No matter who wins next year, Obama, Romney, or Huntsman, I will be pleased if the winner rallies against African tyrants, dictators, and dictocrats who change their countries' constitutions and cling to power by all means to perpetuate organized crime that has ruined the lives of hundreds of millions in Africa.

Nobody in the elected US government has an active interest in pursuing the end of African dictators. The best we can do is useless sanctions which are undermined by the morally bankrupt Chinese who make deals with your tyrants that are business only. We're too busy focusing on poorly planned endeavors in the Middle East instead of Africa's problems and China's practices of undermining free trade. Keep fighting the good fight.

Christians are people who believe in Jesus Christ only. The fact that Mormons feel the need to have another human being beyond Jesus Christ as the most important being in their faith - Smith - makes them something other than Christians. Mormons are not christians no matter how many times they call themselves that. You can only get away with telling people who do not know what Christianity is that you are christian. You are not. Christians also believe that the bible is the only word of God. We do not add a "book of mormorns" to the word of God.

I don't care if a Mormon is elected to lead this country but I think you need to stop telling people that you are christians. Yes I know that you sort of read the bible but if you believed it you would not have a need for another "prophet". Jesus would be enough and you would have no need for another book. I doubt you can live up to the bible alone. Can't imagine why you would need another book. You are a mormon and not a christian. I don't care how many times you call yourselves latter day saints that does not make you christians.

Jan--

Christians believe in Peter, James and John. They believe in John the Baptist. They believe in Paul. They believe in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Not as peers of Christ (or anything close to His peer), but as prophets called by Christ. Being a lover of the Bible, I presume that you do as well. So it is with those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We believe in all of the foregoing and all others listed in the Bible as prophets. We love the Bible; we cherish it as the word of God. We study it. We strive to abide by its precepts. We believe that God has called prophets in these latter days--just as He did in Biblical times (after all, He is the same yesterday, today and forever--and having prophets in these latter days--just as He did in Old Testament times and after He ascended into heaven after His resurrection, is consistent with Bible teachings). One of those who we accept as a prophet is Joseph Smith--not as Christ's peer (or anything close to His peer), but as a prophet called by Jesus Christ. I honor him as a prophet, and when I meet him in the hereafter, I look forward to shaking his hand and thanking him for his life and for his sacrifice.

We accept Christ as our Savior and Redeemer--and our ONLY Savior and Redeemer. He was the only begotten of the Father in the flesh. He died for our sins, and he has taken upon Himself both our sins and our sorrows. We pray through Him (and only Him). We worship Him. We accept His commandments; we rely on His grace. It is only because of His atoning sacrifice that we are able to be saved. He is our Lord and our God. Of this I humbly testify. When I meet Him in the hereafter (and I hope and pray that I am worthy to do so), I look forward to falling at His feet, bathing His feet with my tears, and worshipping Him. I love Him as my Lord, my Savior, my King, my Maker and my Redeemer.

For what it’s worth, I knew Molly Worthen back in Illinois and it was apparent then that she was extremely hateful toward Mormons. I can't say for sure today what she may believe, but this article makes me thinks she has not lost her anti-Mormon beliefs. Mormons shouldn't feel too bad though, she is also very critical of all Christianity and when I knew her she liked to delve into atheist philosophy.

I have had both classes and conversations with Molly throughout our college years and I don't know if it is fair to say she is "Anti-Mormon." However, she herself would probably express that Christianity as a whole is a cult. She really had some issues with people being led like sheep. She does have a point though. I think it is more accurate to say she is more of an "Anti-Religion" person than an "Anti-Mormon" person.

"Christians also believe that the bible is the only word of God"

Based upon what? The Bible does not say it is the only word of God so if you are only going to use it as your source, you have no basis for your statement.

