Studying Strong Black Marriages Changed My Own
A thousand pages of interviews changed one PhD student’s marriage. Now he documents Black couples who draw on faith to build strong families.
Race
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Amos C. Brown Fellowship Lifts Off
We wanted to draw your attention to some wonderful news out of the Church’s newsroom today: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/amos-c-brown-fellowship-ghana Part of the Church’s partnership with the NAACP included starting the Amos C. Brown Fellowship. This trip is intended to let students learn more about Ghanian culture. The NAACP and the Church started their relationship in 2018 when they held a joint news conference to call for racial harmony and the end of prejudice
What I Hope You Mean When You Say “I Don’t See Color.”
“I don’t see color.” To paraphrase Inigo Montoya, “you keep using that phrase. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”
“Black lives matter! That is an eternal truth.”
In mourning in the wake of the racist hate crime mass shooting in Buffalo, we are reminded of the words of Dallin H. Oaks at BYU a year and a half ago. “Black lives matter! That is an eternal truth.” Reports are currently suggesting that the shooter engaged in this act specifically to kill black people because of the color of their skin because he was afraid his own race was losing power. If these reports prove to be true, it is a despicable act. It mocks the Christian faith his despicable manifesto claims he wants to protect. As Latter-day Saints, our scriptures teach of many anti-Christs who teach damnable philosophies, and then murder to try and make them come to fruition. This murderer then joins a list of anti-Christs—a man who pulls people away from Jesus by perverting the gospel of peace. President Russell M. Nelson’s well-timed words the day after the attack remind us that we are all children of God. This senseless murder took the lives of ten children of God. Rather than allow ourselves to be desensitized to the racism around us by the constant calls of those who have diluted this idea, we should each work to root out the hate, racism, and identity politics that motivated this killing from our nation, communities, and our own hearts. The murderer hoped that his killings would intimidate those who looked like his victims. We pray this is not the case. We need all of our neighbors to feel comfortable, confident, and safe in their communities. We must do our best to stand shoulder to shoulder in ensuring that these intimidation tactics will not succeed.
Brad Wilcox’ Recent Comments
I get together with some friends to discuss Brad Wilcox’s recent comments–and the strong response they received. We talk about intent and circumstances, but also the reason the comments were hard for so many.
Note: we tried to get this right. I guarantee we didn’t manage perfectly. A group of thoughtful people talking it out helped me though. There were some really good moments and insights, and if nothing else, I think we modeled what it looks like to grapple with something hard in as faithful a way as possible. That sounds me as worth doing.
Our Highest Identity
When we look at people as members of a group first, someone’s true character and passions may be overlooked. We feel like we understand when we understand very little.
A Latter-day Saint Empiricist: An Interview with Tarik LaCour
One of the most fascinating rising Latter-day Saint philosophers sits down with Public Square Magazine to discuss consciousness, empiricism, and racism.
No Comparison Between Latter-day Saint Race and Sex Teachings
It’s become popular to assert that sexual orientation is, and ought to be, analogous to race for Latter-day Saints. That insistence overlooks what prophets actually say.
A Gospel Foundation for Common Ground on Social Justice
Social justice has become a point of aching division in America, and even among Latter-day Saints—with different sides claiming Jesus’s message as justifying their own view. Could that same gospel, however, offer some ways to find vital common ground instead?
A Fourth Take on The BYU Racial Equity Report
Searching for Christianity in the latest BYU Equity Report. Eleven theses toward a more productive conversation on race.
The Doctrine of Christ is Not Racist
Like the accusations against its history, some have insisted the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ has racism “embedded” within it. Are those making this claim aware of what the Church actually teaches?