The Boston Globe posts an incredible letter from one of the Mormon “prophets” to then-Michigan Gov. George Romney in 1964, taking him to task for his support of the Civil Rights Act. I took the time to convert the PDF to text so I could copy it here because I want to be able to highlight some of the mind-blowing statements found in it.
Governor George W. Romney
Governor’s Mansion
Lansing, MichiganDear George:
It was a real pleasure to greet and have a moment to visit with you and Lenore here this past week. It is wonderful to see how enthusiastically you are received by the good people of Utah.
After listening to your talk on Civil Rights, I am very much concerned. Several others have expressed the same concern to me. It does not altogether harmonize with my own understandings regarding this subject; therefore, I thought to drop you a note — not in my official Church position, but as a personal friend. Only President McKay can speak for the Church.
I felt, George, your views were most liberal on this vital problem in the light of the revelations, but nevertheless, I cannot deny you the right of your position if it represents your true belief and feelings.
I would like to suggest you read two items on this subject, both by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Turn to page 269 of Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith by Joseph Fielding Smith, and read beginning the middle of the page under the caption, “The Status of the Negro,” giving particular attention to the closing sentence on page 270. Also, read from Histopy of the Church, Period 1, Volume 2, beginning on page 436, under the heading, “The Prophet’s Views on
Abolition,” which article continues to the bottom of page 440. After reading this last-mentioned statement by the Prophet, then come back to the last paragraph on page 438, and give it some real thought. When I reflect upon the Prophet’s statements and remember what happened to three of our nation’s presidents who were very active in the Negro cause, I am sobered by their demise. They went contrary to the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith —
unwittingly, no doubt, but nevertheless, the prophecy of Joseph Smith, “. . . those who are determined to pursue a course, which shows an opposition, and a feverish restlessness against the decrees of the Lord, will learn, when perhaps it is too late for their own good, that God can do His own work, without the aid of those who are not dictated by His counsel,” has and will continue to be fulfilled.In this respect, let me give you a personal experience. A friend of mine in Arizona — not a Church member — a great champion of the colored race -— came to me after my call into the Twelve, and acknowledged President McKay to be a Prophet of God. He wanted me to ask President McKay to inquire of the Lord to see if the Lord would not lift the curse from the colored race and give them the privileges of the Priesthood. I explained to him that the Lord had placed the curse upon the Negro, which denied him the Priesthood; therefore, it was the Lord’s responsibility — not man’s — to change His decision. This friend of mine met a very tragic end by drowning. He was a most enthusiastic advocate of the colored cause and went about promoting for them all the privileges, social opportunities, and participation enjoyed by the Whites.
I am sure you know that the Prophet Joseph Smith, in connection with the Negro problem of this country, proposed to Congress that they sell public lands and buy up the Negro slaves and transport them back to Africa from whence they came. I am sure the Prophet, with his vision and understanding, foresaw the problems we are faced with today with this race, which caused him to promote this program.
The statements of the Prophet Joseph Smith have been a helpful influence on me because they accord with my own understandings regarding the Negro. I cannot, in my own feelings, accept the idea of public accomodations; the taking from the Whites their wishes to satisfy the Negros. I do not have any objection to recognizing the Negro in his place and giving him every opportunity for education, for employment, for whatever contribution he can make to the society of men and the protection and blessings of Government. Yet, all these things, in my judgment, should accord with the expressions of the Prophet Joseph Smith. It is not right to force any class or race of people upon those of a different social order or race classification. People are happier when placed in the environment and association of
like interests, racial instincts, habits, and natural groupings.I am enclosing a little booklet entitled Mormonism and the Negro, which you may already have. If not, it is an enlightening exposition and quite well reflects the Church position in regard to these people.
I am not against a Civil Rights Bill if it conforms to the views of the Prophet Joseph Smith according to the references above given. I fully agree the Negro is entitled to considerations, also stated above, but not full social benefits nor inter-marriage privileges with the Whites, nor should the Whites be forced to accept them into restricted White areas. In my judgment, the present proposed Bill of Rights is vicious legislation. There needs to be some modification. The position of the Church cannot change until the Lord changes it Himself. Certainly I am not for exploiting racial or religious prejudices, but it is the present play up to the Negro voters which is unnecessarily creating problems that by a more firm, sensible approach can be avoided. There will be a few die-hard leaders, but then that has always been true with any debatable issue. Principle — religious or otherwise —— cannot be abrogated for political expediency.
