The Mormon Church has a long, disturbing history of racism—especially toward Black members—and in this video, I'm unpacking it all. From priesthood and temple bans to teachings about curses and “white and delightsome” skin, this is the side of Mormonism they don’t teach in Sunday School. I’ll share historical records, personal stories, and modern-day consequences of these doctrines. Whether you’re a member, ExMormon, or just curious—this is a history you need to know.
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A few resources I mention in the video:
*PEW Research on Mormon demographics: https://web.archive.org/web/20090730012445/http://pewforum.org/docs/?DocID=427
*Batchelor on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@batchloriv/video/7081785271796370734?_t=ZT-8vOTK7RmDsI&_r=1
*Article about being Black at BYU: https://magazine.byu.edu/article/black-at-byu/
*BYU demographics: https://www.byu.edu/facts-figures
*Tara’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@taramherbert/video/7474736968870481194?_t=ZT-8vOTzZgyr54&_r=1
*Tara talks about her Mormon mission to the South: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RWysNhOKCU&t=8161s
*Chanel’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sapid711/video/7086124485144825130?_t=ZT-8vOUTgtDcAY&_r=1
*Chanel’s interview on Mormon Stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=q2Zc6TSGd0Y
*Black Menaces on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackmenaces/video/7065395297882557743?_t=ZT-8vOV37iqpBr&_r=1
*Black Menaces on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackmenaces
*How the bible was used to justify slavery: https://time.com/5171819/christianity-slavery-book-excerpt/
*Mormon church’s essay about the priesthood ban: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng
*Missionary Manual: https://assets.churchofjesuschrist.org/fd/b8/fdb81dafedec11edaca4eeeeac1e420bca67d91b/preach_my_gospel_2_0.pdf
*Darron Smith’s essay about being black in the church: https://web.archive.org/web/20180525134233/https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/pdf/126-31-33.pdf
*Darron Smith’s book, Black and Mormon: https://a.co/d/ec2QllX
*Wikipedia Summary of the Priesthood/Temple ban: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_people_and_temple_and_priesthood_policies_in_the_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints
*Wikipedia Summary of the broader history between the Mormon church and black people: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_people_and_Mormonism
*Wikipedia Summary of the “curse of cain” within the Mormon church: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curses_of_Cain_and_Ham_and_the_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints
*Info on Elijah Abel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_Abel
*Info on Jane Manning James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Manning_James
*Collection of histories of black members of the church (1830-1930): https://exhibits.lib.utah.edu/s/century-of-black-mormons/page/welcome
*Joseph Smith 1836 letter about biblically justified slavery: https://www.centerplace.org/history/ma/v2n07.htm
*List of different Mormon factions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_denominations_in_the_Latter_Day_Saint_movement#/media/File:LDS_Denominations.png
*David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism: https://books.google.com/books?id=3UBXLIkLEQwC
*1949 Statement about the ban being doctrine: https://mit.irr.org/1949-official-mormon-statement-on-blacks-and-priesthood
*My experience teaching 9th grade in Utah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ck3Z9xzaQI&t=876s
*My video about The Book of Mormon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-pEWfx3tJM&t=1214s
*Mormon Native American placement program: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Placement_Program#:~:text=The%20Indian%20Placement%20Program%20(IPP,and%20virtually%20closed%20by%201996.
*Clip of Donny and Marie Osmond on with Barbra Walters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuSde2jGhm8
*1969 Reiteration of doctrine: https://archive.org/details/improvementera7302unse/page/70/mode/2up?view=theater
*Official Declaration 2: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/dc-testament/od/2?lang=eng
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Other resources that may interest you:
*My book, How to Leave the Mormon Church: https://shorturl.at/Vca2z
*Why I left the Mormon Church: https://www.mormontruths.com/why-i-left-the-mormon-church/
*My Mormon Temple endowment explained video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_eSubCKmGo&t=1s
*Mormon garments explained video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg7SHBhZn6o&t=4651s
*How I told my husband I wanted to leave the church: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15g6gaz1tnw&t=360s
*My Mormon mission was a waste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uicAn4l9z4&t=4s
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Where to find me:
*Patreon (ad free & bonus content): https://shorturl.at/8bpnw
*TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alyssadgrenfell?lang=en
*Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alyssadgrenfell/?hl=en
*Blog: https://www.mormontruths.com
*Email me: alyssadgrenfell@gmail.com
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