@ Jan Kidd, 8:45 June 13, 2011
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Re: "The fact that Mormons feel the need to have another human being beyond Jesus Christ as the most important being in their faith - Smith - makes them something other than Christians. "
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Nope. In our temples, we learn about the centrality of Jesus Christ's mission, the creation, and the purpose of our life. Joseph Smith is not even mentioned.
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How do we regard Jesus Christ? Here are a few selections from "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ" that give some idea:
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Title Page
[…] Written by way of commandment, and also by way of prophecy and of revelation [...] to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that JESUS is the CHRIST, the ETERNAL GOD, manifesting himself unto all nations.
[capitalization in original]
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Moroni 10:33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ, by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.
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2 Nephi 33:6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell.
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Alma 7:9 But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth.
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Alma 7:10 And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem [citing the nearest major city, Bethlehem is 6 miles away] which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.
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Alma 7:11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
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Alma 7:12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
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Alma 7:13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.
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Ether 3:14 Behold, I am he who was prepared from the foundation of the world to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son. In me shall all mankind have life, and that eternally, even they who shall believe on my name; and they shall become my sons and my daughters.
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3 Nephi 9:15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
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Moroni 7: 38 For no man can be saved, according to the words of Christ, save they shall have faith in his name
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Alma 38:9 […] there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.
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2 Nephi 25:26 And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.
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Moroni 10:18 And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that every good gift cometh of Christ.
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Mosiah 16:
13 And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?
15 Teach them that redemption cometh through Christ the Lord, who is the very Eternal Father. Amen.
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Helaman 5: 9 […] remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ,
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Omni 1: 26 […] come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption.
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Mosiah 3:17 […] there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.
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Mormon 9:
5 For behold, when ye shall be brought to see your nakedness before God, and also the glory of God, and the holiness of Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you.
8 Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.

Alma 34: 8 […] I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it.
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Mosiah 5: 8 […] There is no other name given whereby salvation cometh; therefore, I would that ye should take upon you the name of Christ,
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Moroni 7:33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
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Jacob 4: 11 […] be reconciled unto him through the atonement of Christ, his Only Begotten Son, and ye may obtain a resurrection, according to the power of the resurrection which is in Christ, and be presented as the first-fruits of Christ unto God,
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Mormon 9:36 And behold, these things which we have desired concerning our brethren, yea, even their restoration to the knowledge of Christ, are according to the prayers of all the saints who have dwelt in the land.
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Alma 5: 48 […] I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
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Jacob 4:12 And now, beloved, marvel not that I tell you these things; for why not speak of the atonement of Christ, and attain to a perfect knowledge of him, as to attain to the knowledge of a resurrection and the world to come?
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Helaman 14:17 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.
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Moroni 10:6 And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.
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3 Nephi 20:31 And they shall believe in me, that I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and shall pray unto the Father in my name.
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Jacob 1: 7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest,
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Moroni 4:2 And they did kneel down with the church, and pray to the Father in the name of Christ
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Alma 39: 15 […] concerning the coming of Christ. Behold, I say unto you, that it is he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world;
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Mosiah 15: 23 They are raised to dwell with God who has redeemed them; thus they have eternal life through Christ, who has broken the bands of death.
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Alma 15:8 And Alma said: If thou believest in the redemption of Christ thou canst be healed.
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Moroni 6:3 And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.
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Alma 31:34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.
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Mormon 9:29 See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out.
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2 Nephi 33:10 [...] hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.
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2 Nephi 33:11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
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Moroni 1:3 And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life.
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3 Nephi 10:15 Behold, I say unto you, Yea, many have testified of these things at the coming of Christ, and were slain because they testified of these things.
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Mormon 5:
16 For behold, the Spirit of the Lord hath already ceased to strive with their fathers; and they are without Christ and God in the world; and they are driven about as chaff before the wind.
17 They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.
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Alma 34:6 And ye also beheld that my brother has proved unto you, in many instances, that the word is in Christ unto salvation.
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Mormon 9:37 And may the Lord Jesus Christ grant that their prayers may be answered according to their faith; and may God the Father remember the covenant which he hath made with the house of Israel; and may he bless them forever, through faith on the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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3 Nephi 29:5 Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works!
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Alma 21:9 Now Aaron began to open the scriptures unto them concerning the coming of Christ, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and that there could be no redemption for mankind save it were through the death and sufferings of Christ, and the atonement of his blood.
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Helaman 3: 28 Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
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Moroni 7:22 For behold, God knowing all things, being from everlasting to everlasting, behold, he sent angels to minister unto the children of men, to make manifest concerning the coming of Christ; and in Christ there should come every good thing.
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Mosiah 16:
6 And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.
7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.
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Moroni 7:19 Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ.
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Alma 37:33 Preach unto them repentance, and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ; teach them to humble themselves and to be meek and lowly in heart; teach them to withstand every temptation of the devil, with their faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Jacob 6:8 Behold, will ye reject these words? Will ye reject the words of the prophets; and will ye reject all the words which have been spoken concerning Christ, after so many have spoken concerning him; and deny the good word of Christ, and the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, and quench the Holy Spirit, and make a mock of the great plan of redemption, which hath been laid for you?
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Jacob 6:9 Know ye not that if ye will do these things, that the power of the redemption and the resurrection, which is in Christ, will bring you to stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God?
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Moroni 6:4 And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith.
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Alma 11:42 Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death.
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Ether 4:8 And he that will contend against the word of the Lord, let him be accursed; and he that shall deny these things, let him be accursed; for unto them will I show no greater things, saith Jesus Christ; for I am he who speaketh.

