EXHIBITS
Blacks & the Priesthood: Doctrine
Doctrine
The ban: was it doctrine, or was it discrimination?
To think critically on this subject, we need to address what priesthood really is to the LDS Church, the "curse of Cain" theology's development, and the rationale for the ban—which takes us all the way back to a time Mormons call the "Preexistence."
What is “priesthood”?
The priesthood is the power of God, ordained by God, to perform sacred ordinances. The priesthood is the very power Mormons believe will resurrect their bodies and allow them to progress into the next life.
M. Russell Ballard, an apostle in the LDS Church, defined it as such: “Priesthood keys are the authority God has given to priesthood [holders] to direct, control, and govern the use of His priesthood on earth.”1
It is clear that men hold a significant amount of responsibility and power in the church. Priesthood is a symbol of masculinity in LDS culture. It is central to a man’s mission on earth, and it governs which families are sealed for eternity and which are not. In other Christian denominations, one can be saved without being ordained.2 The LDS Church functions differently. Priesthood affects everyone.
References
1. Ballard, M. Russell. “Men and Women in the Work of the Lord.” New Era, Apr. 2014.
2. O. Kendall White, Jr., author, and author Daryl White. 1995. "Integrating Religious and Racial Identities: An Analysis of LDS African American Explanations of the Priesthood Ban." Review Of Religious Research no. 3: 295.