Noted African-American theologian and author calls out Mitt Romney on the Book of Mormon's embedded doctrinal racism

by steve benson Jan 2011

Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., Ph.D "Yet I must admit that there is something about Mitt Romney's religion that I find deeply troubling, particularly in light of the possibility that he could become the next president of this nation. What concerns me is this: the Book of Mormon, the book that Mitt Romney and all Mormons embrace as divinely revealed scripture that is more sacred, more true, and more inerrant than any other holy book on earth, declares that black people are cursed. That's right. Cursed. [Native Americans are cursed in the Book of Mormon and Blacks are cursed in the Pearl of Great Price - another Mormon book of scripture]

And not only accursed, but lazy and aesthetically ugly to boot.

Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., Ph.D.--author, affiliated scholar at the Center for American Progress, trustee of the Public Religion Research Institute and Professor of Biblical Interpretation at New York Theological Seminary and Visiting Scholar in both the Department of Religion and the Institute for Research in African American Studies at Columbia University--writes the following in his article, "Mitt Romney and the Curse of Blackness":

"When it comes to others' choice of religions, I'm pretty much a live-and-let-live guy. In fact, I don't believe in religious litmus tests of any kind. Frankly, I think they are self-righteous and insulting.

"I'm not talking about ascribed racism such as we see in Christianity, in which racist meanings are attributed to certain verses of the Bible that actually contain no such meanings, as with the Gen. 9:25 cursing of Canaan (not Ham!) which, though used as 'proof' of black wickedness and inferiority, in actuality has nothing to do with race.

"And no, I'm not talking about a single ambiguous, cherry-picked verse, either. I'd much rather that were the case. The sad truth is that the Book of Mormon says it explicitly and in numerous passages: black people are cursed by God and our dark skin is the evidence of our accursedness. Here are a few examples: [correction it refers to native Americans - but the concept is the same. Skin color is a measure of righteousness]

--"'And the Lord had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them (2 Nephi 5:21).'

--"'And I beheld, after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark and loathsome and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations (1 Nephi 12:23).'

--"'O my brethren, I fear that unless ye shall repent of your sins that their skins will be whiter than yours, when ye shall be brought with them before the throne of God. (Jacob 3:8).'

--"'And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men (Alma 3: 6).'

"It would have been infinitely more righteous if Mormons had relegated the sentiments of these verses to the scriptural sidelines of their faith, but the historical record tells us otherwise. Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of Mormonism, repeatedly ordered his Church to uphold all slavery laws.

"Although Smith had a change of heart toward the end of his life, his successor, Brigham Young, did not. Young instituted social and ecclesiastical segregation as the Church's official policies, thus excluding people of black African descent from priesthood ordination and full participation in temple ceremonies, regardless of their actual skin color.

"Moreover, Brigham Young, whom Mormons revere almost equally with Smith, proved to the end of his life to be a brutal white supremacist who fervently supported the continued enslavement of African Americans; he was so convinced of black accursedness that he declared that if any Mormon had sex with a person of color, 'the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot.'

"The Book of Mormon's teaching of the accursedness and, therefore, the inferiority of blacks--if blacks are cursed, then by definition they are inferior to the divinely acceptable whites--was reaffirmed by numerous Mormon leaders for a century and a half.

"As late as 1969, even after the Civil Rights Movement had dismantled de jure segregation throughout the land, David O. McKay, then president and 'living prophet' of Mormonism, still publicly justified its segregationist policies by declaring that 'the seeming discrimination by the Church toward the Negro . . . goes back into the beginning with God.'

"Now, some will argue that I should dismiss the codified racism of the Book of Mormon as the unfortunate folklore of a bygone era because of the 1978 revelation by Spencer W. Kimball, the Church's president and 'living prophet' at that time, that after a century and a half black males were finally un-accursed enough to fully participate in Mormonism's priesthood and sacred temple ceremonies.

"However, even if we ignore the suspiciously coincidental timing of this 'revelation' (it conveniently appeared when the Church's federal tax-exempt status was imperiled by its racial policies), an attentive reading reveals that Kimball's proclamation did not in any way address the question of whether or not the Church still considered the Book of Mormon's assertions of black inferiority to be divinely authorized.

"In fact, the specific contents of Kimball's revelation were never made public. Nor has the Church ever disavowed the Book's white supremacist passages or the past racist practices and pronouncements of its leaders.

"What makes this all the more problematic for me is that at no time has Mitt Romney ever publicly indicated that he seriously questioned the divine inspiration of the Book of Mormon's teachings about race, much less that he has repudiated them.

