Heart of the Matter

LIVE! From the “Mecca of Mormonism . . .” Salt Lake City, Utah –

This is “Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology.” . . .

“Where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity Face to Face.”

Show 49 The Role of Racism in Mormonism – Part III?December 15th 2009

And I’m your host, Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion..

Journey of Growth and Reach

How does the Lord work? Wonderfully. It started with a road-side conversion. A book. A website, and a lot of resistance. He added a television program which aired originally on broadcast tv – only. A sister station in Boise Idaho picked up the show. He added cable, dish and direct TV – expanding our audience all over the State of Utah. All the programs were then made available through our internet archives.

A brother in Norway, Andrew, by his own volition and love for the LORD was led by Him to put clips of Heart all over YouTube and that has brought knowledge of the program to tens of thousands the world over. He added streaming video which allows even more people around the world to watch the program live by going to www.hotm.tv. He started it all by changing the heart of one lost soul. We thank and Praise Him and Him alone for leading the way in so many areas where we have been ignorant.

For two years now we have held Bible studies every Sunday afternoon. Come and join us and learn the Bible from a non-religious perspective – what I mean by that is we try to teach it without any sectarian bias. So attend your respective churches in the morning, then join us Sunday afternoons at the University of Utah and then Sunday evenings at Utah State. Go to www.calvarycampus.com for more information.

Available Resources

“I was a Born-Again Mormon” is available to all for free through a downloadable PDF. Go to www.hotm.tv and you can have the book in your hands within minutes. Our objective has never been to sell books but to get people – primarily LDS people – to read about how the Lord changes lives through re-birth. We hope you will take the time to read it and/or share it with your friends and family.

Again, we’re really excited about the coming year, 2010, where we are going to get right into the Bible and teach what it says – All THINGS CONSIDERED – and what the LDS claim it says. I don’t think there will be a better set of shows for both Christians and seeking Latter-day Saints than what’s coming in 2010. Stay tuned.

Defining Christianity

How much of “Jesus” is enough to make a religion Christian? Years ago I gave an example to help facilitate an answer to this.

The Rastafarians believe Jesus was a successor to Moses, and then to Elijah, and that He was “a third great avatar.” Is Rastafarianism an acceptable form of Christianity?

Hare Krishna’s believe Jesus was the Son of Krishna, and that He was the human manifestation of a Hindu deity. Enough salt there? Are Hare Krishna’s Christian?

Buddhist’s believe Jesus was a highly evolved avatar, or teacher, and that the impersonal God “Brahman” actually inhabited his body. Are Buddhist’s Christian too?

Muslims say Jesus was a great messenger of God, but not as esteemed as Muhammed. Are Muslim’s Christian?

The Baha’i’s teach Jesus was one of nine divine manifestations.

Raelians believe Jesus was a great messenger from extra-terrestrial beings. And New Agers believe that the man Jesus was filled with the cosmic “Christ” consciousness.

Listen: If any or all of these diluted forms of of Jesus make the group Christian, we ought to throw the Bible away – completely – because what it says would be a lie.

Christianity teaches that Jesus was co-equal to God the Father, who became God-incarnate so as to save mankind from all sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace. through His shed blood. That He created ALL things – not some things, but all, and believing on Him we are saved from sin by His grace. This is biblical Christianity. Every other dilution is exactly that.

Mormonism teaches that Jesus is a god, the literal firstborn spirit creation of God the Father and His wife (or wives) in a pre-existence where all men were spiritually formed, which makes Jesus a created spirit brother. Mormonism teaches that Jesus is the literal Son of God sired by the Father the way all humans are sired. And that men are saved by a combination of his Shed blood and our works. And that we can become Gods too.

Enough Jesus to be Christian? If so – hear me now – IF SO – we ought to throw the Bible out because this form of Christianity does not align with what is taught in scripture.

Examination of Religious Identity

Imagine that this cup of salt represents perfect 100% biblical Christianity. Perfect saline Christianity. The way to tell is to taste it. Maybe even test it in a lab called the Bible.

(HOLD UP SALT)
This is Christianity. This is what Jesus would say is Christianity. Got it?

Now, if we take this cup and add a cup of water—symbolizing man's additions and subtractions to Christianity—we still have a pretty strong Christian salinity, right? But what if we take this solution and pour it into a bucket of water? The strength and taste of Christianity would indeed be lessened, right? And then what if we take the bucket and pour it into a swimming pool? Can you taste the salt or the Jesus still? Or has He been so diluted, so invaded, so overwhelmed by all that water, that he is now only a residue. Could we call that entire pool of water Christian?

