“We do wish that there would be no racial prejudice. … Racial prejudice is of the devil. … There is no place for it in the gospel of Jesus Christ” — President Spencer W. Kimball, 1982.
“I remind you that no man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ.” — President Gordon B. Hinckley, 2006.
A reminder, for today.
Wheat & Tares 
Wonderful quotes. Thank you.
Post 1978, that is…
I appreciate these reminders
Given events in Charlotte, I keep thinking about some of my male colleagues at Amex years ago in SLC who said they supported the diversity groups but they felt like if they tried to put together a diversity group for white males it wouldn’t be allowed. First, Amex did allow it, but second, it’s an embarrassment that they would even ask such a thing. These are people who otherwise supported equal pay, even affirmative action, but also concurrently felt the loss of privilege was unfair. The only men I’ve ever worked with who have suggested such things have been Mormons. There’s something wrong in our culture that’s creating this lack of empathy and this utter cluelessness about their privilege.
Great quotes but we do have a lot of racist history in the Church we have not come to turns with. I also do not mean to sound 2 critical but I was appalled at how poorly Trump handled the situation with the protest. Where are our leaders speaking out on this situation? Way too silent for my taste.
Thank-you.
I’m with Angela C’s comment. The absolute lack of awareness/tone deafness on the part of many white Christians is staggering. Also, I think it’s both important and sickening to realize that the racist “doctrine” in the Mormon Church that, frankly still lingers today, breeds exactly the kind of hatred we saw in Charlottesville when it’s combined with a kind of monomaniacal extremism. Despite our prophets’ words, I think we need to acknowledge that our own racist past is not at all far removed from what we saw in Charlottesville. And we have a president who, by refusing to unequivocally condemn this kind of thing, is complicit in it. Shocking and horrifying.
It is interesting that the one statement was made as part of an initiative to stop the KKK from a Utah presence.
I just read someone who saw statements like these as enabling that. Interesting what people see.
It was Kimball’s statement that was aimed at the KKK.
It was Hinckley’s that was just used by the Church today:
http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-statement-charlottesville-virginia
Brother Sky: something that amazed me in the 70s and 80s when reading old talks was just how much in them was just not heard by the audience.
You make a good point.
What is even worse is there are attention hounds, who are using this statement to justify being in support of racists.
The whore of Babylon (from the Revelation of St John) has nothing on them in terms of relishing the blood of martyrs and the evil of the world.
It leaves me without words.
I can’t say how abominations like that distress me with the words I have.
My grandfather left his first church over his minister joining the KKK. The KKK lynched Mormons in the south.
To see anyone who claims to be part of the Church of Christ supporting rascist neo-Nazis and supremacist movements is sickening.
I lack the words.
Update: