DC09006: Panel: Where Were You on June 8, 1978?

A common response to the race issue in Mormonism is the often tearful memory of where we were on June 8, 1978. But Black Latter-day Saints who have some history in the Church remember when racialist policies kept them from full participation in the Church and justified some appalling assumptions about them. Today, many of our young people have no idea that there was a priesthood restriction. This presentation will include anecdotes and provide resources, giving cause for hope, and also cause for concern. How far have we come since 1978? What lingering challenges do we face as a new generation enters the mission field, often with little knowledge of what the restriction entailed and implied? What are our responsibilities as keepers of the memories?

MARGARET BLAIR YOUNG, DARIUS GRAY, and MICHAEL J. STEVENS