The long-awaited explanation provides a historical accounting of the circumstances and conditions, which lead to the priesthood ban on black men, and it places the origins of black priesthood denial blame squarely on Brigham Young -- second Mormon Church president, who first declared it as an essential practice in 1852, thereby making it church canon. The first president of the Genesis Group was Ruffin Bridgeforth, who also became the first black Latter Day Saint to be ordained a high priest after the priesthood ban was lifted later in the decade. In 1978 then-church President Spencer W. Kimball lifted the ban, citing what the church describes as a religious revelation, but the faith has had trouble shaking its history, and the issue of racism has arisen repeatedly, including during the 2012 presidential campaign of Mitt Romney, who is Mormon.

A revelation by then LDS President Spencer Kimball, lifted that ban, creating equality in the church. On June 8, 1978, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormon Church) gave an announcement that many Mormons never expected to hear in their lifetimes. Harold B. Lee, president of the church, stated in 1972: "For those who don't believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation.

Article ID: JAN2316 | By: Eric Johnson . ​In theology and practice, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints embraces the universal human family. “Brigham Young, the second prophet and president of the church, was a terrible racist and instituted a church policy that banned black members from being ordained to the priesthood. In the Mormon faith, only men can hold the priesthood. God created the many diverse races and ethnicities and esteems them all equally. In the Mormon faith, only men can hold the priesthood. Many doctrinal and scriptural justifications were given for the ban during the subsequent decades, but it was really only based on the racist notions common to the culture and religions of the time. Today Official Declaration—2 is found in the back of the LDS scripture Doctrine and … LDS Church Acknowledges Anniversary’s Ban on Priesthood for Blacks.

Latter-day Saint scripture and teachings affirm that God loves all of His children and makes salvation available to all. When I was a missionary in the late 70’s in areas of California where the population was predominately black, the Church provided me with talking points to address the recently-lifted priesthood and temple ban. Social pressure and the lifting of the Mormon priesthood ban Jump to Subtopic: Question: Was the priesthood ban lifted as the result of social or government pressure? In 1978 then-church President Spencer W. Kimball lifted the ban, citing what the church describes as … In the Mormon faith, only men can hold the priesthood. Question: Did President Jimmy Carter threaten the Church's tax-exempt status because of their policy on blacks and the priesthood?

The 1978 Revelation on Priesthood was a revelation announced by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) that reversed a long-standing policy excluding men of black African descent from the priesthood. Then in 1978, all that changed. Jun 14, 2011. In 1978 then-church President Spencer W. Kimball lifted the ban, citing what the church describes as …