorities. We particularly are cautioned against being critical of prophets. But it seems clear that prophets have made mistakes here, and that Black people in the Church have suffered for it -- and so have white people who showed their dissent.
I feel a bit of the danger of dissent even now, as I review this book on Goodreads. I've sat through enough Sunday School lessons and ward council meetings to know how most members feel about people who read "this kind of book," a book about the Church that's not published by the Church (or Deseret Book). I wonder if I have friends who will now question my faithfulness. Brooks addresses this idea in her book, and she gets it exactly right: that some stuff is truly anti-Mormon literature, designed to turn people away from the Church, but other stuff "just [feels] hostile because insular Mormon communities [are] not accustomed to the robustly interrogative quality of normal civil discourse." (p. 181)
Brooks also challenges the idea that childlike "innocence" (particularly racial innocence) is morally superior to hard-earned wisdom. The Church's image as wholesome and patriotic seems to excuse the Church as a whole (along with many of its members) from examining challenging issues regarding our faith and our history. That approach may have served us in the past, but here in 2020, that just won't work anymore. We need more study and transparency and vulnerability. I'm positive that the core doctrines can withstand the scrutiny, and that we must confront our history if we are going to heal.
I thought the idea of collective vs individual guilt was really interesting and that it definitely applies to racism within the Church and racism in our country. No person alive today instituted the priesthood and temple ban, and so many members of the Church were either not born yet or little children when it was in place. But we still have a collective responsibility to undo the harm it has done. I'm certain it can be done, through charity and humility, because Christ's atonement covers even this.
Even though this book evoked some deep emotion (chapter five, detailing events that happened in my parents' lifetimes, broke my heart and turned my stomach), I am so glad I read it. I feel more prepared to challenge racism in the Church. If you're looking for a light read, this isn't it -- but it was so valuable for me.
It is with this hopeful purpose that Joanna Brooks writes this scholarly, honest history of white supremacy in the mainstream LDS Church. Brooks discusses how the Black priesthood and temple ban morphed from misinformation and folk doctrine into an official policy of the Church, given credibility by the emerging belief in the infallibility of latter-day prophets. Brooks also addresses the history following the 1978 official declaration that removed the ban, noting both positive steps towards transparency (such as the Gospel Topics essay, "Race and the Priesthood") and instances of "undergrounding" and deflection of the topic.
To me, a white, faithful member of the Church who grew up learning the gospel both on Sundays and at home, a descendent of Utah pioneers, Brooks' unflinchingly honest approach was, at times, uncomfortable. We in the Church have been warned against finding fault with our leadership, from local bishops to general authorities. We particularly are cautioned against being critical of prophets. But it seems clear that prophets have made mistakes here, and that Black people in the Church have suffered for it -- and so have white people who showed their dissent.
I feel a bit of the danger of dissent even now, as I review this book on Goodreads. I've sat through enough Sunday School lessons and ward council meetings to know how most members feel about people who read "this kind of book," a book about the Church that's not published by the Church (or Deseret Book). I wonder if I have friends who will now question my faithfulness. Brooks addresses this idea in her book, and she gets it exactly right: that some stuff is truly anti-Mormon literature, designed to turn people away from the Church, but other stuff "just [feels] hostile because insular Mormon communities [are] not accustomed to the robustly interrogative quality of normal civil discourse." (p. 181)
Brooks also challenges the idea that childlike "innocence" (particularly racial innocence) is morally superior to hard-earned wisdom. The Church's image as wholesome and patriotic seems to excuse the Church as a whole (along with many of its members) from examining challenging issues regarding our faith and our history. That approach may have served us in the past, but here in 2020, that just won't work anymore. We need more study and transparency and vulnerability. I'm positive that the core doctrines can withstand the scrutiny, and that we must confront our history if we are going to heal.
I thought the idea of collective vs individual guilt was really interesting and that it definitely applies to racism within the Church and racism in our country. No person alive today instituted the priesthood and temple ban, and so many members of the Church were either not born yet or little children when it was in place. But we still have a collective responsibility to undo the harm it has done. I'm certain it can be done, through charity and humility, because Christ's atonement covers even this.
Even though this book evoked some deep emotion (chapter five, detailing events that happened in my parents' lifetimes, broke my heart and turned my stomach), I am so glad I read it. I feel more prepared to challenge racism in the Church. If you're looking for a light read, this isn't it -- but it was so valuable for me.
June 18, 2020
This book blew my mind--it is an absolute must-read for anyone interested in Mormonism/evangelical/white Christian churches and their ongoing racism. Brooks not only offers an incredibly valuable history, but also a theory of white racial innocence an a social contract of the church with American culture and the church with its members that I think hits the nail on the head.
June 28, 2020
This book is a clarion call to personal (for white Latter-day Saints, at least) and institutional repentance. To read it with humility and openness is to begin. It is an exercise in remedial truth-telling and a careful delineation of precisely how the culture of the church and its hierarchies have resisted real repentance even as they have taken halting steps towards partially acknowledging the truth. Confession without contrition is not repentance, it is just a cul-de-sac of self-shame and retrenchment to a persecution complex that, if once justified, is no longer serving any useful purpose.
The only way out, as Brooks shows with exquisite precision, is to take the next step and tell the whole truth—all of it. And sit with it. And grapple with it honestly and humbly. Brooks helps us to imagine the liberating possibilities of doing so. The double tragedy of slavery in America, like other forms of abuse, is that it has degraded everyone it touched, the abused and the abuser alike. It is time for the white captives of the lies of racism and white supremacy to seek the freedom that Jesus said was found in the truth. Only then can the Saints really begin to live up to their dreams of Zion.
The only way out, as Brooks shows with exquisite precision, is to take the next step and tell the whole truth—all of it. And sit with it. And grapple with it honestly and humbly. Brooks helps us to imagine the liberating possibilities of doing so. The double tragedy of slavery in America, like other forms of abuse, is that it has degraded everyone it touched, the abused and the abuser alike. It is time for the white captives of the lies of racism and white supremacy to seek the freedom that Jesus said was found in the truth. Only then can the Saints really begin to live up to their dreams of Zion.
October 17, 2020
Accurate, timely and a needed rebuke to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Brooks does an impeccable job outlining the 20th century history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints and its grasp on folklore doctrine that preserved white supremacy for years. As a member who clearly still has fondness for the church, she minces no words about the silent agreement between members and leaders to uphold the infallibility of prophetic words, historically and presently, that create an environment that harms black lives. It is undeniable that despite the original history of Joseph Smith ordaining black people to the priesthood, Brigham Young, a blatant white supremacist, made the overt decision to bar black people from church leadership in attempt to be accepted in mainstream Christianity which is in and of itself a scathing analysis of American Christianity in general.
Many church leaders followed the example of Brigham Young as the vile concept of the black curse of Cain turned from speculation to "doctrine" easily through the end of the 20th century. Even today, this concept can still be culturally engrained in some church culture despite the church now denying it as doctrine.
As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I mirror the author's opinion: the church should publically recognize, apologize and condemn its racist history and deny that these racist ideas were anything more or less than the personal racism of its leaders. This is the only way to bring healing and growth for all those involved.
Brooks does an impeccable job outlining the 20th century history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Days Saints and its grasp on folklore doctrine that preserved white supremacy for years. As a member who clearly still has fondness for the church, she minces no words about the silent agreement between members and leaders to uphold the infallibility of prophetic words, historically and presently, that create an environment that harms black lives. It is undeniable that despite the original history of Joseph Smith ordaining black people to the priesthood, Brigham Young, a blatant white supremacist, made the overt decision to bar black people from church leadership in attempt to be accepted in mainstream Christianity which is in and of itself a scathing analysis of American Christianity in general.
