RMN deeply saddened

[Aware]

President is "deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life," with regards to riots in SLC and across the U.S.

Hmm

Over 100 years of racism in the church, and Mountain Meadows come to mind.

Hardly admitted to or apologized for by the "church". When I studied the account of MMM a couple of decades ago I couldn't reconcile things. Just one of many books on the shelf.

[jfro18]

This is some high level gaslighting by Nelson:

"We join with many throughout this nation and around the world who are deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life. We abhor the reality that some would deny others respect and the most basic of freedoms because of the color of his or her skin.
We are also saddened when these assaults on human dignity lead to escalating violence and unrest.

The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!

During the Savior’s earthly mission, He constantly ministered to those who were excluded, marginalized, judged, overlooked, abused, and discounted. As His followers, can we do anything less? The answer is no! We believe in freedom, kindness, and fairness for all of God’s children!

Let us be clear. We are brothers and sisters, each of us the child of a loving Father in Heaven. His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, invites all to come unto Him—“black and white, bond and free, male and female,” (2 Nephi 26:33). It behooves each of us to do whatever we can in our spheres of influence to preserve the dignity and respect every son and daughter of God deserves.

Any nation can only be as great as its people. That requires citizens to cultivate a moral compass that helps them distinguish between right and wrong.

Illegal acts such as looting, defacing, or destroying public or private property cannot be tolerated. Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong. Evil has never been resolved by more evil.

We need to foster our faith in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

We need to foster a fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul, regardless of their color, creed, or cause.

And we need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation.

I plead with us to work together for peace, for mutual respect, and for an outpouring of love for all of God’s children."

1. The church literally did what Nelson is today condemning, banning black members from the priesthood for about 140 years.
2. Nelson is calling those who have these racist feelings to repent, yet the church has never apologized for the pain they caused.

Just the worst.

[nibbler]

"Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong."

Laban. Nephi.

[MoPag]

We join with many throughout this nation and around the world who are deeply saddened at recent evidences of racism and a blatant disregard for human life. We abhor the reality that some would deny others respect and the most basic of freedoms because of the color of his or her skin.
We are also saddened when these assaults on human dignity lead to escalating violence and unrest.

So he can't say the word "murder" here. That's what people are angry about Rusty: murder, after murder, after murder.

Illegal acts such as looting, defacing, or destroying public or private property cannot be tolerated. Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong. Evil has never been resolved by more evil.

But he has no problem actually naming crimes here. And worst of all he seems to equate murder with destruction of property. They are not equal. Unless of course he still thinks of Black people as property...

We need to foster our faith in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.

And then there is this lil gem....

[Hagoth]

Fixed it:

The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent! But please don't let this distract you from your ongoing persecution of gay people.

[2bizE]

I’m sure plenty of people referenced 2 Nephi 26:33 in their excommunication court for criticizing the church over the treatment of black people...just sayin’.

[Not Buying It]

It has taken a tremendous amount of self-control to not respond to friends and family members who post this on social media. His platitudes ring hollow so long as the Church refuses to apologize for the priesthood ban. The Church doesn't get to mount its moral high horse to talk about racism after being extremely racist from 1830-1978 and kind of racist since then (it was only a few years ago they removed counsel against interracial marriage from lesson manuals, and they honestly don't know what to do about the racism inherent in the 'white and delightsome' Book of Mormon).

Sit down Nelson. You have a lot of damn gall lecturing all of us on this one.

P.S. A member lady I know posted a quote by Ezra Taft Benson yesterday - I don't know how I didn't respond with a link to his 1967 Conference talk wherein he referred to the Civil Rights movement as a communist plot. Except I just discovered the old link I used to have to that talk no longer works - hope someone saved it, the Church has sent it down the memory hole.

[w2mz]

He must have missed the Come Follow Me Sunday School lesson in Feb THIS YEAR where it is PRINTED in a manual that HE had to approve, that god curses people with black skin. Someone should point him to that lesson so he can publicly recant his current statement of tolerance and love.

[lostinmiddlemormonism]

MoPag nailed it above.