3 Nephi 28:23 And it came to pass that thus they did go forth among all the people of Nephi, and did preach the gospel of Christ unto all people upon the face of the land; and they were converted unto the Lord, and were united unto the church of Christ, and thus the people of that generation were blessed, according to the word of Jesus.
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Moroni 7:25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.
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Mormon 3:22 And I would that I could persuade all ye ends of the earth to repent and prepare to stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.
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2 Nephi 33:7 I have charity for my people, and great faith in Christ that I shall meet many souls spotless at his judgment-seat.
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Moroni 9:25 My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.
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Alma 27:28 [...] and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.
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2 Nephi 31:20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.
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Moroni 3:
2 After they had prayed unto the Father in the name of Christ, they laid their hands upon them, and said:
3 In the name of Jesus Christ I ordain you to be a priest (or if he be a teacher, I ordain you to be a teacher) to preach repentance and remission of sins through Jesus Christ, by the endurance of faith on his name to the end. Amen.
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Mosiah 4: 2 […] O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.
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Alma 4:14 […] thus retaining a remission of their sins; being filled with great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death.
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Mormon 9:
1 And now, I speak also concerning those who do not believe in Christ.
2 Behold, will ye believe in the day of your visitation—behold, when the Lord shall come, yea, even that great day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God—then will ye say that there is no God?
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3 Nephi 11:25 Having authority given me of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
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Moroni 7:23 And God also declared unto prophets, by his own mouth, that Christ should come.
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Mormon 8:35 Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing.
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Alma 22:13 […] the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.
14 And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins,
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2 Nephi 11:6 And my soul delighteth in proving unto my people that save Christ should come all men must perish.
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Mormon 5:14 [...] that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose [...]
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Alma 46:39
And it came to pass that there were many who died, firmly believing that their souls were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ; thus they went out of the world rejoicing.
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3 Nephi 28:40
And in this state they were to remain until the judgment day of Christ; and at that day they were to receive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens.
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Helaman 14:12
And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.
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Moroni 2:3
Now Christ spake these words unto them at the time of his first appearing; and the multitude heard it not, but the disciples heard it; and on as many as they laid their hands, fell the Holy Ghost.
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3 Nephi 5:13
Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life.
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Words of Mormon 1:8
And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.
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2 Nephi 26:1
And after Christ shall have risen from the dead he shall show himself unto you, my children, and my beloved brethren; and the words which he shall speak unto you shall be the law which ye shall do.
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Alma 15:10
And then Alma cried unto the Lord, saying: O Lord our God, have mercy on this man, and heal him according to his faith which is in Christ.
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Ether 12:22
And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the promise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.
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3 Nephi 7:16
Therefore, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds—went forth among them in that same year, and began to testify, boldly, repentance and remission of sins through faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Helaman 16:4
For behold, Nephi was baptizing, and prophesying, and preaching, crying repentance unto the people, showing signs and wonders, working miracles among the people, that they might know that the Christ must shortly come—
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4 Nephi 1:36
And it came to pass that in this year there arose a people who were called the Nephites, and they were true believers in Christ
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2 Nephi 32:6
Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and there will be no more doctrine given until after he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh. And when he shall manifest himself unto you in the flesh, the things which he shall say unto you shall ye observe to do.
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3 Nephi 28:31
Therefore, great and marvelous works shall be wrought by them, before the great and coming day when all people must surely stand before the judgment-seat of Christ;
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Moroni 10:30
And again I would exhort you that ye would come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, and touch not the evil gift, nor the unclean thing.
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3 Nephi 9:15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.
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Alma 5:27 Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?
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2 Nephi 25:23 For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
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Mosiah 3:
8And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.
9And lo, he cometh unto his own, that salvation might come unto the children of men even through faith on his name; and even after all this they shall consider him a man, and say that he hath a devil, and shall scourge him, and shall crucify him.
10And he shall rise the third day from the dead; and behold, he standeth to judge the world; and behold, all these things are done that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men.
11For behold, and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression of Adam, who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them, or who have ignorantly sinned.
12But wo, wo unto him who knoweth that he rebelleth against God! For salvation cometh to none such except it be through repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Alma 5:38 Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.
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Mosiah 5:10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.
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2 Nephi 26:8 But behold, the righteous that hearken unto the words of the prophets, and destroy them not, but look forward unto Christ with steadfastness for the signs which are given, notwithstanding all persecution—behold, they are they which shall not perish.
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Alma 31:38 And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.
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Ether 12:41 And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever. Amen.
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Alma 9:28 Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil.
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Helaman 8:22 Our father Lehi was driven out of Jerusalem because he testified of these things. Nephi also testified of these things, and also almost all of our fathers, even down to this time; yea, they have testified of the coming of Christ, and have looked forward, and have rejoiced in his day which is to come.
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3 Nephi 26:5 If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began.
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Alma 25:16 Now they did not suppose that salvation came by the law of Moses; but the law of Moses did serve to strengthen their faith in Christ; and thus they did retain a hope through faith, unto eternal salvation, relying upon the spirit of prophecy, which spake of those things to come.
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Helaman 3:28 Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.
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Alma 31:31 O Lord, my heart is exceedingly sorrowful; wilt thou comfort my soul in Christ. O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength, that I may suffer with patience these afflictions which shall come upon me, because of the iniquity of this people.
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Moroni 7:47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.
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Alma 34:37 And now, my beloved brethren, I desire that ye should remember these things, and that ye should work out your salvation with fear before God, and that ye should no more deny the coming of Christ;
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Mormon 9:13 And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection [...] and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.
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Moroni 10:
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

