“Lester Bush’s Journey as Seen by His Wife, Yvonne” By Yvonne Bush

In this heartfelt episode of the Dialogue Journal Podcast, we present Yvonne Bush’s paper, “Lester Bush’s Journey as Seen by His Wife, Yvonne,” as read by her daughter, Kim Bush. Written for a special session of the Mormon History Association on June 9, 2023, this paper commemorates the 50th anniversary of Lester Bush’s groundbreaking 1973 Dialogue article, “Mormonism’s Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview.”

Yvonne’s reflections offer a deeply personal view of Lester’s journey, revealing the sacrifices, challenges, and triumphs that accompanied his work on one of the most influential articles in modern Church history. A great deal has changed since the article’s publication, including terminology now considered offensive. Care is taken in this episode to use and consider this language within its historical and scholarly context.

Please note: The views expressed in this episode represent those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Dialogue Journal, the Mormon History Association, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.