Al Sharpton, Mormons, and racial segregation.

Most of you reading this blog are already aware of the recent accusations and remarks made by the "Reverend" Al Sharpton. Up to this point, I've remained mum as both Romney and the LDS Church have been blindly assaulted with fictitious accusations rooted deep in the Evangelical crusade against the "Mormons." Now, not only as a member of the LDS Church, but also a passionate student of American History, I feel obligated to put in my two cents.

At no time was the LDS Church, as a religion, discriminatory towards African Americans in enforcing segregative practices towards other races and creeds within it's chapels. Let me share with you some history not commonly taught in the public schools system.
1. Joseph Smith was a strong critic of slavery, and proponent to granting freedom to all African-American slaves in the United States.
2. Black slaves were openly welcome to sit in and participate in Church services as far back as during the church presidency of Joseph Smith.
3. While in Missouri, Joseph Smith was asked by a newspaper reporter why he permitted "Negroes" to attend the church services held by the Latter-Day Saint Church. Joseph simply replied, "I don't remember ever choosing to be born with the color of my skin."
4. The first black member to be baptized was a man named Elijah Abel, who not only was baptized in 1832, but in fact was ordained to the priesthood and traveled in Brigham Young's wagon company on the journey to the Salt Lake Valley.
5. In 1867, the Constitution of the Deseret Territory, had the wording, "all white males" removed in reference to voting rights. This empowered black citizens (As well as Women) with the right to vote in government elections. (There were about 60 black citizens of the Deseret Territory at this time.) It should be noted on this point that the right was lost when the Deseret Territory became the State of Utah, as it was then subject to federal laws that at the time did not afford the same liberties as the Deseret Constitution.
6. Joseph Smith ran for President of the United States on a Anti-Slavery platform.
7. Another response from Joseph Smith on the issue was, "They came into the world slaves mentally and physically. Change their situation with the whites, and they would be like them. They have souls, and are subjects of salvation." It should be noted that Joseph Smith taught and firmly believed that if all things were equal in regards to access to education, etc. That Black slaves would be equal to the white race in every regard.
8. Before the civil rights movements of the 1960's, the LDS Church was actively proselyting in the African Continent. Although they were rejected greatly in the beginning everywhere except South Africa, the efforts of the Church continued.

This issue I feel is a tremendous effort in hypocrisy. I will forever remember the day in my AP American History class in 11th Grade, when our teacher shared with us the events of the night when the Ku Klux Klan surrounded his home on horseback, holding shotguns, and burned a cross in their yard. Why, you may ask? Because his father, a Protestant minister allowed blacks to attend his church services. Blacks in "White" religions was not a Mormon issue, it was a much broader issue that shadowed the social and religious progress of our Nation. When you take a truthful and honest look at the official positions of the LDS Church (Those delivered by The Church's Prophet as such), it was always for equal treatment of all men as prescribed in the Preamble of the Declaration of Independence. When the Church was restored by Joseph Smith, the Nation itself was not ready for blacks to be empowered with the Priesthood of God. Truth is, that fact alone had greater influence than any other person or thing in the policies of the LDS Church at that time.

Playing the race card was a poor choice for Al Sharpton. My only regret, is that Romney's campaign rewarded it with a response. Often I have felt, silence can be more powerful than the loudest of shouters.