McConkie Got It Wrong – Redacted Mormon Doctrine

Prior to 1978, LDS church leaders wrestled to understand the priesthood ban. They listened to explanations from Brigham Young and other church presidents who taught about the subject. They continued teaching the same things, and in some cases came up with new explanations. That changed in 1978, when the church flipped a 180 and granted priesthood based on worthiness and no longer based on race or skin color too. What to do with all the teachings that explained why the ban was in place and why the ban was needed? How can they be changed if they were taught as doctrine and in the same breath and even sentence as the announcemnt of the ban in the first place? The church today claims to have disavowed these teachings as folklore and speculation only, and never doctrine.

Changing Doctrine

How does a church walk back some of their doctrinal teachings but still hold onto others? It would seem a precarious balance if it’s even possible. It seems they would need a forceful apology and a redaction of past thoughts and preachings, but the teachings are still present and still get quoted and passed on.

Although the church’s leaders now proclaim racial equality as a “fundamental teaching,” the process of repudiating old doctrines remains difficult. Those involved in the internal discussions say church leaders are searching for a formula that will allow them to retract earlier statements without undermining the faith of believers or the credibility of previous church figures whom the Mormons revere as prophets whose pronouncements were inspired by God.

“They feel like a lot of people may not believe the church is true because a lot of these things were said by previous prophets, and a true prophet of God shouldn’t make mistakes,” said David Jackson, an African American Mormon who is among those calling for change.

Los Angeles Times, Mormons May Disavow Old View on Blacks, Larry B. Stammer
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-may-18-mn-51047-story.html

Mormon Doctrine

Bruce R. McConkie published many statements previously stating such speculations as doctrine, in a book entitled Mormon Doctrine. No wonder members thought it was Doctrine, when the book was titled Mormon Doctrine. The members should have been in tune enough with the spirit back then to know that a book named this, was obviously a victory for Satan. The church leaders today are so close to God that they would have seen that from a mile away.

However President Nelson may be dismayed to learn that many of the Bible Dictionary definitions were copied directly from Mormon Doctrine book by Bruce R. McConkie. So is the LDS Bible dictionary now another major victory for Satan?

Church leaders were not too troubled by McConkie’s published book. They had a few corrections for his to make and between it first being published in 1959, but were mainly concerned with the authoritative tone he presented in the book and the fact that no one asked him to write it, and he hadn’t asked anyone for permission to publish it. The second version was published in 1966. McConkie was then called to serve in the Quorum of Twelve as an Apostle in the church in 1972. The priesthood ban was lifted in 1978 while he was serving in the Quorum and under the direction of Spencer W. Kimball. A third edition was printed in 1978 after the priesthood was granted to all, without regard to race. The updated edition remove the theology and doctrines that taught about those of African descent. Here are some of the teachings from Mormon Doctrine in the first and second editions.

Cain

As a result of his rebellion, Cain was cursed and told that “the earth” would not thereafter yield him its abundance as previously. In addition he became the first mortal to be cursed as a son of perdition. As a result of his mortal birth he is assured of a tangible body of flesh and bones in eternity, a fact which will enable him to rule over Satan. The Lord placed on Cain a mark of a dark skin, and he became the ancestor of the black race.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, Cain
https://mormonleaks.io/wiki/documents/6/6b/1958-Mormon_Doctrine-Bruce_R_McConkie.pdf
https://ia902606.us.archive.org/32/items/MormonDoctrine1966/MormonDoctrine1966.pdf

Negroes

In the pre-existent eternity various degrees of valiance and devotion to the truth were exhibited by different groups of our Father’s spirit offspring. One-third of the spirit hosts of heaven came out in open rebellion and were cast out without bodies, becoming the devil and his angels. (D. & C. 29:36-41; Rev. 12:3-9.) The other two-thirds stood affirmatively for Christ;
there were no neutrals. To stand neutral in the midst of war is a philosophical impossibility. The Lord said: “He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.” (Matt. 12:30.)

