Why did it take so long for Mormons to allow African Americans to be part of their religion?
Growing up in the LDS Church, I always heard the doctrine of the African Americans not being able to hold the Priesthood, but the day would come when they would receive the opportunity to receive the priesthood. So, in 1978, it came as a shock to me when President Spencer W. Kimball announced that African American males would receive the opportunity to receive the priesthood as well as the opportunity to go to the temple with their wives and children. That day came as a shock to me because I didn’t expect to see it in my lifetime. Prior to that time, we, as members knew the day would come. The African Americans could still join the Church and attend the meetings with the other members of the Church, despite their race. They were not pushed to the balconies or back pews of the chapels. Here is an article on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacks_and_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints Here is another good article: http://lds.about.com/library/weekly/previousyears/a
