Lifting the priesthood ban - Revision history

GregSmith: /* What testimonies were offered regarding the revelation that ended the priesthood ban? */

2024-05-28T03:04:51Z

What testimonies were offered regarding the revelation that ended the priesthood ban?

GregSmith at 03:00, 28 May 2024

2024-05-28T03:00:13Z

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	{{Navigation:Race}}{{blankline}}		{{Navigation:Race}}{{blankline}}

	~~<h1><center>Understanding pre-1978 statements about race</center></h1>~~		{{Center title\|Lifting the priesthood ban}}

	=''Gospel Topics'': "Church leaders pondered promises made by prophets such as Brigham Young that black members would one day receive priesthood and temple blessings"=		=''Gospel Topics'': "Church leaders pondered promises made by prophets such as Brigham Young that black members would one day receive priesthood and temple blessings"=

GregSmith: /* Testimonies regarding the revelation */

2024-05-28T02:58:55Z

Testimonies regarding the revelation

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GregSmith: /* Testimonies regarding the revelation */

2024-05-28T02:51:39Z

Testimonies regarding the revelation

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	==Testimonies regarding the revelation==		==Testimonies regarding the revelation==

	{{Epigraph\|The Spirit of God was there.... Every man in that circle, by the power of the Holy Ghost, knew the same thing.... The voice of the Spirit whispered with a certainty into our minds and our very souls.... We left that meeting subdued reverent and joyful. Not one of us who was present on that occasion was ever quite the same after that.<br> —Gordon B. Hinckley<ref>{{Ensign\|author=Gordon B. Hinkley\|article=[https://www.lds.org/ensign/1988/10/priesthood-restoration?lang=eng Priesthood Restoration]\|date=October 1988\|pages=70}}</ref>}}		{{Epigraph\|The Spirit of God was there. ... Every man in that circle, by the power of the Holy Ghost, knew the same thing. ... The voice of the Spirit whispered with a certainty into our minds and our very souls. ... We left that meeting subdued reverent and joyful. Not one of us who was present on that occasion was ever quite the same after that.<br> —Gordon B. Hinckley<ref>{{Ensign\|author=Gordon B. Hinkley\|article=[https://www.lds.org/ensign/1988/10/priesthood-restoration?lang=eng Priesthood Restoration]\|date=October 1988\|pages=70}}</ref>}}

