Mark E. Peterson, Mormon Apostle

Janice Bower

Well-known member
At Brigham Young University on 27 August 1954, at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, Petersen delivered the speech, "Race Problems—As They Affect the Church".[8][9] The speech outlined the religious underpinnings of racial segregation and supported its continued practice as it related to intermarriage between blacks and whites. Particularly, he reaffirmed the LDS Church's unofficial but prevalent teaching at that time that those with dark skin had been less valiant in their lives before coming to earth.[10][11] He also reiterated the idea that blacks were to be servants to righteous white people after the resurrection, as was the case with Jane Manning James who was sealed to Joseph Smith to be his servant in the next life.[12] Petersen said:

The missionaries gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon with racist teachings.

Joseph Fielding Smith's book Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 60:

PRE-EXISTENT LIFE AFFECTS MORTALITY. Notwithstanding that our recollection of former things was taken away, the character of our lives in the spirit world has much to do with our disposition and mentality here in mortal life. The spirit influences the body to a great extent, just as the body in its desires and cravings has an influence on the spirit. The Lord has caused it to be so. Therefore, those who were the noble and great ones in the former world, the Lord foreordained to be his prophets and rulers here, for he knew them before they were born, and through the action of the spirit on the body, he knows they will be likely to serve him here. Environment and many other causes, however, have great influence on the progress and destiny of man, but we must not lose of the fact that the characteristics of the spirit< which were developed through many ages of a former existence play a very important part through mortal life.
 
WHY MEN ARE BORN TO DIFFERENT RACES......

There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less.

Joseph Fielding Smith's book Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 61
 
My hometeacher's wife told me that I must have very special in the pre-existence for "heavenly father" to send me to a non-Mormon family. After all I became a Mormon.
 
What Mormons teach about the birth of a handicapped Child and minorities especially in third world countries



"This privilege of obtaining a mortal body on this earth is seemingly so priceless that those in the spirit world, even though unfaithful or not valient, were undoubtedly permitted to take mortal bodies although under penalty of racial or physical or nationalistic limitations...." (Decisions for Successful Living pp 164-165) TLDP: 497- Harold B. Lee



“There is no truth more plainly taught in the Gospel than that our condition in the next world will depend upon the kind of lives we live here. …Is it not just as reasonable to suppose that the conditions in which we now live have been determined by the kind of lives we lived in the pre-existent world of spirits? That the apostles understood this principle is indicated by their question to the Master when the man who was blind from his birth was healed of his blindness, ‘Master, who did sin, this man or his parents that he was born blind?’ (John 9:2.) Now perhaps you will have a partial answer to some of your questions as to why, if God is a just Father, that some of his children are born of an enlightened race and in a time when the Gospel is upon the earth, while others are born of a heathen parentage in a benighted, backward country; and still others are born to parents who have the mark of a black skin with which the seed of Cain were cursed and whose descendants were to be denied the rights of the priesthood of God”

(Harold B. Lee, Decisions for Successful Living, pp. 164-165).

Doctrines of Salvation Vol 1 page 61

WHY MEN ARE BORN TO DIFFERENT RACES. We are the children of God. He is our Father and he loves us. He loves all men whether they be white or black. No matter what their color, no matter what the conditions under which they were born and reared, the Lord looks upon all his children in mercy and will do for them just the best that he can

There is a reason why one man is born black and with other disadvantages, while another is born white with great advantages. The reason is that we once had an estate before we came here, and were obedient, more or less, to the laws that were given us there. Those who were faithful in all things there received greater blessings here, and those who were not faithful received less.

Is there reason then why the type of birth we receive in this life is not a reflection of our worthiness or lack of it in the pre‑existent life? We must accept the justice of God. He is fair to all. With that in mind, we can account in no other way for the birth of some of the children of God in darkest Africa, or in flood‑ridden China, or among the starving hordes of India, while some of the rest of us are born in the United States? We cannot escape the conclusion that because of performance in our pre‑existence some of us are born as Chinese, some as Japanese, some as Indians, some as Negroes, some as Americans, some as Latter‑day Saints. There are rewards and punishments, fully in harmony with His established policy in dealing with sinners and saints, rewarding all according to their deeds.

Mark E. Petersen, Race Problems as they Affect the Church
 
Amazing, Elijah. I would add that they no longer teach that. But if they had the Holy Spirit, why would they have taught that? They should have relied on the Bible. Thank you for the quotes.
 
