We Do Not Endorse These Teachings

Let us be absolutely clear: we do not endorse the racist, sexist, or otherwise harmful teachings documented on this site. These are historical records that we believe deserve to be preserved accurately and accessibly—not because they are good, but because they are true records of what was taught.

The statements you find here—about race, about polygamy, about women, about the nature of God—were delivered by leaders who claimed prophetic authority. Many of these teachings have since been disavowed by the modern LDS Church. We believe that disavowal is appropriate, but we also believe that the historical record should not be quietly revised away.

What Was the Journal of Discourses?

The Journal of Discourses was a 26-volume collection of sermons delivered by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, published between 1854 and 1886. These were not obscure writings tucked away in archives. They were:

  • Delivered publicly in the Salt Lake Tabernacle and other venues
  • Transcribed and published for wide distribution
  • Distributed to families throughout the LDS community
  • Treated as authoritative guidance for daily life and belief

Brigham Young himself endorsed the collection, stating that the Journal of Discourses was a publication “I wish to circulate, and in it will be published the sermons… containing doctrine which when practiced, will save themselves, and all who obey it, in the Celestial Kingdom.”

For generations of Latter-day Saints, these volumes sat in family libraries alongside scripture. Parents read from them. Children grew up hearing these teachings as the words of prophets speaking for God.

The Generational Impact

When a prophet declares that Black skin is a divine curse, and that declaration is published, distributed, and treated as doctrine for over a century—the impact is not abstract. It is measured in:

  • Families denied temple sealings for 119 years
  • Children taught that their neighbors bore the “mark of Cain”
  • Communities shaped by theologically-justified prejudice
  • Generations of Black Latter-day Saints who were told they were less worthy

The same is true for teachings on polygamy, on the role of women, on who could receive God’s highest blessings and who could not.

These were not private opinions. They were presented as the revelations of God, delivered from pulpits, printed in official publications, and absorbed into the worldview of millions. The beliefs they instilled did not disappear when the Church eventually changed its positions. They were passed down—parent to child, generation to generation.

Why We Document

Today, many of these teachings are difficult to find. The Journal of Discourses is not widely read. The most troubling sermons are not featured in Sunday School manuals. When the Church issued its 2013 essay on “Race and the Priesthood,” it described past teachings as “theories advanced in the past” without always specifying what those theories were or who advanced them.

We believe in accountability. We believe that:

  • History should not be sanitized to avoid discomfort
  • Those who were harmed deserve to have that harm acknowledged
  • Future generations deserve to know what was actually taught
  • The primary sources should be accessible, not buried

Our approach is simple: let the prophets speak for themselves. We present their words, in context, with full citations. We do not exaggerate. We do not take quotes out of context. We let the historical record stand on its own.

For Those Affected

We recognize that this content is painful. For those whose families lived under these teachings—who were denied ordinances, who internalized messages of inferiority, who saw loved ones excluded from full participation in their faith community—these are not abstract historical curiosities.

The older generation today includes people whose parents and grandparents read the Journal of Discourses as scripture. They grew up in homes where these teachings were believed and practiced. The effects of that upbringing do not disappear simply because institutional positions have changed.

To you, we offer this: your experience is real. The harm was real. And the historical record that documents what happened to you and your family deserves to be preserved, not erased.

Our Commitment

We commit to:

  • Accuracy — Every quote is sourced, every claim is documented
  • Context — We provide historical setting and modern responses
  • Honesty — We do not exaggerate or misrepresent
  • Respect — We recognize the weight of this material for those affected

“The remedy can never be applied, unless the disease is known.”

This project exists so that the disease is known.