Today, in light of the upcoming Come Follow Me lesson which covers Official Declaration 2, we’re honored to share a conversation with W. Paul Reeve and Ramesus Stewart-Johnson about race, the priesthood and temple restriction, and what it really means to root out racism in our church community today.
Since lifting the priesthood and temple ban in 1978, we have witnessed a great flourishing of the church, as multitudes have embraced the restored gospel in Africa and elsewhere. We can pause to celebrate this transformation occurring in the body of Christ, while contemplating how we can continue to follow the prophetic challenge to root out racism in our church, in our society and in our hearts today. Part of this work is recognizing that myths and misinformation about our history on race persist to this day, subtle remnants of racism.
This conversation felt bold, and at times, challenging. But both Paul and Ramesus share their personal stories, insights, and convictions to help us face our past and future with clarity and spiritual courage. Paul walks us through the history—how the restriction began, how it was solidified, and how newly available primary sources push back against the idea, expressed in our Come Follow Me manual, that we “just don’t know” why the priesthood and temple restrictions were put in place. Paul argues that, until we come face-to-face with our history, we will not learn what we should from it. Ramesus helps us grapple with the lasting spiritual and emotional impact this history has had on many Black Saints—and how genuine discipleship, rooted in grace, honesty, and reconciliation, may be the key to moving forward.
Paul is the Simmons Chair of Mormon Studies at the University of Utah and author of Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood, published by Deseret Book, as well as Religion of a Different Color, a landmark history of race and the early Church and winner of multiple book awards. Ramesus founded the North Texas Genesis Group as a support for Black Latter-day Saints, and now leads Black Lives Bless, an organization devoted to building beloved community through storytelling and truth-telling across the global Church and beyond.
We’re deeply grateful to Paul and Ramesus for being willing to share their hearts and their wisdom with us.
MORE ON THIS TOPIC:
Black Lives Bless partnered with historian Paul Reeve and a panel of thoughtful contributors to create a video showing Paul’s approach to teaching a Come, Follow Me lesson on Official Declaration 2 where he provides clear historical context and guidance for addressing the priesthood and temple restriction thoughtfully and accurately in a church setting. You can view that on our YouTube channel here, and you can find Paul’s slides for that discussion here. You can find even more from Black Lives Bless on their website, BlackLivesBless.org.
Keep exploring and learning from the perspectives of Black Latter-day Saints with our “Race and Racism” tag:
STUDY “COME FOLLOW ME” WITH FAITH MATTERS
How and why does the Church change? Is it okay to work for change in the Church?
What does it mean to be part of a Church that is "true and living?" What's the real story of the racial priesthood and temple ban? How does revelation happen? What is the role of the prophet?
Who is my family? What does The Family Proclamation mean today?
What does The Family Proclamation have to offer us today? What if my family or my life doesn't look anything like the "ideal"? Who is my family? Why are families important? What does it mean to be a beloved child of Heavenly Parents? What do we know about Heavenly Mother? What does it mean to "defend the family"?
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