Though Anderson is not a Mormon, he was raised as one and was a practicing member of the LDS Church in Logan. However, he has described his disagreement with certain doctrines of the LDS Church, particularly the denial prior to 1978 of the priesthood and hence temple ceremonies to men of black African descent (see Black people and Mormonism). Anderson also expresses disagreement with what he describes as the LDS teaching of personal moral abdication through obedience to people in positions of authority. Anderson believes in the principle of personal conscience and individual accountability, and considers what he sees as a call for blind obedience as being incompatible with that principle.