Now, don’t think I am against the Negro people, because I have several in my employ. We must understand and recognize their status and then, accordingly, provide for them. I just don’t think we can get around the Lord’s position in relation to the Negro without punishment for our acts; going contrary to that which He has revealed. The Lord will not permit His purposes to be frustrated by man.
Please understand I have a great respect and admiration for you, but because of my feelings I thought I should express myself as I have so you will know my personal position.
This letter is for your personal use only (also Lenore), and is not to be used in any other way. It does not require an answer.
With best wishes and success to you and Lenore always, I am
Faithfully your friend and brother,
Delbert L. Stapley
I highlighted some of the things that leap out from the letter. There’s the ridiculous threat that God will kill him if he takes the wrong position, just like that poor guy in Arizona who drowned after merely asking if the church might change its racist position and to three presidents — Lincoln and Kennedy; I don’t know who the third might be — who tried to further equality for black people. So you better stop advocating equal rights or God will kill you, like he did the others.
Then there’s the idea that one can only support public policy that is in line with the views of Joseph Smith. Mormon theocracy, anyone? And lastly, you have to laugh at his claim that he’s not racist because he has several black people who work for him. Yes, people really thought this way. And many still do.
The good news is that Romney ignored Stapley and continued to advocate for the Civil Rights Act and for equality.
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sisu
January 26, 2012 at 9:42 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I assume he was referring to JFK?
AsqJames
January 26, 2012 at 9:54 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Maybe Romney Snr didn’t ignore qeverything in Stapeley’s letter?
kenbo
January 26, 2012 at 10:02 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
sisu@1 is correct. JFK was killed Nov 1963, just months before this letter was sent.
Also, I question whether it was actually Jefferson he was referring to in his letter:
I would surmise that since both Lincoln and Kennedy met tragic ends while in office, the third president referred to was also killed or died in office. Garfield, McKinley, Harding and F. Roosevelt would be on the list, but my knowledge of their presidencies is inadequate to speculate which one was “very active in the Negro cause”.
Kenbo
pinkboi
January 26, 2012 at 10:04 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Good for him for being a crappy Mormon and going against the church’s position for political expedience. At least I can be fairly confident that president Romney, should that be a reality, will be similarly impious.
Ed Brayton
January 26, 2012 at 10:07 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Sorry, I meant Lincoln and Kennedy, not Lincoln and Jefferson. I still don’t know who the third might be.
sunsangnim
January 26, 2012 at 10:08 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Wait, the elder Romney actually had core principles that he followed? How did his son learn the art of political shape-shifting?
Zinc Avenger
January 26, 2012 at 10:11 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
My own personal Republican weathervane, my mother-in-law, is sitting out the next Presidential election, claiming that the Republican candidates are too crazy for her. She’s slightly to the right of moderate Republicanism (but dearly loved anyway).
dingojack
January 26, 2012 at 10:14 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“When I reflect upon the Prophet’s statements and remember what happened to three of our nation’s presidents who were very active in the Negro cause, I am sobered by their demise.”
And who, prey tell are the three men to whom you elude?
‘Uh – Lincoln, Kennedy and – oh I forget the third one…”
This guy isn’t related to Rick Perry by any chance?
Dingo
The Lorax
January 26, 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I’m sure the southern slave owners weren’t racist either. I mean, look at all the black people they had working for them!
rork
January 26, 2012 at 10:17 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“The position of the Church cannot change until the Lord changes it Himself.”
The Lord adapts in mysterious ways, he even flip-flops on occasion. That’s actually a rather practical invention. Has he changed his mind about the genetics of first nations (“Indians”) yet, or is he still chewing on the evidence? How about universal flood killing all animals? The Lord is probably pretty good at research I figure. He may be busy though.
peterh
January 26, 2012 at 10:18 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, Eisenhower was luke-warm at best on civil rights; he ordered troops to quiet the unrest under his administration not so much to promote the rights of individuals but to uphold the dictates of federal law. A distinction worth noting.
carolineborduin
January 26, 2012 at 10:32 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Kind of amusing that this guy uses these veiled threats of early death for not following “The Prophet’s” words when “The Prophet” himself met an rather untimely death.