Of the two-thirds who followed Christ, however, some were more valiant than others. Adam and all the prophets so distinguished themselves by diligence and obedience as to be foreordained to their high earthly missions. (Abra. 3:20-24.) The whole house of Israel was chosen in preexistence to come to mortality as children of Jacob. (Deut. 32:7-8.) Those who were less valiant in pre-existence and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed upon them during mortality are known to us as the negroes. Such spirits are sent to earth through the lineage of Cain, the mark put upon him for his rebellion against God and his murder of Abel being a black skin. (Moses 5:16-41; 7:8, 12, 22.) Noah’s son Ham married Egyptus, a descendant of Cain, thus preserving the negro lineage through the flood. (Abra.
1:20-27.)

Negroes in this life are denied the priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. (Abra. 1:20-27.) The gospel message of salvation is not carried affirmatively to them (Moses 7:8, 12, 22), although sometimes negroes search out the truth, join the Church, and become by righteous living heirs of the celestial kingdom of heaven. President Brigham Young and others have taught that in the future eternity worthy and qualified negroes will receive the priesthood and every gospel blessing available to any man. (Way to Perfection, pp. 97-11 1.)

The present status of the negro rests purely and simply on the foundation of pre-existence. Along with all races and peoples he is receiving here what he merits as a result of the long pre-mortal probation in the presence of the Lord. The principle is the same as will apply when all men are judged according to their mortal works and are awarded varying statuses in the life hereafter.

In this connection it should be noted that other nations, also, have had lesser restrictions placed on them as pertaining to receipt of the gospel truths in this life. Christ limited his ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and did not preach to the Gentiles. (Matt. 15:24.) He sent his apostles out initially with the same restriction (Matt. 10:5-6), and it was with some difficulty that he persuaded them to go to all men when the period of Israel’s prior rights had expired. (Mark 16:15; Acts 10.)

The negroes are not equal with other races where the receipt of certain spiritual blessings are concerned, particularly the priesthood and the temple blessings that flow therefrom, but this inequality is not of man’s origin. It is the Lord’s doing, is based on his eternal laws of justice, and grows out of the lack of spiritual valiance of those concerned in their first estate. Certainly the negroes as children of God are entitled to equality before the law and to be treated with all the dignity and respect of any member of the human race. Many of them certainly live according to higher standards of decency and right in this life than do some of their brothers of other races, a situation that will cause judgment to be laid “to the line, and righteousness to the plummet” (Isa. 28:17) in the day of judgment.

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, Negroes
https://mormonleaks.io/wiki/documents/6/6b/1958-Mormon_Doctrine-Bruce_R_McConkie.pdf
https://ia902606.us.archive.org/32/items/MormonDoctrine1966/MormonDoctrine1966.pdf

Races of Men

Racial degeneration, resulting in differences in appearance and spiritual aptitude, has arisen since the fall. We know the circumstances under which the posterity of Cain (and later of Ham) were cursed with what we call negroid racial characteristics. (Moses 5: 16-41; 7:8, 12, 22; Abra. 1:20-27.) The Book of Mormon explains why the Lamanites received dark skins and a degenerate status. (2 Ne. 5:21-23.) If we had a full and true history of all races and nations, we would know the origins of all their distinctive characteristics. In the absence of such detailed information, however, we know only the general principle that all these changes from the physical and spiritual perfections of our common parents have been brought about by apostasy from the gospel truths. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. I, pp. 148-151; vol. 3, pp. 313-326.)

The race and nation in which men are born in this world is a direct result of their pre-existent life. All the spirit hosts of heaven deemed worthy to receive mortal bodies were foreordained to pass through this earthly probation in the particular race and nation suited to their needs, circumstances, and talents. “When the Most High divided to the nations
their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam,” Moses said with reference to pre-existence, “he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.” (Deut. 32:8.) Not only Israel, but all groups were thus foreknown and their total memberships designated in the pre-mortal life. Paul spoke similarly when he averred that God “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation.” (Acts
17:26.)

Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, page 616
https://mormonleaks.io/wiki/documents/6/6b/1958-Mormon_Doctrine-Bruce_R_McConkie.pdf
https://ia902606.us.archive.org/32/items/MormonDoctrine1966/MormonDoctrine1966.pdf

Priesthood Ban Lifted

In 1978, the church lifted the ban on blacks holding the priesthood. Bruce R. McConkie thought he undertsood doctrine and taught it to others as truth. But then the church relented, and he was stuck having to clean up his mess.

