All Abraham's Children
Changing Mormon Conceptions of Race and Linage
I just finished Armand Mauss's magnum opus on race, lineage and the Church.
These days in the Church we don't think too much about one race or lineage taking a superior position over the others but it was not that way earlier. Much was made of lineage and the heirarchy of one to the other.., Israelites, European Whites adopted into the Isrealites, Laminites, Blacks...
Mauss contends that racial indentity did not necessarily affect actual behavior negatively and in some cases Mormons have shown greater tolerance towards some groups than other American groups. Some notions of lineage and who were chosen peoples led to various and sometimes failed missionary work, for example. towards American Indians and Jews. Interestingly Mauss shows how Mormon attitudes and behaviors towards blacks was pretty much in step with greater America though Mormon attitudes lasted about 15 to 20 years longer before changing.
Armand Mauss is a very bright guy. I see and talk to him at lots of local intellectual gatherings, Usually he is the brightest guy in the room. It shows in this book. I myself was not terribly interested in the subject matter (but read so I know what I am talking about) and so found the material to be somewhat dry - with exception of the chapters on blacks and to a lesser extent the Jews. He is a socialogist and uses a lot of data collection like a sociologist would. The book is excellent and presents material and a valuable perspective not found elsewhere but is certainly not pure entertainment reading.
Recommended but only for those willing to work through the material.
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/s03/mauss.html
For an easier to digest treatment on blacks and the priesthood by Dr. Mauss, try:
http://www.fairlds.org/pubs/conf/2003MauA.html