There was a season in our church’s history when members with Black African ancestry were unevenly barred from both priesthood and temple privileges. This overtly discriminatory practice is one of the most challenging aspects of our history, and for many is one of the most difficult to understand. How could something like this happen in a church led by living prophets and apostles? It’s a fair question, and the truth is the answer is impossible to really get at without understanding the prevailing attitudes and beliefs about black Africans in the broader American culture at the time the church was established and into this century that followed. In this episode of Church History Matters we begin our series on race and priesthood by exploring the racial climate in antebellum America in the 1800s and probing the three major factors responsible for how it got that way. This is the first episode of our 7-part podcast series on the history of Race and the Priesthood in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For a full transcript of this episode, as well as show notes and additional resources, visit our website at https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/podcast-episode/the-racist-american-context-the-church-was-born-into/ You can also subscribe to our podcast via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other platforms, and follow us on popular social media platforms. Visit https://linktr.ee/churchhistorymatters to connect with us. Originally published July 4, 2023 DISCLAIMER: While we try very hard to be historically and doctrinally accurate in what we say on this podcast, please remember that all views expressed in this and every episode are our views alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Scripture Central or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.