According to Mormonism, is the Black race cursed and if so what does that imply?
score:16
I will restate that the book Mormon Doctrine, written by Bruce R. McConkie, is not Mormon doctrine, nor ever has been.
We [the First Presidency of the church] decided that Bruce R. McConkie’s book, 'Mormon Doctrine' recently published by Bookcraft Company, must not be re-published, as it is full of errors and misstatements, and it is most unfortunate that it has received such wide circulation. It is reported to us that Brother McConkie has made corrections to his book, and is now preparing another edition. We decided this morning that we do not want him to publish another edition1
Mormon doctrine on blacks and the priesthood can be found in Official Declaration 2, which in summary says:
The Book of Mormon teaches that “all are alike unto God,” including “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33). Throughout the history of the Church, people of every race and ethnicity in many countries have been baptized and have lived as faithful members of the Church. During Joseph Smith’s lifetime, a few black male members of the Church were ordained to the priesthood. Early in its history, Church leaders stopped conferring the priesthood on black males of African descent. Church records offer no clear insights into the origins of this practice. Church leaders believed that a revelation from God was needed to alter this practice and prayerfully sought guidance. The revelation came to Church President Spencer W. Kimball and was affirmed to other Church leaders in the Salt Lake Temple on June 1, 1978. The revelation removed all restrictions with regard to race that once applied to the priesthood.
See also this article on Race and the Priesthood
On Mormon doctrine, mormonnewsroom says:
- Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith. Isolated statements are often taken out of context, leaving their original meaning distorted.
--EDIT--
You mention Mormon prophets are infallible but James E Faust puts what mormonnewsroom (above) said clearer:
We make no claim of infallibility or perfection in the prophets, seers, and revelators
Also, a bit of the history, of blacks and the priesthood, is found in the introductory paragraph of Official Declaration above (now in bold). I have heard this referred to as cultural doctrine. Because of racism during early church history, some of that bled into church practice and teachings but without any doctrinal foundation (remember church leaders are not infallible). Official Declaration 2 is the LDS church's official stance on blacks and the priesthood and was meant as a clarification for the church that had gone astray in this teaching.
1 https://books.google.com/books?id=xAm4qGyN2OYC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false
Upvote:1
Quotes from MORMON PROPHETS that are considered to be infallible teachings of the LDS
Bruce McConkie (the author of your first three quotes) himself states:
[N]ot every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. It is commonly understood in the Church that a statement made by one leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, not meant to be official or binding for the whole Church.
The Doctrine of Christ, Ensign, May 2012
McConkie was a prolific writer and speaker and in the course of his life stated many "personal, though well-considered opinions."
Ultimately, McConkie's Mormon Doctrine is as relevant to LDS beliefs as Thomas Aquinas's Summa Theologica is relevant to Catholic beliefs.
Mormons do believe Apostles/Prophets speak for God as in ages past, but there is no more claim for their infallibility than there is claims for the infallibility of Jesus's original Apostles (including one Judas Iscariot).
The strongest guarantee for the correctness of the leaders of the Church was stated by Wilford Woodruff, and has since been canonized as scripture:
The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place
Official Declaration 1, Doctrine and Covenants
In LDS canonized scripture, the essentially comprehensive list of statements which may be related to curses and skin color:
- Cain received a curse, and a "mark". (Genesis 4)
- Enoch was shown in a vision that the seed of Cain was "black" and separated from the remainder of Adam's descendants (Moses 7).
- Enoch was shown in a vision that a "blackness" came upon the children of Canaan. (Moses 7)
- Ham's son Canaan was cursed. (Genesis 9)
- The Pharaoh of Egypt was a Canaanite and descendant of Ham and part of a lineage without the Priesthood. (Abraham 1)
- The Lamanites were cursed because of their sins, and in order "that they might not be enticing unto my people" God also gave them "a skin of blackness" (2 Nephi 5).
- The "skins of the Laminates were dark" because of the mark and curse of their fathers in rebelling against God. (Alma 3)
- Modern day revelation confirms that prophesied and awaited time has come where the Priesthood may be had "without regard for race or color" (Doctrine and Covenants, Official Declaration 2).
There are actually only a few statements by Apostles or Presiding Apostles on the doctrinal relevance of race. (Many of which you quoted.)
In regards to the Lamanities, Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. said
The dark skin was placed upon the Lamanites so that they could be distinguished from the Nephites and to keep the two peoples from mixing. The dark skin was the sign of the curse [not the curse itself]. The curse was the withdrawal of the Spirit of the Lord...The dark skin of those who have come into the Church is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse...These converts are delightsome and have the Spirit of the Lord
3:122–23, Answers to Gospel Questions
As for intermarriage, this is familiar Biblical territory
Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son.
For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
Deuteronomy 7:3-4
In conclusion,
- At various times peoples and their descendants have been cursed with the lack of the knowledge and presence of God due to their sin.
- Dark skin is a intergenerational sign of the curse.
- God discourages marrying non-believers.
- Dark skin is no longer a sign of any curse.
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