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‘Mormon Land’: From the priesthood ban to the ERA and LGBTQ rights, final ‘Saints’ volume covers pivotal moments

As the church continued to grow globally, social issues kept springing up.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Spencer W. Kimball, president of the church from 1973 to 1985, spent many hours pondering and praying for revelation on the priesthood/temple ban. On May 30, 1978, he announced a "revelation" during a meeting of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that extended priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy members. (See "Saints," 4:306, 625.)

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Spencer W. Kimball, president of the church from 1973 to 1985, spent many hours pondering and praying for revelation on the priesthood/temple ban. On May 30, 1978, he announced a "revelation" during a meeting of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that extended priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy members. (See "Saints," 4:306, 625.)

By https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/sltrib/b23adb51-3a3c-4c38-8a46-5a9db80696a1.png Tamarra Kemsley  and https://s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/sltrib/f3e9e416-7f19-42ab-bb72-56a51e519a6f.png David Noyce
 | Nov. 20, 2024, 6:00 a.m.
| Updated: 7:48 a.m.

Six years after the first volume in the “Saints” series hit the stands, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is out with its fourth and final installment in the faith’s latest official history.

Titled “Saints: Sounded in Every Ear,” the text documents the years of 1955 to 2020 and covers a range of milestones, including the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the end of the priesthood/temple ban against Black members, the struggles over LGBTQ rights, and the church’s opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment.

(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Jed Woodworth, managing historian for “Saints,” speaks at a news conference about the publication of the final volume, held at the Church History Department in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024. Lisa Olsen Tait, a historian and general editor is pictured next to him.

On this week’s show, Jed Woodworth, the managing historian of the series, and Tesia Tsai, a writer for the volume, discuss the memorable experiences of top church leaders and everyday members from this period in the quickly globalizing faith.

Listen to the podcast:


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