Today we are joined with historian Matthew Harris to discuss Hugh B. Brown and his attempts to lift the priesthood and temple ban for black members of the church. Hugh B. Brown was an attorney and joined the Quorum of the Twelve in 1958 and joined the First Presidency in 1961. He made countless efforts to convince the Brethren that the ban on blacks should be lifted and even told the New York Times that there was a strong possibility the ban would soon be removed. This response caused a great deal of problems at Church Headquarters.

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Purchase Matt Harris’ book, Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality