The issue of race in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always been fraught. For more than a century, members of African descent were barred from the priesthood and temple.

That ended in 1978, but the topics of race and inclusion continued to cast shadows on the American-born faith. These days, the church has worked hard to build bridges with the African American community — most notably by a partnership with the NAACP — and is growing rapidly on the African continent.

James C. Jones, a second-generation Black Latter-day Saint, has worked hard to help his fellow believers understand the pains of members of colors. The New York-based writer, speaker, teacher and podcaster, even wrote an anti-racism curriculum for members that was slated to be — but never was — published by Deseret Book. He earned a master’s degree at Union Theological Seminary and has come to believe that Mormon theology embraces all ethnicities.

On this week’s show, recorded in New York, Jones talks about the former priesthood/temple ban, his personal encounters with discrimination in the church, his curriculum on race, and how his Latter-day Saint faith was changed by his experience at graduate school.

Listen to the podcast: