In the past, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) have consistently opposed marriages between members of different ethnicities, though interracial marriage is no longer considered a sin. In 1977, apostle Boyd K. Packer publicly stated that "[w]e've always counseled in the Church for our Mexican members to marry Mexicans, our Japanese members to marry Japanese, our Caucasians to marry Caucasians, our Polynesian members to marry Polynesians. ... The counsel has been wise."[1] Nearly every decade for over a century—beginning with the church's formation in the 1830s until the 1970s—has seen some denunciations of interracial marriages (miscegenation), with most statements focusing on Black–White marriages.[2]: 42–43 Church president Brigham Young taught on multiple occasions that Black–White marriage merited death for the couple and their children.
Until at least the 1960s, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—Mormonism's largest denomination—penalized White members who married Black individuals by prohibiting both spouses from entering its temples.[3] Even after the temple and priesthood ban was lifted for Black members in 1978 the church still officially discouraged any marriages across ethnic lines.[4]: 5 Until 2013 at least one official church manual in use continued discouraging interracial marriages.[5][6][7] Past teachings of church leaders on race and interracial marriage have stemmed from racist beliefs of the time and have seen criticism and controversy.[8]: 89–90 Early church leaders made an exception to the interracial marriage ban by allowing White LDS men to marry Native American women, because Native Americans were viewed as being descended from the Israelites. Church leaders did not sanction White LDS women marrying Native American men, however.[9]: 64 [10] In 2013, the LDS Church disavowed its previous teachings that interracial marriage was a sin.[11][12]
- ^ Packer, Boyd. Follow the Rule (Speech). LDS Church. Retrieved August 26, 2017 – via BYU.
We've always counseled in the Church for our Mexican members to marry Mexicans, our Japanese members to marry Japanese, our Caucasians to marry Caucasians, our Polynesian members to marry Polynesians. The counsel has been wise. ... You might even say, 'I can show you local Church leaders or perhaps even general leaders who have married out of their race.' I say, 'Yes—exceptions.' Then I would remind you of that Relief Society woman's near-scriptural statement, 'We'd like to follow the rule first, and then we'll take care of the exceptions.'
- ^ Bush, Lester E. (1973). "Mormonism's Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview" (PDF). Dialogue. 8 (1).
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Banwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Black and mormonwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Park, Benjamin (April 18, 2017). "Why it's time for the Mormon Church to revisit its diverse past". The Conversation.
Further, the faith has a long history of shunning interracial relationships. At points, some of its leaders even flirted with theories of eugenics, or the belief that they could help cultivate a pure race. Just until four years ago [2013], a youth manual informed young men that the Church 'recommend[s] that people marry those who are of the same racial background.'
- ^ Aaronic Priesthood: Manual 3 (PDF). Salt Lake City: LDS Church. 1995. p. 128.
We recommend that people marry those who are of the same racial background generally, and of somewhat the same economic and social and educational background (some of those are not an absolute necessity, but preferred), and above all, the same religious background, without question.
- ^ Eternal Marriage Student Manual (PDF). LDS Church. 2003. p. 169.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Neither White Nor Blackwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Mauss 2003was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Turner210was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Fletcher Stack, Peggy (December 16, 2013). "Mormon church traces black priesthood ban to Brigham Young". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ^ "Race and the Priesthood". LDS church. December 13, 2013.
Today, the Church disavows the theories advanced in the past that black skin is a sign of divine disfavor or curse, or that it reflects unrighteous actions in a premortal life; that mixed-race marriages are a sin; or that blacks or people of any other race or ethnicity are inferior in any way to anyone else. Church leaders today unequivocally condemn all racism, past and present, in any form.