The year 2003 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the lifting of the ban excluding black members from the priesthood of the Mormon church. The articles collected in Newell G. Bringhurst and Darron T. Smith's Black and Mormon look at the mechanisms used to keep blacks from full participation, the motives behind the ban, and the kind of changes that have--and have not--taken place within the church since the revelation responsible for its end. This challenging collection is required reading for anyone concerned with the history of racism, discrimination, and the Latter-day Saints.

The year 2003 marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the lifting of the ban excluding black members from the priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now available in paperback, the essays collected in Newell G. Bringhurst and Darron T. Smith's Black and Mormon look at the mechanisms used to keep blacks from full participation in the church, the motives behind the ban, and the kinds of changes that have--and have not--taken place within the church since the revelation responsible for its end.

Mormonism was born less than 200 years ago, but in that short time it has developed into a dynamic world religious movement. The editors have assembled 16 essays addressing the substantial number of published works in the field of Mormon studies from 1950 to the present. Each essay focuses on a particular aspect of Mormonism and is careful to evenhandedly evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the books under discussion.

Including Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman, eleven Mormons have sought the highest office in the United States. Newell G. Bringhurst and Craig L. Foster bring their stories to life as the attempt to answer the question, "Is America Ready for a Mormon President?"

Fundamentalist Mormon polygamy emerged from LDS Church President Wilford Woodruff's 1890 Manifesto, which ostensibly rescinded the practice of plural marriage among Mormons. This volume explores Mormon fundamentalism from several perspectives. Among the topics considered is the history of mainstream Latter-day Saint polygamy in Mexico, John Taylor's controversial 1886 revelation implying the irrevocability of polygamy, and the rise of fundamentalist Mormon polygamy in the early twentieth century. Other essays provide carefully crafted portraits of fundamentalist Mormon leaders such as Joseph...

Fundamentalist Mormon polygamy emerged from LDS Church President Wilford Woodruff's 1890 Manifesto, which ostensibly rescinded the practice of plural marriage among Mormons. This volume explores Mormon fundamentalism from several perspectives. Among the topics considered is the history of mainstream Latter-day Saint polygamy in Mexico, John Taylor's controversial 1886 revelation implying the irrevocability of polygamy, and the rise of fundamentalist Mormon polygamy in the early twentieth century. Other essays provide carefully crafted portraits of fundamentalist Mormon leaders such as Joseph...

The year 1978 marked a watershed year in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it lifted a 126-year ban on ordaining black males for the priesthood. This departure from past practice focused new attention on Brigham Young's decision to abandon Joseph Smith's more inclusive original teachings. The Mormon Church and Blacks presents thirty official or authoritative Church statements on the status of African Americans in the Mormon Church. Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst comment on the individual documents, analyzing how they reflected uniquely Mormon...

The year 1978 marked a watershed year in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it lifted a 126-year ban on ordaining black males for the priesthood. This departure from past practice focused new attention on Brigham Young's decision to abandon Joseph Smith's more inclusive original teachings. The Mormon Church and Blacks presents thirty official or authoritative Church statements on the status of African Americans in the Mormon Church. Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst comment on the individual documents, analyzing how they reflected uniquely Mormon...