I think Perkins approach is a very good one. I read a paper, that was either by him or someone else from Genessis, but I really thing it was by him that very wisely pointed out that black in the scriptures is never used as a racial designation.

We have to seperate the interpretations that have been thrown up around the scriptures from the actual words.

I am glad people are confronting these issues.

The sad thing to me is there are still people who hold to pre-revelation ideas. I knew some missionaries on my mission who condemned inter-racial marriage and that was only eight years ago.

WIth half of the black men on my stakes high council having white wives, and with my stake president's only daughter married to a black man, and with a white man with an African American wife being among the six men sustained to recieve the Melchezidek Preisthood at our last stake preisthood meeting (another three of the men so sustained were black) At least here in Michigan we are making progress. We still have a long way to go, but we are going.

I'm still waiting to see the so-called "revelation" on this matter. I've read the declaration (O.D. #2) that speaks of a revelations being received by Kimball, and the 12 etc. reading and approving this revelation, but why has it never been presented to the church as a whole?

I never figured out what the Black Issue was. This article seems a bit lacking.

I just want to applaud Marvin's leadership in bringing awareness to this topic. Certainly the Black membership is growing and becoming large but there is still much work to be done and I am glad Heavenly Father has reached out to exceptional people like Marvin to lead in this rolling out of the everlasting gospel. Funny he should mention paid clergy in the video preview...I converted at age 27 and I would always ponder paid clergy and also contemplate why priests could not marry in my Catholic upbrining...never seemed right to me. I am forever grateful for my Catholic upbrining and Christian foundation that it provided, but filled with complete joy for my knowledge of the full truth in the restored gospel. This I know to be true.

Years ago I began working on my acceptence of people of all races.I found that if I were to truly accept people inspite of their color then I had to stop seeing them as different.We now have priesthood leadership in our stake who are aferican american and I fully intend to listen and follow their council as they are directed to give to me.I can and must be teachable regardless of what race the messenger may be.Its the only way.I have had many expirences that gave me a chance to serve my aferican american friends outside of the church.The Lord has blessed me for doing that.I'm happy!!!!!

I remember so well the day when the priesthood was extended to all worthy members. I was so happy and excited. Since then it has been a joy to see how whole groups of people have been prepared to receive the gospel. The Lord always has to prepare people. Remember how upset Peter was when the gospel was taken to the Gentiles. As great as he was, he still had to learn to accept the will of the Lord. This is really the same. It's all done when the time is right for people to accept the gospel. I feel that those who were in the Genesis group were perhaps some of the strongest and faithful members of the Church. They were great pioneers.

Marvin's a great guy and it's fun to be in the same ward he's in. I couldn't think of a better guy CNN could interview on this issue.