What if we threw this bucket into Lake Michigan? Could you taste the Christianity then? Would it still be Christian? At what point does the name and claims of Jesus become so distorted and diluted as to no longer represent Christianity? Tell me.

The Push from Mormonism

Why am I saying all this? The push from Mormonism over the past twenty-five years has been to be accepted as Christian. Today this push is at a fever pitch. All this pushing is having an effect on many prominent Christian men and women who are buying into their claims.

A recent example? A good friend of mine—GORDON—recently went on the Dave Ramsey website to find a Christian financial planner to help him with some money he wanted to invest. Ramsey has made a huge name among Christian Churches around the nation with his financial peace stuff. Christian pastors welcome him into the fold and give him access to their flocks. By typing in a zip code on the Dave Ramsey site my friend Gordon was referred to a website that said a Christian financial professional who worked in his area.

Calling this Christian financial planner, he soon learned the man is in fact LDS. Gordon said, “I’m sorry. I was misled. The website said I was being referred to a ‘Christian Financial Planner’” to which the LDS man naturally replied, “I am Christian.”

Gordon contacted the Dave Ramsey group, who has tapped into and gained the trust of the Christian community around the nation. One of his representatives investigated the circumstance and called Gordon back, saying that the LDS Financial Planner, “met all of our criteria for a man with a good heart” and stood by the Ramsey’s Group decision to recommend Mormon financial reps . . . as Christians. We might as well throw the Bible away.

Wanting to give Mr. Ramsey the opportunity to address this issue I personally contacted him and left two voicemail messages in his private mailbox over the past two weeks. I explained in both messages that if I didn’t hear back from him we would take it as a clear signal that he stands by their decision to continue forward recognizing Mormonism as Christian. We’ve heard nothing back. I find his indifference insulting to the integrity of the Word of God and a great misuse of the trust the Body has given him to serve Christians.

And with that, let’s have a prayer.

The Role of Racism in Mormonism

Well, tonight we continue on with Part III of the Role of Racism in Mormonism. In part I we talked about the origins of Racism within Mormonism—their scriptures. In part II we talked about how those doctrines grew to flat out racist ideas and ideals within the LDS Church—especially among their leaders—for 150 years (or between 1838 up until 1978).

Understanding Racism within Religious Contexts

Now, let me make a comment here so as to put this whole thing in a fair light. I understand racism. I don’t like it, but I have made racist comments and told racist jokes in my life. I think most fallen men and women are racist by nature. I think Satan loves racism and bigotry and hatred and so I am not so dumb to think it does not exist in the hearts of people of every walk—even today.

Here is the problem with Mormon racism: They laid it all upon God! They created a doctrinal position for it and put it in God’s hands. This is a very different matter than a single individual who is LDS being racist. And this is why we cover the matter today.

The Racism within Religious Teachings

scriptures, prophets, and apostles – the most trusted men in the religion – were not only racist, they taught racist doctrine and belief – even practiced it AS A RELIGION – AS GOD’S ONLY TRUE RELIGION.

Now cross reference this with James 1:13 that says:

13 “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.”

So we have a few choices here.

Either a) racism is not evil OR, b) God can do evil (contrary to James 1:13) OR, c) Mormonism did the evil and its prophets and apostles actually have the audacity to put the blame on God for it.

Sadly enough, the answer is C.

LDS Writings and Leadership Perspectives

In fact, listen as one of the most popular LDS writers of the 1960’s – a guys named John Stewart – chose to actually throw down on God rather than allow Mormonism to appear unfair.

In his book, The Glory of Mormonism, written in 1963, Brother Steward said: “When God allows a spirit to take a negroid body, do you suppose He is unaware of the fact that he will suffer a social stigma? Therefore, if you say that this church is unjust in not allowing the Negro to bear the priesthood, you must, to be consistent, likewise say that God is even more unjust in giving him a black skin.”

EYEBROW.

Oh . . . that’s right, John Stewart wasn’t an official spokesman for the Church.

Well, how about Joseph Fielding Smith, LDS prophet who said: “It is NOT the authorities of the church who have placed a restriction on him regarding the holding of the priesthood (meaning the black man) . . . IT WAS THE LORD!”

