Racism is a heavily debated topic these days, for good reason. 

Ask the vast majority of people living on the planet whether all people should be treated fairly despite the color of the skin, and they would answer yes! Most God-fearing people would likewise agree that in the sight of God, all are equal. 

Unfortunately, for the majority of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this was not the commonly taught or accepted doctrine. The truth that racism was not only permitted but perpetuated over the pulpit is a very hard pill to swallow for members of the Church today, as most also agree that in the sight of God, we are equally His beloved children. 

Dr. Joanna Brooks - author, editor, scholar, activist, and brilliant researcher - recently published another book, Mormonism and White Supremacy. The title is enough to make many mainstream members of the Church uncomfortable, as we are striving to distance ourselves from the term "Mormon," and the term "white supremacy" is both very bold and very negative. 

Dr. Brooks explains both terms in this episode - "Mormonism" is still the scholarly term to refer to the greater Mormon movement, including all religions and people associated with the Church or any of its offshoot sects since the time of Joseph Smith. White supremacy refers to a system that favors people who are white over those of darker skin, often in subtle but important ways. 

In her book and in this episode, Dr. Brooks graciously and expertly walks us through the Church's history with racism, specifically against Blacks, or people of African descent. 

Warning - This may be a difficult episode if you are personally struggling with a testimony of prophets or have been taught to treat prophets with infallibility while acting in their calling. However, this is such an important aspect of the Church to both know and talk about, so I welcome you into the conversation!

Enjoy!

References:

• Dr. Joanna Brooks' book: Mormonism and White Supremacy
• Dr. Brooks' website
• Scripture reference in the introduction : 2 Nephi 26:33