What's to prevent some later revelation from taking it back again?

Walker Lewis received the priesthood during the time of JS (as did Elijah Abel)....but Brigham got a different message from the Lord: take away the priesthood and pass a law legalizing slavery in the Utah territory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walker_Lewis

Bigot Young. What a guy.

That's a very good point. I'd love to ask a Mormon that. The official response is that they don't know why they couldn't have the priesthood. There's absolutely no reason why they couldn't have another revelation saying that blacks, once again, can't have it.

A racist became president of the LDS church.

Why was the ban lifted? Well, a revelation of course...perhaps a revelation that the LDS church's tax exempt status was in jeopardy because of the recent precedent of Bob Jones University:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Jones_University

Although BJU admitted Asians and other ethnic groups from its inception, it did not enroll black students until 1971, eight years after the University of South Carolina and Clemson University had been integrated by court order. From 1971 to 1975, BJU admitted only married blacks, although the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had already determined in 1970 that "private schools with racially discriminatory admissions policies" were not entitled to federal tax exemption. Late in 1971, BJU filed suit to prevent the IRS from taking its tax exemption, but in 1974, in Bob Jones University v. Simon, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the university did not have standing to sue until the IRS actually assessed taxes. Four months later, on May 29, 1975, the University Board of Trustees authorized a change in policy to admit "students of any race," a move that occurred shortly before the announcement of the Supreme Court decision in Runyon v. McCrary (427 U.S. 160 [1976]), which prohibited racial exclusion in private schools.[93]

Of course, God moves in mysterious ways.

Of course, WE know why, and WE know its wasn't by way of revelation. Mormons will never admit these things and so are stuck with the theoretical possibility that God could, once again, restrict blacks from having equality in the LDS church. They can't read God's mind on these types of matters. It happened before, why can't it happen again? They are subject to the whims of their God who in the past, for whatever reason, decided blacks couldn't have the priesthood or temple ordinances until 1978.

being racist.

There is nothing to prevent God from revealing yet another skin curse on some group who isn't just like me and you.

The Abrahamic God supported racism, slavery, conquering hordes, and anything else the white men in power wanted. He doesn't have much of a record for moral leadership.

Welcome to Missionary Chat.

Thank you for your interest in talking to a missionary from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The purpose of Mormon.org chat is to answer basic questions about the church and its beliefs and to provide opportunities to learn more.

Before we begin, will you share a little about what brought you to chat with us?

