You may have noticed that there have been some racial tensions in the United States lately. Also the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has traditionally had some problems with racism (see this helpful infographic). And, yes, there’s racism in the Book of Mormon:
This scripture is important because it racializes skin color. That is, it was because of the dark skin, that we know the Lamanites were bad hombres. This as opposed to the idea that the Lamanites were sinful and thus they were cursed with a dark skin. Also note that the dark skin was a mark of marriage prohibition. This is racism 101. Let me provide an example to help better understand what I mean
“How do we know Blacks (insert negative stereotype) act that way?”
“Because their skin is black and black people always act that way.”
There is no way 2 Nephi 5:21-24 can be read metaphorically.
It turns out there’s a Mormon Mommy Blogger who is one of the leaders of the Alt-Right! To the church’s credit, President Newsroom explicitly called out white nationalists when the Nazi mommy interpreted their more ambiguous statement as being favorable to the alt-right. Next step maybe actually excommunicate her?
The Mormon Church has been making empty statements about racists not being proper Mormons since well before the Alt-Right groups became a thing. Individuals, like Ayla, have risen in popularity while the great authority of the Mormon Church has excommunicated people like Kate Kelly for suggesting that some women could be given the same magical “blessings” reserved for eight year old boys. This leads the outsider to think that, to the Mormon Church, respectfully discussing aspects of magical wacky-woo is much more egregious than openly espousing neo-fascist ideology.
For the average Mormon, some tips on standing against white supremacy from BCC and the Young Mormon Feminists. Dooce recently resigned from the CoJCoL-dS over the racism:
When I found out that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was going to sing at the inauguration of a self-professed sexual predator and unadulterated bigot, I submitted my name for removal. Here’s the PDF I have hanging over the laundry basket where I throw my dirty panties.
Trump’s flailing incompetence is fanning some very dangerous flames of hatred. In my analysis on my personal blog, though, I’ve found a possible ray of hope:
The critical point is that the Republicans in Congress are finally starting to turn on him. Trump doesn’t seem to understand that those Republicans in the House and Senate are currently the only people standing between him and jail. And he is just too. damn. stupid. to do a bare minimum of maintenance on those alliances that are so critical to his survival. Instead he has repeatedly demonstrated that teaming up with him is the fast track to finding yourself under a bus.
The CoJCoL-dS also has some problems with homosexuality, but some gay Mormons are making it work — sometimes in unusual ways. Specifically, this lesbian couple earned praise for getting divorced in order to be members in good standing!
In happier gay Mormon tales, Dad’s Primal Scream came up with a positive way to keep himself from being erased from his son’s life:
My e-mails have usually been full of the latest details about our family, me and his sisters. I always tried to include a healthy amount of humor. I’d send jokes or the latest memes because I know how somber and dreadfully serious everything can be on a mission.
But now that he’s coming back I’ve been dreading the same sort of snubbing at homecoming events that I experienced when he left.
So, I’ve decided that instead of feeling sorry for myself I am going to take my power back. I’ll be hosting my own welcome back party for him. I’m be inviting my gay and ex-Mormon friends and he can invited whomever he wants. The focus will be on our joy to have him back. That’s it. I’ve run it by him and he has agreed!! I’m very excited.
On to other LDS-interest news and discussion topics!
- Here’s a great piece that illustrates what Book of Mormon stories could be like if they were well written.
- If you’re attending, sorry you won’t be learning any new material in Sunday School this year. But at least you get to follow the unwritten dress code rules!
- Have you ever wondered what the smaller splinter groups of Mormonism believe?
- Some aspects of faith can magnify or even cause mental illness.
- Sadly, crimes associated with polygamy are still happening in Canada, and they’re not the only ones with a pedophilia problem.
- LDS leaders as corporate middle managers.
- Mormon Heretic told a horrible story about how a girl’s modesty is more important than her life. Related: if you’re on a mission, don’t expect to be able to contact your family, even during a hurricane.
And Alexis posted a fascinating Mormon doctrinal riddle — comment on her blog if you know the answer!
What is the protocol concerning informing new spouses about old secret names? And what about if two husbands know a woman’s secret name? What if the original husband says he has moved on, but he really hasn’t, in an emotional sense, and he still knows his ex-wife’s secret name? What if he manages to get himself posited into the right place to bring his ex through the veil? The wife is unsuspecting and thinks it’s the right person bringing her through the veil, or whatever, and then VOILA! She gets through or across and sees that she has been facilitated into eternity by someone she wasn’t at all expecting to see there. What does she do then?
Or does she get a new secret name so that the old husband, in case he’s not on the up and up, doesn’t know her more current secret name?
Also don’t miss this new blog with travel tips from one exmo friend to another!
Wow, there was really a lot of fantastic discussion in blogspace this past fortnight! I hope you get a chance to check out some of these links despite my getting this out so late. Happy reading!
Oh Boy, that video of that nice young couple has to be for me, one of the most horrifying things I’ve seen. I am angry– righteously angry.
I suppose that if I valued the truth of belonging to a community and family that did not fully accept me, rather than objective facts and empirical evidence, that could be me.
I’m imagining that if we had video of when Joseph Smith was building his little fiefdom on the river and demanding tribute of wives and daughters, there would one of some crying husband and wife testifying that was what God wants.
I have to ask all their friends and family what sort of effing community are you building that destroys the sanctity of good relationships.
@Suzanne — I know, that’s why I posted this horrifying video.
The thing that jumps out at me the most is that they’re so clearly still in love.
So how does this work logistically? Do they move into separate households and avoid being there for each other…? I guess it’s their choice to do that, but I’m really disgusted that the church would require that of them.
I’m also disgusted that some church folks have made a video praising this because I’m sure that some members will (supposedly well-meaningly) share this video with gay friends and family. This will naturally enrage the gay recipients, further wrecking the corresponding friendships and family relationships.