Newsroom
Church History
Mormon Polygamy: A Battle of Reluctance
The Mormon Church has gradually shifted from reluctance to openness about its polygamous past, though questions about its origins, scope, and theology persist.
Marcus Martins on Racism in the LDS Church (Part 2)
A sociologist and pioneering missionary reflects on what it means to navigate racism in Mormonism through decades of lived experience.
Blacks in Mormonism: Cain, Able, and the Priesthood (Part 3)
How the restriction on the priesthood for those believed to be descendants of Cain related to broader priesthood patterns and Joseph Smith's prophecy.
Blacks in Mormonism: Cain, Able, and the Priesthood (Part 2)
Exploring how Cain and Abel figure into the priesthood hierarchy and the theological framework that led to historical Church restrictions on blacks.
Blacks in Mormonism: Cain, Able, and the Priesthood (Part 1)
Understanding the scriptural definitions of the sons of God, sons of men, and sons of perdition in relation to Cain and Abel.
Blacks in Mormonism: Exploring the Origins of Racism
Understanding racism as a systemic evil rooted in false philosophies that dehumanize others.
Church Leader's Insights to Revelation Regarding Blacks in Mormonism
Senior Church leaders explain why the Church has disavowed historical explanations for its priesthood restrictions and what this means for understanding ongoing revelation.
Spencer W. Kimball's Revelation Removing Racial Restrictions
President Spencer W. Kimball's prayerful process to receive revelation removing all racial restrictions from the priesthood illustrates a pattern of faithful seeking and patient waiting for God's timing.
Blacks in Mormonism: What Was the Curse of Cain?
Doctrinal myths about the Curse of Cain have propagated through generations of the Church, but the actual curse is the opposite of the Abrahamic Covenant.
Blacks in Mormonism: Priesthood Restrictions and Their Origins
The priesthood restriction on Black Africans evolved from 1852 policy into doctrine—then reversed through President Spencer W. Kimball's 1978 revelation.
Blacks in Mormonism: Blacks and Slavery in Missouri in the Early 1800s
The early expansion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints into Missouri faced fierce resistance from non-Mormon settlers, driven partly by the Church's progressive stance on race relations and baptism of Black members.
Mormon CES Letter Summary
Jeremy Runnells' comprehensive critique of Mormon Church history, doctrine, and practices has become one of the most influential documents in ex-member spaces.