About 2 years ago I sat in a room where a man who was a parent of one of my friends told me that interracial marriages or any race other than white marriage was an act that would not recieve the highest level of heaven that my church believes in. Because of the beliefs in my family, and the heritage of my family my hand arose quickly. I then began to ask him (almost sarcastically) about the fate of my grandparents one of which was white, and the other Hispanic. I told him that they can recieve anything he and his wife could. He then told me that my grandparents could recieve some of the blessings but not the highest level. I then told him how wrong he was and stormed out if the room.
After church I talked to my parents about this man and then spoke with my bishop about how this had made me upset. What my bishop then told me has changed my outlook on personal feelings and revelation. He looked at me with a playful disbelief glance and asked me about how it made me feel, then proceeded to tell me that I KNEW this was not right, I KNEW that this man was speaking wrongfully. And I KNEW that god is just, fair, and does not take skin color into affect. Also that I should listen to the feelings I was having.
This was about 4 years ago when this event happened, my father showed me this article by my church today. That I will share a small part of that really represents the whole meaning of the doctorine of my church. that is wrong, I should stand up for truth. I took this next paragraph from the article.
The Church proclaims that redemption through Jesus Christ is available to the entire human family on the conditions God has prescribed. It affirms that God is “no respecter of persons”24 and emphatically declares that anyone who is righteous—regardless of race—is favored of Him. The teachings of the Church in relation to God’s children are epitomized by a verse in the second book of Nephi: “[The Lord] denieth none that cometh unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; . . . all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile.”25
This blog post was in no way meant to be boastful or mean but to share my experience with personal feelings of right and wrong.
The church is true, Jesus is the only perfect human who ever lived. I have to keep reminding myself that this man who had made a statement that was false was not perfect but neither am I. I hope this post will only inform those who are unaware of this policy. The whole article is here
http://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood
I love that your bishop focused on helping YOU listen and recognize the spirit. Isn't it wonderful when your beliefs and understanding of the Gospel are reinforced. I am so grateful you were able to stand up for what you knew was right.
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