In the 2021 Fifth International Vatican Conference, Elder William K Jackson MD of the Quorum of the Seventy gave a fantastic presentation on the value of religious medical missions and the strategies to employ and pitfalls to avoid to do the most good in promoting the health of underserved parts of the world. This is presented as though they were lessons learned from the years of medical missionary efforts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But... The types of medical missionary efforts Elder Jackson describes in this presentation to the Vatican Conference are not the types of medical missionary efforts that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints engages in to any major degree. Elder Jackson served 26 years as a physician with the U.S. Foreign Service - Not as a medical missionary for the Church. The existing medical missionary program run by the church is primarily to provide unlicensed medical support to the proselytizing elders and sisters so that they can continue the work of proselytizing. The positions don't require a provider to be licensed: "What we need is single registered nurses between the ages of 19 and 25, retired couples where one is an RN or MD, or single senior nurse,” she continued. “Current licenses are not necessary because the scope of practice in the mission field does not require them." (source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/health-missionaries-called-to-serve-him?lang=eng) In 2019, an article in the church publications did describe using medical missionaries to help local communities in underserved areas instead of primarily serving proselyters: "In American Samoa, there's a hospital called the LBJ Tropical Hospital,” Elder Clayton said. “And the administrator there actually wants retired physicians to come and practice medicine for 18 months in the fields of radiology, orthopedics, emergency medicine, and internal medicine. This mission would be to actually practice medicine, and it is the only place in the world where we send missionaries out with this intent. The hospital itself covers the licensing and malpractice for those physicians.” (Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/church/news/former-medical-professionals-needed-as-medical-senior-missionaries-to-help-keep-missionaries-in-the-field?lang=eng) So it is clear there is limited (in this case limited to 1) use of medical missionary efforts of the type addressed by Elder Jackson. The points covered in Elder Jacksons talk are *excellent* and should be considered by any religious or secular NGO looking to engage in medical charitable work around the world - but they are points learned from a lifetime of work in the US Foreign Service - not from work in religious medical work with the Church. The LD ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5SEgUNF9AE

Darius Gray is stepping outside of the bounds set by the brethren regarding how the priesthood ban is discussed. To be clear - no where in the Race and the Priesthood essay or *any* of the statements or publications of the official church or the brethren is it asserted that the Ban was not of God. What *Is* stated is that the *explanations* for the ban are wrong and are now disavowed, despite previously being taught by the highest level of leadership. The official position is that the Ban on blacks holding the priesthood was from God, and the reason for it is unknown at the present time. In this lecture at BYU Darius Gray makes a statement, which I am sure he wants to believe is true, but is not an accurate reflection of the official church position. ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZQMt0rLdv4