60 years ago today - Jan 17, 1954

David O. McKay tells meeting of LDS missionaries in South Africa that he wanted to ordain African-American in 1921 but that is not possible "until the Lord gives us another revelation changing this practice." McKay acknowledges two exceptions to this policy: one African-American (Elijah Abel) received priesthood during Joseph Smith presidency and one other (identity unknown and probably myth) received endowment during Brigham Young's presidency. However, McKay liberalizes church's policy by no longer requiring priesthood eligibility to depend on South African's ability to trace all his ancestral lines to Europe.

[Source: http://www.advent-adam.com/jakestand.html (cached, based on http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies)]

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