WHY MEN ARE BORN TO DIFFERENT RACES. We are the children of God. He is our Father and he loves us. He loves all men whether they be white or black. No matter what their color, no matter what the conditions under which they were born and reared, the Lord looks upon all his children in mercy and will do for them just the best that he can.

The Mormon god is limited in what he can do? Oh, he's just an exalted man, not omnipotent. How is he merciful? He sent them to their parents and chose whether they'd be born in "darkest Africa" or Salt Lake City, in the dark ages or the "last days." So their god isn't able to save them if the Mormon missionaries knock on their door or don't get to knock on their door, but they will decide to believe Mormonism is true after they die?
 
Amazing, Elijah. I would add that they no longer teach that. But if they had the Holy Spirit, why would they have taught that? They should have relied on the Bible. Thank you for the quotes.
None of this stuff is taught in the LDS church--that whom a person is born to is determined by their performance in the supposed pre-mortal, spirit existence? Really?
 
No one knows the details of what happened before the earth was formed. This the limit of the doctrine: There was a war in heaven. 1/3 were cast out and the rest were born into mortality. This latter group was organized by God, and sent into mortality - given laws whereby we might have opportunity to become like God. That each of us were predestined to start, be born, in the time and place where we were. Where we end up is our choice. Given laws we know what to do and and given choice we are in control of our destiny through Christ. We all participated in divine councils with God and understood the plan and our part in it, knowing that when we were born our former life would be forgotten giving us the opportunity to act for ourselves.

There may be some doctrinal details that I missed, but the Bible tells us God predestinated our beginning. It's obvious that this is true regardless of one's Christian theology, whether it be existence began at birth or that everyone exited before birth. On the one hand, God made us what we are and on the other, God knew what were already were. The latter has God organizing based on foreknowledge, the other has God making puppets designed to play a specific role.

If one believes that we were predestinated according to God's foreknowledge, it is reasonable to speculate why some people are born in less that desirable circumstances and some are born right in the middle of the events that brought them the gospel. Why some are born in the gospel and some aren't.

The key point is that it's speculation. A conclusion based on observation. One that draws its conclusion from the view point of a preexistence. But it's not taught and it's not doctrine. It may be believed, but it's not taught.

The reference being cited makes several miscalculations, IMO. It seems to indicate that valiant spirits only exist in Mormon families or in privleged circumstances. I don't believe that's true. Joseph Smith would certainly be considered a valiant spirit, even one of the great and noble ones. He wasn't born in either circumstance. Christopher Columbus is mentioned in our scripture, a man who the spirit of God wrought upon him to find the land of promise. He wasn't born in a Mormon family. If that was Petersen's intention, he grossly missed the mark. God is able to manage the affairs of man by placing noble and great spirits in whatever family He chooses regardless of their social standing or geographical location in history. I do think that valiant spirits are placed with a specific purpose in mind but it has nothing to do with religious affiliation. I don't believe they even have to be good people who would worship God if they knew Him. IOW, they don't have to be Mormons and they don't have to accept Mormonism. The elect mentioned in the Bible doesn't say they tribe if Israel they were from or even that they were Israelites, only that they were in Israel. We don't know that some of them where Moabites dwelling in Israel taking the God of Israel to be their God. The credential that marked them as elect is that they would not bend the knee to Baal.

There is a book about several historic figures that the author would like to meet in heaven. These are people the author believed were great and Noble. This may be a repeat of some of those but it is widely know that among these we believe are the founding fathers of the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln. Martin Luther King, Gandi, the prophet Mohammed, Rosa Parks to name but a few. The great and noble spirits always shine regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in regardless where they dwell geographically or when in history they lived there.

This is were I believe Petersen missed the point, but, yes, God does choose the time and place when our advent begins and he does so based on our character whether it be great and noble or deceiving and backbiting but that wisdom is God's and God's alone. Whenever a person tries to guess the purposes of God, he will usually miss the target because God's ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts.

Even though we tell you guys that our prophets and apostles are not infallible, you still seem to think that if they say it, it must be doctrine. It is not doctrine until we the members of the church say it is doctrine in a formal solemn assembly.
 
No one knows the details of what happened before the earth was formed. This the limit of the doctrine: There was a war in heaven. 1/3 were cast out and the rest were born into mortality. This latter group was organized by God, and sent into mortality - given laws whereby we might have opportunity to become like God. That each of us were predestined to start, be born, in the time and place where we were. Where we end up is our choice. Given laws we know what to do and and given choice we are in control of our destiny through Christ. We all participated in divine councils with God and understood the plan and our part in it, knowing that when we were born our former life would be forgotten giving us the opportunity to act for ourselves.

