First, a short history:
Starting shortly after the death of the church’s founder, Joseph Smith, in 1844, the Mormon Church began denying its priesthood—otherwise granted to faithful young men over the age of 12 more or less as a matter of course—to men of African descent. That policy survived for well over a century. Only with a divine revelation announced by then-prophet Spencer W. Kimball in 1978 did the church finally overturn the ban and allow “all worthy males,” regardless of race, full and equal membership in the religion.On the question of whether or not the Church remains inherently racist, that's a little harder to determine. It certainly doesn't look good, though:
Why did the church withhold the priesthood from blacks for over a century? Among the reasons trotted out by church leaders—including church presidents—during that time: Black people are the cursed descendants of ancient Biblical figures; black people committed pre-mortal perfidy; black people lacked the intelligence and personal integrity to hold such a sacred office. Such past beliefs have never officially been repudiated.Another question often posed regarding Mormonism is whether or not the religion constitutes a cult. Who cares? The sinister beliefs are so strange and perverted, any matter of classification seems a banal formality.