The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has expanded its Topics and Questions section in the Gospel Library app and on ChurchofJesusChrist.org with three new topics.
The topics are meant to provide easy access to answers for some of the most frequently asked questions about the Church, including those concerning race and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, women’s service and leadership in the Church and religion and science.
Rob Eaton, a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University, believes it is important that members understand these prominent topics. He said a great way to start is with truth-filled sources the Church provides.
“Almost all of us are going to encounter other people saying other things, and that might even be part of our process,” Eaton said. “But we want to carefully evaluate the sources that we're reading to see what biases do they have? What's their agenda? What points do they want to make? What qualifications do they have? But we want to carefully evaluate the sources that we’re reading to see what biases they have.”
Though there are other sources the Church has previously released on the topics, these additions provide official Church perspectives in a concise and accessible format.
Race and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
This topic reaffirms the Church’s opposition to racism while providing historical context on the priesthood restriction for Black male members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that was lifted in 1978.
“Racism has been a challenge throughout history across many cultures. Latter-day Saints are not immune from the tendency toward racist attitudes and actions," the topic says. "President Russell M. Nelson taught: ‘The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!’”
Elder Bruce R. McConkie declared to "forget everything" he, President Brigham Young, President George Q. Cannon and anyone else had said that was contrary to the revelation that had recently been received to lift the priesthood restriction in June of 1978.
"We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come,” McConkie said.
The topic also addresses what the Book of Mormon means when it says the Lamanites were cursed with a “skin of blackness,” the Church’s position on white supremacy, interracial marriage and the race of Jesus Christ.
“The fact that some popular Church artwork has portrayed Jesus as white does not mean, as some have mistakenly argued, that Jesus was 'white' according to a modern understanding of race,” the topic says.
Members can "look for ways to kindly and courageously speak up for the dignity and rights of those who are harmed or marginalized" if racial prejudice arises in their congregations, the topic concludes.
Women’s Service and Leadership in the Church
This topic talks about the importance of women and the role they play in the church.
“In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, women and men serve together to help accomplish God’s work. Seeking to be 'one in Christ,'" the topic says. "All Church members can strive to improve their efforts to value all of God’s children, including His beloved daughters.”
The topic explains the different organizations that women serve in and says that members should be intentional and vigilant in respecting women's voices and perspectives.
“This includes seeking their insights in Church meetings, councils, and classes; listening to and learning from their messages in local congregations; and valuing the inspiration they receive in their callings,” the topic says.
The topic further explained women’s priesthood authority and how their responsibilities have changed over time to include serving full time missions, acting as a witness in gospel ordinances, speaking and praying in religious meetings, serving as chaplains and participating in leadership councils on the local and general levels of the Church.
The topic concludes by discussing the balance between caring for family and potentially maintaining employment, emphasizing that this decision should be guided by prayer and personal revelation and that husband and wife should be working as a team.
Religion and Science
The Religion and Science topic explores the relationship between the two, emphasizing that any apparent inconsistencies serve as reminders of the limits of our current understanding.
The Church does not take a stance on most scientific topics, and instead focuses on revealed spiritual truths.
“At the same time, many Latter-day Saints seek to understand and contribute to scientific knowledge, following the Lord’s invitation to Joseph Smith to ‘seek learning, even by study and also by faith,’” the topic says.
Science and religion go hand in hand, and both can be used to guide our lives and help those around us, the topic said.
“Some religious people reject scientific discoveries as being incompatible with their beliefs. But their conclusions are often based on a misunderstanding of science or of the scriptures,” the topic says.
The Church takes no position on the topic of evolution, but affirms we are all created in God’s image.
“The details of what happened on earth before Adam and Eve lived on it, including how their bodies came to be, have not been revealed. But Church teachings regarding our divine origin are clear and have been revealed by God,” the topic says.
It concludes by touching on how members can reconcile what science and scripture say about the history of the earth and the relationship between medical science and blessings of healing.