Rev. BigDumbChimp
January 26, 2012 at 10:37 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Governance by divine revelation is just teh awesomes.
Church long held revelations as the word of God becoming unpopular and having real world consequences to the financial security of your church? Just have your profit change them and call them NEW LONG SUPPRESSED REVELATIONS!
HALLELUJAH
Rev. BigDumbChimp
January 26, 2012 at 10:38 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
that’s not a typo by the way
flex
January 26, 2012 at 10:41 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I would suspect Garfield would be the 3rd president mentioned.
Garfield was concerned the that high levels of illiteracy and poverty among the black laborers in the south would result in the formation of a peasant class, resulting in the formation of a slave class even when slavery was abolished. He also appointed a number of African Americans to federal offices.
He was also assassinated, like Lincoln and JFK, and unlike any other president who died in office.
anandine
January 26, 2012 at 10:46 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
My favorite line in Huckleberry Finn is when Huck thinks about the fact that if he helps the runaway slave, he’ll go to hell, and he says, “All right then, I’ll go to hell.”
tubi
January 26, 2012 at 10:46 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Every time I read “the Prophet Joseph Smith,” I reflexively followed it up in my head, “peace be upon him.”
Also, McKinley was assassinated, but I don’t know how he felt about Negroes.
Hercules Grytpype-Thynne
January 26, 2012 at 10:48 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
From seeing what sticking to his core principles did for Romney père‘s political career?
doktorzoom
January 26, 2012 at 10:51 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Maybe we’re looking at this letter all wrong? After all, as we know from the Broadway musical, Mormons do indeed believe that “in 1978 God changed His mind about black people,” so this letter truly was prophetic.
slc1
January 26, 2012 at 10:56 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Re Hercules Grytpype-Thynne @ #18
That’s not entirely accurate. It was the use of the term brainwashing, which has the implication of someone who is weak minded, that did him in. Had he not used that term, he might well have been nominated over Nixon who had many enemies in the Rethuglican Party. I recall vividly the ridicule in the lame stream media that was entirely focused on his use of that term and not on his new found skepticism of the Vietnam War.
abb3w
January 26, 2012 at 11:14 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Having looked it up, I’ll note that –saving only the last sentence– the rest of the “Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith” passage seems extraordinarily progressive for the 1842 it’s attributed to.
This also suggests that Mitt Romney’s attitudes on race were probably similar to his father, and thus relatively liberal. Not that this is likely to cost him any votes among whatever fraction of bigots survive among the Mormons.
Aquaria
January 26, 2012 at 11:22 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Now, don’t think I am against the Negro people, because I have several in my employ
But would he let them use his toilet?
This also suggests that Mitt Romney’s attitudes on race were probably similar to his father, and thus relatively liberal.
They could just call them visionaries for the prophet, and the Mormons will buy it. They’re stupid that way.
D. C. Sessions
January 26, 2012 at 11:23 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, George is dead. Maybe his son took that as a warning.
Marcus Ranum
January 26, 2012 at 11:43 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“the colored race”?? I threw up in my mouth a little bit.
raven
January 26, 2012 at 11:48 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
The Mormon Chief Prophet, Revelator, and Seer has as much spiritual authority and contact with the gods as myself.
Or my cat. Which is zero.
This is one religious characteristic that I’m thoroughly sick of. The god told me this or that one.
The gods seem to talk to millions of people. They all say different things to different people. They can’t all be right. Far as we know, none of them are right.
The two most common communications from the gods are:
1. God told me that he wants you to send me money.
2. God told me that he wants you to send me your cutest teenage girls and boys for “religious instruction”.
PS As some have mentioned above, Mormon beliefs change and evolve quite rapidly as the Prophets make it up as they go along. They even routinely rewrite the Book of Mormon. The members always pretend not to notice the shifts. It’s straight out of Orwell’s 1984. “We are at war with East Asia. We have always been at war with East Asia.”
eric
January 26, 2012 at 12:12 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Of course….because we all know that the ethical issue of people buying people and forcing them to do things against their will, is solved by having the government buy all the people and forcefully relocate them against their will.
