What is missing is any dialogue which rescinds or devalues the statements made by Brigham Young. He also is oblivious to the words of Mormon scripture [though bogus] found in the PEOGP as indicated above. So the mystery that he claims about restrictions of black men holding priesthood never was a mystery as it was known by all Mormons who read J.S.'s POGP. And".. it is still there!
As an aside, I remember sitting in the outer office of Church President Spencer W. Kimball in May 1975 and listening to his male secretary, D. Arthur Haycock across the desk from me answer a telephone call from a caller [likely a Mission president] in Brazil. The question was, "What was the limit of black blood in a candidate for entrance into the soon to be new temple". The answer from Haycock was: "Zero!" That answer came from the very top of the priesthood pyramid and defies the assertions of the above response above excusing church leadership from blame on the practice.
What the church needs to do is stop blaming it on some unknown event or people and admit it was official policy, if not doctrine, in the church and administered by the priesthood as subordinates to the president of the church who by doctrine was/is the only man alive who holds the "Keys" of the priesthood and delegated to other men during a time of good behavior. It is much like POTUS where the buck ends!
The wording in the above statement "We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church," singularly targets Brigham Young and is fatal to the "keys" held by him as an-ex-postfacto event down to the present "keys" of priesthood allegedly held by Thomas Monson. Condemn and dishonor Young and the whole tradition of succession of priesthood keys crumbles and there is no one alive who validly can claim to hold the "keys" descending from Young. As such there is no authority from God for anyone holding any office of priesthood today and will not be unless a new public revelation from the Almighty re-establishes it on earth! The church needs to be careful of what it allows to be published. But now the cat is out of the bag!
In any event, racism was practiced by the church as thousands of us still
alive after June 9, 1978 well remember and the church needs to come clean and
admit it. Continuing to deny or cast the fault upon others will not wipe the
slate clean. Three things the church
can do are to publically condemn the heritage of Young by (1.) renaming Brigham
Young University and (2.) removing his statute from South Temple Street and hide it
somewhere out of sight then (3) apologize for its error in codifying racism
through the Pearl Of Great Price statements then remove it [POGP] from the
standard works of the church! And, of course, pray to God to re-instate the "keys"
of priesthood with non-interested witnesses present.
I personally have posted a petition on Change.org to petition Thomas S. Monson to rename Bigot Young University. See: http://www.change.org/p/thomas-s-monson-president-of-mormon-church-change-the-name-of-brigham-young-university-and-its-extensions
I invite everyone to join with me and let's get this issue resolved! In the process I would encourage sympathizers to make large copies of the above banner and to peacefully picket Mormon Temples and Ward Chapels until such time that the church makes a public apology.
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