	* We were all fasting and had just concluded a meeting of some three hours duration that was attended by nearly all the General Authorities. That meeting also was held in the room of the First Presidency and the Twelve in the holy temple.... After this meeting, which was one of great spiritual uplift and enlightenment, all of the brethren except those in the First Presidency and the Twelve were excused. When we were alone by ourselves in that sacred place where we meet weekly to wait upon the Lord, to seek guidance from his Spirit, and to transact the affairs of his earthly kingdom, President Kimball brought up the matter of the possible conferral of the priesthood upon those of all races. This was a subject that the group of us had discussed at length on numerous occasions in the preceding weeks and months. The President restated the problem involved, reminded us of our discussions, and said he had spent many days in this upper room pleading with the Lord for an answer to our prayers. He said that if the answer was to continue our present course of denying the priesthood to the seed of Cain, as the Lord had therefore directed, he was prepared to defend that decision to the death. But, he said, if the long sought day had come in which the curse of the past was to be removed, he thought we might prevail upon the Lord so to indicate. He expressed the hope that we might receive a clear answer one way or the other so the matter might be laid to rest. At this point President Kimball asked the brethren if any of them desired to express their feelings and views as to the matter in hand. We all did so, freely and fluently and at considerable length, each person stating his views and manifesting the feelings of his heart.... This session continued for somewhat more than two hours. Then President Kimball suggested that we united in formal prayer.... It was during this prayer that the revelation came. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon us all; we felt something akin to what happened on the day of Pentecost and at the Kirtland Temple. From the midst of eternity, the voice of God, conveyed by the power of the Spirit, speak to his prophet. The message was that the time had now come to offer the fulness of the everlasting gospel, including celestial marriage, and the priesthood, and the blessings of the temple, to all men, without reference to race or color, solely on the basis of personal worthiness. And we all heard the same voice, received the same message, and became personal witnesses that word received was the mind and will and voice of the Lord. President Kimball’s prayer was answered and our prayers were answered. He heard the voice and we heard the same voice. All doubt and uncertainty fled. He knew the answer and we knew the answer.... In the days that followed the receipt of the new revelation, President Kimball and President Ezra Taft Benson–the senior and most spiritually experienced ones among us both said, expressing the feelings of us all, that neither of them had ever experienced anything of such spiritual magnitude and power as was poured out upon the Presidency and the Twelve that day in the upper room in the house of the Lord. And of it I say: It is true; I was there; I heard the voice; and the Lord be praised that it has come to pass in our day.<ref>{{Book:McConkie:Priesthood\|article=The New Revelation on Priesthood\|pages=127-28}}</ref>		* We were all fasting and had just concluded a meeting of some three hours duration that was attended by nearly all the General Authorities. That meeting also was held in the room of the First Presidency and the Twelve in the holy temple.... After this meeting, which was one of great spiritual uplift and enlightenment, all of the brethren except those in the First Presidency and the Twelve were excused. When we were alone by ourselves in that sacred place where we meet weekly to wait upon the Lord, to seek guidance from his Spirit, and to transact the affairs of his earthly kingdom, President Kimball brought up the matter of the possible conferral of the priesthood upon those of all races. This was a subject that the group of us had discussed at length on numerous occasions in the preceding weeks and months. The President restated the problem involved, reminded us of our discussions, and said he had spent many days in this upper room pleading with the Lord for an answer to our prayers. He said that if the answer was to continue our present course of denying the priesthood to the seed of Cain, as the Lord had therefore directed, he was prepared to defend that decision to the death. But, he said, if the long sought day had come in which the curse of the past was to be removed, he thought we might prevail upon the Lord so to indicate. He expressed the hope that we might receive a clear answer one way or the other so the matter might be laid to rest. At this point President Kimball asked the brethren if any of them desired to express their feelings and views as to the matter in hand. We all did so, freely and fluently and at considerable length, each person stating his views and manifesting the feelings of his heart.... This session continued for somewhat more than two hours. Then President Kimball suggested that we united in formal prayer.... It was during this prayer that the revelation came. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon us all; we felt something akin to what happened on the day of Pentecost and at the Kirtland Temple. From the midst of eternity, the voice of God, conveyed by the power of the Spirit, speak to his prophet. The message was that the time had now come to offer the fulness of the everlasting gospel, including celestial marriage, and the priesthood, and the blessings of the temple, to all men, without reference to race or color, solely on the basis of personal worthiness. And we all heard the same voice, received the same message, and became personal witnesses that word received was the mind and will and voice of the Lord. President Kimball’s prayer was answered and our prayers were answered. He heard the voice and we heard the same voice. All doubt and uncertainty fled. He knew the answer and we knew the answer.... In the days that followed the receipt of the new revelation, President Kimball and President Ezra Taft Benson–the senior and most spiritually experienced ones among us both said, expressing the feelings of us all, that neither of them had ever experienced anything of such spiritual magnitude and power as was poured out upon the Presidency and the Twelve that day in the upper room in the house of the Lord. And of it I say: It is true; I was there; I heard the voice; and the Lord be praised that it has come to pass in our day.<ref>{{Book:McConkie:Priesthood\|article=The New Revelation on Priesthood\|pages=127-28}}</ref>

GregSmith: /* Many witnesses described the 1978 revelation on the priesthood */

2024-05-28T02:50:19Z

Many witnesses described the 1978 revelation on the priesthood

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	Those in attendance said that as [President Kimball] began his earnest prayer, they suddenly realized that it was not Kimball's prayer, but the Lord speaking through him. A revelation was being declared. Kimball himself realized that the words were not his but the Lord's. During that prayer some of the Twelve—at least two who have said so publicly—were transported into a celestial atmosphere, saw a divine presence and the figures of former presidents of the church (portraits of whom were hanging on the walls around them) smiling to indicate their approval and sanction. . . .		Those in attendance said that as [President Kimball] began his earnest prayer, they suddenly realized that it was not Kimball's prayer, but the Lord speaking through him. A revelation was being declared. Kimball himself realized that the words were not his but the Lord's. During that prayer some of the Twelve—at least two who have said so publicly—were transported into a celestial atmosphere, saw a divine presence and the figures of former presidents of the church (portraits of whom were hanging on the walls around them) smiling to indicate their approval and sanction. . . .

