Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Mormon News

News of the Mormon world  |  Home of the Mormon News Podcast

LDS Church

Black LDS theologian says church members still seek apology for priesthood ban

November 11, 2026 at 6:02 AM MT · via The Salt Lake Tribune · Summarized by Mormon News from original reporting

Black LDS theologian says church members still seek apology for priesthood ban
Image via The Salt Lake Tribune

James C. Jones, a second-generation Black Latter-day Saint and theologian, told the Salt Lake Tribune's 'Mormon Land' podcast that many Black members continue to hope for an institutional apology regarding the Church's former priesthood and temple ban on members of African descent, which lasted until 1978.

Jones said that while he has come to believe Mormon theology embraces all ethnicities, the absence of a formal apology remains significant for many Black Latter-day Saints. The 2013 Gospel Topics essay 'Race and the Priesthood' disavowed past theories justifying the ban but stopped short of an apology.

The interview explored Jones's personal journey reconciling his faith with the Church's racial history and his views on current efforts toward racial inclusion within Latter-day Saint communities.

Read the full story at The Salt Lake Tribune →

Mormon News summarizes reporting from established outlets and always links to the original. See an error? Report it.

Related coverage

From the Mormon News Podcast