Many church leaders followed the example of Brigham Young as the vile concept of the black curse of Cain turned from speculation to "doctrine" easily through the end of the 20th century. Even today, this concept can still be culturally engrained in some church culture despite the church now denying it as doctrine.
As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I mirror the author's opinion: the church should publically recognize, apologize and condemn its racist history and deny that these racist ideas were anything more or less than the personal racism of its leaders. This is the only way to bring healing and growth for all those involved.
September 20, 2020
Excellent and necessary book! Brooks explores how white supremacy became institutionalized in the LDS Church. To justify the priesthood and temple ban on blacks, some Church leaders embraced an ahistorical view of the past, with some claiming God institute the ban since the Church’s restoration, conveniently forgetting that Joseph Smith did welcome and ordain Black men to the priesthood. But white supremacy did not end when the ban was lifted.
While it can be hard to read about prophets and other leaders who expressed racist views and supported racist policies, it is important to overcome the dangerous belief in prophet infallibility. Brooks documents exactly why the infallibility myth is so destructive to our faith and community in the context of white supremacy.
I especially enjoyed Chapter 5. It was refreshing to learn about Church members who did speak out according to their conscience, refusing to compromise on their belief that God is not racist. Though it was also disheartening to learn how those with more privileged status were the only ones allowed to express dissent without retribution (George Romney, Lowry Nelson, Stewart Udall), which most likely continues to be the case today.
There is so much more to be done. Just like with systemic racism in our country at large, we cannot simply move on and forget the past and expect the future to heal itself. We must make formal apologies, learn our true history, honestly admit that we were wrong, and adopt specific policies that dismantle white supremacy and teach antiracism going forward.
One of my favorite quotes is from Frederick Douglass: “He is a lover of his country who rebukes but does not excuse its sins.” I think the same could be said of one’s religion. I love my Church, and I don’t believe we should excuse our sins. We need a soul-searching and thorough repentance process. Like Brooks, I believe we can and must do better.
While it can be hard to read about prophets and other leaders who expressed racist views and supported racist policies, it is important to overcome the dangerous belief in prophet infallibility. Brooks documents exactly why the infallibility myth is so destructive to our faith and community in the context of white supremacy.
I especially enjoyed Chapter 5. It was refreshing to learn about Church members who did speak out according to their conscience, refusing to compromise on their belief that God is not racist. Though it was also disheartening to learn how those with more privileged status were the only ones allowed to express dissent without retribution (George Romney, Lowry Nelson, Stewart Udall), which most likely continues to be the case today.
There is so much more to be done. Just like with systemic racism in our country at large, we cannot simply move on and forget the past and expect the future to heal itself. We must make formal apologies, learn our true history, honestly admit that we were wrong, and adopt specific policies that dismantle white supremacy and teach antiracism going forward.
One of my favorite quotes is from Frederick Douglass: “He is a lover of his country who rebukes but does not excuse its sins.” I think the same could be said of one’s religion. I love my Church, and I don’t believe we should excuse our sins. We need a soul-searching and thorough repentance process. Like Brooks, I believe we can and must do better.
June 14, 2020
5 stars. Mormon scholar Patrick Mason says that "Joanna Brooks frankly reminds us that white supremacy doesn't just happen. It is created, cultivated, passed on, sanctified, then perpetuated through forgetfulness...This book is strong medicine without the spoonful of sugar-but precisely the kind of medicine that may help effect a cure." I wholeheartedly agree. For people close to Mormonism in any way, this book will give you an accurate look into its racial history, is easy to read, has a hopeful tone, and I think should be essential reading.
November 29, 2020
Wow. This book is really important and it should be required reading for us Mormon folks. Joanna Brooks is an LDS scholar who tackles the subject of Protestant religions and racism in America and focuses on Mormonism.
And she thoroughly, cleanly lays it all out. And it's pretty damn simple. Joseph Smith (founder of Mormon religion) ordained Black men to hold the priesthood. There were witnesses. When he died and the Mormons moved west, Brigham Young started pushing black members to the fringes. From the pulpit, he declared them a lesser race, he ordained no more men of color to the priesthood. And Mormon scholars like B.H. Roberts began writing articles that surmised that the curse of black skin was a punishment from God.
"Robert's systematic "method" in developing this course of study was to frame a lesson plan in a sequence of enumerated points, then provide selected scriptural proof texts for group study. By reading through and discussing together these selected proof texts in a given order, Mormon priesthood holders could develop study habits that joined individual reflection with an orthodoxy conservative pedagogy well suited to a modestly educated but intellectually curious Mormon grassroots, an all-comers way of doing theology that persists in Mormon Sunday schools to this day". (page 67)
That ALMOST KILLED me. So they find the point they want to drive home (racism), lay out a lesson plan carefully, add carefully selected scriptures to back it up, and serve it to modestly educated and well meaning, searching members who study it and take it in. And inherently take on these racist views. Our lesson manuals and everything are set up just like this today, which really gave me pause.
Brooks explains how the church keeps members under it's thumb by discouraging the use of any outside sources for knowledge - and they certainly do. When you're teaching a lesson I have been advised to use church talks and church materials as my sole sources. This keeps everybody on the same line, with no dissenting voices. And they only started becoming more transparent in the age of the internet when Mitt Romney ran for President and there was a lot of attention on Mormonism and its core beliefs.
The chapter on dissidents was both heartening and heartbreaking. I didn't know George Romney (Mitt's Dad) was such a supporter of civil rights and did it despite what the church wanted him to do. Way to go, Romney. I was heartbroken for the local boy scout leader who saw racism in his troop and tried to speak out against it. He lost everything - church membership, social standing, custody of his children. It was awful. I loved every single person who worked behind the scenes, writing letters, saving historical evidence, knowing the church was wrong about denying black people the priesthood, and waiting for it to come to an end.
There's so much to say about this powerful book. To me it boiled down to individual people knowing in their hearts what was right and what was WRONG despite what the higher ups told them. And the mistreatment of an entire population of people for so long, who deserve a public apology for the way our church has treated them. Read the other reviews on Goodreads, people have said it way better than I can.
And she thoroughly, cleanly lays it all out. And it's pretty damn simple. Joseph Smith (founder of Mormon religion) ordained Black men to hold the priesthood. There were witnesses. When he died and the Mormons moved west, Brigham Young started pushing black members to the fringes. From the pulpit, he declared them a lesser race, he ordained no more men of color to the priesthood. And Mormon scholars like B.H. Roberts began writing articles that surmised that the curse of black skin was a punishment from God.
"Robert's systematic "method" in developing this course of study was to frame a lesson plan in a sequence of enumerated points, then provide selected scriptural proof texts for group study. By reading through and discussing together these selected proof texts in a given order, Mormon priesthood holders could develop study habits that joined individual reflection with an orthodoxy conservative pedagogy well suited to a modestly educated but intellectually curious Mormon grassroots, an all-comers way of doing theology that persists in Mormon Sunday schools to this day". (page 67)
That ALMOST KILLED me. So they find the point they want to drive home (racism), lay out a lesson plan carefully, add carefully selected scriptures to back it up, and serve it to modestly educated and well meaning, searching members who study it and take it in. And inherently take on these racist views. Our lesson manuals and everything are set up just like this today, which really gave me pause.
Brooks explains how the church keeps members under it's thumb by discouraging the use of any outside sources for knowledge - and they certainly do. When you're teaching a lesson I have been advised to use church talks and church materials as my sole sources. This keeps everybody on the same line, with no dissenting voices. And they only started becoming more transparent in the age of the internet when Mitt Romney ran for President and there was a lot of attention on Mormonism and its core beliefs.