	At the end of the heavenly manifestation Kimball, weeping for joy, confronted the ~~church~~ members, many of them also sobbing, and asked if they sustained this heavenly instruction. Embracing, all nodded vigorously and jubilantly their sanction. There had been a startling and commanding revelation from God—an ineffable experience.		At the end of the heavenly manifestation Kimball, weeping for joy, confronted the quorum members, many of them also sobbing, and asked if they sustained this heavenly instruction. Embracing, all nodded vigorously and jubilantly their sanction. There had been a startling and commanding revelation from God—an ineffable experience.

	Two of the apostles present described the experience as a "day of Pentecost" similar to the one in the Kirtland Temple on April 6, 1836, the day of its dedication. They saw a heavenly personage and heard heavenly music. To the temple-clothed members, the gathering, incredible and without compare, was the greatest single event of their lives. Those I talked with wept as they spoke of it. All were certain they had witnessed a revelation from God.<ref>{{Book:Arrington:Adventures of a Church Historian\|pages=176-177}} </ref>		Two of the apostles present described the experience as a "day of Pentecost" similar to the one in the Kirtland Temple on April 6, 1836, the day of its dedication. They saw a heavenly personage and heard heavenly music. To the temple-clothed members, the gathering, incredible and without compare, was the greatest single event of their lives. Those I talked with wept as they spoke of it. All were certain they had witnessed a revelation from God.<ref>{{Book:Arrington:Adventures of a Church Historian\|pages=176-177}} </ref>

GregSmith: /* The Church continued to run into problems of black ancestry preventing the building of local leadership in certain areas, such as Brazil */

2024-05-28T02:49:20Z

The Church continued to run into problems of black ancestry preventing the building of local leadership in certain areas, such as Brazil

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	As the church expanded its missionary outreach and temple building programs, leaders continued to run into problems of black ancestry preventing the building of local leadership in certain areas, most notably Brazil. The prayerful attempts to obtain the will of God intensified. Finally in June 1978, a revelation that "every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood" was received and later canonized as [http://scriptures.lds.org/od/2 Official Declaration 2].		As the church expanded its missionary outreach and temple building programs, leaders continued to run into problems of black ancestry preventing the building of local leadership in certain areas, most notably Brazil. The prayerful attempts to obtain the will of God intensified. Finally in June 1978, a revelation that "every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood" was received and later canonized as [http://scriptures.lds.org/od/2 Official Declaration 2].

	~~{{seealso\|Official Church doctrine and statements by Church leaders\|Mormonism and racial issues/Blacks and the priesthood/Understanding pre-1978 statements}}~~

	=Were there witnesses to the revelation that ended the priesthood ban?=		=Were there witnesses to the revelation that ended the priesthood ban?=

GregSmith: /* Lester Bush authors an important piece in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought */

2024-05-28T02:48:57Z

Lester Bush authors an important piece in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought

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	Following Joseph Fielding Smith's death, President Lee did say, "For those who don't believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation. Those who do understand revelation stand by and wait until the Lord speaks. ... It's only a matter of time before the black achieves full status in the Church. We must believe in the justice of God. The black will achieve full status, we're just waiting for that time."<ref>Kimball, ''Lengthen Your Stride'', working draft chapter 20, page 22; citing Goates, ''Harold B. Lee'', 506, quoting UPI interview published November 16, 1972.</ref>		Following Joseph Fielding Smith's death, President Lee did say, "For those who don't believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation. Those who do understand revelation stand by and wait until the Lord speaks. ... It's only a matter of time before the black achieves full status in the Church. We must believe in the justice of God. The black will achieve full status, we're just waiting for that time."<ref>Kimball, ''Lengthen Your Stride'', working draft chapter 20, page 22; citing Goates, ''Harold B. Lee'', 506, quoting UPI interview published November 16, 1972.</ref>

