I *just* found out about this. BYU cancelled a class taught by Darron Smith, black scholar on race and Mormonism, without warning. They also terminated his employment as an adjunct at BYU. According to Darron, he was told by a representative of BYU's administration that some of the Brethren were 'uncomfortable' with issues he was raising.
Brother Smith maintains a firm belief in Mormonism in spite of this decision. He has been advocating that the Church clarify its theological position on blacks. Formerly, Mormons were taught that blacks had been non-committal in the great conflict between God and Satan in the premortal existence. For this reason their lineage was denied the priesthood. Of course, Joseph Smith observed no such restriction. African Americans were ordained to the priesthood under his leadership. It was later that men like Heber C. Kimball (who was a racist) claimed that Joseph Smith imparted the historically dubious teaching about blacks as premortal 'fence-sitters.'
This news is upsetting. If Darron's representation of the circumstances of his termination are accurate, then the Church has made a poor decision in firing him, and on grounds that had nothing to do with academics. Now more people will be encouraged to think of BYU as a place where academic freedom is not respected and racism is an institutional problem.
