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PrevPrevious EpisodeHow Mormons Became a Racial Category #BlackHistoryMonth
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How Did Others Deal with Slavery? #BlackHistoryMonth

How Did Others Deal with Slavery? #BlackHistoryMonth - Mormon History Podcast
Dr. Paul Reeve – Prof of History, University of Utah.

Mormons are familiar with stories of persecutions in Missouri back in the 1830s.  Why were Mormons so persecuted?  It turns out that the people of Missouri were concerned that Mormons were trying to start a Slave Rebellion.  On the other hand, Joseph Smith was known to be against the abolitionist movement.  Could both positions be true?  We asked these questions to Dr. Paul Reeve of the University of Utah and he gives his answers which may surprise you.  Here are a few excerpts from my interview with Paul.

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Outsiders, non-Mormons in Missouri read that article and get up in arms really quickly. They suggest that the Mormons are inviting free blacks to the state of Missouri to incite a slave rebellion.  Beyond that they also argue they are inviting free blacks to the state of Missouri to steal our white wives and daughters.  Fear of race mixing is always bound up in these charges leveled against the Mormons almost from the beginning, that somehow they are inciting a slave rebellion is one argument, but also race mixing was the other argument.  You’re inviting free blacks, and black men.  There was the myth of the black beast rapist that animates white people’s concerns of who black people are, especially black men.  All black men just simply want white women, and that charge is leveled against the Mormons.

…

Mormons are labeled as abolitionists who are in favor of amalgamation—amalgamation is the pre-Civil War term for race mixing, then Joseph Smith finds it politically expedient to speak out against the immediate abolitionists and amalgamation, race mixing.

I also wondered if there any modern parallels, such as the LDS Church’s current position on abortion.

Yeah, that might work as an analogy.  I mean if you go with the church’s position on abortion in the 21st century, abortion has to be legal for its position to be valid, right?

Here is a link to a Transcript on our website or Amazon.com

Are you surprised that Joseph Smith was anti-slavery and anti-abolitionist?  Do you think abortion is a modern-day equivalent to slavery?

https://media.blubrry.com/gospeltangents/p/content.blubrry.com/gospeltangents/04-OthersSlavery.mp3

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More Podcasts with these Guests

  • Pros & Cons of Race Essay (Part 4 of 7)
  • Elder Snow’s Role with Gospel Topics Essays (Part 2 of 4)
  • Dr. Paul Reeve on the Race Essay at LDS.org (re-release)
  • Becoming a Fanboy of Orson Pratt (re-release)
  • Paul Reeve's Role in Race Essay

Get more information on the people and things discussed in this episode:

  • Guest: Paul Reeve
  • Black Mormon History, Priesthood-Temple Restriction
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: abolitionism, abortion, GT Podcast, iTunes, Paul Reeve, slavery

Tell me when the next episode drops!

PrevPrevious EpisodeHow Mormons Became a Racial Category #BlackHistoryMonth
Next ExpisodeHow Did Joseph Smith deal with Muslims?Next
  • Date: February 12, 2017
  • Guest: Paul Reeve
  • Black Mormon History, Priesthood-Temple Restriction
  • Historical Mentions Mormon History
  • Tags: abolitionism, abortion, GT Podcast, iTunes, Paul Reeve, slavery
  • Posted By: RickB

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Rick Bennett is the friendly, independent historian at the heart of Gospel Tangents LDS Podcast: The Best Source for Mormon History, Science, and Theology. When he isn't interviewing Mormon scholars, prophets, and others, he is teaching math and statistics at Utah Valley University. He also freelances as a research biostatistician in the fields of Dermatology and Traumatic Brian Injuries, as well as in the network television/cable T.V. industries as a sports statistician. Rick holds a Master of Statistics Degree from the University of Utah.

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