Second-Class Saints

Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality

De: Matthew L. Harris

Narrado por: Bill Andrew Quinn

On June 9, 1978, the phones at the headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) were ringing nonstop. On that historic day, LDS church president Spencer W. Kimball announced a revelation lifting the church's 126-year-old ban barring Black people from the priesthood and Mormon temples. It was the most significant change in LDS doctrine since the end of polygamy almost 100 years earlier.

Drawing on never-before-seen private papers of LDS apostles and church presidents, including Spencer W. Kimball, Matthew L. Harris probes the plot twists and turns, the near-misses and paths not taken, of this incredible story. While the notion that Kimball received a revelation might imply a sudden command from God, Harris shows that a variety of factors motivated Kimball and other church leaders to reconsider the ban, including the civil rights movement, which placed LDS racial policies and practices under a glaring spotlight, perceptions of racism that dogged the church and its leaders, and Kimball's own growing sense that the ban was morally wrong.

Deeply informed, engagingly written, and grounded in deep archival research, Harris provides a compelling and detailed account of how Mormon leaders lifted the priesthood and temple ban, then came to reckon with the church's controversial racial heritage.

©2024 Oxford University Press (P)2025 Tantor Media

Incredible book with fascinating insights into just how the racist policies of the Mormon church changed. Excellent narration!

I'll first start with the narrator. I don't know if this narrator has some sort of history with Mormonism, but their narration is as far as I can tell almost perfect. there are so many terms in the Mormon movement that are frequently mispronounced by those who have not had significant interactions with broader Mormon movement. This narrator did an excellent job of pronouncing (as far as I can tell) almost every single name and place perfectly.

As for the book itself, Dr. Harris does an excellent job of bringing together sources new and old to give so much context that has been known to precious few in the past. This context sheds a light on not only how the priesthood ban was lifted, but also how the church operates at the highest levels. this book shows from so many points of view how LDS leaders and members wrestle with complex problems. Truly worthwhile, read, or since you're reading this review on audible, a worthwhile listen.