"It is true that in a 2008 'Meet the Press' interview with the late Tim Russert, Romney did vigorously assert his belief in equal rights for all Americans in every facet of life. As part of that narrative, he cited his parents' "tireless" advocacy for blacks' civil rights, including the dramatic exit of his father, Michigan Governor George Romney, from the 1964 Republican convention as a protest against nominee Barry Goldwater's racial politics.

"He also shared that he wept when he learned of Spencer Kimball's aforementioned revelation. Yet from Romney's remarks it is not clear whether he wept for joy because Mormonism was eschewing its segregationist policies or if he wept from relief that the announcement promised to quiet the public outrage that those policies were causing.

"And significantly, while he recited his parents' efforts to confront racial injustice, Mitt Romney pointed to no such activities of his own.

"But let me be clear: this is not a 'gotcha' political ploy. In all honesty, I am neither saying nor implying in the slightest that Mitt Romney is a racist. I simply do not know that to be the case. Nor do I mean to overlook the racial progress that the Mormon Church has made in the last several decades.

"What I do mean to say is:

"--1) that Americans of goodwill owe it to ourselves not to turn a blind eye to the possible implications of the white supremacist legacy of candidate Romney's religious tradition, no matter how noble our intentions; and

"--2) that Mitt Romney himself owes it to America to address the issue.

"Why? Because Romney was tutored into adulthood by a holy book that declares that all Americans like me are cursed by God. And he is not only a believer; he has served as a leader in his faith.

"This is indeed a crucial point for consideration because, as this nation has seen time and time again, the inevitable consequence of America's policy-makers considering people of color as inferior to whites is that blacks' social and material interests have also been considered inferior--and quite often treated that way.

"I admit that this question of religion and racism is quite complicated and I don't claim to have all the answers. But I do know that recognizing the equal rights of black Americans under the law, while of paramount importance, is not the same as recognizing our intellectual capabilities and moral character as inherently equal to whites.

"And I am aware of one thing more: that when Tim Russert invited Romney to repudiate his Church's racist legacy on Meet the Press, Romney refused.

"That is why, Mr. Romney, as an American citizen whose president you seek to become, I must insist that you honestly and forthrightly attest to me and all Americans of goodwill that you actually can be my president, too, fully and completely.

"You can accomplish this by publicly disavowing the portions of your holy book that so sorely denigrate the humanity of me, my loved ones and all people of black African descent.

"It is incumbent that you do this, candidate Romney, for the sake of all Americans."

(Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., "Mitt Romney and the Curse of Blackness," in "Huffington Post," under "Religion," with accompany reader responses, 13 January 2012, at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/obery-m-hendricks-jr-phd/mitt-romney-curse... for Hendricks' full biography, see: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/obery-m-hendricks-jr-phd; for Hendrick's video inteview with Ed Schultz on “The Ed Show,” MSNBC, 12 January 2013, see: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/the-ed-show/45979880/#45979880)


summer
Powerful stuff, Steve.
steve benson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "You can accomplish this by publicly disavowing the portions of your holy book that so sorely denigrate the humanity of me, my loved ones and all people of black African descent."

Obery M. Hendricks, Jr. has excellent credentials and is well placed to make this particular criticism.

corrodedinnervessel
I wish they'd hit him
Very well said, thanks.


Makurosu
Thanks for the link.
I posted it on Facebook so everyone in my TBM family can enjoy it.


Makurosu
Did you see this explanation in the comments?
"The alternativ­e viewpoint I put forth is that the whole white/dark skin narrative given throughout the BoM, given by the final author/his­torian/pro­phet called Mormon, was the belief/vie­w of that prophet at that time (400 A.D.). It could have been that Mormon was a Racist - in that he assumed that the skin color changes were caused by God as he reviewed the historical records and writings he had at his disposal but in reality, the skin color changes were simple genetics - when the families of Nephi and Sam separated from families of Laman and Lemuel after arriving in the new world."

So much for the most true book in the world.


sonoma
Re: Noted African-American theologian and author calls out Mitt Romney on the Book of Mormon's embedded doctrinal racism and demands that he openly, honestly and fully repudiate it...
I heard him on The Ed Show on MSNBC. He had made a mistake that will be jumped on by TBM's and Morg apologists. He thinks that the BOM is referring to Blacks rather than Native Americans. Someone needs to acquaint him with the Book of Abraham, and the fact that the Mormons are racist against Latinos as well as Blacks.
SL Cabbie
Well, Dr. Hendricks Has It Slightly Wrong, But Any Publicity is Welcome...
The "dark skin" was not a curse put on those of Afro-American descent, but rather the Lamanites...