The chapter on dissidents was both heartening and heartbreaking. I didn't know George Romney (Mitt's Dad) was such a supporter of civil rights and did it despite what the church wanted him to do. Way to go, Romney. I was heartbroken for the local boy scout leader who saw racism in his troop and tried to speak out against it. He lost everything - church membership, social standing, custody of his children. It was awful. I loved every single person who worked behind the scenes, writing letters, saving historical evidence, knowing the church was wrong about denying black people the priesthood, and waiting for it to come to an end.
There's so much to say about this powerful book. To me it boiled down to individual people knowing in their hearts what was right and what was WRONG despite what the higher ups told them. And the mistreatment of an entire population of people for so long, who deserve a public apology for the way our church has treated them. Read the other reviews on Goodreads, people have said it way better than I can.
July 30, 2020
I can't say I loved this book because it was upsetting and painful to read at times, but that speaks to both its informative quality and importance.
My only complaint is that it mostly reads like an academic book (to be fair, it is an academic book). But given the importance of the subject matter, I wish that it was written in a more easily accessible manner. As it is, I don't imagine many LDS individuals working their way through it unless they are already interested in the topic and/or are predisposed to accept that the Church has some racial issues to work through.
That being said, those passages where Brooks writes more normatively are excellent. She's got a real knack for bold language. One of my favorite quotes, regarding the fallacy of prophetic infallibility, provides: "Infallibility kills: it kills the bodies of those marked expendable, it kills relationships with those who dissent, and it kills the souls who suffocate on their own ignorance and privilege. It kills courage, it kills hope, it kills faith, and it kills the kind of historical memory that helps a religious community understand itself and find its next steps towards holiness."
All things considered, I highly recommend this book.
My only complaint is that it mostly reads like an academic book (to be fair, it is an academic book). But given the importance of the subject matter, I wish that it was written in a more easily accessible manner. As it is, I don't imagine many LDS individuals working their way through it unless they are already interested in the topic and/or are predisposed to accept that the Church has some racial issues to work through.
That being said, those passages where Brooks writes more normatively are excellent. She's got a real knack for bold language. One of my favorite quotes, regarding the fallacy of prophetic infallibility, provides: "Infallibility kills: it kills the bodies of those marked expendable, it kills relationships with those who dissent, and it kills the souls who suffocate on their own ignorance and privilege. It kills courage, it kills hope, it kills faith, and it kills the kind of historical memory that helps a religious community understand itself and find its next steps towards holiness."
All things considered, I highly recommend this book.
March 12, 2021
Sometimes very hard to read, but so well-researched and so honest. It hurts to look at an institution you love will blinders off. But it is necessary. And Joanna Brooks retains her faith in God and the gospel through it all. She does dismantle the notion of our prophets being infallible. And she is very blunt in tagging our "innocence" via the Osmonds and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to gain acceptance with the white power structure in our racist society. And she brings out the racist comments of our leaders, historians, prophets, and all. Her recommendations--including that all congregations study the gospel topics essay on Race and the Priesthood (found at https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/s... not unreasonable. I'm grateful that she tackled this and think all members of the church should tackle the task of reading the history and grappling with our church's racism.
February 23, 2025
BOOK REVIEW – Mormonism and White Supremacy, by Joanna Brooks (11.09.20)
This is a painful book to read. Although, there was very little new material the presentation is an honest unvarnished look at an ugly history. I grew up in a home were the issue of “Blacks and the Priesthood” was an open topic of discussion. My father was active in the civil rights movement as the first white member of the NAACP in my hometown of Ogden, UT. He served as a missionary with Stuart Udall, the AZ Congressman, in the Eastern States Mission and maintained an active correspondence with him. Stuart wrote a public letter to President McKay in 1967 urging and end to the policy. On my Mother’s side, I come from a long line of pioneer ancestry. From one line she was the cousin of Spencer W. Kimball who performed the marriage and sealing of my parents. On another line we are descended from Abraham Smoot who was one of the first slave owners in Utah, while he was a bishop, stake president and founding president of BYU. He gave his life and fortune to “building the kingdom” yet likewise owned black men and women as chattel. Despite reading his “official” biography several years ago that important detail was left out.
I recall incidents of racism in my youth and how much they bothered me. In 1974 a brutal multiple murder in my hometown by black men on white victims created tensions in my high school resulting in a “rumble” between black and white students on the last day of school a few weeks later. As a young missionary in Brooklyn, NY for the first time I was personally confronted with the issue of the priesthood restriction in our proselyting efforts. I heard all the racist apologist “doctrines”, my fellow missionaries used to explain the restriction. Despite hearing them they never felt right to me.
I was an obedient missionary to the extreme. Yet on the morning of June 1, 1977 when our ward mission leader called to tell us of the report of the revelation, I immediately called my Dad. He was weeping as he confirmed the change. I, like many others, thought at that time that the work was done. Now I know as racism is having a resurgence in the larger community there is still much work to do both in and out of the Church. So, I approach this subject with a somewhat interesting background and family history.
The Church's diversity has emerged almost defiantly from the relics of its racist past. Early Mormon teachings spoke of black people as inferior, cursed by God and unworthy to serve as clergy. Unfortunately, early LDS views were not much different that most of American Christianity. The American church remains predominantly white. But the growth in the Church is not among white cultures. It is in among Latino and Black cultures in Latin America and Africa. To be frank the future of the Church will not look like what my white US coreligionists are used to.
Mormonism and White Supremacy, doesn’t plow new ground, but it sure provides an inventory of what an informed LDS already knows. Some I expect will react defensively to this book. Sadly, that will do no good. Collective atonement requires collective recognition and commitment to personal and institutional change. The result is a painful portrait of how white supremacy has been sown in the doctrines of the Church. And although officially repudiated some sins die hard.
Brooks explains that one of the duties of racial structures is to build a structure that assuages the guilt of its adherents, removing the immediate morality and ethics of racism from the equation by dictating that God had demanded the racist policy or doctrine. For LDS, we can feel that we are not racists because we do not draw a distinction based on race — God drew that distinction for us, and so we are not individually responsible.
There is nothing in the record that supports the idea that the priesthood restriction at the time of implementation was a revelation or remotely God's will. There is plenty in the record noting that it was indeed God's will to end it. President Kimball could have easily made a policy statement to end it. But he knew that for some to accept the change it needed the force of revelation. While serving as an A70 on assignments with the two most senior members of the Q12 I had personal conversations with them about their experiences. Both are now gone. Both were in “the room” when the revelation was received. Both conveyed the power and solemnity of the experience. Both then 40+ years removed from the revelation did not see the original ban as God’s will but as the foibles of men influenced by the society around them. We do a disservice to our leaders when we hold them up to prophetic infallibility. As someone once said - The Catholics have a doctrine of Papal infallibility, but no one believes it. We have no doctrine of infallibility, but no one believes it.
The Church has tried to address some of the concerns noted in Brooks’ book. The Gospel Topic essay published in 2013 lays out all the dots and they're easy to connect. There was no mystery about why Brigham Young introduced the exclusion. He said exactly what his reasons were, and every justification Brigham ever gave for the exclusion has been repudiated by the Church. Most significantly, the essay says clearly that the church today unequivocally condemns all racism past and present. If we take this statement seriously, it condemns the exclusion itself, because there's no rational way to see the exclusion as not racist.
This is not a history book although it does contain important history. This is a book geared towards awareness and social action. Brooks writes powerfully and convincingly. Yes, the Church has made strides forward. We now partner with the NAACP on the national level for racial equality. More change is needed, and we must work together to get there. Brooks has written a painful reminder of how much more change we need. It is a hard book to read, but her work is needed for this moment.
