Ep 350 | Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 & 2, Come Follow Me 2025 (December 8-14)

26 snips

Dec 3, 2025

Dive into the complexities of ongoing revelation with a focus on the 9th Article of Faith. Explore Wilford Woodruff's Official Declaration 1 that ended plural marriage, and the nuanced discussions surrounding Official Declaration 2. The hosts unpack historical perspectives on race and priesthood, including early ordinations and the cultural dynamics that led to the priesthood ban. They also trace the path to lifting the ban in 1978, highlighting influential figures and their efforts. A thought-provoking dialogue encourages open-hearted study of challenging topics.

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INSIGHT

Restoration Is Ongoing

Article of Faith 9 teaches that revelation to the church is ongoing and incremental.
Mike Day urges listeners to expect further light and understanding over time.

ADVICE

Study History With Charity

Be charitable when studying difficult church history topics and avoid condemning past people.
Examine events and facts, then form personal conclusions with humility.

ANECDOTE

Woodruff's Vision About The Manifesto

Wilford Woodruff described receiving visions that led him to issue Official Declaration 1 to cease plural marriage.
He believed stopping the practice preserved temples and church functioning.

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→ Detailed Show Notes

→ Timestamps:
(00:00) The 9th Article of Faith explains that the restoration is ongoing.
(04:05) President Woodruff issued Official Declaration 1 in 1890. This Manifesto led to the end of the practice of plural marriage.
(08:59) Elder Bruce C. Hafen invites us to examine ambiguity in the church with open eyes and hearts.
(17:00) The Church today disavows all theories church leaders and members advanced to explain the priesthood and temple restrictions.
(20:21) During an era of great racial division in the United States, the Saints were persecuted for their anti-slavery stance.
(24:57) Joseph Smith ordained Walker Lewis and Elijah Abel to the priesthood. Later, in 1852, President Brigham Young officially announced that black members would no longer be given the priesthood. The power to decide is given to the President of the church in D&C 107.78-80.
(35:50) The 2013 edition of the scriptures adds an insightful paragraph to Official Declaration 2. Church records offer no clear insights into the origins of the priesthood restriction.
(42:39) Three slaves came into the Salt Lake Valley in the first pioneer company. Brigham Young did not segregate congregations or deny membership to African Americans.
(52:27) Brigham Young felt the priesthood restriction would be temporary and that it would be removed at a future time.
(53:47) In 1978 President Spencer W. Kimball received a revelation extending priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy male members of the church.
(56:37) The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson, gives accounts of African Americans during the great migration in American history. The Clark family experienced tragic persecution in 1951.
(1:01:12) The Church today unequivocally condemns all racism, past and present, in any form. The love of others should be what characterizes the Latter-day Saints.

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The post Ep 350 | Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 & 2, Come Follow Me 2025 (December 8-14) appeared first on LDS Scripture Teachings.