At ‘Be One’ Celebration, a Call for Optimism and Overcoming Prejudice

The 40th anniversary of the priesthood revelation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was celebrated Friday, June 1, 2018, in the Conference Center. Music was presented by a special “Be One” choir. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.4 / 15

Seven-time Grammy Award-winner Gladys Knight leads a special “Be One” choir at an event June 1, 2018, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Church’s revelation on the priesthood. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.5 / 15

Seven-time Grammy Award-winner Gladys Knight performs at an event in the Conference Center June 1, 2018, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Church’s revelation on the priesthood. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.6 / 15

YouTube sensation Alex Boyé performs in the Conference Center at an event June 1, 2018, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Church’s revelation on the priesthood. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.7 / 15

The Bonner family performs in the Conference Center at an event June 1, 2018, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Church’s revelation on the priesthood. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.8 / 15

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sponsored a celebration on June 1, 2018, of the 40th anniversary of the faith’s June 1978 revelation on the priesthood. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.9 / 15

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is commemorating the 40th anniversary of the revelation that all male members may receive the priesthood. The anniversary was celebrated with music, dance and the spoken word Friday, June 1, 2018, in the Conference Center. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.10 / 15

The 40th anniversary of the priesthood revelation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was celebrated Friday, June 1, 2018. Narrators told the stories of African American Latter-day Saints of the 1800s, as well as several pioneering Latter-day Saints of the past 50 years. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.11 / 15

A cast of Latter-day Saints celebrated, in music, dance and the spoken word, the 40th anniversary of the priesthood revelation Friday, June 1, 2018. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.12 / 15

Latter-day Saints celebrated the 40th anniversary of the priesthood revelation Friday, June 1, 2018. The celebration was staged in the Conference Center with music, dance and narration. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.13 / 15

Music, dancing and narration were presented Friday, June 1, 2018, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revelation that all male members may receive the priesthood. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.14 / 15

The 40th anniversary of the priesthood revelation in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was celebrated Friday, June 1, 2018, in the Conference Center. Music was presented by a special “Be One” choir. ©2018 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.15 / 15

Downloadable video: B-roll | SOTs

Narrators told the stories of two African American Latter-day Saints of the 1800s, Jane Manning James and Elijah Abel, as well as several pioneering Latter-day Saints of the past 50 years — including Anthony Obinna of Nigeria, Joseph William Billy Johnson of Ghana, Victor Nugent of Jamaica and Helvécio Martins of Brazil. Music came from seven-time Grammy Award-winner Gladys Knight, the Saints Unified Voices, entertainer and YouTube sensation Alex Boyé, the Bonner family, the Unity Gospel Choir International and members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. In all there were hundreds of singers and dancers who participated in the jubilee.

Yvonne Baraketse, the evening’s choreographer and a Latter-day Saint since her days as a refugee in Belgium, said she hopes people come away from Friday’s event with a deeper understanding that “we all are children of God, that He loves us [and] has a plan for each one of us.” Temanuata Laussen, a member of Gladys Knight’s Saints Unified Voices Choir, expressed the same desire, as well as her gratitude to be a part of the celebration. “I can’t even say how much of a blessing it is to be a part of this,” she said. “It’s just been so neat for all of us to come together with our different cultures, our musical backgrounds, our religious backgrounds. I hope [people] leave feeling the love of our Father in Heaven, feeling the love of our prophet and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles [and] our First Presidency.”

President Dallin H. Oaks, who serves as first counselor to President Nelson, opened the celebration by recounting how he learned of the June 1978 revelation that rescinded the restriction on priesthood ordination and extended the opportunity of blessings of the temple to all worthy Latter-day Saints, male and female.

President Oaks, who was president of Brigham Young University at the time, received a phone call at home from an apostle while he and his sons were working outside with a pile of dirt. After taking the call and hearing the news, he came back outside, sat on that pile of dirt and wept as he related the revelation to his sons.

“I observed the pain and frustration experienced by those who suffered these restrictions and those who criticized them and sought for reasons. I studied the reasons then being given and could not feel confirmation of the truth of any of them,” President Oaks said. “As part of my prayerful study, I learned that, in general, the Lord rarely gives reasons for the commandments and directions He gives to His servants. I determined to be loyal to our prophetic leaders and to pray — as promised from the beginning of these restrictions — that the day would come when all would enjoy the blessings of priesthood and temple. Now, on June 8, 1978, that day had come, and I wept for joy.”

Regarding past priesthood and temple restrictions, President Oaks encouraged a forward-looking approach: “Let us all look forward in the unity of our faith and trust in the Lord’s promise that ‘he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female’ (2 Nephi 26:33).”

President Oaks said one of the most important effects of the revelation on the priesthood is its “divine call to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children.” He noted that racism is the most obvious of these but said many other people have been persecuted because of ethnicity, culture, nationality, education or economic circumstances.

“As servants of God who have the knowledge and responsibilities of His great plan of salvation, we should hasten to prepare our attitudes and our actions — institutionally and personally — to abandon all personal prejudices,” President Oaks said.

This is what can happen when people join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Nelson said in his concluding remarks.

“Differences in culture, language, gender, race, and nationality fade into insignificance as the faithful enter the covenant path and come unto our beloved Redeemer,” he said. “[May we] overcome any burdens of prejudice and walk uprightly with God — and with one another — in perfect peace and equity.”

Watch the full “Be One” broadcast (also available in Spanish, Portuguese, French and ASL)

Read the complete remarks from President Nelson

Read the complete remarks from President Oaks

Note: New videos and content will continue to be added to BeOne.lds.org, extending the opportunity to learn and share stories of faith from black Latter-day Saints.