This is a painful book to read. Although, there was very little new material the presentation is an honest unvarnished look at an ugly history. I grew up in a home were the issue of “Blacks and the Priesthood” was an open topic of discussion. My father was active in the civil rights movement as the first white member of the NAACP in my hometown of Ogden, UT. He served as a missionary with Stuart Udall, the AZ Congressman, in the Eastern States Mission and maintained an active correspondence with him. Stuart wrote a public letter to President McKay in 1967 urging and end to the policy. On my Mother’s side, I come from a long line of pioneer ancestry. From one line she was the cousin of Spencer W. Kimball who performed the marriage and sealing of my parents. On another line we are descended from Abraham Smoot who was one of the first slave owners in Utah, while he was a bishop, stake president and founding president of BYU. He gave his life and fortune to “building the kingdom” yet likewise owned black men and women as chattel. Despite reading his “official” biography several years ago that important detail was left out.
I recall incidents of racism in my youth and how much they bothered me. In 1974 a brutal multiple murder in my hometown by black men on white victims created tensions in my high school resulting in a “rumble” between black and white students on the last day of school a few weeks later. As a young missionary in Brooklyn, NY for the first time I was personally confronted with the issue of the priesthood restriction in our proselyting efforts. I heard all the racist apologist “doctrines”, my fellow missionaries used to explain the restriction. Despite hearing them they never felt right to me.
I was an obedient missionary to the extreme. Yet on the morning of June 1, 1977 when our ward mission leader called to tell us of the report of the revelation, I immediately called my Dad. He was weeping as he confirmed the change. I, like many others, thought at that time that the work was done. Now I know as racism is having a resurgence in the larger community there is still much work to do both in and out of the Church. So, I approach this subject with a somewhat interesting background and family history.
The Church's diversity has emerged almost defiantly from the relics of its racist past. Early Mormon teachings spoke of black people as inferior, cursed by God and unworthy to serve as clergy. Unfortunately, early LDS views were not much different that most of American Christianity. The American church remains predominantly white. But the growth in the Church is not among white cultures. It is in among Latino and Black cultures in Latin America and Africa. To be frank the future of the Church will not look like what my white US coreligionists are used to.
Mormonism and White Supremacy, doesn’t plow new ground, but it sure provides an inventory of what an informed LDS already knows. Some I expect will react defensively to this book. Sadly, that will do no good. Collective atonement requires collective recognition and commitment to personal and institutional change. The result is a painful portrait of how white supremacy has been sown in the doctrines of the Church. And although officially repudiated some sins die hard.
Brooks explains that one of the duties of racial structures is to build a structure that assuages the guilt of its adherents, removing the immediate morality and ethics of racism from the equation by dictating that God had demanded the racist policy or doctrine. For LDS, we can feel that we are not racists because we do not draw a distinction based on race — God drew that distinction for us, and so we are not individually responsible.
There is nothing in the record that supports the idea that the priesthood restriction at the time of implementation was a revelation or remotely God's will. There is plenty in the record noting that it was indeed God's will to end it. President Kimball could have easily made a policy statement to end it. But he knew that for some to accept the change it needed the force of revelation. While serving as an A70 on assignments with the two most senior members of the Q12 I had personal conversations with them about their experiences. Both are now gone. Both were in “the room” when the revelation was received. Both conveyed the power and solemnity of the experience. Both then 40+ years removed from the revelation did not see the original ban as God’s will but as the foibles of men influenced by the society around them. We do a disservice to our leaders when we hold them up to prophetic infallibility. As someone once said - The Catholics have a doctrine of Papal infallibility, but no one believes it. We have no doctrine of infallibility, but no one believes it.
The Church has tried to address some of the concerns noted in Brooks’ book. The Gospel Topic essay published in 2013 lays out all the dots and they're easy to connect. There was no mystery about why Brigham Young introduced the exclusion. He said exactly what his reasons were, and every justification Brigham ever gave for the exclusion has been repudiated by the Church. Most significantly, the essay says clearly that the church today unequivocally condemns all racism past and present. If we take this statement seriously, it condemns the exclusion itself, because there's no rational way to see the exclusion as not racist.
This is not a history book although it does contain important history. This is a book geared towards awareness and social action. Brooks writes powerfully and convincingly. Yes, the Church has made strides forward. We now partner with the NAACP on the national level for racial equality. More change is needed, and we must work together to get there. Brooks has written a painful reminder of how much more change we need. It is a hard book to read, but her work is needed for this moment.
July 3, 2020
I could not put this book down. It is essential reading for Protestant white Americans and for Mormons most especially. The national moment requires we no longer act blind, deaf, and dumb to the truths of our collective past. Mormons have a culture of prophetic infallibility that literally kills. What happens when one if those prophets writes the foreword for white supremacist material with a picture of a black man getting decapitated on the cover—still in circulation today—another repeatedly preaches that it is the role of white men to “rule,” and that black people were so inferior that to kill those who intermarried with them—and their offspring—would be a merciful, divinely sanctioned act? What happens when those prophets reprimand a gentle professor for daring to suggest that we are all equal before God, and that it might not be a blessing to preach white supremacy to communities in Latin America, where white supremacist thought didn’t have as much traction as in the U.S.?
The problem of Mormonism’s addiction to white supremacist thought feels almost too deep to be tractable. If it can be overcome, this book is a great start to facing, interrogating, understanding, and correcting the problem.
I would have liked to see her deal with the underlying cause of these racist policies and sermons more. Brooks does address the broader social contexts but could have done more to explore how the Book of Mormon, rooted in assimilationist, biological, cultural and color-centric racist narrative, informed the conscience of these white supremacist prophets and leaders. Perhaps there will be a sequel????
The problem of Mormonism’s addiction to white supremacist thought feels almost too deep to be tractable. If it can be overcome, this book is a great start to facing, interrogating, understanding, and correcting the problem.
I would have liked to see her deal with the underlying cause of these racist policies and sermons more. Brooks does address the broader social contexts but could have done more to explore how the Book of Mormon, rooted in assimilationist, biological, cultural and color-centric racist narrative, informed the conscience of these white supremacist prophets and leaders. Perhaps there will be a sequel????
September 9, 2020
This book is absolutely fabulous. One of the best I've read this year. It's dense and full of primary sources, but it's not too long that it becomes overwhelming. I'd recommend it to anyone who is curious about the history and institutional fabric of the church. All members should read this!
September 3, 2020
"Modern Mormonism instituted one of the most rigidly enforced systems of racial segregation in the history of American Christianity." Joanna Brooks doesn't pull any punches as she blows the lid off the systemic layers hiding in plain sight within our culture that "sustained" (and to some extent continues to "sustain") many of the facets of a highly intentional effort to "spiritually redline" (my term - not hers) and exclude Black people from the spiritual blessings our theology holds in the highest regard (e.g., temple and priesthood blessings).
These systemic layers exist in a myriad of forms. However, I think Brooks does her most effective work in highlighting three particularly pernicious tiers that "caste" (see Isabel Wilkerson's work) the deepest roots of Mormonism's white supremacy in stark relief:
1) Possessive investment in whiteness - the return on this cultural investment is self-evident but rarely self-disclosed. Who is predominantly found sitting in our Utah pews and living in our Mormon neighborhoods? The fruit of the tree doesn't lie. Mormon culture, including the dominant language found in our most sacred text - The Book of Mormon, is nearly obsessed with the idea of equating whiteness with purity. The supremacy of whiteness is essentially engraved on the golden plates of Mormon culture.
2) Possessive investment in rightness - Mormonism is absolutely saturated with a culture of certainty. The language of "knowing" dominates orthodox testimonies, often pushing honest and sincere declarations of faith and belief to the margins. Mix this with #1 above and you have a recipe for a truly repugnant cultural casserole (leftovers still being re-heated and served after 150 years at an LDS chapel near you . . . ).
