Paul Reeve and Grace Soelberg: Let’s Talk About Race and the Priesthood

History Department Book of the Year Panel Discussion

Let’s Talk About Race and the Priesthood

Few topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are as complex and painful to understand as the policy that for 130 years restricted members of Black African descent from priesthood ordination and receiving temple ordinances. The impact of this policy has been deeply felt by generations of faithful members of the Church. Through the lens of modern scholarship and a trust in revelation, historian W. Paul Reeve offers vital historical context and insight on the origins of the restrictions, race relations both within and outside of the Church, the effects of implementing and eventually removing the policy, and other questions surrounding this sensitive topic. Reeve explores three phases of racial priesthood and temple restrictions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: first, when there were no racial barriers to receiving the priesthood and temple ordinances; second, the 130-year period when there were racial restrictions; and third, a return to "the original universalism."

Paul Reeve Dr. Paul Reeve is the author of this book, a BYU history (BA and MA) graduate, professor of History at the University of Utah, and founder and director of the Century of Black Mormons Project. He is an expert on this topic (hence his invitation by Deseret Book to author this volume) and has spoken on it many times to BYU audiences.

Grace Soelberg Grace Soelberg is a recent BYU honor’s history graduate (2022), past Maxwell Institute Research Staff, curator of the HBLL’s exhibit “Go Make Great: The Norman Wilson Story,” and current University of Utah graduate student in history.