Mormon Professor Confronts Church on Racism - The Lowry Nelson Story w/ Matt Harris | Ep. 1913

Challenging Mormon Racism: The Lowry Nelson Confrontation

For any institution, grappling with its racial history is an uncomfortable but necessary process. In the mid-20th century, when societal structures were steeped in racial bias, one man dared to confront the status quo of the Mormon Church: Lowry Nelson, a tenured professor and noted intellectual. His outspoken criticism of the Church's racial policies recently resurfaced in conversation with Matt Harris on the "Mormon Stories Podcast," challenging members and historians alike to reconsider the Church's teachings on race. But what exactly propelled Nelson's defiance, and why does it still resonate today?

Lowry Nelson's Crusade Against Church Racism

The year was 1947, a time when segregation was rampant in America, and the Mormon Church upheld a priesthood and temple exclusion policy for black individuals. Within this context, Lowry Nelson, a Mormon professor with a strong sense of moral justice, voiced his opposition. The issue struck a personal chord with Nelson, who was asked about the feasibility of sending missionaries to Cuba (a known multi-racial society) to focus efforts solely on converting individuals of "pure white blood."

Nelson, whose academic pursuits had acquainted him with progressive racial theories, saw this fixation on racial purity as both ignorant and morally repugnant. Drawing on contemporary scholarship, particularly by anthropologists like Franz Boas, Nelson argued vocally against the Church's policies. He pointed out that the notion of a "pure race" was scientifically baseless and called out the Church for perpetuating racial myths reminiscent of radical racial ideologies, including those of Adolf Hitler.

The First Presidency's Controversial Response