There may be some doctrinal details that I missed, but the Bible tells us God predestinated our beginning. It's obvious that this is true regardless of one's Christian theology, whether it be existence began at birth or that everyone exited before birth. On the one hand, God made us what we are and on the other, God knew what were already were. The latter has God organizing based on foreknowledge, the other has God making puppets designed to play a specific role.

If one believes that we were predestinated according to God's foreknowledge, it is reasonable to speculate why some people are born in less that desirable circumstances and some are born right in the middle of the events that brought them the gospel. Why some are born in the gospel and some aren't.

The key point is that it's speculation. A conclusion based on observation. One that draws its conclusion from the view point of a preexistence. But it's not taught and it's not doctrine. It may be believed, but it's not taught.

The reference being cited makes several miscalculations, IMO. It seems to indicate that valiant spirits only exist in Mormon families or in privleged circumstances. I don't believe that's true. Joseph Smith would certainly be considered a valiant spirit, even one of the great and noble ones. He wasn't born in either circumstance. Christopher Columbus is mentioned in our scripture, a man who the spirit of God wrought upon him to find the land of promise. He wasn't born in a Mormon family. If that was Petersen's intention, he grossly missed the mark. God is able to manage the affairs of man by placing noble and great spirits in whatever family He chooses regardless of their social standing or geographical location in history. I do think that valiant spirits are placed with a specific purpose in mind but it has nothing to do with religious affiliation. I don't believe they even have to be good people who would worship God if they knew Him. IOW, they don't have to be Mormons and they don't have to accept Mormonism. The elect mentioned in the Bible doesn't say they tribe if Israel they were from or even that they were Israelites, only that they were in Israel. We don't know that some of them where Moabites dwelling in Israel taking the God of Israel to be their God. The credential that marked them as elect is that they would not bend the knee to Baal.

There is a book about several historic figures that the author would like to meet in heaven. These are people the author believed were great and Noble. This may be a repeat of some of those but it is widely know that among these we believe are the founding fathers of the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln. Martin Luther King, Gandi, the prophet Mohammed, Rosa Parks to name but a few. The great and noble spirits always shine regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in regardless where they dwell geographically or when in history they lived there.

This is were I believe Petersen missed the point, but, yes, God does choose the time and place when our advent begins and he does so based on our character whether it be great and noble or deceiving and backbiting but that wisdom is God's and God's alone. Whenever a person tries to guess the purposes of God, he will usually miss the target because God's ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts.

Even though we tell you guys that our prophets and apostles are not infallible, you still seem to think that if they say it, it must be doctrine. It is not doctrine until we the members of the church say it is doctrine in a formal solemn assembly.
When true prophets in the Bible said God had told them something, He actually did. No one voted on it. Their prophecies came true. They were God’s spokesmen, or women, on earth, whether anyone liked what they said or not.

Mormon men set themselves up as prophets, and you revere them as that, until you realize it obviously didn’t come from God. That’s the sign of false prophets. And yet you continue to revere them as prophets. You just don’t trust what they say. You call them “fallible.”
 
When true prophets in the Bible said God had told them something, He actually did. No one voted on it. Their prophecies came true. They were God’s spokesmen, or women, on earth, whether anyone liked what they said or not. God doesn’t give people the wrong information.

Mormon men set themselves up as prophets, and you revere them as that, until you realize it obviously didn’t come from God. That’s the sign of false prophets. And yet you continue to revere them as prophets. You just don’t trust what they say. You call them “fallible.”
 
When true prophets in the Bible said God had told them something, He actually did. No one voted on it. Their prophecies came true. They were God’s spokesmen, or women, on earth, whether anyone liked what they said or not.
Are you complaining about something I said?
 
None of this stuff is taught in the LDS church--that whom a person is born to is determined by their performance in the supposed pre-mortal, spirit existence? Really?


They are likely so embarrassed by what Peterson and others taught, it isn't even brought up. However the fact that there was a first estate that involved nothing as if it was a nano-second instead of a time of testing is absurd. Mormonism is all about learning and earning. Why was Joseph Smith chosen as a prophet? Is their god absent and not involved in decision making?

Prior to April 9, 2022, did he operate without a plan based on his judgments about individuals?

Doctrine and Covenants 82
10 I, the Lord, am abound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.

Except in the twenty-first century, you are on your own. I, the Lord, am not accountable for the blunders you made in the past!
 