The real issue with all of these comments is that there is no sky god, just a bunch of stories dating back thousands of years. Man just made this stuff up, including the mormons
made up stories. Smith did not find any golden tablets in up state NY any more than Santa delivered children presents last December. What a hugh waste of time and resources.

Mormons are not Christians. Smith was a schemer.

We now have all of the proof we need that a Romney White House would be a Salt Lake City White House. Following Romney's declaration early last week that questions about his religion should be directed to his church's leadership in Salt Lake City, we now have their first policy declaration for the Romney campaign, and it's about immigration!

Romney is a Mormon puppet. He will always follow the policies of his church, and defer to their broad and sweeping counsel.

Read the Mormon church press release here. More to follow, for sure:

http://newsroom.lds.org/article/immigration-church-issues-new-statement

So, Mitt, here is your position on immigration in case you weren't sure what it should be!

The poster declares that the Church demands obedience from LDS political leaders. Would it like its voice to be heard and considered, along with all others? Yes. Does it intend to dictate policy? Absolutely not! The poster seems to be under the influence of the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion."

Since the poster considers the lds.org to be authoritative, why did he or she conveniently avoid citing the non-intervention paragraph from the Church's official statement of political neutrality?
http://newsroom.lds.org/official-statement/political-neutrality

"Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and may not necessarily be in agreement with one another or even with a publicly stated Church position. While the Church may communicate its views to them, as it may to any other elected official, it recognizes that these officials still must make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent.
Modern scriptural references to the role of government: Doctrine and Covenants, Section 134. http://bit.ly/kwTUzj

Tracy Hall Jr
hthalljr'gmail'com

"well Kennedy was a catholic and you sound like those who attacked him for it"

More to the point: John Kennedy was an ordinary, if wealthy, Catholic parishioner.

Mitt Romney was a Mormon missionary, Bishop, and "Stake President" - and it is a virtual certainty that he has received the "second-anointing" - the elevation ceremony of the Mormon elite.

Kennedy would have to have been an Arch-Bishop to have risen to a similar level in the Catholic Church.