	==Lester Bush authors an important piece in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought==		==Lester Bush authors an important piece in ''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought''==
	~~The late 1960's gave, as~~ Latter-day Saint Historian Russell Stevenson ~~has expressed~~, "a groundswell of scholarly interest in the history of the priesthood ban...and it won the attention of top-level Church leaders."<ref>Russell W. Stevenson, ''For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism 1830-2013'' (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014), 136.</ref> In 1973, Dr. Lester Bush, an army physician stationed in ~~saigon~~, wrote the first ~~schlolarly~~ analysis of the Church's racial restriction based in primary source documentation. As Stevenson has written concerning ~~bush~~:		As Latter-day Saint Historian Russell Stevenson wrote, the late 1960s brought "a groundswell of scholarly interest in the history of the priesthood ban ... and it won the attention of top-level Church leaders."<ref>Russell W. Stevenson, ''For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism 1830-2013'' (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014), 136.</ref> In 1973, Dr. Lester Bush, an army physician stationed in Saigon, wrote the first scholarly analysis of the Church's racial restriction based on primary source documentation. As Stevenson has written concerning Bush:

	<blockquote>Elijah Abels was not the exception, Bush argued; indeed, Ables had been the rule. Joseph Smith had not implemented the priesthood ban, contrary to accepted wisdom. That distinction belonged to Brigham Young. Perhaps the Church could start asking new questions, he hoped, about why it was following the course it was when Church leaders apparently did not fully understand why they were doing it.[48]		<blockquote>Elijah Abels was not the exception, Bush argued; indeed, Ables had been the rule. Joseph Smith had not implemented the priesthood ban, contrary to accepted wisdom. That distinction belonged to Brigham Young. Perhaps the Church could start asking new questions, he hoped, about why it was following the course it was when Church leaders apparently did not fully understand why they were doing it.[48]

	[Grant Shreeve's] fear-based wailing had fallen on deaf ears, but Bush's arguments received widespread attention at [Church headquarters in Salt Lake City].[49] Marion D. Hanks, then Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, later observed that Bush's article "had far more influence than the Bretheren would ever acknowledge and that it 'started to foment the pot.'" Edward Ashment, then employed by the Church Translation Department and a scholar of the Book of Abraham, observed Bruce R. McConkie reading the article. [Spencer W. Kimball] himself also highlighted several sections of the piece.[50]<ref>Ibid., 137. Stevenson cites in order: 48 - Lester E. Bush, "[https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V08N01_13.pdf Mormonism's Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview]," ''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' 8, no. 1 (Spring 1973): 11-68; "New LDS Office Building Nearly Finished," [Provo] Daily Herald, June 18, 1972, 32; 50 - Lester E. Bush, "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/23287744?seq=1 'Writing Mormonism's Negro Doctrine': An Historical Overview (1973): Context and Reflections]," ''Journal of Mormon History'' 25, no. 1 (Spring 1999): 266-67. Edward L. Kimball, "[https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/spencer-w-kimball-and-revelation-priesthood Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on the Priesthood]," ''BYU Studies'' 47, no. 2. (2008): 5–78.</ref></blockquote>		[Grant Shreeve's] fear-based wailing had fallen on deaf ears, but Bush's arguments received widespread attention at [Church headquarters in Salt Lake City].[49] Marion D. Hanks, then Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, later observed that Bush's article "had far more influence than the Bretheren would ever acknowledge and that it 'started to foment the pot.'" Edward Ashment, then employed by the Church Translation Department and a scholar of the Book of Abraham, observed Bruce R. McConkie reading the article. [Spencer W. Kimball] himself also highlighted several sections of the piece.[50]<ref>''Ibid.'', 137. Stevenson cites in order: 48 - Lester E. Bush, "[https://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V08N01_13.pdf Mormonism's Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview]," ''Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' 8, no. 1 (Spring 1973): 11-68; "New LDS Office Building Nearly Finished," [Provo] Daily Herald, June 18, 1972, 32; 50 - Lester E. Bush, "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/23287744?seq=1 'Writing Mormonism's Negro Doctrine': An Historical Overview (1973): Context and Reflections]," ''Journal of Mormon History'' 25, no. 1 (Spring 1999): 266-67. Edward L. Kimball, "[https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/spencer-w-kimball-and-revelation-priesthood Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on the Priesthood]," ''BYU Studies'' 47, no. 2. (2008): 5–78.</ref></blockquote>

