How Candid are you with Non-Members about the church?

[Old-Timer]

If you want a specific example of my “candidity” , a black investigator once asked me why the Church instituted the Priesthood ban. (This was long before the essay was published.) I told her it was because Brigham Young was racist and couldn’t believe inter-racial marriage was approved by God – and subsequent leaders didn’t question it for a long time.

The missionaries continued to include me in teaching investigators, but they never brought up that topic again when I was with them. 😆

[Gerald]

I live in the Mormon belt and so my opportunities to talk with nonmembers is fairly limited. One guy I work with closely is not a member but grew up around Mormons his whole life. We mainly have professional discussions but he is always respectful and aware of the Mormon faith but doesn’t ask me questions. Years ago, another guy I worked with (who was not as at ease living in the Mormon belt) challenged my belief in the Word of Wisdom by stating the chocolate has caffeine in it so why is that not forbidden. (I didn’t have a good answer for him). I suppose if somebody does ask me at some point, I would be respectfully candid. I don’t have enough beefs with the LDS Church to desire to air all of its dirty laundry but I hope I would answer questions to the best of my ability.

[Katzpur]

Old Timer wrote:

If you want a specific example of my “candidity” , a black investigator once asked me why the Church instituted the Priesthood ban. (This was long before the essay was published.) I told her it was because Brigham Young was racist and couldn’t believe inter-racial marriage was approved by God – and subsequent leaders didn’t question it for a long time.

That’s more or less how I’d answer.

[Author]

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