Accra Ghana Temple
I realize there are those who are not of my faith who read my blog, please feel free to skip today! If you are of my faith (LDS) please read because I need you! (Another one of those educational seminary blogs).
Today and tomorrow in Seminary we have been talking about Acts 10-12. These aren't well known chapters of the New Testament and yet there is extremely powerful doctrine in them.In this chapter a good, generous and righteous God fearing man named Cornelius prays to God and is visited by an angel who tells him to send some men to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter. Meanwhile, Peter is praying on a roof top and receives a revelation that confuses him. The revelation has a sheet that is tied at the four corners that descends on the world. In it are all kinds of animals that, by Mosaic law are unclean. Peter is told to go and eat the unclean animals. He is shocked, for over 2,500 years these animals are deemed uneatable and NOW he is to break that tradition and eat them? Just then the men Cornelius had sent come to get Peter. He goes with them. Now another 2,500 year old tradition is that the Jews are not to mingle or teach to the Gentiles. And IF they do, the Gentile must convert to Judaism to be taught the correct ways and only then can they mingle amongst each other.
Peter, being God's prophet on earth, realizes that the dream means that he is to go among those who are different from him, the Gentiles. He understands that others need to hear of Jesus Christ (probably because they weren't have much missionary luck with the Jews). He realizes when God says something, even if it is a 2,500 year old tradition, it will happen. This lays the groundwork for the apostles to go to different countries to teach others.
This has a modern day application. June 8, 1978, an official proclamation came from the first presidency of the church, stating the the Priesthood which had for over 5,000 years been withheld from blacks, would be extended to every worthy male regardless of color or lineage. This would allow temple blessings to all the world. Since then, missionaries have been sent to Africa and are baptizing in phenomenal numbers. There are now three temples on the African continent, not a lot yet, but the number of African saints is exploding.
NOW...if you have read this far... I need your help. I would like to know how old you were when this proclamation was made. Do you remember it? Where were you? Did you understand it? Did your families discuss it? Now, as an adult how do you feel about it? I would like to take your responses and share them with my seminary class. We will be watching a video about it and doing a missionary activity in preparation to start teaching about Paul and his missionary travels. For me, as I read the proclamation to my class today, tears streamed down my face. What a blessing !
Can you help me out today? Thanks!
19 comments:
Um, you probably don't want to hear this but I was in utero when the proclamation came to pass so I don't remember a thing but I am sure I was rejoicing in heaven with everyone else that the time had finally come for the blessings of the priesthood to be available to all people.
I was 5. I don't remember BUT, this issue had a big impact on me as a missionary. I taught a family (from Ghana actually) who were baptised and since then, the two boys have served missions and one has even married in the temple. Both graduated from BYU and they are amazing examples to me. More of their story can be found here. But if you want more detailed info, just let me know!
http://pandlfamily.blogspot.com/2007/12/blessings-of-missionary-work.html
I was four - so it had no impact on me until later in life. So growing up in the Army and now being in the Army I am in a very diverse crowd. The wards I've belonged to have always been multi-cultural and full of color. When we I was 8 we moved from SLC to Washington State and I vividly remember my parents sitting my brother and I down and telling us that we would be around people of many different faiths and colors and from now on that was the norm and it was the way the world was and all was well. So I've always grown up with black friends in and out of the church.
I've had two experiences with his particular revelation that come to mind however.
1. When my husband and I were first married we were Stake Missionaries and we were working with a newly baptized black woman. We took her and her young daughter to church every Sunday. One Sunday she wouldn't answer her door anymore. It turns out she found out about the revelation. She hadn't been told about it prior to her baptism and the way it was presented to her after the fact was, apparently, not done well and she didn't take it well. She never came back to church. That has always bothered me and I've always been of the opinion since that point that full disclosure is a good thing.
2. One of my dearest friends in the whole world is black. She and her husband joined the church as a married couple in Georgia. She is from as segregated a population growing up as you can imagine. She was the black homecoming queen and there was a white homecoming queen. Her high school has just recently started having an integrated prom. Anyway, they are military and joined the church and soon after moved to Alaska. They were taken in and loved there. When I met them in Arizona, he was the EQ President and she was in the YW Presidency and you couldn't find a better family. One day I asked her what she thought when she heard about the revelation and whether that bothered her. She told me she didn't find out about it until YEARS after they were baptized. But that it didn't matter because she believed in revelation, she believed in modern day Prophets, etc. She didn't feel like she had been mislead or anything because it was her own fault for not having done more research earlier if she'd wanted to know. But that even if she had - it wouldn't have bothered her because it was a revelation just like any other. There are times and places for things to happen and God knows these things.
I'm still not sure if I would have had the faith to be ok with finding something like that out after the fact, but she was and is. I think it's like a lot of things. You either have a testimony or you don't. You are either ready to accept the word of the Prophet or you aren't. There isn't a lot of middle ground.
Anyway, I think the church is certainly a better place because of the revelation. My life is certainly more rich because of the company I keep due to it's effect.
