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Lds Interracial Marriages / Relationships - Mormon Doctrine Studies - Posted: 30th Dec, 2006 - 12:22pm
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Mormon LDS Interracial Marriages ...Counseled in the Church for our Mexican members to marry Mexicans, our Japanese members to marry Japanese, our Caucasians to marry Caucasians, our Polynesian members to marry Polynesians. The counsel has been wise. Controversial Mormon Issue.LDS Interracial Marriages / Relationships
LDS Interracial Marriages / Relationships
Consider the following statements by Boyd K. Packer and express your views about this topic:
QUOTE Now, one other subject. It's been the policy of the Church--and it's been spoken on many occasions--that as the gathering of Israel is in Mexico for the Mexicans, in Tonga for the Tongans, in China for the Chinese, and so on, so has been our counsel as it relates to marriage.
We've always counseled in the Church for our Mexican members to marry Mexicans, our Japanese members to marry Japanese, our Caucasians to marry Caucasians, our Polynesian members to marry Polynesians. The counsel has been wise. You may say again, "Well, I know of exceptions." I do, too, and they've been very successful marriages. I know some of them. You might even say, "I can show you local Church leaders or perhaps even general leaders who have married out of their race." I say, "Yes--exceptions." Then I would remind you of that Relief Society woman's near-scriptural statement, "We'd like to follow the rule first, and then we'll take care of the exceptions....
...You may not be the exception. We counsel in the Church, for instance, that we ought to be old enough before we marry and we ought to know one another before we're married. Our courtships ought to be adequate. You may pick out a couple--he was 18 and she was 17 when they married--and see how happy and successful they've been. Yes, an exception! For every exception we can show you tens and hundreds, and I suppose thousands, who were not happy. Plan, young people, to marry into your own race. This counsel is good, and I hope our branch presidents are listening and paying attention. The counsel is good.
Now, someone may say, "Well, I've never heard that in general conference." I remember once that Brother Lee gave a talk at BYU, and he told me that he felt some unusual inspiration in that talk and gave emphasis to a point that he had not intended to discuss. A few days later one of the professors from BYU called at his office and interviewed him and said, "Brother Lee, I was very interested in your talk. I was very interested in one point particularly."
Brother Lee said, "Yes, I was quite interested too."
The professor said, "Would you mind citing the reference and the authority for that?"
Brother Lee thought for a few minutes and said, "Yes, the reference for that is Elder Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, speaking at a devotional assembly at BYU," And then he gave the date of his sermon. The point I make, simply, is this: It isn't a question of who said it or when; the question is whether it is true.
We've always counseled in the Church for our Mexican members to marry Mexicans, our Japanese members to marry Japanese, our Caucasians to marry Caucasians, our Polynesian members to marry Polynesians. The counsel has been wise. You may say again, "Well, I know of exceptions." I do, too, and they've been very successful marriages. I know some of them. You might even say, "I can show you local Church leaders or perhaps even general leaders who have married out of their race." I say, "Yes--exceptions." Then I would remind you of that Relief Society woman's near-scriptural statement, "We'd like to follow the rule first, and then we'll take care of the exceptions....
...You may not be the exception. We counsel in the Church, for instance, that we ought to be old enough before we marry and we ought to know one another before we're married. Our courtships ought to be adequate. You may pick out a couple--he was 18 and she was 17 when they married--and see how happy and successful they've been. Yes, an exception! For every exception we can show you tens and hundreds, and I suppose thousands, who were not happy. Plan, young people, to marry into your own race. This counsel is good, and I hope our branch presidents are listening and paying attention. The counsel is good.
Now, someone may say, "Well, I've never heard that in general conference." I remember once that Brother Lee gave a talk at BYU, and he told me that he felt some unusual inspiration in that talk and gave emphasis to a point that he had not intended to discuss. A few days later one of the professors from BYU called at his office and interviewed him and said, "Brother Lee, I was very interested in your talk. I was very interested in one point particularly."
Brother Lee said, "Yes, I was quite interested too."
The professor said, "Would you mind citing the reference and the authority for that?"
Brother Lee thought for a few minutes and said, "Yes, the reference for that is Elder Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, speaking at a devotional assembly at BYU," And then he gave the date of his sermon. The point I make, simply, is this: It isn't a question of who said it or when; the question is whether it is true.
LDS Interracial Marriages / Relationships (Hover)
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Well, since I don't believe in the idea of "gathering" in other countries (I believe that the gathering is supposed to be in Zion, and until Zion is redeemed, in the intermountain west), this little statement brings up quite a few questions for me.