3) Prophetic Privilege or Immunity - Brooks is masterful in bringing to light the perniciousness of the Church's ongoing dedication to prophetic infallibility. When Elder Bruce R. McConkie can say, "forget everything that I have said . . . We spoke with a limited understanding" in 1978 related to the lifting of the Church's racist restrictions, and still have his quasi-canonical work "Mormon Doctrine" (which dogmatically propounded folklore-based explanations for the priesthood and temple ban) continue to be published by Deseret Book until 2010, there is a bewildering degree of prophetic impunity in play. NOTE - "Mormon Doctrine" still would have been sold up until 2012 had not a faithful African American member arranged to purchase the remaining 515 copies in 2010 to get them off the market.
When the Church’s controversial and discriminatory 2015 LGBT exclusion policy was finally reversed in 2019, President Nelson was seemingly able to throw the entire episode into the collective congregations' rearview mirror by referring to the reversal as simply a "revelatory adjustment." Mormon history can thus become whatever the latest Mormon Prophet wants to mold it into.
Such prophetic infallibility is what allows ("sustains") the perception to linger that God was somehow behind the priesthood and temple restrictions in the first place. I would invite you to re-read the Church's Official Declaration #2 and consider who is actually being held responsible for the origin of the ban. What I see is another "revelatory adjustment" that does all it can, through the perspective of prophetic privilege (immunity), to pin the (folk) tale on God.
I simply can't make this square with the God I worship. God isn't racist - we are.
Looking back on this dynamic, LDS historian Lester Bush (whose 1973 essay on the history of the restriction should be required reading for all Mormons - see https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-co...), in a lecture he presented at the Sterling M. McMurrin Lecture on Religion and Culture at the University of Utah (October 8, 2015) provided the following insight, which I think goes to the heart of one of Brooks' main thesis:
"Failure to acknowledge this error (that Brigham Young, not God, was the true source of the ban) leaves the impression that the Church still believes the ban might have been of divine origin even if the explanations were not. That’s a pretty heavy message for the Black Mormon community. Back while the priesthood ban was still in effect, I used to speak to small groups, some with a few or even many African American (and some African) members. I walked pretty carefully through the history, thinking I didn’t want to bruise anyone’s testimony. What I quickly learned was that it was the white members, not the Blacks, who had problems, if any, with the history. The Black view tended to be, “Oh, so it was just a white guy thing. What a relief.” That made sense to them because they assumed racial bias was pretty much everywhere. What they were worried about was that God—not white guys—thought they were less worthy."
As an "active" (whatever the hell that means) Mormon "white guy" (again, whatever the hell that means) - this is more than just a thing for me. Over forty years after the lifting of the ban, I find the lack of any genuine institutional apology (or at a minimum some semblance of real responsibility) both embarrassing and repugnant, and the ongoing systemic stench of silence nearly suffocating. Thanks, Dr. Brooks for cracking open a window and letting in some much-needed air.
These systemic layers exist in a myriad of forms. However, I think Brooks does her most effective work in highlighting three particularly pernicious tiers that "caste" (see Isabel Wilkerson's work) the deepest roots of Mormonism's white supremacy in stark relief:
1) Possessive investment in whiteness - the return on this cultural investment is self-evident but rarely self-disclosed. Who is predominantly found sitting in our Utah pews and living in our Mormon neighborhoods? The fruit of the tree doesn't lie. Mormon culture, including the dominant language found in our most sacred text - The Book of Mormon, is nearly obsessed with the idea of equating whiteness with purity. The supremacy of whiteness is essentially engraved on the golden plates of Mormon culture.
2) Possessive investment in rightness - Mormonism is absolutely saturated with a culture of certainty. The language of "knowing" dominates orthodox testimonies, often pushing honest and sincere declarations of faith and belief to the margins. Mix this with #1 above and you have a recipe for a truly repugnant cultural casserole (leftovers still being re-heated and served after 150 years at an LDS chapel near you . . . ).
3) Prophetic Privilege or Immunity - Brooks is masterful in bringing to light the perniciousness of the Church's ongoing dedication to prophetic infallibility. When Elder Bruce R. McConkie can say, "forget everything that I have said . . . We spoke with a limited understanding" in 1978 related to the lifting of the Church's racist restrictions, and still have his quasi-canonical work "Mormon Doctrine" (which dogmatically propounded folklore-based explanations for the priesthood and temple ban) continue to be published by Deseret Book until 2010, there is a bewildering degree of prophetic impunity in play. NOTE - "Mormon Doctrine" still would have been sold up until 2012 had not a faithful African American member arranged to purchase the remaining 515 copies in 2010 to get them off the market.
When the Church’s controversial and discriminatory 2015 LGBT exclusion policy was finally reversed in 2019, President Nelson was seemingly able to throw the entire episode into the collective congregations' rearview mirror by referring to the reversal as simply a "revelatory adjustment." Mormon history can thus become whatever the latest Mormon Prophet wants to mold it into.
Such prophetic infallibility is what allows ("sustains") the perception to linger that God was somehow behind the priesthood and temple restrictions in the first place. I would invite you to re-read the Church's Official Declaration #2 and consider who is actually being held responsible for the origin of the ban. What I see is another "revelatory adjustment" that does all it can, through the perspective of prophetic privilege (immunity), to pin the (folk) tale on God.
I simply can't make this square with the God I worship. God isn't racist - we are.
Looking back on this dynamic, LDS historian Lester Bush (whose 1973 essay on the history of the restriction should be required reading for all Mormons - see https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-co...), in a lecture he presented at the Sterling M. McMurrin Lecture on Religion and Culture at the University of Utah (October 8, 2015) provided the following insight, which I think goes to the heart of one of Brooks' main thesis:
"Failure to acknowledge this error (that Brigham Young, not God, was the true source of the ban) leaves the impression that the Church still believes the ban might have been of divine origin even if the explanations were not. That’s a pretty heavy message for the Black Mormon community. Back while the priesthood ban was still in effect, I used to speak to small groups, some with a few or even many African American (and some African) members. I walked pretty carefully through the history, thinking I didn’t want to bruise anyone’s testimony. What I quickly learned was that it was the white members, not the Blacks, who had problems, if any, with the history. The Black view tended to be, “Oh, so it was just a white guy thing. What a relief.” That made sense to them because they assumed racial bias was pretty much everywhere. What they were worried about was that God—not white guys—thought they were less worthy."
As an "active" (whatever the hell that means) Mormon "white guy" (again, whatever the hell that means) - this is more than just a thing for me. Over forty years after the lifting of the ban, I find the lack of any genuine institutional apology (or at a minimum some semblance of real responsibility) both embarrassing and repugnant, and the ongoing systemic stench of silence nearly suffocating. Thanks, Dr. Brooks for cracking open a window and letting in some much-needed air.
June 19, 2024
Hard to read, but very important
June 21, 2020
Working to abandon racial innocence.
I was prepared for the worst, but I wasn’t expecting to come away feeling so energized and ready to fight racism in my own thoughts and understandings as well as in the church. Knowing the truth is liberating.
I was prepared for the worst, but I wasn’t expecting to come away feeling so energized and ready to fight racism in my own thoughts and understandings as well as in the church. Knowing the truth is liberating.
February 16, 2021
A difficult and impassioned call for institutional and personal repentance. Brooks follows the threads from the LDS church's establishment through the institution of the priesthood and temple ban through the 1978 revelation revoking it, all the while surveying the little choices that privileged white people in the church over black and brown. By highlighting dissenting voices along the way, she underscores that it did not have to be this way, and that it was the explicit and implicit choice to benefit whites over against blacks in the church that has led to the shameful history of racism.