[wtfluff]

Let's remember: cRusty lives in a MASSIVE bubble of yes-people who basically worship everything he does and says. He has no clue why these protests are REALLY happening. He has never experienced anything close to the injustices that have basically caused these events. I highly doubt that he has any clue whatsoever how tone-deaf his statement is. He didn't really have a choice though. As CEO of a giant real-state corporation that needs your money, PR/Advertising statements like this are a requirement.

How do I know this about cRusty's bubble? I was born into that same MORmON bubble. I personally have no idea what it's like to experience racial injustices myself. While my MORmON bubble got popped a few years ago, I will still NEVER be able to completely understand those injustices. I've tried to educate myself better over the last years, and even more over the last few days. Even so, I'm pretty sure that my kids who are much smarter, and better humans than I am will tell you that I've probably said some pretty tone-deaf things over the last week.

Honestly, I too am "deeply saddened" at the events I've witnessed over the last week. I'm also hopeful at the same time. Amidst all the chaos I've watched, there are also many examples of human kindness and "rising above." I'm also hopeful that the tiny bit of learning I've experienced will allow me to help in some, tiny, fluffy way to attempt to right the wrongs that we have built into the system. How will I do that? At the moment, I have no clue...



Edited for spelling.

[Mormorrisey]

It has taken a tremendous amount of self-control to not respond to friends and family members who post this on social media.

Yep. I have taken a break from social media the last two days because of this. When the church itself repents from its racism, which is to acknowledge it, say sorry and try to make amends, I'll buy what they're selling. But this is just PR.

Burns my biscuits.

[Sheamus Moore]

Ironically, LDSLiving headlined RMNs statement as a "call to repentance".

[w2mz]

The CEO of Best Buy is more of a leader than RMN by a long shot.

We are, I believe, in one of the toughest times in our country's history, as we continue to battle a deadly pandemic and the resulting economic havoc while, once again, coming face-to-face with the long-term effects of racial injustice. Watching tens of thousands take to the streets to speak out against fear and inhumanity is, on one hand, inspiring for the commitment it represents and, on the other, heartbreaking for its profound need.

But what's next? What do we do to change the cycle in which black men or women, with tragic frequency, are harmed by those who are supposed to protect them? Or the gut-wrenching truth that to be a person of color in America is often to not feel fully safe, seen or heard?

For me, it starts with seeing the situation for what it is, acknowledging these experiences for what they are and, quite simply, apologizing for not doing enough. As important, it includes committing the company I lead down a path of systemic, permanent change in as many ways as we can find.

I don't have the answers, but I am no longer OK with not asking the question: If everything were on the table, what could Best Buy do? With that in mind, I am appointing a diverse group (by demography and level in the company) to challenge one another and, ultimately, our senior leadership team and Board of Directors, with substantive, enduring ways we can address the inequities and injustices to which all of us bear witness every day.

In many ways, we have engaged in these issues for years. We have long been focused on the opportunity gap and its companion, the digital divide. More than a decade ago we began building a national network of what we call Teen Tech Centers, places where teens from disinvested communities are exposed to and trained on a range of technology that, we now know, can make a critical difference in helping them find success in post-secondary education or the job market.

We are looking to create more than 100 of these centers, open year-round and typically hosting hundreds of young people who begin in middle school and leave when they graduate high school. We do not do this alone, of course, as our employees, vendor partners and dozens of nonprofits are actively engaged in bringing this mission to life.

Additionally, we have brought our resources to bear on the issue of remote learning. In our home state of Minnesota, we helped found a public-private effort to provide computers and internet access to hundreds of thousands of youth from disinvested communities who have neither. Without this technology, learning from home, should it be necessary this fall and winter, would be impossible, widening both the digital divide and opportunity gap.

This effort is reflective of our broader view that we must continue to be an important player in the communities we are a part of, especially those hardest hit. This includes continuing to serve the neighborhoods in which our stores were damaged.

As for those who rely on us the most — our employees — we continue to focus on their safety. Just as we did in response to the pandemic, we closed some stores around the country when we felt the risk was too high. Some remain closed, and any affected employee will be paid for their time. As always, no one is compelled to come back to work if they feel uncomfortable.

