If you haven’t heard, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (aka Mormons) released an update to their scriptures. The vast majority of the changes were typographical, but there were some changes that might point at much more significant developments. NPR decided to ask an expert about this, and so they called Terryl Givens. (That’s my dad, and yeah, I’m proud.)

Here’s the interview.

Also, my dad says that the last quote in the article doesn’t reflect what he was trying to say. Here’s the quote, as he stated it in the interview:

In many ways, what we’re seeing with these changes is the privileging of history over theology in some ways,” he says. “It’s a kind of acknowledgement that the Mormon Church is rooted in a past that is replete with historical claims. And it’s a magnificent thing for a church to allow professional historians to have a lead role in the way that scripture is presented and its story is told.

Here’s what he would have liked to have said:

In many ways, what we’re seeing with these changes is the privileging of history over folklore in some ways,” he says. “It’s a kind of acknowledgement that the Mormon Church is rooted in a past that is replete with historical claims. And it’s a magnificent thing for a church to allow professional historians to have a lead role in the way that scripture is presented and its story is told.

In short: the historical ban that prevented black Mormons from receiving the priesthood never had a solid theological foundation to begin with. It arose from racist attitudes that were prevalent throughout the nation at that time (mid-1800s). It’s tragic that it took so long to repudiate, and it never reflected Mormon theology.