The first half of the book covers the author's life. It was very insightful for me, as a white person, to understand the challenges that a person of african descent faces throughout his/her lifetime. I learned a lot from the book, and really appreciated the author's honesty and perspective. I also learned a lot of history. For example, I didn't realize that when a lot of slaves were freed, they took upon themselves the last name of their last owner because they didn't have last names up to that point. So the author's last name (Hamilton) actually comes from a slave owner who was distantly related to Alexander Hamilton. I learned that not all former slaves did this, and some later renounced the name to have no association with their former master, but in general it was a common practice.
The author's life was very interesting to read about. He has a great sense of humor, but he is also very honest. But I really enjoyed the second half of the book, where the author talks about the issue with blacks and the Priesthood from his own perspective and testimony, along with the scriptures and words of latter-day prophets.
I was amazed at how much false doctrine and false traditions I have grown up with concerning this matter. Everything can be summarized by the statement that the ban was instituted by God and was lifted by Him as well. The author has a very strong testimony of this. He is also very clear that he does not know why God ever instituted the ban in the first place, but He knows that God is the source and he trusts God enough to not worry about it for now.
He debunks rumors and clears up false doctrine. A common explanation for the Priesthood ban is that it is because those of african descent are descendants of Cain, who was a murderer. The author points out the lineage of Jesus Christ, who descended from David--both an adulterer and a murderer who lost his exaltation. Does this ancestry diminish who the Savior is? Of course not. So it is with blacks.
Another common teaching is that the ban was put in place because black people were born in their circumstances because they were less valiant in the pre-mortal life. Not only is there absolutely no scriptural basis for this, but there are actually many scriptures that teach the opposite. Take the man who was born blind. The Lord's disciples asked if it was the man who sinned in the pre-mortal world, or his parents sinned, that caused him to be born blind. Jesus answered that neither was the case, but he was born in these circumstances so that the glory of God could be made manifest.
Likewise, look at the circumstances surrounded the birth of the Savior. He was born in a stable and slept in the manger for his first bed. He was born to refugee parents in a nation that was oppressed and controlled by another nation. Do those sound like favorable circumstances? No. Were those circumstances a consequence of a level of valiance in the pre-mortal life? No. The author actually teaches that those born in unfavorable circumstances, such as the Savior, are born in such because it is necessary to be in those circumstances to accomplish the mission they were sent to perform.
The book is great, and I especially enjoyed reading it just after the Be One celebration put on by the Church to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the revelation on the Priesthood. I am grateful to Keith Hamilton for writing this book and opening my eyes a little more on the subject.
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