Neighborhoods across America have felt the heat of flames lit by those who would do only harm, and still others have felt the fear that comes from not knowing where that harm may go next. But those fires will be extinguished, and the damage will be repaired. What remains, however, are the indelible images of George Floyd and the many who came before him. It is in their name that we embrace the fight for equality and justice as a common cause, one we all fight — and solve — together.


Thank you,

Corie Barry
Chief Executive Officer, Best Buy

[Hagoth]

Let's remember: cRusty lives in a MASSIVE bubble of yes-people who basically worship everything he does and says. He has no clue why these protests are REALLY happening.

Give him (or his lawyers) some credit for resisting the use of the word "uppity."

[MoPag]

The CEO of Best Buy is more of a leader than RMN by a long shot.

We are, I believe, in one of the toughest times in our country's history, as we continue to battle a deadly pandemic and the resulting economic havoc while, once again, coming face-to-face with the long-term effects of racial injustice. Watching tens of thousands take to the streets to speak out against fear and inhumanity is, on one hand, inspiring for the commitment it represents and, on the other, heartbreaking for its profound need.

But what's next? What do we do to change the cycle in which black men or women, with tragic frequency, are harmed by those who are supposed to protect them? Or the gut-wrenching truth that to be a person of color in America is often to not feel fully safe, seen or heard?

For me, it starts with seeing the situation for what it is, acknowledging these experiences for what they are and, quite simply, apologizing for not doing enough. As important, it includes committing the company I lead down a path of systemic, permanent change in as many ways as we can find.

I don't have the answers, but I am no longer OK with not asking the question: If everything were on the table, what could Best Buy do? With that in mind, I am appointing a diverse group (by demography and level in the company) to challenge one another and, ultimately, our senior leadership team and Board of Directors, with substantive, enduring ways we can address the inequities and injustices to which all of us bear witness every day.

In many ways, we have engaged in these issues for years. We have long been focused on the opportunity gap and its companion, the digital divide. More than a decade ago we began building a national network of what we call Teen Tech Centers, places where teens from disinvested communities are exposed to and trained on a range of technology that, we now know, can make a critical difference in helping them find success in post-secondary education or the job market.

We are looking to create more than 100 of these centers, open year-round and typically hosting hundreds of young people who begin in middle school and leave when they graduate high school. We do not do this alone, of course, as our employees, vendor partners and dozens of nonprofits are actively engaged in bringing this mission to life.

Additionally, we have brought our resources to bear on the issue of remote learning. In our home state of Minnesota, we helped found a public-private effort to provide computers and internet access to hundreds of thousands of youth from disinvested communities who have neither. Without this technology, learning from home, should it be necessary this fall and winter, would be impossible, widening both the digital divide and opportunity gap.

This effort is reflective of our broader view that we must continue to be an important player in the communities we are a part of, especially those hardest hit. This includes continuing to serve the neighborhoods in which our stores were damaged.

As for those who rely on us the most — our employees — we continue to focus on their safety. Just as we did in response to the pandemic, we closed some stores around the country when we felt the risk was too high. Some remain closed, and any affected employee will be paid for their time. As always, no one is compelled to come back to work if they feel uncomfortable.

Neighborhoods across America have felt the heat of flames lit by those who would do only harm, and still others have felt the fear that comes from not knowing where that harm may go next. But those fires will be extinguished, and the damage will be repaired. What remains, however, are the indelible images of George Floyd and the many who came before him. It is in their name that we embrace the fight for equality and justice as a common cause, one we all fight — and solve — together.


Thank you,

Corie Barry
Chief Executive Officer, Best Buy

Let's start a church of Best Buy.

[w2mz]

Dear Mr. President, Prophet, Seer, Revelator, Leader, Guide, Brother Russell M Nelson. Are you paying attention to what is happening? How many REAL leaders are stepping up to reform and advance racial equality in their organizations? Please take notes and advise how you are going to lead reformation in your wealthy church. Please be honest about the past and be willing to make necessary changes for the future. And, include women and LGBTQ people too. Be a Leader.

