Viewpoint: Church history mysteries

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I want to be very clear before I even begin: This my opinion. I do not speak for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BYU or even The Daily Universe. If you have an issue with anything I say, or if I get something wrong, it’s my fault not theirs. Get it? Got it? Good.

The Washington Post article “The Genesis of a church’s stand on race” created a stir in the Mormon world, to say the least. Comments in the article speculating why the former priesthood ban existed were simply inappropriate, but let’s be honest, we’ve probably heard some version of them before. While shocking and unseemly splashed across a national newspaper, we’ve heard it from that one person in the back of Sunday School. We maybe shuffle our feet and feel uncomfortable before someone quickly redirects the conversation. If we’re really honest with ourselves, we may find that we ourselves have made similar speculative comments about Church history, about the priesthood ban, polygamy or myriad other matters.

Speculation and Mormon  folklore are nothing new. But in light of recent events, perhaps it’s time to evaluate our reactions and rid it from our shared consciousness.

While much of Church  history is collected, recorded and preserved, it can be “a big ball of wibbly wobbly, timey wimey stuff” as the Doctor (Who) would say. Events and circumstances are not always as clear cut as we may wish.
For instance, the origins of the former priesthood ban are murky at best. We know Joseph Smith ordained some African Americans to the priesthood, including Elijah Abel who served as a member of the Seventy. Yet, somewhere along the line, the precedent was set.

In a statement last week, the Church said, “For a time in the Church there was a restriction on the priesthood for male members of African descent.  It is not known precisely why, how, or when this restriction began in the Church but what is clear is that it ended decades ago.”

Often in an attempt to defend our past, we grasp at straws in an effort to explain and justify the practice. In the end, though, sometimes we just need to accept the past and move on.

In 1978, shortly after the priesthood ban was lifted, Elder Bruce R. McConkie said, “Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past.”

Previous to this statement, Elder McConkie had been very outspoken and firm about the doctrine. If he can admit that the past was wrong and move on, perhaps we can too.
In 2002, Larry Dahl, a Mormon scholar, said,  “Sometimes data may appear to challenge cherished notions or accepted historical events, or put Church leaders in an unfavorable light, saying or doing things that seriously violate our sense of right or propriety. Even such a significant challenge does not justify denying or ignoring the evidence.”

There are blemishes in our past. There is ambiguity and unanswered questions in our past. However, those facts do not need to be faith destroying.

I think often we can get confused between the gospel and the actions of Church members. There is reason we are told to establish our testimonies on Christ and not individuals. The gospel is founded on Christ, the Atonement, the Plan of Salvation. Those are eternal principles. Everlasting. Constant.

People, on the other hand, make mistake. They are fallible. However, we cannot let the actions of individuals eclipse the eternal principles that truly matter.

I think often we can get confused between the Gospel and the actions of church members. There is reason we are told to establish our testimonies on Christ. The Gospel is founded on Christ, the Atonement, the Plan of Salvations. Those are eternal principles. Everlasting. Constant.

People, on the other hand, make mistake. They are fallible. However, we cannot let the actions of individuals eclipse the eternal principles that truly matter.

Katie Harmer is the Issues & Ideas editor for The Daily Universe. This viewpoint represents his opinion and not necessarily that of BYU, its administration or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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