From the Wool-sack
| Publication year | 1978 |
| Pages | 1618 |
1978, September, Pg. 1618. From the Wool-Sack
-Shakespeare, King Henry V Act V, Scene v
It is not uncommon to find that progress in one segment of our lives is offset by regression in another. This is fortunate, for were it otherwise lawyers and judges would soon be out of work. Nonetheless, it was with some sadness that I noted that the good news from Salt Lake City that the Lord had tipped off the Mormons was offset by the bad news from Virginia that a young lady from that state was being refused admission to the bar because she was unmarried.
The good news to which I have just alluded is that in the Rocky Mountain News on June 10, it was reported that the "Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) Friday announced that a revelation from God will permit black members to become priests, reversing a policy held since the early days of the 148-year old religion." In a letter signed by the church President it was stated that the Lord "has heard our prayers, and, by revelation, has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive thy priesthood. . . ."
Although the News points out that the letter does not specifically mention blacks, blacks have been the only group denied the priesthood and the denial has never been explained other than that it comes from God. Making no pretense of being a theologian, I could not begin to try to explain how the Lord decides which religions he will advise when it is all right to have blacks in the same church as whites. Therefore, I cannot explain why he waited until June 1978 to so advise the Mormons. Presumably his failure to do so shortly after Brown v. Board of Education was an oversight, but one for whose correction we can all now be grateful.
The only gloomy note in this otherwise cheerful announcement was the statement by a leader of a group of black Mormons that as a result of this change he thought we were getting close to the end of time because "we perhaps have reached a state of brotherhood." Based on the news from Virginia, however, I can assure you, and him, if he is interested, that we have not yet attained...
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