At least in the Book of Mormon...

But of course there's the matter of the "curse" upon blacks of African descent, which was canonized as doctrine in The Book of Abraham...

And having the Book of Abraham and the Chandler Papyrii which gave rise to it as discussion subjects is an "Anti-Mormon's Dream."

So we'll have to see what happens when historians try to explain that Native Americans could always hold the priesthood, but those with Afro-American blood couldn't...

And if we're lucky, the subject of Native American DNA will also be raised...

Republicans, however, appear to be genuinely "anti-science" so who knows how this one will flip... (not intended as a poltical opinion; the following link shows it's based on solid, peer-reviewed research)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-mooney/why-republicans-deny-scie_b_1...

Let's see if the board's expert on this subject elects to comment...

sonoma
Re: Did you see this explanation in the comments?
That doesn't explain how they became "white and delightsome" again now does it?

Don Bagley
Re: Noted African-American theologian and author calls out Mitt Romney on the Book of Mormon's embedded doctrinal racism and demands that he openly, honestly and fully repudiate it...
I am 54 years old. I went to Mormon sunday school and primary meetings in the 1960s. I was taught that skin color, if white, was a blessing from God. If black, it was a curse. The whiter the skin, the more righteous the person. I don't want to hear any f--king excuses, I was taught what I was taught.

Fetal Deity
The dismissal of racism in the BoM, as mere opinion of the "ancient" authors, is now espoused by Mormon apologists
http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/review/?vol=15&num=2&id=508

lame

sonoma
Re: Noted African-American theologian and author calls out Mitt Romney on the Book of Mormon's embedded doctrinal racism and demands that he openly, honestly and fully repudiate it...
ditto...
except i'm a few years younger ;-)
plus it was in the book called "MORMON DOCTRINE" WRITTEN BY ONE OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES FOR *&%$#@ SAKE!!!

michaelm
The author mixed up the Blacks with the American Indians by using the Book of Mormon. But leave it to Mormons to make it worse, like this comment.

BOMreader
"Actually, the Book of Mormon says nothing about black people. It does say something about "Lamanites­" (often interprete­d to mean native Americans) being "cursed" with a dark skin, but at the same time, it predicts a glorious future for them as literal members of the "house of Israel," placing them on a higher level than the white "Gentiles" who invaded their land. Crazy sounding? maybe. Racist? I think not."

I have been seeing this claim of American Indians going to be on a "higher level than" whites for a while now. It is an apologetic lie. The patriarchal blessing lineages of Ephraim and Manasseh are quite clear and the church has taught that Ephraim is at the head.

See The LDS Institute Doctrines of the Gospel Student Manual, chapter 24, page 66

“It is essential in this dispensation that Ephraim stand in his place at the head, exercising the birthright in Israel which was given to him by direct revelation. Therefore, Ephraim must be gathered first to prepare the way, through the gospel and the priesthood, for the rest of the tribes of Israel when the time comes for them to be gathered to Zion. The great majority of those who have come into the Church are Ephraimites. It is the exception to find one of any other tribe, unless it is of Manasseh.

“It is Ephraim, today, who holds the priesthood. It is with Ephraim that the Lord has made covenant and has revealed the fulness of the everlasting gospel. It is Ephraim who is building temples and performing the ordinances in them for both the living and for the dead. When the ‘lost tribes’ come—and it will be a most wonderful sight and a marvelous thing when they do come to Zion—in fulfilment of the promises made through Isaiah and Jeremiah, they will have to receive the crowning blessings from their brother Ephraim, the ‘firstborn’ in Israel” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:252–53).

Mormons try to hide the Book of Mormon racism with lies like BOMreader made and it created an even larger problem. Even if the Book of Mormon said that the American Indian would someday be on a higher level than whites (and it does not say that), there is no promise that Blacks will be on a higher level than white gentiles. Mormons still do not recognize equal status of races.

Stray Mutt
In which case, all of the BoM could be only opinions -- which is a way more accurate interpretation. 

A ANON
Re: Noted African-American theologian and author calls out Mitt Romney on the Book of Mormon's embedded doctrinal racism and demands that he openly, honestly and fully repudiate it...
It's simple:

Horse means Deer.

Chariot means Sled.