At Kroger, Our Purpose is to Feed the Human Spirit, which means we’re always driven to do more and help make the lives of those around us better – whether that’s our own associates, or our customers and communities. Our commitment to help and support is critical now, as so many of us are hurting, frustrated and angry.

The senseless killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor – and so many more, too many more across our country – have shaken us to our core. I share in everyone’s feelings of sadness and outrage for the victims. The pain is deep and raw. My heart goes out to their families, friends and communities.

We cannot remain silent. We must use our voice to express that we’re against racism and injustice toward the Black community. We can and must do better, as a company, community and country.

To become a greater part of the solution, we believe the most important next step is to listen. We’re creating more opportunities for our associates to openly share their thoughts and feelings about their experiences with discrimination – and for our company and leaders to more deeply and deliberately listen.

We’ll continue to educate and show our leaders and associates how to be stronger allies – to be more empathetic, supportive and aware of our own unconscious bias. So that together, we can build a better, more inclusive Kroger. It starts with all of us. And as CEO, that starts with me.

Our African American Associate Resource Group has developed an Allyship Resource Guide that they’ve shared with all of us, available for downloading at TheKrogerCo.com. I’m thankful for the individuals who helped us quickly take this step forward, providing insightful resources for all of us to review, reflect on and learn from.

We strive to be a company that empowers and supports our associates. We not only have to listen, but we must act.

As a demonstration of our commitment to being part of the solution, and as a first step toward being a catalyst for change, our company is establishing a $5 million fund to support the advancement of racial equity and justice. This investment will be earmarked within The Kroger Co. Foundation for improving diversity, equity and inclusion.

This has been a moment of clarity and reflection that has revealed the deeper work we must do. We’re committed. We’re openly listening to our associates and community partners, and we’re engaging advocacy groups to further understand what more we can do. We’ll take action and share our progress.

To our Black associates, customers and allies: We see you. We hear you. We support you, and I stand with you.

One of my favorite Nelson Mandela quotes states, “One of the most difficult things is not to change society – but to change yourself.”

With that in mind, now and each day, we remain guided by Our Purpose and Our Values of Integrity and Honesty, Safety and Respect, Diversity and Inclusion. These are our core beliefs – the essence of who we are – and they do not change, no matter the circumstances.

Thank you for shopping with us, and for being a loyal customer.

Sincerely,
Rodney
Rodney McMullen
Chairman and CEO

[w2mz]

Another example you should be following Russell:

At Under Armour, our company values are clear:
• Love Athletes
• Fight on Together
• Create Fearlessly
• Always Connect
• Stay True
• Think Beyond
• Celebrate the Wins
• Stand for Equality

We stand with our Black teammates, athletes, consumers and community, both in the United States and around the globe, through our company value of Stand for Equality because Black Lives Matter.

Over the past week, as my leadership team and I listened to our Black teammates express a variety of emotions from anger to frustration to exhaustion, not only about the recent incidents, but the history of social injustice and systemic racism in the United States and throughout the globe, we recognized the immense responsibility we have to do so much more. I want to thank those who bravely spoke out to advocate for change, especially members of our BEAT (Black Employees Achieving Together) Teammate Resource Group that have been unwavering in their commitment to making UA better.

At this moment, regardless of our intentions, regardless of our past efforts, we need to be radically honest and acknowledge that when we look back at our past track record, it’s clear we could have done more, done better, done things faster. Our teammates and athletes deserve better. We are a global company with incredible talent in our corporate offices, our retail locations, our distribution centers and within our family of athletes, and we owe it to them – and to all of you – to do better.

We are committed to supporting and providing resources to not only our teammates and athletes, but our consumers and communities to advance social justice, eradicate systemic racism and be part of the work towards building a better tomorrow – for everyone. Now is the time that we truly need to live by our value, “Stand for Equality.” We believe in supporting all of our teammates, but we are focusing our support on our Black teammates now because their communities are in danger.