	==The Church continued to run into problems of black ancestry preventing the building of local leadership in certain areas, such as Brazil==		==The Church continued to run into problems of black ancestry preventing the building of local leadership in certain areas, such as Brazil==

GregSmith: /* Harold B. Lee was inclined to reconfirm the ban */

2024-05-28T02:47:13Z

Harold B. Lee was inclined to reconfirm the ban

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	</blockquote>		</blockquote>

	Following Joseph Fielding Smith's death, President Lee did say, "For those who don't believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation. Those who do understand revelation stand by and wait until the Lord speaks....It's only a matter of time before the black achieves full status in the Church. We must believe in the justice of God. The black will achieve full status, we're just waiting for that time."<ref>Kimball, ''Lengthen Your Stride'', working draft chapter 20, page 22; citing Goates, ''Harold B. Lee'', 506, quoting UPI interview published November 16, 1972.</ref>		Following Joseph Fielding Smith's death, President Lee did say, "For those who don't believe in modern revelation there is no adequate explanation. Those who do understand revelation stand by and wait until the Lord speaks. ... It's only a matter of time before the black achieves full status in the Church. We must believe in the justice of God. The black will achieve full status, we're just waiting for that time."<ref>Kimball, ''Lengthen Your Stride'', working draft chapter 20, page 22; citing Goates, ''Harold B. Lee'', 506, quoting UPI interview published November 16, 1972.</ref>

	==Lester Bush authors an important piece in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought==		==Lester Bush authors an important piece in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought==

GregSmith: /* In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban */

2024-05-28T02:46:48Z

In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:46, 28 May 2024
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	==In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban==		==In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban==

	In a conversation with Sterling McMurrin, President McKay said, "It is a practice, not a doctrine, and the practice will some day be changed."<ref>{{RMM\|start=79\|end=80}}</ref> This was a departure from a [[Statements about the priesthood ban#First Presidency statement (President George Albert Smith)\|1949 First Presidency statement]] defending the ban as doctrinal, indicating a shift in his opinion. Leonard Arrington reported that President McKay formed a special committee of the Twelve that "concluded there was no sound scriptural basis for the policy but that church membership was not prepared for its reversal."<ref>{{Book:Arrington:Adventures of a Church Historian\|pages=183}}</ref> However, David O. McKay felt that only a revelation could end the ban. Sometime between 1968 and his death in 1970 he confided his prayerful attempts to church architect, Richard Jackson, "I’ve inquired of the Lord repeatedly. The last time I did it was late last night. I was told, with no discussion, not to bring the subject up with the Lord again; that the time will come, but it will not be my time, and to leave the subject alone."<ref>Edward L. Kimball, "[https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/spencer-w-kimball-and-revelation-priesthood Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on Priesthood]," ''BYU Studies'' 47, no. 2 (Spring 2008): 21-22; Gregory Prince and Wm. Robert Wright, ''David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism'' (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2005), 104; Russell W. Stevenson, ''For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism 1830-2013'' (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014), 120; W. Paul Reeve, ''Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 259: "In contrast, McKay, as president, believed divine intervention necessary regardless of the restriction's origins, something he reportedly sought but did not receive."</ref>		In a conversation with Sterling McMurrin, President McKay said, "It is a practice, not a doctrine, and the practice will some day be changed."<ref>{{RMM\|start=79\|end=80}}</ref> This was a departure from a [[Statements about the priesthood ban#First Presidency statement (President George Albert Smith)\|1949 First Presidency statement]] defending the ban as doctrinal, indicating a shift in his opinion. Leonard Arrington reported that President McKay formed a special committee of the Twelve that "concluded there was no sound scriptural basis for the policy but that church membership was not prepared for its reversal."<ref>{{Book:Arrington:Adventures of a Church Historian\|pages=183}}</ref>

			However, David O. McKay felt that only a revelation could end the ban. Sometime between 1968 and his death in 1970 he confided his prayerful attempts to church architect, Richard Jackson, "I’ve inquired of the Lord repeatedly. The last time I did it was late last night. I was told, with no discussion, not to bring the subject up with the Lord again; that the time will come, but it will not be my time, and to leave the subject alone."<ref>Edward L. Kimball, "[https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/spencer-w-kimball-and-revelation-priesthood Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on Priesthood]," ''BYU Studies'' 47, no. 2 (Spring 2008): 21-22; Gregory Prince and Wm. Robert Wright, ''David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism'' (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2005), 104; Russell W. Stevenson, ''For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism 1830-2013'' (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014), 120; W. Paul Reeve, ''Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 259: "In contrast, McKay, as president, believed divine intervention necessary regardless of the restriction's origins, something he reportedly sought but did not receive."</ref>

