Priesthood Revelation 1978

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The 1978 priesthood revelation was a revelation from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that enabled men of African origin to be ordained priests .

background

African men were permitted to serve as priests during the lifetime of Joseph Smith . Smith dedicated Elijah Abel , for example . He was succeeded by Brigham Young after Smith's death . Young institutionalized a ban on African men from becoming priests. Young's successors held the ban until the 1978 revelation.

Church leaders taught for decades that the prohibition of the priesthood was commanded by God. Brigham Young taught that it is "a true endless principle from God". The first presidency under George Smith proclaimed in 1949 that the priesthood ban would not be a matter of politics but a direct order from God. A second statement by the first presidency, this time under McKay , proclaimed that discrimination against blacks is not of human origin but comes from God. As President of the Church, Kimball announced at a press conference that he or the Church did not prohibit the priesthood. but from God.

Events that led to revelation

In the early 1970s, was President of the Church , Spencer W. Kimball , the construction of many new temples in the US and abroad known. On March 1, 1975, he announced plans to build a temple in São Paulo , Brazil .

Prior to the 1978 Revelation, African men were not permitted to receive the priesthood, and African men and women were not permitted to go to the temple to perform sacred ceremonies. (People from Africa were allowed to baptize the dead at this time, however ) It was difficult to determine whether the people were worthy of a temple or a priest because of the mixing of peoples in Brazil, which dates back to the 15th century.

Eyewitness accounts of Revelation

According to eyewitness accounts, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles met to worship God for help with this matter. An eyewitness, the Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, reported: “It was at this prayer that revelation came. The Spirit of the Lord was upon us all; we feel what was just like Pentecost or the Kirtland Temple . From the midst of infinity, God spoke to his prophet with the power of the Holy Spirit. The message was that the time has come to give the fulness of the everlasting gospel, with celestial marriage and the priesthood and temple ceremonies, to all men, regardless of race or color, just personal worth. And we all heard the same voice, got the same message and became personal witnesses that the revelation came from God. "

Gordon B. Hinckley , a participant in that meeting, said: “None of those who were present were the same afterwards. The church is still the same. We all knew that the time for change was there and that the decision had come from heaven. The answer was clear. There was perfect unity among us in our experience and understanding. "

Declaration of publication of the disclosure

On June 8, 1978, the First Presidency declared :

"8th. June 1978 To all common and local priesthood officers of Latter-day Saint Church of Jesus Christ around the world, Dear Brothers! We are watching the Lord's work spread over the earth and we are grateful that people in many countries have been receptive to the message of the restored gospel and have joined the Church in ever increasing numbers. This, in turn, has made us want to make all the rights and blessings that the gospel offers available to every worthy member of the Church. Considering the promises made by our previous prophets and Presidents of the Church that at some time in God's eternal plan all of our worthy brethren may receive the priesthood, and given the faithfulness of those who do When the priesthood was withheld, we worked long and earnestly for these faithful brothers of ours, spending many hours in the upper room of the temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance. He heard our prayers and confirmed by revelation that the long-promised day has come when every worthy faithful man in the Church will receive the holy priesthood and power to exercise divine authority and enjoy all blessings with his family resulting therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church can be ordained to the priesthood regardless of race or color. Priesthood leaders are instructed to adhere to the requirement that all candidates for Aaronic or Melchizedek Priesthood ordination should meet in depth to ensure they meet established standards of worthiness. We solemnly proclaim that the Lord has now made His will known for the blessing of all His children everywhere on earth, who listen to the voices of His authorized servants and prepare to receive every blessing of the gospel. "

- With sincerity: Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner, Marion G. Romney, The First Presidency

Revelation accepted at general conference

At the 148 general conference on September 30, 1978, this was presented to the First Presidency:

“We recognize Spencer W. Kimball as the prophet, seer, and revelator, and President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; therefore it is suggested that we as the constituent assembly accept this revelation as the word and will of the Lord. If you agree, please show it by raising your right hand. If someone is against it, show it the same way. "

"The above motion was unanimously affirmed and accepted.":

Explanation after Revelation

Later in 1978, Apostle Bruce R. McConkie stated :

“There are quotes from early believers' literature that can be interpreted to mean that Africans cannot get a priesthood in this life. I've said the same thing and people write me letters saying, 'You said this way and that, how can we do this and that?' All I can say is that the unbelieving people repented and were brought into line and now believed in a living modern prophet. Forget anything I said, or what Brigham Young said, or what George Q. Cannon said, or anyone said that contradicts today's revelation. We spoke with limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that has now come into the world ... We get our truth line by line and command by command. We have now received a new tide of intelligence and light on this matter and it erases all darkness and all views and thoughts from the past. They don't mean anything anymore ... It doesn't make the slightest difference what anyone ever said on the African issue before the first day of June this year. "

- Apostle Bruce R. McConkie

Official declaration 2

Official Declaration 2 is the formal announcement by the First Presidency of the LDS Church that the priesthood will not be restricted based on race or color. The announcement was incorporated into the scriptures of the LDS Church at general conference on September 30, 1978. Since 1981, the text has been in the Doctrine and Covenants , one of the scriptures of the Church. It is the latest addition to the Church's open scriptures. The announcement, which was incorporated in the scriptures, was made in a letter dated June 8, 1978 from the First Presidency.

