[SeattleUte]

I think you're all off base. The apology is for those millions of LDS going along blithely thinking their leaders never make mistakes, their Church is always right, and all of this happened concerning the priesthood ban per "the Lord's" wishes and timetable. The apology is for those ignorance is bliss types, which comprise 90% of LDS faithful.

Imagine the good a full apology and confession of wrongdoing would do the LDS rank and file (including repudiation of the nutty creationist rationale cited by prophets and apostles). Some of them might start living examined lives for the first time. That would be worth it.

For similar reasons, an apology is for the children.

In the overall scheme of things personal redemption of African Amerians is not as big a factor as the foregoing, because 99.999999% of them couldn't care less.

But I want to say something in response to Chino. I think that active Mormon African Americans (most of whom are converts), rare as they may be, who have overcome LDS racism and decided to be active LDS for whatever reason, feel a an understandable sense of obligation to minimize or defend the LDS Church's racist past. They feel this obligation to LDS friends and themselves, because they feel compelled to justify their choice, which means vindicating one of the most important life-choices anyone could ever make. I once knew a very talented, attractive, and educated woman who fell in love with and married a convict, who was clearly a pretty loathsome guy. She felt compelled to defend her husband and her choice, even after he abused her, or she would in a sense be betraying herself, she had sacrificed so much for the choice. In this sense active LDS AA re still suffering indignity that could be fixed by an apology.