In 1947 a letter was written to a man named Lowry Nelson to see if the church could pursue missionary work in Cuba. Lowry Nelson was offended by the letter and asked about specific church doctrine. Lowry Nelson was raised in the church and had never heard of any “fixed doctrine” against people of color receiving the priesthood and attending the temple. Lowry Nelson writes a letter directly to the prophet of the Church asking his questions. Join us today as we discuss these letters with historian Matt Harris, author of Second Class Saints.

Purchase Matt Harris’ book, Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality

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You can read The Lowry Nelson Letters directly on our website:

Lowry Nelson 1st Presidency Exchange [PDF]

Join with us today as we discuss the priesthood and temple ban with historian Matt Harris. Joseph F. Smith and Joseph Fielding Smith, both Mormon leaders, could not find any doctrinal bases for the priesthood and temple ban and yet it still remained for decades. Members of the church performed blackface and wrote racist poems published in church periodicals. Many of the Mormon leaders did not agree with the ban and some were even removed from their callings because of their different opinions.

Purchase Matt Harris' book here: Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality: Harris, Matthew L.

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In this new series on Mormon Leadership, historian Matt Harris discusses Mormonism's early racism, focusing on the priesthood and temple ban for Black members. He explores the church's opposition to civil rights, the experiences of Black Latter-day Saints like Jane Manning James and Elijah Abel, and the evolving theology around race. Harris challenges misconceptions about prophetic revelation and the origins of the ban, shedding light on this complex and painful history. Purchase Matt Harris' book here! “Second Class Saints” by Matt Harris https://www.amazon.com/Second-Class-Saints-Mormons-Struggle-Equality/dp/019769571X/ Please donate directly to Matt Harris by clicking here: https://donorbox.org/MattHarris ___________________ At Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals. Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology 2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis 3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions 🤝Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today One-time or recurring donations: https://donorbox.org/mormon-stories?default_interval=m Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/mormonstories Paypal: https://paypal.me/mormonstories Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx6OgmoqJbOVRq-Lv1P7SzA/join Our Platforms: 🌐Mormon Stories Blog: https://www.mormonstories.org/episodes 🎙️Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mormonstories ✳️Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4sDzk7dRjODTSEqzZKZJzk?si=148b0efc1ccc4404&nd=1 🍎Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/mormon-stories-lds/id312094772 🖼️Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mormstories 📱TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mormonstoriespodcast 🎮Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kuX5p6yyjF Contact us: 📧 MormonStories@gmail.com 📬PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117