This story is covered in chunks throughout my broader history of black Latter-day Saints, but here it is in its contiguous entirety. I find it to be amazing and inspiring so it perplexes me that barely any Saints today are aware of it. It was published on pages 55 and 57-60 of The Story of the Negro Pioneer by Kate B. Carter, published by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers in 1965, the year before Abner's death at age 89. All italics are in original. It's in two sections: an overview of his athletic and community achievements, and a (far more interesting in my opinion) story of his almost lifelong involvement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Abner Howell, Black Latter-day Saint
Paul C. Howell came to Utah in 1888 and worked to send money for his wife, Mary, their five daughters and one son, Abner, to join him. The family had started by wagon from Dodge City, Kansas, but sold out in Trinidad, Colorado, and Mr. Howell continued on by train. His wife and children came in 1890. Paul C. was the first Negro policeman in Salt Lake City, which position he held for twenty years, and he stood at the front gate during the dedication of the temple. The family lived in the 12th and 14th wards, but were not members of the Latter-day Saint Church. Both died and were buried in Salt Lake City. Their son, Abner, became interested in the early Negroes of Utah and wrote a short history of many of them. Later Abner sent to us his story which we include:
I was born August 9, 1878, in Mansfield, Louisiana. I arrived in Salt Lke City, August 1, 1890. I was the first Negro to go to high school and graduate. During my school days I had many friends, but not many of my own race, because there were not many.
My first wife was Nina Stevenson, whom I married in Detroit, Michigan, August 1, 1903. Jay, my first child, was born Nov. 26, 1904, and Abbie, my second child, was born Nov. 14, 1905. My third child, Lucille, was born Nov. 2, 1910. Paul, my fourth, was born June 25, 1912; Edna, my fifth, was born Sept. 30, 1915. Floyd, my sixth child, was born May 12, 1917; Glen Robert was born Aug. 19, 1919. Marry [sic] was born Nov. 28, 1922, and died 1936. Paul died 1920, Lucille died 1962. All were members of the L.D.S. Church. My wife died Feb. 1, 1945.
I married Martha Perkins in 1945. She had four children. Lucile, Frank, Huron and George, all grown and married. Martha died 1955. All were members of the Church. Martha was the oldest grandchild of Green Flake, who came with Brigham Young to Utah.
I was always athletically inclined in baseball, football, and track. I will just copy the report of the last football game from, "The Voice of the West" by Wendell Ashton:
Football games seemed to receive more notice than any other local athletic event when the News was kicking off with its daily sports coverage. There were almost two entire columns describing the 34-0 victory of Salt Lake High over East Denver's footballer's [sic] on Thanksgiving Day in 1900. The game was attended by five thousand fans, including Utah's Governor Heber M. Wells, arriving in a beautifully rubber-tired vehicle. Those were the days when perspiring huskies discarded gear as they played, fists flew frequently, and a colored fullback named Abe Howell "was everything from the band-wagon to the steam calliope" for Salt Lake High.
At the century's turn, the sports writer handled players as roughly with his words as they did each other with their hands. A little exaggeration was alright too, if it made good reading. The news account of the Salt Lake-Denver game started of: "The Salt Lake High School, 34; East Denver High School, Goose Egg." (End of quote.)
I served on Community Chest board 1951-52-53 and on the executive board of Boy Scouts the same time. I spent two years on the Welfare Council, and seven years on the City Federation of Labor.
The following is from the Tribune when I was on the Chest Board: Early backer of Y.M.C.A. lauds chest. When Salt Lake City's Y.M.C.A. was in knee pants, Abner L. Howell was in gym pants, including a businessmen's class in gymnastics.
But both Mr. Howell and the Y.M.C.A. have come a long way since he joined Sept. 1, 1898. Now active in Salt Lake organized labor circles, Mr. Howell is believed to have been a member of the Y.M.C.A. longer than anyone else in the city. A well-known athlete in his day, Mr. Howell served as assistant physical director for the association. In 1902 he resigned to go to the University of Michigan, where he played football for two seasons under the Wolverines famous coach, Fielding Yost.
Previously he had been fullback on the Salt Lake High School team, which he recalls with a chuckle "used to beat the state's colleges all the time."