Black means White.

get her done
Re: Noted African-American theologian and author calls out Mitt Romney on the Book of Mormon's embedded doctrinal racism and demands that he openly, honestly and fully repudiate it...
I was taught the exact same thing.

steve benson
"Mormon Racism: I've had it with the denials"
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,390033


en passant
Who had dark skin in the BoM is not the point
The point is that the book was written by 19th century racist white guys who invented a fairy tale about people with dark skin and used this racism, in part, as a tool to persuade the "white and delightsome" that they were God's chosen people.


steve benson
So, the Mormon defense is that official, doctrinal, canonized Book of Mormon racism was directed against brown people, not black people. How pathetic. In the meantime . . .
. . . it's easy to see why Book of Mormon racism could be interpreted as anti-black since, as Hendricks explictly points out and quotes, Book of Mormon scripture itself announces a curse of black skin placed by God upon the wicked:

"And the Lord had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause A SKIN OF BLACKNESS to come upon them (2 Nephi 5:21)."

(emphasis added for head-in-the-sand Mormons who may have missed it)


Don Bagley

I'm 54. I was taught that white skin is better than dark skin in Mormon classes in the sixties when I was a kid. I'm damned sick of the lies. I was told that skin color indicates how righteous one was in the "pre-existence." White equals good and dark equals bad. Also, an entire aboriginal race could be turned dark-skinned for disobeying God. That's what I was taught in Mormon classes. If anyone wants to call me a liar, so be it.


untarded
Re: Mormon Racism: I've had it with denials
If I were to call you a liar, I'd be a liar.

HA,ha my gay sister has a partially black son.

(Good Kid).


JoD3:360
Re: Mormon Racism: I've had it with denials
I totally agree.
This was one of the major turning points in my disaffection, and it happened at church. These is an older guy who openly said in GD class that people were born into certain areas of the world because of their activities in the Premortal existence.

What happened? Well the 30-somethings and under spoke up right away claiming that that was wrong, some even saying that the church does not teach that. I spoke up "well not anymore we don't" and people looked at me with the evil eye. Meanwhile, all the over 40 types kept silent.

A few days later when the Bishop came by my house on his routine trying to keep me from leaving, this issue came up. He tried to claim that those were the words of a few members and not church teachings. I said, you and I are the same age we went to Seminary at the same time and you and I both know that what brother X had said was taught over practically every pulpit until after we graduated from High School, and you know it.

Which by the way, led me to the conclusion that it was okay to leave the church because during our discussion out there on the front lawn I asked him if it is okay to lie to the members and converts if it keeps people from losing their testimonies and he said yes.

And so it is- as members of the church, mormons are required to speak with guile despite their temple initiatory blessing, and to give everything the Lord has blessed them with, including their personal integrity for the building up of the kingdom.


Timothy
Thanks, Don.
I'm 54 as well and distinctly recall being taught the same bulls**t. Drove me nuts to the point that I left the cult at age eighteen.

Here's an archived post from 2000:


Subject: Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute!
Date: Aug 17, 2000
Author: Timothy

I just re-read an article in the September 2000 Ensign that still burns my fern!

In this article - 'No More Strangers' - Elder Alexander B. Morrison of the Seventy writes:

"How grateful I am that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has from its beginnings stood strongly against racism in any of its malignant manifestations. President Spencer W. Kimball stated the Church's position well; "We do wish that there would be no racial prejudice ... Racial prejudice is of the Devil ... There is no place for it in the Gospel of Jesus Christ" ..."

Uh-huh. It appears that these two honkies are as daft on church history as is their faithful congregation.

Bro' Brigham seems to disagree somewhat with Bro' Morrison and Bro' Kimball:

“You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable, and low in their habits ... wild and seemingly deprived of all the blessings of intelligence ... Cain slew his brother ... Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings ... This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him which is the flat nose and the dark skin ... and the abolitionists cannot help it nor in the least alter that decree!”

Now if that ain't some sorry-a** s**t, listen to what bro' McConkie had to say:

“The Negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, but this inequality is not of man’s origin it is the Lord’s doing, and is based on his eternal laws of justice!”

That sorry Mutha' F**ker! ... And whassup with this bulls**t from bro' Petersen:

“Now we are generous with the Negro. We are willing that the Negro have the highest kind of education. I would be willing to let every Negro drive a Caddillac if they could afford it. I would be willing that they have all the advantages they can get out of life. But let them do these things among themselves!”

You know, I've lived in the South for most of my life and I've seen some pretty ugly things. But I don't think I've seen anything in the way of racial injustice that compares to the Mormon Church.

