“You see, this is Jesus’ Church, not President Monson’s, or President Hinkley’s, or any other previous leaders of the LDS Church, including Joseph Smith. Jesus is in charge. He has been from the beginning in 1830, and He continues to lead us through the Prophets and Apostles today.”

“Racism was a very common attitude in the social climate of the US in the 1800′s. Was it right? Certainly not…”

Are incompatible, once you realize that Brigham Young and many of his contemporaries did have some of those racist tendencies and led the Church according to their beliefs. After reading the Church’s article on the history of blacks and the priesthood (https://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood), which strongly hints that racism in early church leaders was the cause of the priesthood ban, it’s difficult to believe that the foibles of the men leading the Church can’t cause serious error to creep in. The name of the Church reflects that fact–it is the Church of Christ intermingled with the Church of the Latter-day Saints, and there are two distinct spiritual “groups” contained within it (the foolish and the wise virgins).

The Gospel message has always been the same from the beginning of the world, and is contained in numerous places in the scriptures, including D&C 39:6. The Church, which as Gramps says is “the administration of the Gospel” to the world, does change, is imperfect, and can be seriously led astray (as it was in days of old).

Well said, Janis.

About blacks there are lots of discussion. What I learned, that Lord had His reasons to withhold priesthood from certain group of people, like in old testament times, when to do work in temple was allowed for certain group of people, thou there were (I believe) few righteous enough from other tribes…

Gospel don’t change. The way we are asked to act changes, considering the time, place and other circumstances. Lord knows the best way for us to act and live, so He guides us through personal revelation and live Prophets.