Hey everybody. If Faith Matters has been meaningful to you this year, we would love to invite you to consider becoming a friend of Faith Matters with a $10 month donation.

Because our work is entirely donor supported, it's your generosity that allows us to keep creating conversations and reaching new people.

It also makes a really thoughtful gift. When you become a donor in someone else's name before the end of the year, they'll receive

an annual subscription to Wayfair, a new book from Terrell Givens coming in 2026, and access to lots

of exclusive online content. You can find more details and a link to donate at faithmatters.org.

Thank you so much for your support. We truly couldn't do this without you.

Hey everybody, this is Aubrey Chavez from Faith Matters. Today, in light of the upcoming Come Follow Me lesson, which covers Declaration 2, we're honored to share a conversation with Paul Reeve and Ramza Stewart Johnson about race and the priesthood and temple restriction for Black Latter-day Saints. Since the lifting of the priesthood and temple ban in 1978,

we've witnessed a great flourishing of the church,

as multitudes have embraced the restored gospel in Africa and elsewhere.

So we can pause to celebrate this transformation occurring in the body of Christ,

while contemplating how we can continue to follow this prophetic challenge

to root out racism in our church, in our society, and in our hearts today.

Part of this work is recognizing that myths and misinformation about our own history on race

persist to this day, remnants of racism. This conversation felt bold and at times challenging,

but both Paul and Ramses share their personal stories, insights, and convictions to help us

face our past and

future with clarity and spiritual courage. Paul walks us through the history, how the restriction

began and how it was solidified, and how newly available primary sources push back against this idea

expressed in our Come Follow Me manual that we just don't know why the priesthood and temple restrictions

were put into place. Paul argues that until we come face to face with our history, we won't learn what we should from it.

Ramses helps us grapple with the lasting spiritual and emotional impact this history has had on many Black Latter-day Saints

and how genuine discipleship rooted in grace, honesty, and reconciliation may be the key to moving forward.

...