Racial Diversity in the LDS Church

All (or most) Mormons are white?

This is a common misconception in the United States because many American Mormons are from Utah, located in a region of the country that is predominantly Caucasian. For example, notice on the maps below that Utah and neighboring "non-Mormon" states don't have substantial African-American populations.

African American Distribution Mormon Distribution
Distribution of African Americans
Distribution of Latter-day Saints

That having been said, there are many black members of the Church even in the United States. My wife is one of them! In her years of church membership she has never experienced exclusion or racism. Globally, Caucasians comprise a minority of Church membership and are "losing ground" with each passing year. See my Diversity Slide Show for more.

Racism Video76

Mormons are racist?

Of course any group of millions of people will include a few racists, but racism is condemned by the Church and rejected by all faithful members. Historically, the opinions of some (though not all) Church members were in sync with the commonly accepted (and often incorrect) views of their times, views that included racism. One would be hard-pressed to find an organization of any era whose individual members were free from the influence of prevailing human philosophies. This history, however interesting, has little relevance to modern Mormonism, which categorically denounces racism in all its forms. That having been said, regardless of the erroneous views of some of its members in the past, the Church has been in many instances quite progressive.
  • Since its beginning, the Church has spoken out against racism.
  • Unlike many denominations, the LDS Church has never had segregated congregations.
  • Back when slavery was legal in the United States, many Church members opposed it and/or its brutality.
  • African Americans have been members of the Church since its early years.
  • The Church supported the Civil Rights movement against the racism of the 1950s and 1960s.
  • Mormons and African Americans have a common enemy: the Ku Klux Klan.
I find this accusation of racism particularly offensive, given my wife's African heritage. It is particularly ironic that many of the organizations that falsely accuse Mormons of "racism" themselves are affiliated with religious denominations that historically have openly embraced racism. Because this topic is so important to me, I've dedicated an entire page to racism. Also, be sure to check out my Diversity Slide Show for more.
Mormon Racism
LDS MormonAd: "God created the races...but not racism. We are all children of the same father. Violence and hatred have no place in his family." (See Acts 10:34)

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