One of the so-called speculations was putting racist comments in the Book of Mormon (as far as translated correctly?) and denying African Americans the Priesthood!

“I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”
History of the Church, 4:461
 
There are no racist comments in the Book of Mormon. I've already explained they're from the same family. It can't be about race..

1 Nephi 11:13 (Mary) “… she was exceedingly fair and white.”

1 Nephi 12:23 (Prophecy of Lamanites after Christ) “…became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.”

1 Nephi 13:15 (Gentiles) “…they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.”

2 Nephi 5:21 “…a sore cursing… as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.”

2 Nephi 30:6 (Prophecy to Lamanites) “… scales of darkness shall begin to fall… they shall be a white and delightsome people.” (Changed to pure and delightsome in 1981)

Jacob 3:5 (Lamanites cursed) “…whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins…”

Jacob 3:8-9 “…their skins will be whiter than yours… revile no
more against them because of the darkness of their skins

Alma 3:6 “…skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion…”

Alma 3:8 (Cursed) “…that their seed might be distinguished from the seed of their brethren… that they might not mix…”

Alma 3:9″…whosoever did mingle his seed with that of the Lamanites did bring the same curse upon his seed.”

Alma 3:14 (Lamanites cursed) “… set a mark on them that they and their seed may be separated from thee and thy seed…”

Alma 23:18 “…did open a correspondence with them (Nephites) and the curse of God did no more follow them.”

3 Nephi 2:14-16 “…Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites… became exceedingly fair…”

3 Nephi 19:25, 30 (Disciples) “… they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness… nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof… they were white, even as Jesus.

Mormon 5:15 (Prophecy about Lamanites) “…shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us…”

Mormon 9:6. "O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto
the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having
been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day."
 
1 Nephi 11:13 (Mary) “… she was exceedingly fair and white.”

1 Nephi 12:23 (Prophecy of Lamanites after Christ) “…became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.”

1 Nephi 13:15 (Gentiles) “…they were white, and exceedingly fair and beautiful, like unto my people before they were slain.”

2 Nephi 5:21 “…a sore cursing… as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them.”

2 Nephi 30:6 (Prophecy to Lamanites) “… scales of darkness shall begin to fall… they shall be a white and delightsome people.” (Changed to pure and delightsome in 1981)

Jacob 3:5 (Lamanites cursed) “…whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins…”

Jacob 3:8-9 “…their skins will be whiter than yours… revile no
more against them because of the darkness of their skins

Alma 3:6 “…skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion…”

Alma 3:8 (Cursed) “…that their seed might be distinguished from the seed of their brethren… that they might not mix…”

Alma 3:9″…whosoever did mingle his seed with that of the Lamanites did bring the same curse upon his seed.”

Alma 3:14 (Lamanites cursed) “… set a mark on them that they and their seed may be separated from thee and thy seed…”

Alma 23:18 “…did open a correspondence with them (Nephites) and the curse of God did no more follow them.”

3 Nephi 2:14-16 “…Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites… became exceedingly fair…”

3 Nephi 19:25, 30 (Disciples) “… they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness… nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof… they were white, even as Jesus.

Mormon 5:15 (Prophecy about Lamanites) “…shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us…”

Mormon 9:6. "O then ye unbelieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto
the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having
been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day."


EXCELLENT! Thank you for that work. I didn't have time to read the the Book of Mormon in the two weeks I was given prior to my baptism. Just think ---- I might never have believed those six short missionary lessons.
 
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No one knows the details of what happened before the earth was formed. This the limit of the doctrine: There was a war in heaven. 1/3 were cast out and the rest were born into mortality. This latter group was organized by God, and sent into mortality - given laws whereby we might have opportunity to become like God. That each of us were predestined to start, be born, in the time and place where we were. Where we end up is our choice. Given laws we know what to do and and given choice we are in control of our destiny through Christ. We all participated in divine councils with God and understood the plan and our part in it, knowing that when we were born our former life would be forgotten giving us the opportunity to act for ourselves.

There may be some doctrinal details that I missed, but the Bible tells us God predestinated our beginning. It's obvious that this is true regardless of one's Christian theology, whether it be existence began at birth or that everyone exited before birth. On the one hand, God made us what we are and on the other, God knew what were already were. The latter has God organizing based on foreknowledge, the other has God making puppets designed to play a specific role.

If one believes that we were predestinated according to God's foreknowledge, it is reasonable to speculate why some people are born in less that desirable circumstances and some are born right in the middle of the events that brought them the gospel. Why some are born in the gospel and some aren't.

