Ed and Wanda Willis: From Black Panthers to Latter-day Saints

Ed Willis’s life began in a place literally called “The Lower Bottom.” Drugs, Alcohol, Prostitution—you name it, and it could be found in the lower bottom. Ed was always searching for something. It was this searching that led him to become a Black Panther. Ultimately, Ed can now see that the dignity he was seeking all along could be found in understanding that he is a child of God. On this week’s episode, Ed and his wife, Wanda, share how their membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints changed their lives. 

"No matter what people might think of me, I'm on my way to purity, because that's the way God wants it. He wants me back, just like He wants everybody else back."

Show Notes:

2:00- Tuberculosis
4:07- Complexities of Race
11:05- No Room for Racism
13:04- Meeting Wanda
20:37- Walking the Walk
25:01- Why the Panthers Resonated
33:50- Why They Left
41:05- Evolving and Escaping Bondage
51:20- Refusing To Miss Out
54:45- Panther To Priesthood
59:00- What Does It Mean To Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Find the full episode transcript at ldsliving.com/allin.

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