In reply to Markbnd, Romney was a bishop and stake president because the Mormon church operates through a lay clergy. That is, church leaders are not professional clergy. All active, worthy male members hold the priesthood and regularly serve in leadership positions. Typically, a church member might be called to be a bishop (the pastor for a congregation of a few hundred people) for about five years. Stake presidents will usually serve for five or up to ten years. At any given time, there are about 2,900 stake presidents. The men come from all different backgrounds, careers, and social statuses. For three of the five years my brother-in-law was a bishop, he was unemployed.

Following service as a bishop or stake president, it is quite common for these former leaders to work as Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, or other service positions common to the entire church membership. My point is that even with those service positions, Romney's status in the church is very common, not "elite" as you describe.

Mr. Romney was and is _far_ more invested in his faith than John Kennedy was - the point is not diminished by the "amateur" status of mormon clergy. And beyond that, Romney is indisputably Mormon Royalty, enjoying consanguineous ties with much of Mormon "nobility".

Trying to draw parallels between John Kennedy and Mitt Romney is silly, and rather disrespectful to the former: JFK was a genuine war hero. Mitt Romney? Not so much ...

Mormonism taught up until 1978 that those with Negro lineage would not be given the priesthood until the LDS gospel was preached to all others on earth. It has long been taught and recently overlooked (if not conveniently denied through 'modern day' revelation) that those of Negro ancestry were not followers of Christ's plan for the world in the premortal life. Their punishment was the curse of Cain, a black skin, and denial of the Mormon priesthood. That is the teaching of your founding prophets. As a missionary in the earely '70's we were instructed not to teach missionary discussions to blacks, other than providing a pamphlet for their consideration.

Mormon prophet Brigham Young stated, in fact: "You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly deprived of nearly all the blessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind....Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 7, p. 290). And, "Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty, under the law of God, is death on the spot. This will always be so." (Journal of Discourses, vol. 10, p. 110).

Early Mormon teaching indicated that Christ visited the Americas between his death and resurrection. That incorrect teaching was removed from missionary lessons, filmstrips and visitor centers in the late 70's. A lot of misleading and 'unofficial' doctrine about Mormonism is derived from Mormon apostle Bruce R. McConkie's "Mormon Doctrine". The book was banned, edited, re-introduced, re-banned and now is officially ordered out of print by the First Presidency (May, 2010) as Mormon doctrine is tweaked and altered to stay current and believable.

http://www.exmormon.org/mormon/mormon193.htm

To sfcanative: It would certainly make life easier if all statements by LDS leaders were perfect and accurate. Unfortunately, they are human and as prone to error as all the rest of the human race. Many of the church leaders who conjointly received the revelation in 1978, including Bruce R. McConkie, openly admitted that much of their prior speculation was incorrect...and just plain wrong. On the other hand, many of them testified of receiving a powerful manifestation on the first of June, 1978, that the change in church policies was the will of the Lord, an experience that some of them compared to the manifestations of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. It should also be noted that many blacks, Africans as well as African-Americans, devoutly believed in Mormonism prior to 1978 and were eagerly awaiting the change, whether it came in their lifetime or not, and were in tears of happiness when the announcement was made. And please don't try to equate any books or speeches by church leaders with church doctrine (even if they happen to be titled, somewhat hubristically, Mormon Doctrine). Church leaders, like all church members, are free to publish their own views and opinions, but they are not on a par with official church doctrine, which has remained remarkably stable for over 150 years. (Of course, one of the key doctrines of the church is that of ongoing revelation, which specifically acknowledges that while God himself is unchanging, his will does change from time to time to adapt to earthly circumstances. So "tweaking" church teachings from time to time, as you put it, is precisely to be expected.

To: SFCANATIVE:

I was around long before 1978, and I can personally attest that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did NOT teach that blacks would not receive the Priesthood until the gospel was preached to all others on the earth. Brigham Young's prophecies regarding the day in which the blacks would receive the Priesthood were promising but not that specific. That is why it was no surprise (although it was a delight!) when the revelation was received in 1978.

Similarly, your memory must be mistaken regarding the teachings of the Church in the 1970's regarding the time when Christ appeared in the Americas. As for your statement that the teachings were changed in the late 1970's, if you really were a full-time missionary, please go back and re-read the lesson book that you used on your mission. Mine, copyrighted in 1969, clearly states "After His resurrection...Christ appeared to the people on the American continent." I don't know why you would fight it, particularly with inaccurate information. Re-read the Book of Mormon--there's absolutely no reason why there should be confusion on this point. Both you and the author are mistaken.