Less talk, more action. The change begins now, and below is how we start:

Our Teammates: A Day of Healing, Listening, Learning and Action
Our commitment will start with a Day of Healing, Listening, Learning and Action that will focus on supporting our Black teammates and facilitating education and engagement on racial justice issues within our walls and in society at large. This first virtual session will be held at the end of June.

Our Athletes: Create Continuous Conversations
We have heard from many of our athletes that they want the brand to stand with them and for them by leveraging UA’s global reach to amplify their voices and raise awareness in the fight against racial inequality. We are listening and taking steps to create an authentic, sustainable global platform to educate and engage externally in real dialogue around racial justice issues in the workplace and the world of sports.

This week, we will kick off one of two new programs leveraging our social platform where athletes and teammates around the world will invite all of us into their lives and facilitate courageous and openly honest conversations on their challenges and triumphs. We encourage all of you to tune in and become better informed and equipped for your journey to becoming an active part of eradicating racial injustice.

Our Workplace: Accelerate Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
At Under Armour and specifically in positions of leadership, I’m encouraged by the progress we’ve made over the last 18 months but recognize it’s not enough. We are committed to driving the actions that are necessary to improve our workforce diversity – specifically at management and leadership levels of the organization – through the following:

• Amplification of our recruiting efforts to improve the representation of historically underrepresented groups in our corporate locations, particularly at the Director and above levels
• Increased funding to support the professional development of our historically underrepresented groups with a focus on career advancement
• Enhanced accountability measures for leaders to hire, retain and advance historically underrepresented groups
• Accelerated education for all teammates on creating inclusive cultures, supporting anti-racism and being an effective ally


And we are just getting started. Change doesn’t happen overnight, but with committed leadership, a genuine belief to do what is right, and the means to make it happen, we know we can succeed. At Under Armour, we Stand for Equality. Period.

To our Black teammates, athletes, consumers and community: We stand with you. We see you. We hear you. You are not alone.

Patrik Frisk
Under Armour CEO

[Just This Guy]

NAACP says the Church's reticent actions are little more than lip service.

Indeed, the two organizations have collaborated on a handful of employment and education initiatives. But those were “minor efforts,” Colom said. They “do not befit the stature and magnitude of what the LDS Church can do and should do.”

The NAACP is “looking forward to the church doing more to undo the 150 years of damage they did by how they treated African Americans in the church,” Colom said, and by their “endorsement of how African Americans were treated throughout the country, including segregation and Jim Crow laws.”

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/06 ... president/

[MoPag]

NAACP says the Church's reticent actions are little more than lip service.

Indeed, the two organizations have collaborated on a handful of employment and education initiatives. But those were “minor efforts,” Colom said. They “do not befit the stature and magnitude of what the LDS Church can do and should do.”

The NAACP is “looking forward to the church doing more to undo the 150 years of damage they did by how they treated African Americans in the church,” Colom said, and by their “endorsement of how African Americans were treated throughout the country, including segregation and Jim Crow laws.”

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/06 ... president/

Ouch! That is some HOT tea for Rusty and pals!!!!!

[Not Buying It]

NAACP says the Church's reticent actions are little more than lip service.

Indeed, the two organizations have collaborated on a handful of employment and education initiatives. But those were “minor efforts,” Colom said. They “do not befit the stature and magnitude of what the LDS Church can do and should do.”

The NAACP is “looking forward to the church doing more to undo the 150 years of damage they did by how they treated African Americans in the church,” Colom said, and by their “endorsement of how African Americans were treated throughout the country, including segregation and Jim Crow laws.”

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2020/06 ... president/

Ouch! That is some HOT tea for Rusty and pals!!!!!

Ha! The Church thought they could exploit the NAACP for a photo op and joint statement that makes it look like they care about black rights, and the NAACP called them out. The Church's outreach to the NAACP is so phony - pure PR, and that is all it is intended to be. They have no intention of apologizing or making any substantive changes. They would rather continue to make the black community hurt than run the risks of undermining the legitimacy of past Church leaders who made the black community hurt.

I find the Brethren's lack of sincerity on this issue particularly galling.