Ed and Wanda Willis: From Black Panthers to Latter-day Saints

Ed Willis’s life began in a place literally called “The Lower Bottom.” Drugs, Alcohol, Prostitution—you name it, and it could be found in the lower bottom. Ed was always searching for something. It was this searching that led him to become a Black Panther. Ultimately, Ed can now see that the dignity he was seeking all along could be found in understanding that he is a child of God. On this week’s episode, Ed and his wife, Wanda, share how their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints changed their lives. 

"No matter what people might think of me, I'm on my way to purity, because that's the way God wants it. He wants me back, just like He wants everybody else back."

Show Notes:

2:00- Tuberculosis 4:07- Complexities of Race 11:05- No Room for Racism 13:04- Meeting Wanda 20:37- Walking the Walk 25:01- Why the Panthers Resonated 33:50- Why They Left 41:05- Evolving and Escaping Bondage 51:20- Refusing To Miss Out 54:45- Panther To Priesthood 59:00- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin.

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