As for random statements or speculations by Brigham Young or by anyone else regarding why the blacks were not privileged to have the priesthood--they were just that: speculations, and were never accepted or propounded as doctrine by the Church. Although the accuracy and credibility of many statements recorded as having been uttered by Brigham Young are questionable, if he did say what you suggested in your narrative, then those were his personal opinions, reflecting the prevailing views of the time. It's interesting that a substantial portion of the persecution that the early church suffered was a direct result of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and others believing that slavery was wrong--and the Saints, becoming a growing political force, were therefor driven out of Missouri and other places where they gathered. They paid a heavy price for their enlightened view of human rights.

Even your statement that according to the teachings of the Mormon church "those of Negro ancestry were not followers of Christ's plan for the world in the premortal life" is absolutely wrong,e ven with respect to those who speculated. The book Mormon Doctrine, which you correctly point out is not, and has never been, accepted as authoritative re: Church doctrine (notwithstanding its name, it was published without church review or approbation), states clearly, even in its first edition, that the blacks were among the two-thirds of the hosts of heaven in the pre-mortal life who followed Christ. I have NEVER seen a statement to the contrary. Again, somewhere along the line you've lost your footing or your memory of what your church taught.

Here's what Brigham Young said in 1854:

“When all the other children of Adam have had the privilege of receiving the Priesthood, and of coming into the kingdom of God, and of being redeemed from the four quarters of the earth, and have received their resurrection from the dead, then it will be time enough to remove the curse from Cain and his posterity. He deprived his brother of the privilege of pursuing his journey through life, and of extending his kingdom by multiplying upon the earth; and because he did this, he is the last to share the joys of the kingdom of God”.

Sounds pretty specific to me. In fact the prevailing thought in the Church for at least the next 80 years was that the blacks wouldn't receive the priesthood till after the resurrection. You call BY declaration a random speculation now because it is convenient and serves your purpose but these things only become speculation when they become politically incorrect.

And although it is popular now to claim that the early LDS Church was abolitionist it is not unsupported by the evidence— especially in Missouri. True, the Missourians accused them of this only to be answered by Joseph Smith (Messenger and Advocate April 9, 1836):

"After having expressed myself so freely upon this subject, I do not doubt but those who have been forward in raising their voice against the South, will cry out against me as being uncharitable, unfeeling and unkind-wholly unacquainted with the gospel of Christ. It is my privilege then, to name certain passages from the bible, and examine the teachings of the ancients upon this nature, as the fact is incontrovertible, that the first mention we have of slavery is found in the holy bible, pronounced by a man who was perfect in his generation and walked with God. And so far from that prediction's being averse from the mind of God it remains as a lasting monument of the decree of Jehovah, to the shame and confusion of all who have cried out against the South, in consequence of their holding the sons of Ham in servitude!

"And he said cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem and Canaan shall be his servant." —Genesis 9:25-27

"Trace the history of the world from this notable event down to this day, and you will find the fulfillment of this singular prophecy. What could have been the design of the Almighty in this wonderful occurrence is not for me to say; but I can say that the curse is not yet taken off the sons of Canaan, neither will be until it is affected by as great power as caused it to come; and the people who interfere the least with the decrees and purposes of God in this matter, will come under the least condemnation before him; and those who are determined to pursue a course which shows an opposition and a feverish restlessness against the designs of the Lord, will learn, when perhaps it is too late for their own good, that God can do his own work without the aid of those who are not dictate by his counsel." - (Joseph Smith Jr., Messenger and Advocate Vol. II, No. 7, April 1836 , p. 290; History of the Church, Vol. 2, Ch. 30, pp. 436-40.)"

In 1838, Joseph Smith answered the following question while en route from Kirtland to Missouri, as follows: "Are the Mormons abolitionists? No ... we do not believe in setting the Negroes free." By 1844 he changed his stance as part of his election platform but not before.

With time though societal pressure began to push LDS leadership to reconsider the stance on the Priesthood. See the details below:

*************

Under President Jimmy Carter, Brigham Young University and possibly the LDS Church itself was in danger of losing their tax exempt status if they continued to discriminate against blacks.

Colleges were boycotting athletic games against BYU. The mood in the country at the time was decidedly against the Mormons.