However, I do tend to agree with the idea of people marrying within their cultures. Being in an intercultural marriage, I can see problems.
However, if something ever happened, that I was looking to get married again, I would probably look outside my own culture again. That is just me. (Aren't I the rebellious one?)
In all seriousness, intercultural marriage can be very difficult. And, since marriage can be difficult anyway, it is a discussion that MUST be held between two people before committing to marriage.
Post Date: 12th Nov, 2006 - 7:39pm / Post ID: #
LDS Interracial Marriages / Relationships Studies Doctrine Mormon
| QUOTE |
| In all seriousness, intercultural marriage can be very difficult. And, since marriage can be difficult anyway, it is a discussion that MUST be held between two people before committing to marriage. |
Well put Nighthawk. I also am in an intercultural marriage, agree that at first people will see the that first. My family is Mexican/Native American, my wife is Caucasian. She's from a very small town in Florida where there aren't many non-caucasians. I am from Los Angeles, and grew up with a multitude of cultures. My parents were afraid her parents would see my darker skin and... well, think something I guess. It was also a bit of a concern for me as well, but luckily her folks love me. But now that we're past that stage our marriage couldn't be better.
People have to make sure that this person is someone they can spend an eternity with. I can boldly say yes I can.
| Rather off topic, but... Kermit and Ms. Piggy are so fitting for this topic |
Post Date: 17th Nov, 2006 - 7:30am / Post ID: #
Relationships Marriages Interracial LDS
Our world isn't has big has it was half a century ago. We can send letters over the internet in matters of seconds. We can sit and chat with someone in another country and never leave our homes. I have been in several interracial relationships and yea, they are hard (especially being poor). I say if two people kind find love and make it work then more power to them. I'm still having problems landing a good woman 
.
If an Apostle said it must be good counsel, unforunately I may rebel on this doctrine (For shame on me.) Who knows?
Relationships Marriages Interracial LDS
| QUOTE (Zelph @ 17-Nov 06, 1:30 AM) |
| If an Apostle said it must be good counsel, unforunately I may rebel on this doctrine (For shame on me.) Who knows? |
I wouldn't say that at all. I might say, "If an Apostle said it, it is probably good counsel."
I have seen a lot of excellent cross-cultural marriages, as well as a lot of excellent interracial marriages.
Strictly as advice, the counsel is probably pretty good. If it is an attempt to tell the members what they should and shouldn't do (which is how I always took it), I think it stinks.
LDS Interracial Marriages / Relationships
| QUOTE (Nighthawk @ 17-Nov 06, 9:13 AM) |
| I have seen a lot of excellent cross-cultural marriages, as well as a lot of excellent interracial marriages. |
I believe I am a good example of that. I am in both: an interracial and intercultural marriage. I am Hispanic (Spaniard/Native South American Indian by my father side and Italian by my mother's). I'm from Argentina. My husband is Trinidadian, French Creole (his father was white with french ancestry and his mother's ancestry is Hispanic between other races) We have been married for seven wonderful years and we are very happy with each other. Our differences in culture is what makes our marriage interesting in different aspects.
I personally was not "looking" into marrying someone from a specific race, it just happened that I fall in love with him.
I think the counsel given is understandable but not more than that. Choosing someone to date or marry is an extremely personal decision.
Post Date: 30th Dec, 2006 - 8:54am / Post ID: #
LDS Interracial Marriages / Relationships
It's hard to identify incultural. My wife and I are caucasian. She is a first born American with an ethnicity of Italian. I feel very uncomfortable at family events and here family advised her not to marry me cause I was not Italian. We are both white, talk that same way (west coast American kids), but I'm dealing with intercultural issues with her family.
Its a matter of relationship potential and love. Any marriage will require tons of work even with cultures and familys to support so make sure that the relationship has Christ to hold it together.
Just curious, no one has addressed the whole tribe thing. Are we to stay within our own tribe and could that be a factor to marrying within our own race? Each tribe has differ responsibilities, how does having children effect this?
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Nate, I also have an Italian background and believe me I know how possessive Italian families can be, they are pretty much like Jewish families. 
| QUOTE |
| Are we to stay within our own tribe and could that be a factor to marrying within our own race? Each tribe has differ responsibilities, how does having children effect this? |
Good point. Maybe? I am not 100% sure but we do know that the Church have discouraged interracial marriages many times in the past, I don't think the position has really changed.
TOPIC: LDS Interracial Marriages / Relationships