Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness

Posted on 13 February 2017 by W. Paul Reeve

The Protestant white majority in the nineteenth century was convinced that Mormonism represented a racial not merely religious departure from the mainstream and they spent considerable effort attempting to deny Mormon whiteness Being white equalled access to political, social, and economic power, all aspects of citizenship in which outsiders sought to limit or prevent Mormon participation At least a part of those efforts came through persistent attacks on the collective Mormon body, ways in which outsiders suggested that Mormons were physically different, racially similar to marginalized groups than they were white Medical doctors went so far as to suggest that Mormon polygamy was spawning a new race Mormons responded with aspirations toward whiteness It was a back and forth struggle between what outsiders imagined and what Mormons believed Mormons ultimately emerged triumphant, but not unscathed At least a portion of the cost of their struggle came at the expense of their own black converts Mormon leaders moved away from universalistic ideals toward segregated priesthood and temples, policies firmly in place by the early twentieth century So successful were they at claiming whiteness for themselves, that by the time Mormon Mitt Romney sought the White House in 2012, he was labelled the whitest white man to run for office in recent memory Mormons once again found themselves on the wrong side of white. Download Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness Author W. Paul Reeve – kino-fada.fr Short review This is a well researched, fascinating look at an American born religious group that has an intriguing history If you re interested in race, religion, history, or the overlap of all three, this is a must read Long review I need to start this with a disclaimer that I m a Mormon Not only a Mormon, but a Utah Mormon, who has family members in the LDS Mormon Church going back to 1830, the year that religion was founded So that may bias my reading of this book I m also a history Short review This is a well researched, fascinating look at an American born religious group that has an intriguing history If you re interested in race, religion, history, or the overlap of all three, this is a must read Long review I need to start this with a disclaimer that I m a Mormon Not only a Mormon, but a Utah Mormon, who has family members in the LDS Mormon Church going back to 1830, the year that religion was founded So that may bias my reading of this book I m also a history teacher, and I think that the history of the Mormons as a religion, as a culture, and as builders of a secular kingdom in the Western United States in the 19th Century is one of the most interesting and compelling stories in American history Even then, I ve never considered the story of the Mormons to be that of an entirely different race W Paul Reeve, Associate Pr...Candid and powerful with plenty of surprises and ironic turns An important book on Mormonism, but also on race in Americabroadly Full review to follow.The definitive treatment of the Mormon racial exclusion policy Honest and unflinching and sympathetic Highly recommended for anyone interested in Mormonism or the history of race in America.W Paul Reeve has crafted here a much needed Mormon Studies book exploring the racial dimensions of Mormonism He cleverly begins with a political cartoon from a 1904 Life Magazine publication that depicts a Mormon Elder and his nine six year olds to access a less remembered American cultural objection to Mormon polygamy Not only did the Protestant white majority in the nineteenth century America object to Mormon polygamy because it offended their Victorian notions of monogamist s...Race has always been a part of Mormonism Often it is discussed in regard to the priesthood temple ban that was lifted in 1978 The truth is that the story of race in Mormonism is much greater and longer than that Racial distinctions are found in Mormon scripture and have been the basis for a variety of attitudes among Mormon people throughout the existence of the church Joseph Smith fo...This has been a great book to help me understand how American in the 19th and 20 centuries viewed, understood, and applied race to people, especially the Mormon religion I typically thought that the racial issues surrounding Mormons and Americans centered on white and black, but through this book I have come to better understand that there were many racial classifications applied to the Mormon Church W Paul Reeve has done a great job in crafting a narrative that isn t messy and helps one to u This has been a great book to help me understand how American in the 19th and 20 centuries viewed, understood, and applied race to people, especially the Mormon religion I typically thought that the racial issues surrounding Mormons and Americans centered on white and black, but through this book I have come to better understand that there were many racial classifications applied to the Mormon Church W Paul Reeve has ...This is a FANTASTIC book that everyone should read It helps you understand the struggles of the early saints and their battle with being white It also explains their relationship with the Native Americans as they moved west Also, gives multiple examples and stories involving blacks and the Priesth...I will be thinking about this book for a long time There is much here that I was previously aware of but the net effect of reading the sweep of racial history in Mormonism has been a paradigm shift that will bear, I hope, important fruit in understanding my cultureresponsibly.Required reading if you want to understand the nineteenth century American dynamics of race in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints The research is impeccable, and the author s tone is respectful and understanding.Amazing book, I learned so much about Mormon history and race I view this as one of the most important history books I ve ever read Dr Reeve s work on this topic is an extremely important contribution to contemporary Mormonism.

Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness

13 February 2017

W. Paul Reeve