He knows the way

The Black question weighed heavily on me, as with many Mormons during my younger years, 1950's-60's.  Society was making giant strides towards civil rights while the Church position held unchanged. In the early 70's in Riverside,CA, I babysat for two little girls, sisters who were Black, but I couldn't bring myself to share the Gospel with their mother because of the Church's prohibition. 

But with the passing of time, I now see the Church's position at that time as the best it could be. The Prophets were right.  Here is my view.

According to Plan, the Gospel is preached to the Peoples of the Earth in their turn.  In the Savior's day, the Gospel went to the Jews alone; only after His death did Gentiles begin their turn. While living in Alaska (1971-72), LDS missionaries were sent to the Indian Tribes in central AK, but not one to the Eskimos (w Asian DNA)  in coastal towns.  In our day, we have seen the work open up in one country or people after another, each in their turn.  Even now, some don't yet receive full on missionary effort.

In speaking at our Stake Conference last year, Elder Sitati told us he was asked by a

reporter how he could be a leader in a Church that had restricted Blacks. He said it came to him to answer with a parable, the one of the laborers in the vineyard.  Some started work later than others, but all were given the same reward, the same blessings. He said, many cultures and peoples have been restricted from the Priesthood. In Moses' time, the Levites were the only ones not restricted.

However, this is the most important thought to me.  If the Church appears to have damaged its reputation by the exclusion of Blacks, I say, that is nothing compared to how it would look if Blacks had been included.  Society was just not ready.  Evidence abounds witnessing to the pervasiveness of prejudice in that era.  If the Church had not held back, the embarrassing, even reprehensible behaviors of society would have well been reflected within the Church in its various branches. To think of the many ways the members would have shamed themselves and the Church makes me shudder. Even a handful of incriminating tales would have stained the Church permanently.


In addition, sometimes it's important that we don't get what we want until we ask.  Enough members needed to be praying for the change in order for us as a Church to "earn" the right to it, in order for us to recognize it as our privilege.  Related, Ann Graff said that a Mission leader in Asia told them the Church would not move forward in Thailand until members as a whole were in a position to welcome the Thai people as true brothers and sisters.

The Prophets needed to wait.  Some detractors point out that they had no revelation to explain their position, but that turns out to be a good thing.  No official dictum was pronounced against Blacks, and I'm grateful for that.  There is nothing wrong with these long-persecuted people. It just wasn't time. Despite counsel to desist, members and some leaders tried to explain it and to come up with excuses, but none of them ever sounded right. The Prophets did not fail.