Brooks also interrogates the role that the formal structures within the institutional church played in cementing and perpetuating the ban and the "doctrinal" and ideological justification for it. She argues that the church's position on prophetic infallibility, coupled with repression and ostracization of dissenting voices, served to perpetuate false ideas around the reasoning for the ban. Moreover, in particular the dogged adherence to the notion of prophetic infallibility has made it so far impossible for the church to formally recognize the ban for what it was: a racist policy that was made in an effort to shore up the church's standing with other American whites at a time when the church was itself suffering persecution.
She highlights the ongoing struggle with the leaders and members of the church to come to grips with this hard truth, and argues that the only way forward is for an explicit recognition of the nature of the church's historic and ongoing racism, and serious consideration for how to do right by the church's black members in terms of formal steps toward reparation. This is a hard book to read, but is critical if members and the institutional church is to make meaningful reforms in their race relations.
Brooks also interrogates the role that the formal structures within the institutional church played in cementing and perpetuating the ban and the "doctrinal" and ideological justification for it. She argues that the church's position on prophetic infallibility, coupled with repression and ostracization of dissenting voices, served to perpetuate false ideas around the reasoning for the ban. Moreover, in particular the dogged adherence to the notion of prophetic infallibility has made it so far impossible for the church to formally recognize the ban for what it was: a racist policy that was made in an effort to shore up the church's standing with other American whites at a time when the church was itself suffering persecution.
She highlights the ongoing struggle with the leaders and members of the church to come to grips with this hard truth, and argues that the only way forward is for an explicit recognition of the nature of the church's historic and ongoing racism, and serious consideration for how to do right by the church's black members in terms of formal steps toward reparation. This is a hard book to read, but is critical if members and the institutional church is to make meaningful reforms in their race relations.
August 18, 2020
I think this book is important for LDS people to read to get an overview of the history of racism within the Church - not just individual acts of racism, but the systematic and purposeful exclusion and denigration of Black people within the Church. Even as someone who felt like I was reasonably well-informed on this topic, there was definitely a lot in here that I had not known previously. It is not a super comprehensive history but it hits the highlights, and some particularly disturbing chapters of our history. She also relies on and cloaks the research a lot of others have done over the years on this topic in terms that contemporary historians/activists use to define race relations - which may be helpful, but it doesn't feel entirely original.
I don't think this book would be particularly helpful for non-LDS people, as it doesn't give enough context on our history and culture to really get an in-depth understanding of Mormonism. One interesting thesis of hers is the way Christianity focuses on individual sin as opposed to collective/generational sin - which gives people permission to absolve themselves of societal issues like racism by believing that they are not personally racist. She also talks a bit about being a person of faith who also wants to hold the Church's institutions accountable to a higher standard, which is a position I deeply identify with.
I don't think this book would be particularly helpful for non-LDS people, as it doesn't give enough context on our history and culture to really get an in-depth understanding of Mormonism. One interesting thesis of hers is the way Christianity focuses on individual sin as opposed to collective/generational sin - which gives people permission to absolve themselves of societal issues like racism by believing that they are not personally racist. She also talks a bit about being a person of faith who also wants to hold the Church's institutions accountable to a higher standard, which is a position I deeply identify with.
March 17, 2021
Book title says it all. Get ready to CRINGE HARDCORE.
February 23, 2022
My wife and I read Mormonism and White Supremacy: American Religion and the Problem of Racial Innocence by Joanna Brooks together as a part of our observance of Black History Month. Our Church has its own complicated history of racial issues, and Brooks has assembled a compelling narrative of what happened, how we got here, and the work we still need to do. This is particularly relevant given the recent remarks by Brad Wilcox that has sparked such a public outcry in the Latter-Day Saint Community. You can watch a clip of the talk below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbO3gVVVy5g
I have learned bits and pieces of the legacy of the priesthood ban over time. I remember hearing the justifications for it on my mission, and reading the entry in Mormon Doctrine where it could be found in print. I read some of its history in the broader picture of the Church in the 20th century in David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism by Gregory Prince. I read the Church's essay on "Race and the Priesthood" when it was released, and I appreciated the inclusion of stories of early black Latter-Day Saints in Saints. Each of these sources were catalysts for re-evaluating my experience of race in the Church where it is rarely discussed at all. I did have the occasional Sunday School lesson gone south where somebody said something kinda racist. But for the most part, there is a tendency to ignore the topic because it is uncomfortable. Brooks discusses this at length in her book:
If the church progresses in a continuous, linear path by divine guidance, then contemporary realities and understandings replace those from the past, which will eventually be forgotten. Obsolete ideas and practices simply don't count anymore, even if they originated as divine revelations. Where discrepancies appear between the present and the past, there is no point in reminding ourselves about the past. Especially if an event in the past is embarrassing, then recalling it and dwelling on it, even if only to repudiate it, merely confuses the matter. Such negative thinking has no place in the Lord's kingdom. If harm has resulted from earlier ways of thinking, then everyone involved should forgive everyone else and get on with constructing a better future. Apologies or ringing declarations of disavowal should not be necessary, since few peoples or individuals have histories free of offense against others, and thus few are in a position to demand apologies. With time, memories of these offenses will fade automatically, and we will all be better for it. Meanwhile, if we have not made the requisite changes, let's not stir up useless and uncomfortable old stories.
From the perspective of Church members, if it isn't strengthening testimonies or gives me a general spiritual feel-goody sense, why is it being discussed at Church? That essentially defines what people expect in sacrament meeting and Sunday School. We all know that the Church is true, so why do we need to air our own dirty laundry? I have had this experience talking with my family about these topics as I read them. We don't know how to discuss the wrongs of prophets and apostles, because that implies they could be wrong. It isn't our place and doesn't seem to be something a faithful member would do. In fact, it seems like its only anti-Mormon sources that would discuss such things.
I have seen the importance of reconciling with the past and not trying to pave it over. It's important to be honest about our past. I don't think we can just not "worry about those little flicks of history", as Gordon B. Hinckley referred to it in an interview on 60 Minutes. Joanna discusses the negative effects of not doing so:
We told ourselves that new, more cosmopolitan (albeit white) Church leaders would endorse tolerance, love, and compassion; newly sensitized Church media would begin to feature images of Mormonism's growing diversity; and old doctrinal folklore would fade out with the passing generations. The past did not have to be reckoned with, undone, or confronted. It could simply be outlived if we turned our face toward Zion...
It freed white Mormons of responsibility for self-education, searching reflection, and personal and institutional change. Most distressingly, it allowed openly racist white Mormons to feel comfortable if not emboldened in Mormon religious contexts.
The history of race and the priesthood is also a meta-history, a history of histories, if you will. We have changed how we tell the story about race. Joseph Smith originally opened the doors to people of all races. Brigham Young and later prophets not only revoked the priesthood from blacks, they said that it had never been given if the first place. That is kind of hard to do when there are black members who still hold the priesthood or were promised temple blessings are still around. I really appreciate how Brooks recounts the role of Jane Manning James in this respect:
Not having Jane Manning James in the front row to look them in the eyes meant that the LDS Church leaders who took the stand at major events in the Mormon Tabernacle could tell the Mormon story as they wished, free from the constraints of historical accountability.
The book also gives several examples of brave Latter-Day Saints who stood up to Church leaders. Most Church members assume there is no tension between morality and following the prophet. Following the prophet is what defines morality, so why would there be a difference? The issue of race highlights this in a strong way. Should you just try to ignore your conscience and do what leaders say anyway? Should you follow you conscience in the public sphere, while not contradicting church leaders directly on the issue? Or should you stand up for what you believe to be right even if it conflicts with Church teachings? The last can get you into trouble, as Stewart Udall found out. When he publicly called for the Church to address its priesthood ban, he got a talking to from then-apostle Spencer W. Kimball:
"Stewart, I cannot believe it! You wouldn't presume to command your God nor to make a demand of a Prophet of God!" and characterized the letter as a "sincere but ill-advised effort in behalf of the welfare of a minority."
