Black People aren't Bad...Just Undesirable

If you log on to the official LDS Church website, I guarantee that you won't be able to find anything about African Americans, other than the short passage that says they are eligible to join the Church. Why is this? What's more, why do they need to mention African Americans at all? Oh, sit down...this is rich.

Next time you’re on the street and you see Mormon missionaries, stop them. If you can, try to get a book of Mormon from them. They will ask to come to your house and teach you more...By all means, if you are interested, invite them! But at least know this before you take the plunge of faith. According to LDS Scripture, Black people to this day are considered: "[loathsome], [cursed], [idle], [mischievous], [subtle], and [scourged]." And that's only within five paragraphs of one chapter in the book of Mormon.

Don't believe me? It's ok. I'll just cite the Book of Mormon now and you decide for yourself.

2 Nephi 5:21
"21 And He had caused a cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hears against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.

22 And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.

23 And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they shall be cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was done.

24 And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become and idle people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for beasts of prey.

25 And the Lord God said unto me: They shall be a scourge unto thy seed, to stir them up in remembrance of me: and inasmuch as they will not remember me, and hearken unto my words, they shall scourge them even unto destruction."

Sound like a church that you want to be a part of? Sign me up! Look, it's not that every Mormon is a racist or even close to it. For the most part Mormons are some of the kindest people I have ever met. It's the principle of their faith. If they believe that Joseph Smith wrote the book of Mormon and was inspired by God, then by obligation they are required to believe that black people are inherently sinners! NO NO NO! If you don't believe one passage, it negates everything else! If you are Mormon and you can't accept this passage, then you can't accept your own faith; because EVERY single word in the book of Mormon was inspired by God.

Why can't we just have community organizations where people can congregate and do good for others, rejoice in the beauty of all things, and above all celebrate each other? Why do we need a God, Jesus, Allah, Yahweh, Elohim, El Shaddia, Adonai...(you get the point) to tell us what we must believe? The principal of religion is to divide and segregate. Yet religion’s teachings unite, inspire, and guide positive changes in our own and others’ lives. Yes, churches do a lot of good for people. But think how much more they could do if they banded together under a common goal, let everyone in, and really tried to fight evil. I’m not talking about evil like being jealous of your neighbor’s car, I’m referring to real evil…like racism, war, violence, starvation, hate, and the idea that we are not equally deserving.

Maybe, there is a God, and when I am judged I hope that He/She will look past my inability to waste 3 hours every Sunday to worship Him/Her when I can be out really worshipping God by admiring the beauty of creation.

Here are some links to sites with different biases about the whole Mormon/Black person thing, so you can decide for yourself:

About.com
The Black Mormon Homepage
Untold Story of the Mormons