One example of errors in Mormon Doctrine are many of the philosophies that tried to explain race and the priesthood. Some of these were corrected in later editions (after the priesthood was given to all worthy males) and some of them were never fixed but have now been officially disavowed by the Church as non-doctrinal.

Ask Gramps: Why would the Church allow McConkie’s “Mormon Doctrine” to be published?
https://askgramps.org/church-allow-mcconkies-mormon-doctrine-published/

McConkie got things wrong on blacks, and is among those who are thrown under the bus today as speculations and limited understanding. He at least had the dignity to say what some call an apology for his previous statements. It’s a fine line to apologize or have the church make an apology and admit having been wrong on doctrine or revelation. That means either the revelation was wrong, of that God was wrong. The church has yet to apologize for 124 years of discriminating practices and preaching racist doctrines (even if today they quietly disavow those past doctrines as folklore and speculation). These things were not taught as speculation or folklore at the time, they were taught as the doctrine, and sometimes the deep doctrine of the church.

After having publishing these statements and then supporting the Official Declaration 2, Bruce R. McConkie had this to say at a BYU Devotional. At least he was able to directly address the issue. He had been teaching doctrines for decades that were deemed to be not doctrine. He attempted to explain it away. Saying something is doctrine and teaching it as such, changing your mind later, doesn’t paint a consistent picture of you as being led by God. Doctrines like this don’t change. Are they true still but the “promised day” has finally come? or are they all false and need to be not only redacted, but repulsed? The church couldn’t make up it’s mind for 40 years, but is finally of the opinion that we don’t look back at what previous leaders have said, we simply look forward and trust that the leaders are right.

There are statements in our literature by the early brethren which we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, “You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?” And all I can say to that is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world…. We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don’t matter any more…. It doesn’t make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June of this year.

Bruce R. McConkie, All Are Alike Unto God, August 18, 1978.
https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie/alike-unto-god/

Is this an apology? No, not really. It addresses the elephant in the room, but shames members for asking questions and tells them to “simply get in line.” Looking closely, he’s not apologizing at all.

First, he’s essentially saying, “I didn’t change my mind because God told me I was wrong. I changed my mind because God changed his opinion.” So in a very subtle way, he’s actually doubling down on having been right all those years up until God changed His mind. Then, he says something more sinister. Ignoring the 800 lb gorilla in the room that keeps suggesting that they probably were pretty racist for a really long time and only changed their policies because of the overwhelming political and cultural trends of the civil rights movement, McConkie goes on to say that talking about things of the past make no sense and is a waste of time because we know God’s will now. So stop thinking about this so much.

Funny how he mentions Brigham Young specifically though. Everything McConkie ever said was just reiterating things that Brigham Young had previously said very explicitly. McConkie and the church throw last leaders under the bus quickly and want to dismiss troubling things they said as folklore or speculation, but they were taught as doctrine and revelation from God. Leaders throw McConkie under the same bus he threw Brigham Young. They don’t want members to know the things that were taught as doctrine have been changed and dismissed. That dampens their authority and infers that more doctrine could change in the future. What could change? Maybe the checks reaching in gay marriage, or ordaining women to the priesthood. The only constant, even in the immutable doctrines of the morning church, is change.

Bruce R. McConkie is definitely not apologizing – he’s saying I was right then, just as I am now because in both instances I followed God. Your charge now, is to be like me, and stop talking about who taught what and when because it’s all different now so those things don’t matter.

Well, does it matter? Does the racist teachings from church leaders prior to June 1978 make a particle of difference? What do you think? Can church leaders just make a blanket statement like this and change everything? Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad things have changed, but how can we disregard so many blatantly racist teachings from the spiritual giants of the religion and church? Should we hold prophets to a higher standard? What do you think? Answer int he comments or consider sharing your whole Mormon faith deconstruction story at wasmomon.org.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1978_Revelation_on_Priesthood#Statements_after_the_revelation
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_Doctrine_(book)
• https://mormonleaks.io/wiki/documents/6/6b/1958-Mormon_Doctrine-Bruce_R_McConkie.pdf
• https://ia902606.us.archive.org/32/items/MormonDoctrine1966/MormonDoctrine1966.pdf
• http://www.mormonthink.com/QUOTES/blacks.htm
• https://www.mrm.org/quotes-on-blacks-priesthood
• https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/bruce-r-mcconkie/alike-unto-god/