I’ll bet this guy thought it was perfectly right for white Europeans to conquer the american indians and establish the USA. The whole ‘keep peoples in their homelands’ never seems to apply to whites.
Anyone want to bet against me? Beuller?
lofgren
January 26, 2012 at 12:46 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
How else are we supposed to spread the wisdom of staying in your homeland? If it weren’t for white Europeans invading and conquering everywhere on the globe, you would have all the other races of the world ignorantly spilling over their natural borders and expanding beyond god’s intended range for them.
John Hinkle
January 26, 2012 at 12:49 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
In the Mormon Outfit, God’s the knee capper.
God: If you help the coloreds, it’d be a real shame if you later fell on a knife twelve or terteen times, accidentally of course.
Tobinius
January 26, 2012 at 1:50 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ah, the joys of bigotry.
Michael Heath
January 26, 2012 at 2:30 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Delbert L. Stapley writes:
This type of logic is exactly how today’s bigots justify their bigotry in a way that has them convinced they aren’t bigots. By categorizing their thoughts to deny their own positions and avoid cognitive dissonance.
Delbert L. Stapley writes:
Which is the exact train of thought argued by conservatives on all sorts of issues, including Christians advocating we deny gays their rights and use hatred to shove them back into the closets. And when they express this sentiment, the mainstream media never digs deeper with a question. As if it’s perfectly acceptable for a candidate for office to rely solely on bigotry that was taught to them through their holy dogma, while simultaneously claiming they are the authentic defenders of liberty and the Constitution.
It took a regular citizen to reveal the absurdity of this logic with Michelle Bachmann, where her response was that gays have the same rights we do, they too can marry a person of the opposite sex.
frog
January 26, 2012 at 3:35 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
abb3w @ 22: That passage makes me sad. He recognizes there is no difference between differently pigmented humans, but then, because God Sez So, darker people are to be kept down and prevented from enjoying the opportunities of pale folks.
It’s conscious racism. He knew better, and still consciously advocated for slanting the playing field and accruing privilege for “his” people.
What a filthy piece of shit.
hunter
January 26, 2012 at 4:06 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
raven @ 26:
You cat is a god. Just ask it.
exdrone
January 26, 2012 at 10:59 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I got one of these letters too. It read:
Rike
January 26, 2012 at 11:12 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
“It is not right to force any class or race of people upon those of a different social order or race classification. People are happier when placed in the environment and association of
like interests, racial instincts, habits, and natural groupings.”
Wait – isn’t he also admitting here that men would be better off grouped – or paired – with men, and women with women? Maybe Mormons shouldn’t be such douches about gay marriages!
sc_6bab79dcc7488c7f8e1331bb5373a072
January 27, 2012 at 4:20 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I love how he closes with “It does not need a reply.” The strong suggestion here is “Don’t bother replying, I’m not interested in what you have to say”. It’s not, so tell me what you think….or do you have anything to add? It’s the matter is closed, all that has needed be said has been said, verily and verily AMEN!
Wow, and this guy was quorum of the twelve material.
abb3w
January 30, 2012 at 3:15 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@22, frog:
Not quite as bad as that. The degree of stupid in “separate but equal” hadn’t yet become as clear as hindsight now makes it. Even Harlan’s Dissent in Plessy is still a good half-century down the road. He recognizes the differences are environmental; and thus, thinks separation will help them develop without interference into an equal nation. Which was a common enough “liberal” position of the time. The idea of the races being fully equal was probably outright radical at the time. Maybe even more so than atheism.
Truth Wins Out - God’s Face Just Happens To Look A Lot Like Mine…
January 26, 2012 at 10:49 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
[...] Ed Bryton over at Dispatches From The Culture Wars posts a remarkable find today: A letter from one of the Mormon “prophets” to then-Michigan Gov. George Romney, Mitt’s dad. Written in 1964, the letter takes Romney to task for his support of the Civil Rights Act. [...]
Is Romney’s Religion Dangerous for America? One Ex-Mormon Offers His Views | Away Point
March 25, 2012 at 8:22 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
[...] was governor of Michigan in the 1960s, and supported the civil rights movement. He received a letter from Delbert Stapley, a member of the Mormon twelve apostles, asking him to withdraw his support [...]