During this month’s general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Ahmad Corbitt was elevated to the status of General Authority, becoming the second African American man in church history to receive that title. While we celebrate this milestone as a step toward greater racial diversity within the church, we can simultaneously evaluate the ways in which Corbitt’s rhetoric helps or hinders efforts toward social justice and equality.

In his first speech as a General Authority, he at one point addressed parents who have a child that “struggles with a gospel principle or prophetic teaching.” He admonished these parents to “resist any type of evil speaking or activism toward the church or its leaders. These lesser, secular approaches are beneath you and can be lethal to the long-term faithfulness of your child.” Framing activism toward the church as a “lesser, secular approach” is an idea that he articulated more thoroughly in a November speech titled “Activism vs. Discipleship.” In that speech, he positioned activists as antagonistic, destructive and shortsighted, framing activism as an “especially effective tactic that Satan is using to blind and mislead.”

The very pitting of activism against discipleship asserts that being an activist within the church is “unchristian.” In addition to being insulting and divisive, this binary portrayal contradicts countless biblical examples in which Jesus advocated for the impoverished, the marginalized and the weak, while criticizing political and religious elites and the power structures they benefited from. Corbitt’s description of activism as a Satanic tactic not only fans the flames of “us vs. them” thinking within the church but fits within a longstanding pattern of LDS leaders using Satan as a weapon to delegitimize and denigrate social justice efforts. In fact, post-World War II LDS rhetoric has frequently positioned Satan as an advocate of social justice movements, including civil rights, feminism and LGBTQ+ equality.

Perhaps the most painful irony of Corbitt’s condemnation of activism is the fact that he, as a Black man, would not be serving in his current leadership position if it were not for the countless activists before him who have fought courageously for greater racial equality within the church. For example, LDS scholar Lester Bush published a monumental 1973 article in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought entitled “Mormonism’s Negro Doctrine: An Historical Interview.” His central argument was that the temple and priesthood ban placed on people of African descent was initiated by Brigham Young without any apparent revelation to support it. Referring to the profound impact of this article, prominent LDS historian Greg Prince said in 2013: “It gradually became clear that Bush’s scholarship had been a significant factor in Spencer Kimball’s quest to change the policy.”

Darius Gray is among countless other Black Latter-day Saints who have long advocated for greater racial equality within the church. After joining the church in 1964, Gray played a crucial role in organizing The Genesis Group, an organization that provided support and community for Black members. The book “The Mormon Church and Blacks” provides more detail on Gray’s efforts and describes numerous other individuals who influenced LDS racial teachings and policies. Among those is mid-20th century LDS apostle Hugh B. Brown, who tirelessly fought to remove the priesthood and temple ban for years prior to its eventual lifting in 1978.

Although LDS authorities strive to maintain the illusion that they are never influenced by external sociocultural forces, a historical analysis of LDS policies and teachings quickly reveals that this is untrue. In fact, some of the most substantive changes within the church (i.e., removing the priesthood/temple ban, gradually reducing sexist language and policies, fostering more inclusive rhetoric toward LGBTQ+ people) have come on the backs of courageous and visionary activists. I also note that activism within the church is usually a thankless endeavor, as individuals who challenge LDS power structures have often faced the most intense levels of criticism and ostracization, sometimes resulting in excommunication. Indeed, the “heretical” positions of yesterday’s activists have often become the church’s mainstream positions today.

Thus, Corbitt’s disparagement of the very activism that he as a Black man has immensely benefited from is deeply hypocritical and reveals a blatant ignorance of historical progress. Further, authoritarian power structures have often been the most ardent critics of activism and advocacy, prioritizing preservation of power and authority above principles of equity and inclusion. Healthier models of governance welcome rigorous debate and exchange of ideas, creating a context in which activism for marginalized groups is a crucial component of progress and growth. I challenge Corbitt to rethink his condemnatory positions and reflect more deeply on the many activists that have heroically fought for the dignity and rights of racial minorities within the church.

Keith Burns is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College who specializes in Mormonism and sexuality.

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