Since Mormonism's foundation, Black people have been members; however, the church placed restrictions on proselytization efforts among Black people. Before 1978, Black membership was small.[citation needed] It has since grown, and in 1997, there were approximately 500,000 Black members of the church (about 5% of the total membership), mostly in Africa, Brazil and the Caribbean.[1] Black membership has continued to grow substantially, especially in West Africa, where two temples have been built.[2] By 2018, an estimated 6% of members were Black worldwide.[3] In the United States, approximately 1% of members are Black.[4][5]
- ^ [1] quoting Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac. Deseret News: Salt Lake City, UT (1998); pg. 119.
- ^ The Church Continues to Grow in Africa Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Brady McCombs. "Mormons grapple with race decades after ban on black leaders".
- ^ "Religious Landscape Study".
- ^ "Religious Landscape Study".