08-11-2017, 10:20 AM
In general black males who paid tithing can be a member in "good standing", but until 1978 black women were not historically admitted to LDS temple worship nor are they allowed today to hold any priesthood positions (and this includes all women).
The Book of Mormon teaches that long ago whites ("Nephites") and darks ("Lamanites") lived in the US who came from Israel from a group known as the "Jaredites". The Lamanites were originally Nephites who broke off early and began their own race after being cursed and declared wicked. God gave a "skin of blackness" to the Lamanites for disobedience to God while the Nephites were allowed to remain white ("White and Delightsome").
It's a well known and documented part of their mythology. It drove them to try and make Indians more white. The Mormon Church has an extensive history of trying to breed out the blackness in tribes such as the Navajos of Utah. Navajo children were adopted into white Mormon families where the Navajo was stripped of his/her identity. Schools were set up to "re-educate" Native Americans leaving enormous scars on the Navajo families and children. Mormon Prophet Spencer W. Kimball remarked that Navajo children placed in white families were several shades whiter than children still on reservations.
You can read a technical summary behind the genetic lack of proof of their white Nephite theory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_a..._of_Mormon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephites#Archaeology
As far as their tax free status, many churches now violate the original intent of the law. They often are involved in "state" affairs and lobby in various ways for candidates, likewise they pursue many non-religious profit based activities on the order of billions of dollars. They are not the only offenders, but certainly one of the largest.
The Book of Mormon teaches that long ago whites ("Nephites") and darks ("Lamanites") lived in the US who came from Israel from a group known as the "Jaredites". The Lamanites were originally Nephites who broke off early and began their own race after being cursed and declared wicked. God gave a "skin of blackness" to the Lamanites for disobedience to God while the Nephites were allowed to remain white ("White and Delightsome").
It's a well known and documented part of their mythology. It drove them to try and make Indians more white. The Mormon Church has an extensive history of trying to breed out the blackness in tribes such as the Navajos of Utah. Navajo children were adopted into white Mormon families where the Navajo was stripped of his/her identity. Schools were set up to "re-educate" Native Americans leaving enormous scars on the Navajo families and children. Mormon Prophet Spencer W. Kimball remarked that Navajo children placed in white families were several shades whiter than children still on reservations.
You can read a technical summary behind the genetic lack of proof of their white Nephite theory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetics_a..._of_Mormon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nephites#Archaeology
As far as their tax free status, many churches now violate the original intent of the law. They often are involved in "state" affairs and lobby in various ways for candidates, likewise they pursue many non-religious profit based activities on the order of billions of dollars. They are not the only offenders, but certainly one of the largest.