I remember this moment very well!I was 21 and newly married.I heard it on the radio, 1st thought-it must be the end of the world. 2nd thought- my Grandma will will be fit to be tied! This was the 1 thing that set us apart from the decendents of Cane!!!! And then came my 3rd thought- why had this taken so long? Let me know how the lesson goes?
I was 14 and my friend, Laura, and I were covered with Hawaiian Tropic Oil and laying on the beach listening to the radio. Suddenly the radio DJ announced that Mormons were now allowing Black men (that is how he said it) to hold the Priesthood.
Laura and I jumped up and cheered! We were so excited. I was proud that our church made the news, but even more pleased about the announcement. I couldn't wait to tell my parents.
i'll email you. i mean, i served a mission in africa, plus i've got this black guy i'm married to...
and i'm not one to let an opportunity pass to share my opinion.
Yeah I wasn't born for another 4 years. I know it is a sore spot for a lot of people who investigate the church. I just have to trust the Lord that He knew what he was doing and obviously, He still knows. But I too think it is absolutely amazing how the church is growing in Africa!
Sorry I am not much help. Let us know how it goes!
I was eight and I remember it well. At the time I didn't understand it all very well, so I remember my parents explaining it to us in FHE (sorry, I don't remember what exactly they told us). I was a little confused because in my mind I didn't understand why they didn't already have that opportunity. It was such a big deal to my parents, and I remember them being very happy about it.
I will say that even now I am confused as to why it took such a long time coming. However, I have a strong enough testimony that Heavenly Father reveals things to us when, and only when, we are ready.
I wish I could help more, but I wasn't born quite yet when the proclamation came out. However, I remember during a Church History class at BYU, my professor (Richard Holzapfel) expressed his feelings the day the proclamation came out. He told us how he cried with joy as he sat in the temple soon after the proclamation and watched a black man assist in the session he was on. My professor cried again as he retold the story, and I could feel the spirit in the room testifying that this was right. Good luck with your lesson. I can't wait to hear how it goes.
I was 16 and a junior in High school. This was quite profound. I worked for one of two black families in our community. I was their summer nanny. I remember the descrimination that their daughter suffered. Some neighbor kids were not allowed to play with her. One day she put baby powder all over her skin so she could be white like me. I quickly put her in the tub and told her she was beautiful just the way she was. We have come so far from that time.
I was eight and I lived in Marin County. I remember where I was in the chapel when the proclamation was read. There was an older black couple in our ward and they used to bear their testimonies about the proclamtion all of the time. I still remember what they looked like and where they used to sit. I admire their belief in the church despite an obvious delineation between members.
Good luck tomorrow. I'll make sure to ask Max about it.
I was eight years old and my parents had joined the church when I was six. I remember how excited everyone was and I remember there being a wonderful sense of gratitude that every worthy male would be able to now hold the priesthood.
I was 21, a convert of almost 3 years and this had been a touchy spot in my conversion. I went ahead and joined the church because I had received an answer from Heavenly Father that the church was true and I had hoped to understand this later. I also had been studing anthropology and knew there was only one group of Negros inspite of other black groups. I had read some LDS literature regarding those "blacks" who had already joined the church, which did help. I will say that the men/boys at the institute ward had a more difficult time accepting this revelation than the sisters. A few years later as a missionary in Italy, we taught some people from Africa who had had some exposure to the church and it was a comfort to me that all worthy men could receive the priesthood. I also came to recongnize that it is the Lord's church, schedule and He knows better than the rest of us when is the correct time for all things, His revelations are true and the time is true. We may never know all the reasons why, but as Adam, do we have the faith to obey anyway!
Oh, cool. Another seminary lesson idea to copy.
I was eight and remember being in our old VW bus listening to Mom and Grama discussing it.
At the time, it didn't affect me a whole lot, living in a very caucasion community. But, these days, our Philadelphia stake is bursting with people of every color and I enjoy it.
Yeah. I was in utero too. Sorry. I'm thankful to know that Heavenly Father knows what he is doing. Sometimes it doesn't seem to fit our time line, but he is in control. Good luck on your lesson.
P.S. Speaking of seminary...give me a call. Do you have my home # or just my cell? Call my home #. You'll never reach me on my cell. Remember when Lauren was in the hospital? I'm still amazed I ever received your message!
Oh, bummer, I'm a little late. But I was only 6, so I don't remember it.
I am totally at this place in the scriptures. How funny. I JUST read it and I totally thought about the blacks and the priesthood.
I hope your lesson went well!!
Three words: Yes We Can! Do you think the prophet forsaw the black president?
I was three so I don't remember it but I'm soooo glad it happened. I'd love to hear how your class went. I so admire a great seminary teacher! You are invaluable!
I was a senior in high school living in Los Angeles. BUT, my brother had just turned 19 and received his mission call that very week to serve in Brussels, Belgium and northern France. He was SO happy that he would be able to teach everyone about the gospel and that everyone could be baptized and receive the priesthood. It made a big difference to him.
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