A black man’s life in the church Last week, the church released a video about kindness and love. I immediately recognized the narrator’s deep, welcoming voice. It was Darius Gray. I called him on Monday to tell him how good it was to hear from him again. He provided a phone number I needed. I asked his permission to reveal here that he was the narrator of the video. As I thought about sharing something about him with you, I remembered the profile I wrote about Darius. He joined the church in 1964, when that was rare for a black man. It was more than a dozen years before the church lifted its restrictions on priesthood and temple blessings for blacks.
President Dallin H. Oaks said this about those restrictions: “I observed the pain and frustration experienced by those who suffered these restrictions, and those who criticized them, and sought for reasons. I studied the reasons then being given and could not feel confirmation of the truth of any of them.” (“Be One” celebration of the 40th anniversary of the priesthood revelation.) Here is the start of my profile about the journey of Darius Gray.
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Like many BYU students new to Provo in 1965, Darius Gray stepped down out of a Trailways bus, stowed his luggage in a locker and stepped out onto University Avenue to get his bearings. The biggest lesson he learned on his walk through downtown took a few minutes to sink in, but it was stark. “I was the darkest thing walking down the street,” Gray said recently as he remembered that June day 49 years ago and the faces of the people who stopped and stared. After some wandering, he stood on the corner of 500 West and Center Street. A car headed east on Center Street pulled up to a red light, and Gray saw a black couple inside. He rushed to the car and tapped on the window. It was June, but the car had air conditioning. The woman rolled down her window part way. “Excuse me,” Gray said. “I’m new here in town. I’ve been walking around for hours, and you’re the first black people I’ve seen. It’s so good to see you." The man and woman looked at each other, then the woman turned back to Gray.
Read the rest of the story here. | 