	==As McKay's health declined, his counselor, Hugh B. Brown, attempted to lift the ban as an administrative decision==		==As McKay's health declined, his counselor, Hugh B. Brown, attempted to lift the ban as an administrative decision==

GregSmith: /* In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban */

2024-05-28T02:46:23Z

In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:46, 28 May 2024
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	==In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban==		==In 1954, after visiting the struggling South African mission, David O. McKay began to consider lifting the ban==

	In a conversation with Sterling McMurrin, President McKay said, "It is a practice, not a doctrine, and the practice will some day be changed."<ref>{{RMM\|start=79\|end=80}}</ref> This was a departure from a [[Statements about the priesthood ban#First Presidency statement (President George Albert Smith)]]\|1949 First Presidency statement]] defending the ban as doctrinal, indicating a shift in his opinion. Leonard Arrington reported that President McKay formed a special committee of the Twelve that "concluded there was no sound scriptural basis for the policy but that church membership was not prepared for its reversal."<ref>{{Book:Arrington:Adventures of a Church Historian\|pages=183}}</ref> However, David O. McKay felt that only a revelation could end the ban. Sometime between 1968 and his death in 1970 he confided his prayerful attempts to church architect, Richard Jackson, "I’ve inquired of the Lord repeatedly. The last time I did it was late last night. I was told, with no discussion, not to bring the subject up with the Lord again; that the time will come, but it will not be my time, and to leave the subject alone."<ref>Edward L. Kimball, "[https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/spencer-w-kimball-and-revelation-priesthood Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on Priesthood]," ''BYU Studies'' 47, no. 2 (Spring 2008): 21-22; Gregory Prince and Wm. Robert Wright, ''David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism'' (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2005), 104; Russell W. Stevenson, ''For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism 1830-2013'' (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014), 120; W. Paul Reeve, ''Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 259: "In contrast, McKay, as president, believed divine intervention necessary regardless of the restriction's origins, something he reportedly sought but did not receive."</ref>		In a conversation with Sterling McMurrin, President McKay said, "It is a practice, not a doctrine, and the practice will some day be changed."<ref>{{RMM\|start=79\|end=80}}</ref> This was a departure from a [[Statements about the priesthood ban#First Presidency statement (President George Albert Smith)\|1949 First Presidency statement]] defending the ban as doctrinal, indicating a shift in his opinion. Leonard Arrington reported that President McKay formed a special committee of the Twelve that "concluded there was no sound scriptural basis for the policy but that church membership was not prepared for its reversal."<ref>{{Book:Arrington:Adventures of a Church Historian\|pages=183}}</ref> However, David O. McKay felt that only a revelation could end the ban. Sometime between 1968 and his death in 1970 he confided his prayerful attempts to church architect, Richard Jackson, "I’ve inquired of the Lord repeatedly. The last time I did it was late last night. I was told, with no discussion, not to bring the subject up with the Lord again; that the time will come, but it will not be my time, and to leave the subject alone."<ref>Edward L. Kimball, "[https://byustudies.byu.edu/content/spencer-w-kimball-and-revelation-priesthood Spencer W. Kimball and the Revelation on Priesthood]," ''BYU Studies'' 47, no. 2 (Spring 2008): 21-22; Gregory Prince and Wm. Robert Wright, ''David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism'' (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2005), 104; Russell W. Stevenson, ''For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism 1830-2013'' (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014), 120; W. Paul Reeve, ''Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness'' (New York: Oxford University Press, 2015), 259: "In contrast, McKay, as president, believed divine intervention necessary regardless of the restriction's origins, something he reportedly sought but did not receive."</ref>

	==As McKay's health declined, his counselor, Hugh B. Brown, attempted to lift the ban as an administrative decision==		==As McKay's health declined, his counselor, Hugh B. Brown, attempted to lift the ban as an administrative decision==