On faithfully advocating for change in the temporal church

 “On every continent and across isles of the sea, the faithful are being gathered into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Differences in cultural background, language, gender, and facial features fade into insignificance as members lose themselves in service to their beloved Savior. Paul’s declaration is being fulfilled: “As many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” 1994–A:69, Russell M. Nelson, “Teach Us Tolerance and Love”

I am 55 years old, and I have seen very many changes in the church.  I was born into a church that discriminated against black men and women.   Men and women were denied priesthood ordinations and temple blessings based on the color of their skin. 

These practices were preached from general conference pulpits based on the false tradition, that it was taught by Joseph Smith.  Faithful men begin the study of what Joseph Smith personally taught and practiced and documented how the current teachings were false.

In 1973 Lester E. Bush wrote and published in Dialogue Magazine Mormonism’s Negro Doctrine: an Historical Overview.

In the early 1960s, there is evidence that Pres. Hugh B. Brown recognized that this practice was one of the false traditions of our fathers and not a doctrine, or practice, from Heavenly Father.  He came close to having the practice removed and changed by The Quorum of the Twelve at that time. I can speculate that the general church membership was not prepared for this change. Elder Spencer W. Kimball continued to support this policy in public while seeking continuing light and truth on this matter. He may have been praying for ways to help prepare the general church membership for these changes.

Lester Bush, through his scholarly work, was assisting in preparing the general church membership for these changes.

I can remember in my youth, reading about Sonja Johnson, and her ex-communication. She publicly advocated for the Equal Rights Amendment.  This avocation was not the real concern for her stake president and local leaders. The real concern was the damage she was causing the missionary program because of her speeches, degrading the church and its leaders, before the  American Psychological Association.

Here you see two examples of ways to create change in the temporal church. One is the faithful approach, and one is the unfaithful approach.  I can be most effective in my avocation for change by faithfully supporting the current leadership and policies.

I have learned many things from personal study and prayer. Some of these may seem heterodoxical.   I am learning the ways Heavenly Mother is sharing her powers with her daughters. It may be different from the ways  Heavenly Father shares his powers with his sons.  The great mystery is why Heavenly Father requires formal ordination while Heavenly Mother does not.

I can be most effective in sharing these truths by first paying my tithing and maintaining a current Temple Recommend. In public, especially in my church assignments and ministering lessons, I am most effective by limiting my lessons to current doctrine while sharing my more personal teachings with close friends.

I wish to follow Lester Bush’s example and not Sonja Johnson’s.  I will support The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve as they are preparing the general membership for a more expanded role for women in church temporal leadership.

This essay was written for my BYU-I Doctrine and Covenants class in the spring of 2021