The key point is that it's speculation. A conclusion based on observation. One that draws its conclusion from the view point of a preexistence. But it's not taught and it's not doctrine. It may be believed, but it's not taught.

The reference being cited makes several miscalculations, IMO. It seems to indicate that valiant spirits only exist in Mormon families or in privleged circumstances. I don't believe that's true. Joseph Smith would certainly be considered a valiant spirit, even one of the great and noble ones. He wasn't born in either circumstance. Christopher Columbus is mentioned in our scripture, a man who the spirit of God wrought upon him to find the land of promise. He wasn't born in a Mormon family. If that was Petersen's intention, he grossly missed the mark. God is able to manage the affairs of man by placing noble and great spirits in whatever family He chooses regardless of their social standing or geographical location in history. I do think that valiant spirits are placed with a specific purpose in mind but it has nothing to do with religious affiliation. I don't believe they even have to be good people who would worship God if they knew Him. IOW, they don't have to be Mormons and they don't have to accept Mormonism. The elect mentioned in the Bible doesn't say they tribe if Israel they were from or even that they were Israelites, only that they were in Israel. We don't know that some of them where Moabites dwelling in Israel taking the God of Israel to be their God. The credential that marked them as elect is that they would not bend the knee to Baal.

There is a book about several historic figures that the author would like to meet in heaven. These are people the author believed were great and Noble. This may be a repeat of some of those but it is widely know that among these we believe are the founding fathers of the United States of America. Abraham Lincoln. Martin Luther King, Gandi, the prophet Mohammed, Rosa Parks to name but a few. The great and noble spirits always shine regardless of the circumstances they find themselves in regardless where they dwell geographically or when in history they lived there.

This is were I believe Petersen missed the point, but, yes, God does choose the time and place when our advent begins and he does so based on our character whether it be great and noble or deceiving and backbiting but that wisdom is God's and God's alone. Whenever a person tries to guess the purposes of God, he will usually miss the target because God's ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts.

Even though we tell you guys that our prophets and apostles are not infallible, you still seem to think that if they say it, it must be doctrine. It is not doctrine until we the members of the church say it is doctrine in a formal solemn assembly.
Isn't Petersen the Mormon who posited the idea that horses in the BoM might be tapirs? Or was that someone else? No, that was Daniel Peterson. My bad.
 
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At Brigham Young University on 27 August 1954, at the Convention of Teachers of Religion on the College Level, Petersen delivered the speech, "Race Problems—As They Affect the Church".[8][9] The speech outlined the religious underpinnings of racial segregation and supported its continued practice as it related to intermarriage between blacks and whites. Particularly, he reaffirmed the LDS Church's unofficial but prevalent teaching at that time that those with dark skin had been less valiant in their lives before coming to earth.[10][11] He also reiterated the idea that blacks were to be servants to righteous white people after the resurrection, as was the case with Jane Manning James who was sealed to Joseph Smith to be his servant in the next life.[12] Petersen said:

The missionaries gave me a copy of the Book of Mormon with racist teachings.

Joseph Fielding Smith's book Doctrines of Salvation, Vol. 1, p. 60:

PRE-EXISTENT LIFE AFFECTS MORTALITY. Notwithstanding that our recollection of former things was taken away, the character of our lives in the spirit world has much to do with our disposition and mentality here in mortal life. The spirit influences the body to a great extent, just as the body in its desires and cravings has an influence on the spirit. The Lord has caused it to be so. Therefore, those who were the noble and great ones in the former world, the Lord foreordained to be his prophets and rulers here, for he knew them before they were born, and through the action of the spirit on the body, he knows they will be likely to serve him here. Environment and many other causes, however, have great influence on the progress and destiny of man, but we must not lose of the fact that the characteristics of the spirit< which were developed through many ages of a former existence play a very important part through mortal life.
Petersen wrote this:

“It appears that the negro seeks absorption with the white race. He will not be satisfied until he achieves it by intermarriage. That is his objective and we must face it. We must not allow our feelings to carry us away, nor must we feel so sorry for negroes that we will open our arms and embrace them with everything we have. Remember the little statement that they used to say about sin, ‘first we pity, then endure, then embrace.’”

Mark E. Petersen. Provo, Utah August 27, 1954. Race Problems As They Affect The Church – https://archive.org/details/RaceProblemsAsTheyAffectTheChurchMarkEPetersen

What a lot of hooey.
 
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