The Boy Scouts of America was putting a lot of pressure on the Church since only priesthood holders could be boy scout troop leaders in LDS scout troops this was denying black scouts the same opportunities that white scouts had. “A 12-year-old boy scout has been denied a senior patrol leadership in his troop because he is black, Don L. Cope, black ombudsman for the state, said Wednesday.... The ombudsman said Mormon ‘troop policy is that in order to become a patrol leader, he must be a deacon’s quorum president in the LDS church. Since the boy cannot hold the priesthood, he cannot become a patrol leader.” Salt Lake Tribune, July 18, 1974

Members and missionaries the world over were embarrassed and ashamed at what the church taught in Sunday School about blacks. The members were not racist and did not like believing in and teaching racist doctrine.

The 1978 “revelation” was just prior to the temple opening in Sao Paulo Brazil. They had built an area office, distribution center and temple. The population has intermarried to an extent that it could not be determined if the people have any black lineage. The Church had publicly stated that people could not enter the temple if they “had even a drop of negro blood.” Who was going to use the temple in Brazil? This was creating a public image nightmare in Brazil.

The Church was becoming a global church. How could they possibly succeed in Africa and countries with large black populations without a change?

*************

The actual events surrounding the 1978 change clearly show it to be a man-made ‘revelation’ that was born out “political expediency”. The timing of the event did as well. Hugh B Brown had pushed for the change years earlier but had been opposed in this action by Harold B. Lee and to a lesser degree Ezra Taft Benson— which is why the change did not come about until Lee had died. LeGrand Richards comments on the change clearly suggest that in the absence of revelation on the matter the leadership did what was prudent. First though it took some of the the old guard hold-outs to die off...just like with polygamy.

I’m not sure what you mean when you say there were “many black members of the LDS Church prior” to the 78 revelation. There were some but many is a stretch. The LDS Church was mostly causcasian. As a policy though the Church actually avoided proselyting blacks in the US and places like Brazil because of the race based doctrine. At the time there was no missionary work in Africa. So yes, people of African descent could join if they wanted to but the Church did not seek to and even avoided baptizing them. Those who were members were denied temple blessings including those few that Joseph Smith had ordained before his death.

Also the priesthood ban was not like Old Testament times when only Levites acted in priestly duties. The other tribe of Israel weren't excluded because they were cursed as the seed of Cain and bore dark skin as a mark as was LDS teaching regarding people of African descent. Seriously, excuses like this are just silly.

I'd say you're the one with some serious inaccuracies in your comments.

1833: Free People of Color Editorial Published
W.W. Phelps (at that time an Apostle in the LDS Church) publishes a controversial editorial in the Evening and Morning Star titled “Free People of Color.” It outlines procedures for the migration of free blacks to Missouri. Missouri is a slave state that beat any free black crossing into or out of Missouri with 10 lashes on his or her bare back. The Missourians react very negatively to the editorial and reprint part of it in the St. Louis newspapers. This spark leads to violence against the Mormons and is one of the factors leading to the Mormons eventual expulsion from the state.

1833: Missourians Write Mob Manifesto
The local Missourians do not like the Phelps editorial and respond with The Manifesto of the Mob. This manifesto calls for the “removal” of the Mormons. Among other things it says: “In a late number of the Star, published in Independence by the leaders of the sect, there is an article inviting free Negroes and mulattoes from other states to become “Mormons,” and remove and settle among us. This exhibits them in still more odious colors. It manifests a desire on the part of their society, to inflict on our society an injury that they know would be to us entirely insupportable, and one of the surest means of driving us from the country; ...to see that the introduction of such a caste among us would corrupt our blacks, and instigate them to bloodshed.”"…we believe it a duty we owe to ourselves, our wives, and children, to the cause of public morals, to remove them from among us, as we are not prepared to give up our pleasant places and goodly possessions to them or to receive into the bosom of our families, as fit companions for wives and daughters, the degraded and corrupted free Negroes and mulattos that are now invited to settle among us.”"…we agree to use such means as may be sufficient to remove them, and to that and we each pledge to each other are bodily powers, our lives, fortunes and sacred honors.”

1833: D&C 101:79 is revealed (accepted as revelation and absolute Church doctrine): "Therefore, it is not right that any man should be in bondage one to another."