A missionary will be with you shortly.
Agent [Melissa] is ready to assist you.
Melissa: Hi! My name is Melissa!
Agent [Jamie] has joined the chat.
Melissa: How are you doing?
Jamie: Hi there!
Me: Hi
Me: Wow. Two?
Me: Missionaries?
Melissa: haha yup, lucky you! :)
Melissa: yes, missionaries.
Me: cool.
Me: I had some basic questions about Mormon history with regards to race.
Melissa: okay, what's that.
Me: I've read that Joseph Smith gave the priesthood to blacks. Is that true?
Me: That blacks like Elijah Abel were given the priesthood?
Melissa: That's what I have heard, at least at the time.
Me: And God didn't have any problem with it?
Melissa: God has never had a problem with regards to race. It has never been which one does God love more? That's the important thing to recognize.
Me: Didn't Brigham Young say that Blacks were cursed because they were descended from Can and wouldn't recieve the priesthood until after all the white people recieved it?
Me: Cain
Melissa: I've never heard that before, but this is the stance of the church now:
Jamie: An official declaration of the Church states, “every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly, all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color.”
Me: So if the ban against blacks that existed between Brigham Young and SWK wasn't about race, what was it about?
Me: slavery?
Me: Was God pro slavery?
Me: Didn't Brigham Young pass a law making Utah a slave territory?
Melissa: To be honest, I don't know what it was that was the result of the ban. maybe it wouldn't have been accepted by the world at the time, but I do know that the Lord had His reasons, and we most especially need to look now at the many opportunities available and always remember that the Lord does--and always has--loved ALL of his children.
Me: You said earlier it wasn't about race, but now you don't know what it was about?
Melissa: It wasn't about race in the sense of a derogatory thing.
Me: discriminating against people based upon their race is racist.
Me: that's derogatory.
Me: no matter how you justify it.
Me: what's wrong with admiting that Brigham Young was just a racist
Me: waaaay more racist than Joseph Smith
Me: Joseph Smith seemed like he was against slavery
Me: he even embraced freed slaves like Elijah Abel
Melissa: Well, I don't know him personally, so I can't say anything like that. and It has always been about our Father in Heaven, more than past prophets.
Me: and gave them the priesthood.
Me: If Father in Heaven had a major problem with blacks having the priesthood don't you think he would have let Joseph Smith know that prior to him giving blacks the priesthood?
Me: Why the sudden reversal once BY came along?
Me: And why would none of the prophets realize how racist that was for 170 years?
Me: 14 years after the US passed the Civil Rights legislation of 1964. That's prettty late in the game for prophets who were supposed to be God's inspired mouthpieces on the face of the earth.
Me: Doesn't discriminating against people based upon their race violate Christ's main commanndment to love our fellow men as ourselvves"?
Jamie: I really don't know the reasons for some of the things that happened in BY's time, but I do know that he was called of God and God trusted him and this may be a trial of your faith to trust that he was a prophet of God. You should pray about it and find out for yourself.
Me: I have prayed.
Me: God told me that Brigham Young was a racist.
Melissa: Here is a talk that we'd love for you to read:
Me: And the prophets who followed him were too, since they have not had the courage to contradict what was clearly a violation of God's main commandment, to love our fellow men as ourselves.
Melissa: http://lds.org/ensign/1988/10/priesthood-restoration?lang=eng&query=blacks+priesthood
Melissa: This talk describes the circumstances surrounding the events that lead to the priesthood given to blacks in the 70s, and other important aspects of the Priesthood.
Melissa: from this, you read about President Kimball, who really struggled with this question, if the Blacks could have the priesthood.
Me: I read it. It doesn't say anything about the doctrine behind the ban.
Melissa: Hope you enjoy it, and have a good day.
Me: does it?
Me: why were they banned in the first place?
Me: seems to me that until that changes, the LDS church is still an institution of racism.
Melissa: I'm sorry, Brice, we don't have all the answers, but I can tell you we are not a racist church, but that the official view of the church is equality.
Me: still contributing to the institution of racism, misogyny and homophobia.
Melissa: We have to go, but thanks for talking.
Melissa: Bye
Me: Bull.
Me: you're too cowardly to answer real questions about your faith.
Me: like your leaders.
Melissa: Not at all...
Me: you have no courage of your convictions
Me: you're chicken
Me: don't give me the "I have to go nonsense."
Me: that's a lie
Me: why are you here if you have to go?
Melissa: I've been on my mission for 17 months--all around blacks fyi-- battling these questions and standing up for my beliefs.
Me: so what's the answer?
Me: what answer do you give them
Melissa: And when we are on chat, the purpose is to talk with people who have questions and are searching to grow closer to God. That is why we have to go.
Me: God has his reasons?
Me: I am searching to grow closer to God.
Me: just the god I believve in is anti racism.
Melissa: People that we talk to, who have an open heart, can feel the spirit of the message and gain a testimony of prophets and of God.
Me: his name is Christ
Melissa: so that is the answer to their question.
Melissa: But we really are going to go now, but please read this talk again, and pray before you do.
Me: I prayed before i read it.
Melissa: well, now pray again after talking with us and reading it again.
Me: it doesn't address the relevant issue here, racist doctrines
Melissa: bye, Brice.
Me: you're avoiding the real issues.
Me: not good missionary work.
Me: I'm left to conclude the church cannot really answer for it's racist doctrines, whcih it still maintains.
Agent [Jamie] has left the chat.
The chat session has ended.

I think this is a great approach to LDS people (the more arrogant ones perhaps) and missionaries peddling the cult crap.

quote :

Melissa: We have to go, but thanks for talking.
Melissa: Bye
Me: Bull.
Me: you're too cowardly to answer real questions about your faith.
Me: like your leaders.


It's time to call them out on the bullcrap and stuff the nicey nicey, don't want to upset them approach.

A dangerous lying cult that takes your money, time and sanity is what they really represent.

Well done.

Allowing all worthy men to hold the priesthood, regardless of race, is now Scripture. It would be very hard to rescind that.

Besides, the church would need to abandon one of their big growth markets -- Africa. And one reason the church made the change was that in places like Brazil (4th largest number of Mormons) they couldn't find enough untainted guys to run the wards and stakes. Frankly, the church needs the descendants of Cain.

...but the argument that blacks having the priesthood is now scripture is a bit hollow, considering that all LDS still carry around the scripture that revealed polygamy. There has still been no doctrinal reason given, only the whim of an alleged prophet.

I would also like to hear about the sealing of servitors and how that practice is now continued, or where it was rescinded:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Elizabeth_Manning_James

The ceremony took place on May 18, 1894 with Joseph F. Smith acting as proxy for Joseph Smith, and Bathsheba W. Smith acting as proxy for Jane James (who was not allowed into the temple for the ordinance).[3] In the ceremony, Jane was "attached as a Servitor for eternity to the prophet Joseph Smith and in this capacity be connected with his family and be obedient to him in all things in the Lord as a faithful Servitor". (Salt Lake Temple Adoption Record, May 18, 1894, Book A, p. 26)

Does Official Declaration 2 clarify the sealing of servitors?

BY ruled Utah with an Iron Fist.
Utah was granted Slave status as a territory, Ive seen pix that were claimed to be slaves that the mormons brought with them.

Mormons have 'a problem' being out-in-front of social causes, as simple as letting women wear pants.

Yup. they'll 'boldly proclaim' things with regard to earrings, your 'Eternal Reward', but when it comes down to how we function in-with others around us, "Not so much".

Wait... wasn't there woman priests at one point, too? I remember reading something on it once, but I can't find the reference. There's nothing on any LDS-affiliated site, though :(

That said, if it did happen, you're not going to see mention of it on any LDS-affiliated website.