Kimball's half-hearted TKO of the church's ban on blacks in 1978 was perhaps the worst!

“We have pleaded long and hard in behalf of these our faithful brethren ... he has heard our prayers and, by revelation, has confirmed that the long promised day has come ... Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color!”

Now wait just a cotton-pickin' minute, Bro' Kimball. Are you actually taking credit for convincing God to change his mind on the issue???

Perhaps this is why God chose you to be prophet. Would it not be wise to employ a prophet who is willing to point out certain mistakes?

Or do you just make it up as you go along, adapting God's will to meet the demands of an ever changing society?

Well, I suppose its time to re-write church history again. According to bro' Morrison, the church has always stood strongly against racism. I guess that means Kimball's revelation - not Joseph's - constitutes the beginnings of Mormonism. Consequently, the Church was established in 1978, not 1830 and all prophets before Kimball simply didn't exist!

That's one way to white-wash the situation, and it won't be the first time!

This is the Gospel according to Timothy ... Emma, you can turn the spit now. I think Brigham's done on that side!

Timothy

cl2
I was taught it, too. 


Stray Mutt
I was taught it, and I taught it to others.
Hell, it's right there in the BoM. And, with a certain interpretation of the Bible, it's there, too. (Cain's mark)

Funny how this eternal doctrine changed with the civil rights movement.


Nephi
That is because he is partially white. 


informer
Re: Mormon Racism: I've had it with denials
I was taught it too, in the dim-bulb suburbs of a very large urban center in the upper midwest. I'm 52, and was at BYU in '78. You can't imagine how distraught and angry...ANGRY!...all those teenaged and twentysomething white supremacists from the intermountain states were over that "revelation." Oh boy!

I can remember wondering why I felt so hollow about it, but later I realized it was my reaction to all the white-washing (literally!) that was going on.

You hear the same denial coming from Mormons now when you confront them about their cult homophobia: in what seems like the twinkling of an eye "It's not our fault God hates Negroes" has turned into "It's not our fault God hates Gays." Which leads me to the conviction that the only thing a bigot can change is which color he is going to hate. This time it changed from Black to Pink, lol. But it really isn't funny. It is pathetic and disgusting, and their lies, excuses, and evasions only intensify how disgusting it is.


george
Re: Mormon Racism: I've had it with denials
Not only dark, but "loathsome." The word means "filthy" if you didn't know. That from the "most correct book" under Heaven.
Sweet Jesus, how did I believe that crap for decades?

en passant
I'm from a decade earlier, but was also taught the same thing
I was taught it repeatedly, universally, fervently, and proudly. Not only was it taught as justification of rascism, it was taught so we'd all feel we were God's chosen people.

And we did.


steve benson
African-American author and theologian demands that Romney repudiate Book of Mormon's embedded doctrinal racism
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,389984


polymath
Re: Mormon Racism: I've had it with denials
I'm 44. I was taught this in primary. That was before the BOM was changed from "white and delightsome" to "pure and delightsome". I was taught that the "curse of Cain" was black skin and also that if you were black you were not as good of a spirit as if you were white.

I was bothered by these teachings, but I accepted because my parents taught me the church was true.

I remember when the revelation came that blacks could have the priesthood and I can remember thinking that it was a good thing even though I was only 11 at the time. What I accepted as true was that black skin WAS the curse of Cain but that it was good that black people would be fully accepted into the church, because after all it was true right?

When the BOM was changed from "white and delightsome" to "pure and delightsome" I completely accepted that as correcting a mistake that JS had made. Ugh.

I was also specifically taught that the Catholic church was the "whore of all the earth" but that's another topic.

It does make me really angry that TSCC DENIES these teachings and then they have the nerve to pull the "poor me people aren't openminded" card.


nickerickson
Re: Mormon Racism: I've had it with denials
Turn 40 this month and I was taught the same in Sunday School and at home when reading scriptures. If your a liar, and the next person is a liar then I'm a liar too for saying it is so.

Fence sitters, less valiant, will be turned white, etc....


steve benson
The pathetic Mormon defense is that official, doctrinal, canonized Book of Mormon racism was directed against brown people, not black people. How pathetic. In the meantime . . .
. . . it's easy to see why Book of Mormon racism could be interpreted as anti-black since Book of Mormon scripture itself announces a curse of black skin placed by God upon the wicked:

"And the Lord had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause A SKIN OF BLACKNESS to come upon them (2 Nephi 5:21)."

(emphasis added for head-in-the-sand Mormons who may have missed it)

"Recovery from Mormonism - www.exmormon.org"