1842: Joseph Smith Writes in His Personal Journal that Slaves Should be Set Free--
He writes that the slaves owned by Mormons should be brought “into a free country and set …free– Educate them and give them equal rights.” [30 Dec. 1842 Joseph Smith Journal as quoted in Neither White Nor Black, Bush and Mauss (Signature Books, 1984), p. 62]

1842: Smith Writes His Famous Letter about Slavery
“It makes my blood boil.” In speaking of slavery, Smith writes this emotional letter expressing how he feels about slavery.

1843: Joseph Smith Makes Statements about Blacks
Blacks have souls (an item that others didn’t necessarily believe) and that they are a product of their environment. Given an equal environment they would be on the same level as whites.

1844: Joseph Smith Runs for President On an anti-slavery platform.
“[We] hold[s] these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal;…but at the same time some two or three millions of people are held as slaves for life, because the spirit in them is covered with a darker skin than ours.” Joseph proposes the sale of public lands to pay for the release of every slave and to abolish slavery by 1850.

1869: the “Neutral in the Preexistence” Explanation Denied by Brigham Young
When asked “if the spirits of Negroes were neutral in heaven,” Brigham Young answers, “no, they were not, there were no neutral [spirits] in heaven at the time of the rebellion, all took sides…. All spirits are pure that came from the presence of God. (Journal History, 25 December 1869, citing Wilford Woodruff’s journal.)

1912: LDS First Presidency Again Denies the “Neutral in Heaven” Idea [Authoritative as Church doctrine]:
Just as Brigham Young denied it, Joseph F. Smith and Charles Penrose deny this theory in a First Presidency letter written to M. Knudson on January 13, 1912. “There is no revelation, ancient or modern, neither is there any authoritative statement by any of the authorities of the Church… [in support of the idea] that the Negroes are those who were neutral in heaven at the time of the great conflict or war, which resulted in the casting out of Lucifer and those who were led by him.” (As quoted in Neither White Nor Black, Bush and Mauss, Signature Books, pg. 86)

1949: First Presidency Statement on Blacks and Priesthood
“The attitude of the Church with reference to the Negroes remains as it has always stood. It is not a matter of the declaration of a policy but of direct commandment from the Lord, on which is founded the doctrine of the Church from the days of its organization, to the effect that Negroes may become members of the Church but that they are not entitled to the priesthood at the present time.”

1973: Spencer W. Kimball becomes Church President
He says the following about the issue: “I am not sure that there will be a change, although there could be. We are under the dictates of our Heavenly Father, and this is not my policy or the Church’s policy. It is the policy of the Lord who has established it, and I know of no change, although we are subject to revelations of the Lord...”

1978: Priesthood Ban Lifted
On June 8, 1978 the revelation which gives the priesthood to everyone regardless of race or linage is announced. The events leading up to it and the revelation itself are judged to be a true miracle.

1978: Bruce R. McConkie Comments on Black Issue
Elder McConkie states that “we should forget everything that has been said in the past on this topic.“

The poster above this post do have link or articles on The Carter-BYU, Schools not scheduling BYU and the Boy Scout stuff thanks.

The poster above this post do have link or articles on The Carter-BYU, Schools not scheduling BYU and the Boy Scout stuff thanks.

@Derek Dixon:

"It simply is not prudent or productive to judge a candidate on his/her personal beliefs"

I dispute that notion (emphatically).

Beliefs inform as to mindset - and mindset is very much a legitimate concern of the citizenry.

Should the electorate blithely vote for a follower of Jim Jones, or a snake-handling religion - or should they consider very carefully how beliefs shape the mind of the believer?

When a True Believer takes an oath to uphold and support his church above all else, shouldn't the electorate ponder the dichotomy of conflicting oaths (church versus Presidential)?

Not only is the American Electorate _entitled_ to consider the matter of beliefs - it is a _requirement_ for good stewardship of their very voting rights.

I read your comment and had all of the same initial thoughts regarding Molly Worthen's article. I am also a Yale Alumni and would hold her to the exact standard you have outlined. Thank you for your much needed comments on this poor article and for your accurate interjections of Yale quality and decorum.

I admit I love Foreign Policy Magazine and the website here. That is why I must agree with SSPOLSCI that I was surprised to read a tabloid article here on FP. This article is lacking in so many areas that as an English professor it was difficult to finish. How this one made the cut on FP I will never know?