Unlike other content in the Doctrine and Covenants , the text is not presented as a revelation from God, but it does emphasize that Jesus Christ foresaw the day of revelation. Therefore it is considered "the official proclamation of Revelation". The revelation text was not published by the Church, but the community uses the term "revelation on the priesthood".

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Lester E. Jr Bush, Armand L. Mauss , eds .: Neither White Nor Black: Mormon Scholars Confront the Race Issue in a Universal Church . Signature Books, Salt Lake City, Utah 1984, ISBN 0-941214-22-2 . Archived from the original on March 23, 2006 (Retrieved December 12, 2010).
  2. ↑ "true eternal principle the Lord Almighty has ordained."
  3. ↑ "not a matter of the declaration of a policy but of direct commandment from the Lord"
  4. ^ E. Dale LeBaron: 23. Official Declaration 2: Revelation on the Priesthood . BYU Religious Studies Center. Archived from the original on September 23, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  5. ↑ Bush, Lester E., Jr .; Mauss, Armand L., eds. (1984). Neither White Nor Black: Mormon Scholars Confront the Race Issue in a Universal Church . Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-22-2 .
  6. ↑ "seeming discrimination by the Church towards the Negro is not something Which originated with man; but goes back into the beginning with God"
  7. ↑ Letter of First Presidency Clarifies Church's position on the Negro . In: Improvement Era . 73, No. 2, February 1970, pp. 70-71. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  8. ^ Reeve, W. Paul (2015). Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness . New York, New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-975407-6 .
  9. ↑ Bush, Lester E., Jr .; Mauss, Armand L., eds. (1984). Neither White Nor Black: Mormon Scholars Confront the Race Issue in a Universal Church . Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books. ISBN 0-941214-22-2 .
  10. ↑ "not my policy or the Church's policy. It is the policy of the Lord who has established it."
  11. ^ David Mitchell: President Spencer W. Kimball Ordained Twelfth President of the Church . LDS Church. Retrieved October 12, 2017.
  12. Jump up ↑ Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints : Race and Priesthood . Retrieved July 10, 2015.
  13. ^ Mark L. Grover : The Mormon Priesthood Revelation and the São Paulo Brazil Temple . Pp. 39-53. Spring 1990.
  14. ↑ Spencer W. Kimball : Priesthood . Deseret Book, Salt Lake City, Utah 1981, ISBN 0-87747-859-7 , pp. 127-128.
  15. ^ Gordon B. Hinckley , Priesthood Restoration . October 1988.
  16. ↑ OFFICIAL DECLARATION - 2 Doctrine and Covenants
  17. ↑ OFFICIAL DECLARATION - 2 Doctrine and Covenants
  18. ↑ OFFICIAL DECLARATION - 2 Doctrine and Covenants
  19. ↑ Bruce R. McConkie : All Are Alike Unto God , Volume A SYMPOSIUM ON THE BOOK OF MORMON, The Second Annual Church Educational System Religious Educator's Symposium August 18, 1978. as found in: Bruce R. McConkie: I believe: a retrospective of twelve firesides and devotionals, Brigham Young University, 1973–1985 . Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 2006, ISBN 0-8425-2647-1 .
  20. ^ Cardell Jacobson: Encyclopedia of Mormonism . Macmillan Publishing . Pp. 423-424. 1992.
  21. ^ N. Eldon Tanner : Revelation on Priesthood Accepted, Church Officers Sustained . November 1978.
  22. ^ Robert J. Woodford : The Story of the Doctrine and Covenants . December 1984.
  23. ↑ Sections 137 and 138 of the Doctrine and Covenants were added to the D&C in 1981; HOWEVER, thesis texts had been part of the canon in the Pearl of Great Price since 1976:
    ◌ Leon R. Hartshorn : Encyclopedia of Mormonism . Macmillan Publishing . 1992.
    ◌ N. Eldon Tanner : The Sustaining of Church Officers . May 1976.
  24. ^ Doctrine and Covenants, Student Manual: Religion 324 and 325 . Church Educational System , LDS Church. 2001.
  25. ↑ See, eg: Our Heritage: A Brief History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . LDS Church. Pp. 120-131. 1996.

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