September marks the 30th anniversary of the September Six. Before we get to them, we’ll talk to Moroni Jessop, who was excommunicated as a teenager from the LDS Church, the first of his 4 excommunications! I think that’s a record! He’ll describe growing up in the LDS Church and what got him in hot water.
Moroni grew up in the LDS Church. His father was a BYU student, and started researching polygamy. His father came to the conclusion that polygamy was an inspired doctrine, and taught the Adam-God doctrine to his children. As Moroni approached mission age, his entire family, including his 13 year old sister, were excommunicated. I was surprised to see so many young family members excommunicated. Does that surprise you too? Check out our conversation…
Moroni’s father still liked the LDS Church and sent Moroni to Utah for college. Attending Salt Lake Community College, he bacame friends with fundamentalists in the area. To his surprise, he encountered this among independent Mormon fundamentalists in the Salt Lake City area. Many aren’t only anti-black, but anti-Mexican, and anti-Polynesian. Moroni shares his experiences, and we also discuss a little-known Mexican history of the Third Convention in which a large body of Mexican saints broke away from the LDS Church. It turns out that racism is a reason many fundamentalists reject LDS Temple ceremonies now. (Photo below is the Endowment House in Bluffdale, Utah, used by the Apostolic United Brethren-the same group Kody Brown and his tv show “Sister Wives” likely attended when they lived in Utah.)
Moroni’s family eventually joined the AUB Church and he explains why they now reject LDS Temples and have their own in Mexico to go along with this Endowment House in Bluffdale, Utah.
A dispute with AUB (Apostolic United Brethren) leaders led to Moroni Jessop’s excommunication from a second church (which was done “lovingly.” So, he left for a 3rd polygamist group, called the Thompsonites in Arizona. There he found that they had racist policies against polynesians, preventing them from priesthood and temple work.
I was surprised to see the “Curse of Cain” extend beyong blacks to Polynesians and Mexicans, It seems to be a very big deal in fundamentalist communities. What do think of these policies?
Wheat & Tares 
Sadly, it shows the extent that racism is deeply, deeply baked into the core product of the Latter-day Saint movement, whether or not it is readily visible. Not surprising that it is intertwined with Mormon-heritage polygamy, another shameful practice of the early Saints that we just can’t seem to get rid of.
The COJCOLDS outwardly condemns racism, and though I don’t know what the CofC official stance is, they do have a reputation of being even more welcoming and inclusive than the Brighamites. The COJCOLDS, despite being the biggest, richest, most powerful Latter-day kid on the block, still has yet to fully reconcile with its own racist past (including formal, codified racial restrictions in place until 1978). Not to mention all of the racist baggage of the BofM, which some smaller Mormon offshoots still use to provide doctrinal backing for their racism. But I don’t think the LDS Church is ever going to honestly deal with the BofM’s racist tropes, as it could potentially bring into question the validity of the whole book, which LDS leaders would very much like to avoid. Without proper condemnation, these racist Mormon offshoots will endure, unfortunately.
Why should we be surprised that the branches (break-offs) from the church are racist when the church (trunk) was racist to begin with? Of course, the COJCOLDS would deny they are racist now because “Blacks” have the priesthood but when you look at who they are voting for in national elections, you can see they are just masking their true feelings when you talk with them. Members used to be able to embrace racism because of religious beliefs but now they can talk the talk but show real intent with a secret ballot.
Anyone know if Christ’s Church the one with the cool temple pyramid has similar policies.
My understanding is they do but aren’t super public with it.