Nice one there, JSF.

In any case, the bottom line was this:

If you were of a different color of skin other than white you were considered inferior in one way or another for the first 138 years of Mormonism. Now remember, with all these racist ideas, it wasn’t just about being banned from getting the priesthood, it also included being banned from the temple (where a Mormon has to go in order to live with God after this life) and a ban from interracial marriage.

Changing Attitudes in Mormon Leadership

No mixing the vanilla with the chocolate in the ward Ice Cream socials because GOD was a racist – not the church! Never the church! Well, things started a changing at the hands of some of the less racist minded leaders.

At first, these changes were, frankly, quite humorous and pathetic – but they did lead to some early signs of hope. In an article written by APOSTLE Spencer W Kimball and published by the LDS church magazine The Improvement Era in 1960, the leader suggested witnessing some rather remarkable things among the Lamanites.

In the article, Apostle Kimball described how he was witnessing first hand the progress and growth of the native Indians living on a reservation he had frequented for several decades. Wrote Kimball: “I saw a striking contrast in the progress of the Indian people today as against that of only fifteen years ago. Truly the scales of darkness are falling from their eyes, and they are fast becoming a white and delightsome people.”

After hailing all the growth and accomplishments of these reservation Indians, Apostle Kimball again referenced the Book of Mormon verbiage and claims, saying: “The day of the Lamanites is nigh. For years they have been growing delightsome, and they are now becoming white and delightsome, as they were promised.”

Then he spoke of a photograph of Indian missionaries he had seen and wrote: “In this picture of the twenty Lamanite missionaries, fifteen of the twenty were as light as anglos; five were darker but equally delightsome.”

The Home Placement Program

In the 1960s and seventies, there was a drive by the LDS to take Indian kids from off the reservations and place them in the homes of caucasion LDS people. They called it the “Home Placement Program.” In this article, Apostle Kimball referred to those who were in the program and said: “The children in the home placement program in Utah are often lighter than their brothers and sisters in the hogans on the reservations!”

Can you believe this schnit?!

And this proclaimed Apostle goes on and on and on!

Now, this was 1960. I was born in 1961. And I cut my religious teeth on this crap. I trusted my leaders. I believed they were really apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, who said junk like this! And for the first 17 years of my existence – prior to 1978 – I believed this mythology, that this racist

Understanding Inclusion in Christianity

Garbage actually came from GOD! As a Christian, I can read the Bible – passages like Roman 2:11: “For there is no respect of persons with God.”

1st Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

The Message of Unity

Now listen to this verse in Colossians 3:11: Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. Now when it says, “Barbarians,” the word as used in scripture speaks of ANYONE who was not a Greek. The Greek word –barbarov–properly denotes anyone who speaks a foreign and/or babbling language. And anyone who was not a Greek – no matter who they were, were included in being able to receive the Gospel in its FULLNESS!

When it says “Scythians” this was a name given to a people that was synonymous with the most savage and untamed humans on earth. Again, the meaning here is that even such a ferocious and uncivilized people were not excluded from the gospel, but they were as welcome as any other, and were entitled to the same privileges as all others. ALL OTHERS. When Jesus died, and the vail was ripped in two, the FULLNESS OF THE GOSPEL WAS OPEN TO ALL OTHERS.

The question that looms over Mormonism is why and how so many people allowed these men to infect them with racist ideas, claim they were from God, and then Mormonism continues to grow today?

Someone, anyone, throw me a lifeline, please. Explain how and why. I mean, where these LDS leaders right or were they wrong? Tell me! Was skin color an indicator of righteousness? Could skin color change if a person’s righteousness changed? Are all non-white races and cultures inferior because of some pre-existent failures on the part of the people? Please, call and tell me why.

Racism in Mormonism

In 1966, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist, Wallace Turner wrote a book titled, The Mormon Establishment. In it, he said: “The most serious problem facing the LDS church today is the Negro question.” He went on to say that as long as Mormonism practiced racism, it would be a political and social cancer. It goes without saying that the 1960’s brought with it a culture seeking more tolerance. The Civil Rights movement was underfoot but Mormonism, boosted by a leadership that bled racist ideologies, was apathetic to the national press. Turner accused the Mormons of “indifference, inattention toward the Civil Rights movement and pointed out the “smug-satisfaction” that existed among the Saints because so very few Negroes lived in areas of the country where the Mormons lived.

Right about this time, Mormonism got a new leader – David O McKay – who, according to LDS sociologist Armand Mauss, was different from past General Authorities in that he was “remarkably free of traditional notions about marks, curses, and the like.” As quoted in Gottlieb and Whiley’s book, American Saints, McKay went so far as to even state: “Sometime in God’s eternal plan the Negro will be given the right to hold the priesthood.” And while many thought that McKay would be the one to let all worthy men have access to their priesthood, it wasn’t going to be with the likes of several frothing LDS racists still in the ranks of leadership, like Ezra Taft Benson, Joseph Fielding Smith, and Harold B. Lee – all of whom would become a prophet for the LDS church after McKay passed away.

Steven Holbrook's Stand

I don’t think it would be fair to discuss the Role of Racism in Mormonism without mentioning the courage and valor of one unsung LDS . . . boy . . . to be exact. His name was Steven Holbrook. While serving his LDS mission in 1963, Holbrook was taken aside and told “not to work with the poor and to tell the blacks that they should attend the church of their choice . . . just not the Mormon church.” This made Holbrook sick inside – he listened to his conscious over his desire to follow orders – and he returned to Utah and began work with the NAACP, which was staging demonstrations in Utah then against the LDS doctrines of “non-white inferiority.” The NAACP also argued that the Church’s policies fostered prejudice because of their contention that “negroes deserve to be the subject of

Challenging Doctrines in Mormonism

Disadvantaged living conditions while living their lives here on earth.” Hats off to Steven Holbrook for his fearless courage to stand up to the giant, and secondly…

If people like Steven Holbrook didn’t challenge them, I would suggest things would remain the way they were to this very day! I want to know where the Steve Holbrook’s are within Mormonism today? Where are those who will stand up against these racist doctrines on skin tone that are STILL present in their beloved Book of Mormon? Where are the Steve Holbrook’s who will stand up against Doctrine and Covenants 132 and say:

Take the fricker out! Now! Or no more tithing. Where are the Steve Holbrook’s who courageously say, “As someone who loves Jesus I am not going to accept that damned forgery called The Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price! Where are you? How can you week in and week out listen to this stuff and do NOTHING about it? Come on! There are thousands – even millions – of people now and in future generations who could be freed from this evil – if you would just stand up and be heard.

Changes in LDS Policies

Once LDS racists Joseph Fielding Smith and Harold B. Lee died, the Apostle Spencer W. Kimball, who wrote that garbage about Indians becoming white became the new LDS “prophet, seer, and revelator.” And while Kimball was responsible for actually writing one of the most horrific books ever written in Mormon history – the Miracle of Forgiveness, which in my opinion made gaining forgiveness as a Mormon a miracle in and of itself – he did have the foresight to see the need for a change in doctrine regarding the blacks. You see, when the survival of Mormonism is threatened, revelations come. It was this way with the “revelation” on polygamy and it was this way when Kimball received his revelation that the blacks could receive the LDS priesthood in 1978.

What prefaced it? Subtle things at first. A BYU basketball game was interrupted by protesters regarding the LDS policy against blacks. Then a riot erupted at the University of Wyoming when black athletes wore armbands protesting BYU presence there. Then Stanford University and the University of Washington boycotted all sporting events that involved BYU. Then the NAACP asked third world countries to deny visas to LDS missionaries until the black doctrine was repealed. Finally, discrimination charges were against the LDS church because it allowed white boys to be patrol leaders in their scouting, but they refused to allow a black boy to be the same. All this mounted on the mind of Kimball.

The Revelation of 1978

But the biggie was when LDS Apostle LeGrand Richards came to Kimball in 1978 with a problem. It seems that three years earlier, in 1974, the LDS church announced plans to build a temple in Brazil and now that it was almost complete it was discovered that much of the money and funds and time to build it came from men and women who, God forbid, had at least one drop of black blood in their veins. Apostle Richards said to Prophet Kimball: “If we don’t change, they can’t even use it after they’ve got it!” The result? “REVELATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!” And as of (I think) June of 1978, black men could receive the LDS priesthood – which meant they could enter the temple, which meant they could have eternal life. Wouldn’t all of this had been much less painful had Mormonism just trusted the Bible?

(beat)

Let’s open up the phone lines: (801) 973-8820 (801) 973-TV20

And we’ll take a minute to explain something about our partners plan as well as other information. Stay with us.

EMAILS

Conclusion