The book concludes with a summary of things that have yet to be done to address Church history. This includes:
More use of Africans and African Americans in LDS Church media including temple videos
Introducing Black LDS history into church curricula
Directing that "Race and the Priesthood" essay be studied in LDS congregations
A response similar to that of the Mountain Meadows Massacre: collaborative efforts with descendants of victims, a statement of responsibility and regret, a physical memorialization of past wrongs.
Rigorous scholarship-supported conversation about LDS Church-owned institutional commemorations of individuals like Abraham Smoot who owned slaves and intentionally obscured the truth to maintain white supremacy.
I wish this discussion had a bit more actually. There is definitely a lot the Church can do from the top, but it seems that local meetings like Sunday School are where a lot of the improvement can be done.
November 19, 2020
Brooks examines the history of race and policy in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. She highlights the statements and actions of Joseph Smith and subsequent prophets and apostles documenting where racism went from personal feelings of Church leaders to official doctrine. She also documents how the Church manages difficult subjects and controversies in Mormon history. The discussion about insider and outsider communication in the LDS institutional settings was enlightening. She also shows how the LDS church was unexceptional among white American Christianity. And how all churches sustained white supremacy by asking their members to stay silent and not rock the boat.
Why I started this book: Mentioned in Beyond the Block podcast, I knew that I want to read more about my Church's stand, past and current stand on racism.
Why I finished it: This was a hard but necessary read. And I have further pondering to do about how collective/official repentance would or should work. It's ironic that a Church that has a clear path of personal repentance as taught by President Kimball doesn't have a collective process. Steps of repentance as the perfect, successful abandonment of sin: 1. conviction, in which "the sinner consciously recognizes his sin." 2. abandonment of sin. 3. confession to church authorities and/or other parties wronged by the sin. 4. restitution. 5. keeping God's commandments. 6. forgiving others. To this date, the Church has acted like steps 2 and 5 were enough for the official removal of the Priesthood ban to blacks. And after reading this book, I don't think that it's enough. I also now have an opinion about removing the Smoot name from BYU buildings. When you lie to the prophet, we don't need to honor your legacy.
Read-along: Started Thinking About Religion and Violence at the same time, and it was depressing how well these two books intertwined. On the one hand Mormonism isn't the only white supremacist church... and on the other hand we are called to be an example to the world, and a peculiar people. So being anti-racist would be so much better. You know, Christlike.
Points to ponder: How can I be anxiously engaged in the work of healing, collective repentance and anti-racism? What is collective repentance? When do I expect it from others and how to I extend it to others? What other issues do I want to claim innocence of? Is change possible from within an institution or does it need to come from without? Would I be courageous enough to be excommunicated for the "unpreached right"?
Why I started this book: Mentioned in Beyond the Block podcast, I knew that I want to read more about my Church's stand, past and current stand on racism.
Why I finished it: This was a hard but necessary read. And I have further pondering to do about how collective/official repentance would or should work. It's ironic that a Church that has a clear path of personal repentance as taught by President Kimball doesn't have a collective process. Steps of repentance as the perfect, successful abandonment of sin: 1. conviction, in which "the sinner consciously recognizes his sin." 2. abandonment of sin. 3. confession to church authorities and/or other parties wronged by the sin. 4. restitution. 5. keeping God's commandments. 6. forgiving others. To this date, the Church has acted like steps 2 and 5 were enough for the official removal of the Priesthood ban to blacks. And after reading this book, I don't think that it's enough. I also now have an opinion about removing the Smoot name from BYU buildings. When you lie to the prophet, we don't need to honor your legacy.
Read-along: Started Thinking About Religion and Violence at the same time, and it was depressing how well these two books intertwined. On the one hand Mormonism isn't the only white supremacist church... and on the other hand we are called to be an example to the world, and a peculiar people. So being anti-racist would be so much better. You know, Christlike.
Points to ponder: How can I be anxiously engaged in the work of healing, collective repentance and anti-racism? What is collective repentance? When do I expect it from others and how to I extend it to others? What other issues do I want to claim innocence of? Is change possible from within an institution or does it need to come from without? Would I be courageous enough to be excommunicated for the "unpreached right"?
October 4, 2020
It was an easy read, but it didn't add much to discussion around racism in the LDS church. She took a white supremacy spin and placed the LDS church as a pattern for white supremacy in larger Christianity. Overall, this is a nice summary of other works that should be read (i.e. Paul Reeve's Religion of a Different Color). The audience that Brooks' book is geared to has probably heard most of the stories in this book (though she does add some obscure fighters against racism from the mid-1900's Ive never heard about; 2 stories). It was a bit sensationalized at points (i.e. Smoot/Coltrin power dynamic that i felt had very skimpy evidence to support her conclusion, and the transcription of Donny's interview with Barbara Walters that included a transcription of his physical actions in the interview to draw attention to her argument of the embarrassment and weak foundation of the policy of the LDS church's stance on blacks and the priesthood). With that being said, the history is good, and it reads really well. The timing of its release likely increased its distribution (sold out quickly on Amazon which I've never seen for an Oxford book on Mormonism) and will allow many who have never venturesd into this area of LDS history, encounter some excellent sources, and hopefully, go and read them as well.
October 29, 2020
I was 16 years old when President Kimball announced the end of the ban on Black Mormons holding the priesthood. The narrative had been that Black human-beings were not faithful in the pre-existence. Therefore, they were cursed here on Earth, even though no Earth-bound human could remember what they did or did not do in the pre-existence. I recall thinking that seemed very unfair every time I heard it as I grew up. This book described very well the institutionalized racism that existed in the LDS Church then and continues now even after some reforms to expose the historical racism within the Church (and other white, American churches). The prevailing belief that a prophet, pope, or other religious leader is the infallible spokesman for God leaves adherents no room to question practices they may know to be unethical, inhumane, and contrary to the espoused values of the lay membership. I recommend this book as a way to understand how racism becomes a way of being from which unexamined doctrines brook no escape.
November 10, 2020
This book is a well-documented history of racial innocence and anti-Black issues in Christianity, and more specifically in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I found the historical research about early Black pioneers and Black members who were ordained to the priesthood by Joseph Smith to be particularly interesting. The issues and differences in fellowship of persons of color (Native American, Asian, Polynesian, South American, African, African American, etc.) from 1830 through 2000 raises some interesting issues regarding policies and practices over that period of time.
When the Blacks were given the priesthood and the opportunity to participate in temple ordinances in 1978, I had a very close Black friend. I was so delighted for this change, especially for my friend. He is an amazing and spiritual person. There are certainly some aspects of this history that are disturbing but need to be addressed and healed. There were a few parts of Brooks' research that I didn't really find relevant to Christian attitudes about Blacks or racial issues.
When the Blacks were given the priesthood and the opportunity to participate in temple ordinances in 1978, I had a very close Black friend. I was so delighted for this change, especially for my friend. He is an amazing and spiritual person. There are certainly some aspects of this history that are disturbing but need to be addressed and healed. There were a few parts of Brooks' research that I didn't really find relevant to Christian attitudes about Blacks or racial issues.
January 10, 2021
An important work, highlighting the role of American religions in perpetuating white supremacy, from the perspective of Brooks, who is both a member of the Mormon faith and a scholar of gender and race.
