A new video released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leaders in Africa, speaks about the tradition of paying dowry in African culture and how this conflicts with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Dowry payment is a cultural practice of many communities in Africa. In most of the communities, men are required to pay a token to the bride’s family before marriage. This is more so because most African communities are patriarchal in nature.

In the early days, dowry or ‘mahari’ as this is known in East Africa, was often paid in form of goats, cattle, alcohol and even honey. Some communities required the payment be done a few days before marriage while other payments may take years before or even after the marriage has been solemnised.

However, this practice has now been more ‘commercialised’ in modern times, with some families demanding payment of huge amounts which often leave the husband in debt. Some prospective husbands are also postponing enjoying the blessings of marriage because they do not have the means to pay. The practice is also leading to some couples choosing to elope or stay in non-solemnised unions. In recent years, the Kenyan government has also recognised the dangers that dowry payments have on societies. While not criminalising the practice, Kenyan law provides other opportunities to have legal marriages without the obligation to pay dowries.

Many Christian churches and civil societies in Africa are also increasingly speaking against the practice. That is why this declaration by Mormon leaders in Africa is more than timely. The Church has over the years spoken candidly about cultures that are not in harmony with the gospel of Jesus Christ all over the world. In the “proclamation to the family’ declaration released by the First Presidency of the Church in 1995, Church leaders recognised that marriages are ordained of God and husbands and wives are equal partners in a marriage despite their God given different roles.

In the five minute video, several eminent Church leaders from South Africa to Democratic Republic of Congo to Ghana speak candidly about Gospel and African Cultures and what all people can do to experience the joy of family unions.

Elder Jackson T. Mkhabela, a Seventy in the Church and a resident of South Africa, states, “I think of a family and the loyalty that the African culture inculcates to the members of the family and the rich values that are taught in the family setting.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is steadily growing in Africa, and currently has close to half a million members, 29 missions, over 1,400 congregations and over 200 Family History Centres.