If you walk into a typical Latter-day Saint meetinghouse in Lagos, Nigeria, or even downtown Atlanta, the vibe is probably a lot different than what you’d find in a rural Utah ward. It’s vibrant. It’s growing. But for a long time, the relationship between black people and mormonism was defined by a single, massive barrier.
People often think they know the story. They heard about the "ban." They know 1978 was a big year. But the actual history is way messier, more painful, and—honestly—more surprising than the bullet points you find on Wikipedia.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) hasn't always had a consistent stance on race. In the very early days, things were actually somewhat integrated. Joseph Smith, the church's founder, oversaw the ordination of Elijah Abel, a Black man, to the priesthood in the 1830s. Abel wasn't just a member; he was a missionary and a "Seventy." But by the time the pioneers settled in the Salt Lake Valley, the gates started closing.
The Priesthood and Temple Ban: A Long Shadow
For over a century, the LDS Church restricted Black members from holding the priesthood or entering the temple for certain ceremonies. This wasn't just a "no preaching" rule. It affected everything. In the Mormon faith, the priesthood is central to family life and spiritual progression. Being barred from the temple meant Black families couldn't be "sealed" together for eternity—the core promise of the religion.
Why did it happen?
History is complicated. Brigham Young, the second president of the church, was vocal about his views on race, often reflecting the prevailing (and horrific) mid-19th-century American prejudices. He officially announced the restriction in 1852. For decades, leaders taught various "theories" to justify it. Some claimed Black people were less "valiant" in a pre-mortal life. Others pointed to the "Curse of Cain."
It’s important to be blunt here: the Church has since disavowed these theories. They weren't doctrine. They were folklore used to explain a policy that caused deep spiritual trauma for generations.
Jane Manning James: The Woman Who Refused to Leave
You can’t talk about black people and mormonism without talking about Jane Manning James. She’s a legend, or at least she should be. Jane walked over 800 miles, much of it barefoot, to join the Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois. She lived in Joseph Smith’s house. She was a powerhouse of faith.
But Jane spent her entire life in Utah petitioning church leaders to receive her temple endowments. She was denied, over and over again. Despite the rejection, she never left the church. She remained a tithe-paying, active member until she died in 1908. Her story is a testament to a specific kind of resilience that many Black Latter-day Saints still draw on today—a faith that exists independent of the flaws of the institution.
The 1978 Revelation: Changing the Course
By the 1960s and 70s, the pressure was mounting. The Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. Stanford and other universities were boycotting BYU sports. More importantly, the church was expanding into Brazil, a country with a deeply "mixed" racial heritage. It became functionally impossible to determine who was "eligible" for the priesthood under the old rules.
Spencer W. Kimball, the church president at the time, spent months praying in the Salt Lake Temple. On June 1, 1978, he and the other apostles received what they described as a revelation.
The ban was over.
Official Declaration 2 was published, stating that "every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood." It was a seismic shift. For many Black members who had waited decades, it was a day of pure joy. For others, it was a bittersweet moment that didn't automatically erase a century of exclusion.
Modern Realities and Racial Nuance
Is it all perfect now? Not even close.
While the church is exploding in Africa—some estimates suggest Africa will eventually be the center of the faith's population—Black members in the U.S. often deal with "Utah culture." This is a culture that is still very white, very conservative, and sometimes unintentionally insensitive.
What members still deal with:
- Coded language: Hearing older members quote the "folklore" that was disavowed.
- Representation: Most of the top leadership in Salt Lake City is still white, though the calling of Elder Gary E. Stevenson and others to global roles is shifting the demographics of the "Seventies."
- Social Isolation: Being the only Black family in a suburban ward can be exhausting.
However, there is a push for change. In 2013, the church published a landmark essay titled "Race and the Priesthood." It was a big deal because it explicitly stated that the church "equivocally condemns all racism, past and present." It didn't just say the ban was over; it said the reasons given for it in the past were wrong.
The Growth in Africa vs. the U.S. Experience
The experience of black people and mormonism is wildly different depending on where you are on the map. In the United States, Black Mormons are a tiny minority—roughly 3% of the membership. They are often navigators, bridging the gap between their racial identity and a faith tradition that hasn't always loved them back.
In West Africa, the story is about explosive growth. There are temples in Nigeria, Ghana, and Ivory Coast. In these areas, the church isn't "white." It’s local. The leadership is Black, the music has a different energy, and the cultural baggage of the 1850s Utah territory feels a world away. This international growth is forcing the church to "de-Americanize" its culture, which is probably the most significant shift since 1978.
Myths vs. Facts
People get a lot of stuff wrong. Let's clear some of it up.
Myth: The Book of Mormon says Black skin is a curse.
Reality: There are verses that mention "skins of blackness," but modern LDS scholars and leaders interpret these as metaphorical or specific to ancient cultural contexts, not as a statement on the African diaspora. The 2013 essay specifically rejects the idea that skin color is a sign of divine disfavor.
Myth: Black people couldn't be baptized before 1978.
Reality: They could always be members and be baptized. They just couldn't hold the priesthood or do temple work.
Myth: The church hasn't apologized.
Reality: This is a point of contention. While the church has "disavowed" the past and expressed "profound regret," it rarely uses the specific word "apologize" in a formal capacity. For some, the 2018 "Be One" celebration was a sufficient bridge; for others, a formal apology is still needed.
Moving Forward: Actionable Insights
If you’re researching this, whether for personal reasons or academic ones, you need to look at more than just the official press releases. The lived experience of Black Saints is where the real story is.
- Read the Primary Sources: Don't take a blogger's word for it. Read the 2013 "Race and the Priesthood" essay on the official Church website. It’s the most honest document the institution has ever produced on the subject.
- Follow Black LDS Voices: If you want to understand the modern nuance, look up people like Tamu Smith and Zandra Vranes (the "Sistas in Zion"). They provide a perspective that is both faithful and fiercely critical of racial bias within the culture.
- Understand the Diaspora: Recognize that "Mormonism" is no longer a Wasatch Front religion. To understand the future of black people and mormonism, you have to look at the growth in the Global South.
- Distinguish between Doctrine and Policy: This is a key distinction for members. They see the 1978 change as a correction of policy, even if it took far too long to happen.
- Support Institutional Change: Within the church, there are ongoing efforts to improve curriculum to ensure old racist tropes aren't being taught in Sunday School. Being an ally in those spaces means speaking up when "folk doctrine" rears its head.
The relationship isn't a finished book. It’s a messy, ongoing edit. The scars of the ban are still there, but for millions of Black members worldwide, the focus has shifted from what they were denied in the past to how they are building the future of the faith.