The book is heavily academic, with lage-long paragraphs and a PhD-level vocabulary. This limits the appeal of the first half of the book, steeped in the historical and academic refutations of what has been presumptively canonized by white religious institutions, inclusive of the LDS faith.
The second half of the book, while still suffering from page-long paragraphs (what do academic publishers hold against pure readability with these absurdly long paragraphs.!), is a fast read, tight, and informative, while not losing its academic rigor.
Worth a read for anyone wanting to understand how to do better at dismantling systemic racism, with an interest in LDS/Mormon history, or critical but not heretical examination of the fallacies of men and the execution of Christian gospel.
The book is heavily academic, with lage-long paragraphs and a PhD-level vocabulary. This limits the appeal of the first half of the book, steeped in the historical and academic refutations of what has been presumptively canonized by white religious institutions, inclusive of the LDS faith.
The second half of the book, while still suffering from page-long paragraphs (what do academic publishers hold against pure readability with these absurdly long paragraphs.!), is a fast read, tight, and informative, while not losing its academic rigor.
Worth a read for anyone wanting to understand how to do better at dismantling systemic racism, with an interest in LDS/Mormon history, or critical but not heretical examination of the fallacies of men and the execution of Christian gospel.
November 19, 2021
First of all the author is LDS and states that all of her critique is coming from a place of challenging the church to do better. It is not “anti-mormon literature” and I dare say belongs as analogous literature to mainstream mormon teachings.
Wow she really lays out all the history in this. Unabashedly. All religions have things that they would like to not have public, however, if the LDS church wants to claim that it is Jesus’ true church, should it not be constantly challenging the status quo? On the forefronts of solving racial inequality? The time for apologetics is over, now is the time to rebuild.
Wow she really lays out all the history in this. Unabashedly. All religions have things that they would like to not have public, however, if the LDS church wants to claim that it is Jesus’ true church, should it not be constantly challenging the status quo? On the forefronts of solving racial inequality? The time for apologetics is over, now is the time to rebuild.
May 26, 2021
A Mormon's view of the history of LDS institutionalized practices about racist church policies. I give Brooks credit for not only being willing to take a stand against her church's obvious attempts at burying the past, but to call them out for it. As a member of the church herself, Brooks gives a good perspective on actual practice, rather than a purely outsider's view who might miss unofficial practices.
This book is important for anyone wanting to learn about Mormonism, anti-Black racism, or American racial history.
This book is important for anyone wanting to learn about Mormonism, anti-Black racism, or American racial history.
October 11, 2020
Clear eyed and cogent reporting of white supremacy in the context of the church from early days to the present. Must read for progressive Mormons or really any of the faith who would love to see stronger action and momentum building to undermine white supremacist ideas and actions by coreligionists. The most compelling idea for me was “racial innocence” and how this was brought about and currently maintained.
July 8, 2020
Eye Opening
Some Mormon members and leaders want to say, “We didn’t have racism in our church. It was just a weird temporary policy enacted by God. Not our doing.” This book gives example after example on how that sentiment is arrogant and uninformed. It was an absolutely fascinating book. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it for all present and past members of the church.
Some Mormon members and leaders want to say, “We didn’t have racism in our church. It was just a weird temporary policy enacted by God. Not our doing.” This book gives example after example on how that sentiment is arrogant and uninformed. It was an absolutely fascinating book. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend it for all present and past members of the church.
December 29, 2020
Well researched and finely written. Joanna Brooks situates the white supremacy in Mormonism in both its historical and theological situations. The chapter that includes rhetorical analysis of statements since the 1978 temple and priesthood ban revocation was phenomenal and gave language to things I’ve noticed but been unable to put into words.
February 12, 2022
I first became aware of this book upon hearing a course at my alma mater, BYU Law School, was reading it. Upon hearing this, it became a “must read” for me. Having now read it, I believe it is a must read for white Latter-day Saints who want to follow President Nelson’s call to lead out in rejecting racism.
Law school was where I got my first serious introduction to systemic racism in 2010, when my study of the law inadvertently exposed to me the seriously unequal treatment of people of color under the American legal system that had existed since the beginning and continues to exist today.
RecognizIng that the American experiment did not do justice to all those who found themselves a part of it is not unpatriotic. Likewise, it is not unfaithful or apostate to recognize that the religious body we belong to has not always done right by its members of color or the vast majority of the world that is not white. Recognizing both of these truths is the first step to making things right and truly loving all of God’s children.
The church’s publication of the Priesthood Ban essay in 2013 was another critical moment in my personal journey on matters of race, this time as it intersects with my faith. This was the first time in print that an official source of the LDS church suggested anything less than infallibility on matters of doctrine, and all but states that the racial ban was an error. So systemic racism existed in the church; they admitted the blame for it could not be laid at God’s feet. Sure it took decades after the ban was lifted, but it was a huge step.
Any white Latter-day Saint should read this book. It can be painful. But that is important. We must reconcile these matters, not ignore them. We must see how the church has spent the last century first gaining acceptance into "white America" then entering and maintaining a pact with the white, right-conservative Protestant mainstream to allow systemic racism to be swept under the rug and to validate each other's racist actions. We must be the change the church needs and the world needs. Our ability to literally keep our baptismal covenant to mourn with those who mourn and to follow the two great commandments (love God and love others) depends on ridding racist beliefs and structures from ourselves individually and the institutions to which we belong.
Now, because of our unique culture and our predisposition to believe in institutional infallibility, and our general unwillingness to consider dissent as a faithful action or response, I have to add that this is not a seditious book. The author is a faithful church member. She wants her faith tradition to be welcoming for the vast majority of its members who are not white Americans. Numerous other faithful church members, including within BYU, are producing the scholarship that is nudging change within the institution. We are past the era of scholarship meeting with sanction or excommunication, thankfully. Let us do what we can to educate ourselves and others on the changes needed and how we can effect such change.
Law school was where I got my first serious introduction to systemic racism in 2010, when my study of the law inadvertently exposed to me the seriously unequal treatment of people of color under the American legal system that had existed since the beginning and continues to exist today.
RecognizIng that the American experiment did not do justice to all those who found themselves a part of it is not unpatriotic. Likewise, it is not unfaithful or apostate to recognize that the religious body we belong to has not always done right by its members of color or the vast majority of the world that is not white. Recognizing both of these truths is the first step to making things right and truly loving all of God’s children.
The church’s publication of the Priesthood Ban essay in 2013 was another critical moment in my personal journey on matters of race, this time as it intersects with my faith. This was the first time in print that an official source of the LDS church suggested anything less than infallibility on matters of doctrine, and all but states that the racial ban was an error. So systemic racism existed in the church; they admitted the blame for it could not be laid at God’s feet. Sure it took decades after the ban was lifted, but it was a huge step.
Any white Latter-day Saint should read this book. It can be painful. But that is important. We must reconcile these matters, not ignore them. We must see how the church has spent the last century first gaining acceptance into "white America" then entering and maintaining a pact with the white, right-conservative Protestant mainstream to allow systemic racism to be swept under the rug and to validate each other's racist actions. We must be the change the church needs and the world needs. Our ability to literally keep our baptismal covenant to mourn with those who mourn and to follow the two great commandments (love God and love others) depends on ridding racist beliefs and structures from ourselves individually and the institutions to which we belong.
Now, because of our unique culture and our predisposition to believe in institutional infallibility, and our general unwillingness to consider dissent as a faithful action or response, I have to add that this is not a seditious book. The author is a faithful church member. She wants her faith tradition to be welcoming for the vast majority of its members who are not white Americans. Numerous other faithful church members, including within BYU, are producing the scholarship that is nudging change within the institution. We are past the era of scholarship meeting with sanction or excommunication, thankfully. Let us do what we can to educate ourselves and others on the changes needed and how we can effect such change.
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