Thanks for posting the links.

While they obviously did not spend a lot of money producing it, I highly recommend it. It was honest, didn’t leave out anything, and faith promoting all at the same time. Darius Gray is one of my heroes now. Check it out if you can.

http://www.untoldstoryofblackmormons.com/

Great comment! Thanks for sharing.

I happen to agree with your “pet theory”. The fact is that the letter from the First Presidency announcing the retraction of the ban states that God “…has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed that the long-promised day has come”. I believe the Priesthood was restored in the reverse order it was originally granted in-to the Gentile nations first through Ephraim and Manasseh, and then to Judaic Israel-fulfilling in part the scriptural statements that the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Ephraim holds the birthright and responsibility of authority and the Lord has made it clear that certain blessings would be restored to them first and then they would take those blessings to the rest of the House of Israel.

Bro. Jones-
The sad thing is that Brigham Young repudiated the “fence sitting” theory as early as 1869. So how it came to be passed around so prolifically is odd.

“We don’t know” means we don’t know. I believe it means that there has been absolutely no definitive revelation one way or the other. If that is true, then until such revelation comes, then it would be out of line for the First Presidency to make an “official” statement declaring that certain statements made in the past (and/or those who issued them)were unequivocally “racist”, “ignorant” or “completely inconsistent with the Gospel”.

Most of the men to whom such statements are attributed were brilliant and dedicated scriptural students, and faithful, goodhearted men. None of them are here to defend or explain themselves, and none of us have been given the power or stewardship to search their hearts and declare them guilty or innocent. So for me and my house, as long as the living Prophet continues to remain silent, we will too.

There’s a big difference between Church leaders saying, “Well, we don’t know why the ban was issued,” as they currently do, and “We don’t know why the ban was issued, AND you should disregard anything said out of racism or ignorance on the subject because it’s incorrect on a moral and theological level, and completely inconsistent with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” We’ve heard that message in a few different piece and and at different times, but it would be very comforting to hear something like it all at once.

Another pet theory of mine relates to the Gospel going from the Gentiles to the House of Irael. The times of the Gentiles began coming to a close in the late 1960′s per discussions of Joseph Fielding Smith concerning the state of Israel. The gospel began going from the mostly white European nations to Latin American in the 1970′s so this revelation could be the equivalent of the gospel going from Jew to Gentile in the meridian of time. Since African blood is among the House of Israel currently, the shift was symbolic to represent the shift from the Gentiles to the House of Israel.

It should be noted that Elder McConkie did NOT say “we/they were wrong” nor does he say that Brigham Young, or GQC or himself were the ones in need of “repentance” because of their disbelief. At no time did Elder McConkie EVER state that the ban itself was wrong, or improper, or the product of human beings. Those that say that the above statement you quoted is equivalent to him saying so….didn’t know Elder McConkie or his manner of speech and theology very well.