As a result of that pressure, on September 24th 1890, then- president of the church Wilford Woodruff, by Official Declaration addressed To “Whom It May Concern” announced that henceforth the church would no longer engage in plural marriage. That announcement was called the Manifesto*** not a revelation. It was a capitulation to Federal law. Many faithful members went south across the Mexican border to practice polygamy. It is an issue which unsettled the church.
It is significant that the church has refused to this day to remove the 132nd section of the Doctrine & Covenants containing the revelation given founder Joseph Smith establishing polygamy. Perhaps it is duplicitous, so that when they acquire [as they desire] the power to change the laws they will re-instate the principle.
Today it continues to rankle male members of the church who look forward to the day when polygamy can legally be re-instated. **** There are main stream Mormon men in high positions in Utah who continue to practice it near borders with adjoining states.
[More on that at a later date]
MANIFESTO II
Without regard to its own historical error, the Mormon Church as late as 1978 held the view that Black male members of the church were the descendants of Biblical Cain who killed his brother Abel. That Cain was punished by God and his sons were cursed- marked with a black skin - and therefore could not hold the priesthood of god.
When the Oakland Temple of the church was dedicated on November 19, 1964 a black reporter from the Oakland newspaper asked church president David O. McKay, “When will the Mormon Church give priesthood to black men?” McKay responded with the statement, “Not in my lifetime nor yours!” McKay died in January 1970. It is unknown if the reporter was still alive on June 9, 1978.
Sterling M. McMurrin, an academic of the church, exclaimed that the church would never in his lifetime grant priesthood to Negroes. He died at age 82 in 1996. 18 years after the church did grant priesthood. Countless other “experts” held that it would never happen so strong was the racism within the church.
Yet on June 9th 1978, the church, with a lot of fanfare, rushed to find “worthy” black male members to quickly ordain them to priesthood. What had happened? President Spencer Wooley Kimball had issued Manifesto II.
Why? Because the church leaders were subject to prosecution for the death and interference with the affairs of the late Howard Hughes. It seems they had gotten the word from a publication called the Millennial Messenger outlining that interference in April 1978.
Two months later they capitulated and sought assurances from the author that he would cease his assault on the church leaders.
When he refused they took the issue to another level authorizing the execution of a planned backup conspiracy to discredit resulting in a gun shot to rear of the head death of a prominent attorney John C. Ragan in a small town known as Shelton Washington. That story has yet to be fully told. Discovering the discredit plan the writer did back off and has waited 30 years for another cause celebre affecting the church which is the gay marriage issue.
Additionally, the church had been embarrassed for over two years by actions of the writer in ordaining a black man to priesthood and subsequent events, including a shooting and a suicide of a Salt Lake PD officer.
In any event, the reversal was not revelation as many members of the church have been led to believe, but like manifesto I was a capitulation in an attempt to escape prosecution and other embarrassment.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
