Mormon Sunday school instructor teaches that black people were less valiant in the preexistence

A Sunday School Incident Exposes Lingering Racial Bias in Mormonism

The hallway of a local church can often echo with the familiarity of shared faith, but sometimes those walls are forced to house uncomfortable truths. A recent incident in a Sunday school class taught by an elderly instructor has spotlighted an ongoing struggle within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to confront its racial past and align its teachings with contemporary values. During a lesson about blacks and the priesthood, the instructor claimed that black people were less valiant in the preexistence, a notion that stings especially hard in a class attended by devoted members from the Congo.

This incident is not just an aberration but highlights an enduring tension. For a faith centered on unity and continuation beyond mortal life, the shadow of racially discriminatory theology remains like an unresolved whisper from generations past. By presenting the historical context and attitudes that gave rise to these beliefs, we can better understand the magnitude of this present-day issue.

Historical Context of Racial Teachings in Mormonism

To grasp how such teachings could still permeate Sunday school discussions, we need to journey back to the origins of racial doctrine within Mormonism. The belief that black individuals were somehow less valiant in their preexistence is rooted in historical teachings that have long been disavowed by the LDS Church yet linger in cultural memory. This archaic idea was tied to justifying the Church's ban on black individuals holding the priesthood, a ban that lasted until 1978.

Early church leaders, such as Brigham Young, perpetuated the notion that those with darker skin were inferior in some spiritual way. While these teachings echoed broader societal prejudices of their time, they became enshrined in LDS doctrine, leading to a lasting impact on the Church's member base and its teachings. Although the 1978 revelation officially lifted the priesthood ban, remnants of this older ideology can still emerge in private teachings and informal discussions.