Mr. Howell's fifty years in Y.M.C.A. activity have given him a keen appreciation for its work and for the Community Chest, which supports it: And he will tell you the Y.M.C.A., though it now has no gym, nor swimming pool, operates better under chest sponsorship.
They can now plan activities in advance, assured of a budget with which to carry them out. In the old days we had to plan on contributions from a few supporters and on paid memberships. Also, they have been able to expand services and provide important training for the young. "In my day you couldn't even join unless you were 21," he explains.
Mr. Howell, who represents organized labor on the Welfare Council, one of twenty-two red-feather agencies supported by the chest, urged the "working man" to give full support to the current chest drive.
"The working man and his family benefit most from the chest and should give it their whole-hearted support," he said.
Sincerely,
A.L. Howell
January 1965
Dear Sister Carter,
You wanted to know about my conversion to the Church. Well, that was just natural for one seeking to know and learn. I was born just 13 years after the slaves were set free, and grew up just when the black people were having their hardest time to understand what it was to be free. Before I was in my teens I wondered many times why I was a different color to the other boys. Little by little I was told that I was cursed and could not go to heaven when I died, but was doomed to go to hell with the devil and burn forever.
One day, when the boys were telling me these things, I was so touched that I began to cry. While in this frame of mind, Bro. John Henry Smith [of the Twelve] came along and wanted to know what was wrong and why I was crying. So I told him. He comforted me with a few kind words and took me to his house, a block away. He got the Book of Mormon and turned to the 26th chapter of 2nd Nephi, and last verse. He then said read this, which I did. When I was through reading, a great load was lifted from my heart and mind, and my eyes were opened, and I read more and more. I thought how great that was! The words "all are alike unto God."
I could not find anything in the Bible that pleased me so much as what I had just read in the Book of Mormon. I never discussed my thoughts with anyone. I just dreamed day after day to myself. I did not tell my mother about this as she did not want to join the Church. The people who owned her in slavery time were Methodist and she always said that was good enough for her. With this background I grew up joining no church but with all Latter-day Saint ideas, ways and thoughts.
I did not go to church much until I was married and my first child was old enough to be baptized. My wife and I were baptized [on February 26, 1921] and then was when I became active in the Church and have been ever since.
I knew President Grant since I was a boy, and always liked him because he used to let me in the baseball games when he used to play 2nd base on the team. Then in 1902 he took 50 missionaries to organize the Japanese Mission. I was the porter on the car that took them to Portland, Oregon. When he left me there he told me about living a good straight life and then our paths did not cross anymore until 1936 when he was President of the Church, and had started the church welfare plan and I began to work for the Church. I helped build all the buildings in the welfare center. I did other work for the Church; I tore down the last of the old tithing office. It was while working there that he gave me this letter that I will copy:
Dear Brother Howell, The Presidency has been delighted with the splendid work that you have done in tearing down the old tithing office building, and in order to express a little appreciation I am giving myself the pleasure of handing you a copy of the little pamphlet that I issued during the holiday entitled "Treasures I Would Share."
I am also handing you a copy of a book entitled "The Power of Truth." While I was in England I purchased 4500 copies of the book and the copyright. I consider the first, second, and last paragraphs of the first article in this book as fine as almost anything I have read.
Wishing you abundant success in the battle of life, I remain,
Heber J. Grant
This has always increased my faith, to think that such a man would think of me as one of his 4500 friends. I have not the time to write just what he wanted me to read, but it is the best of advice. That was in 1936-1939 when I spent those happy days working for the Church. I spent most of the forties with organized labor being a member of the city federation board of labor. Later I was on the executive board of the Salt Lake Boy Scouts council. I also served two years on the community chest, and was on the welfare board. I served two years on the State Senate door. About this time I wanted to see some of the East and South so I went to [Presiding] Bishop LeGrand Richards and had a talk. He had told me if I ever decided to go, to come in and talk with him. The following is the letter he gave me:
June 20, 1951. To whom it may concern: This will introduce you to Brother and Sister Abner L. Howell (colored) who are good members of our church, being members of the Evergreen Ward here in Salt Lake City.
Brother and Sister Howell have been faithful throughout the years and are now enjoying what they have looked forward to for a long time; namely a trip through the Southern and Eastern parts of the United States. We have invited them to call upon our people, the missionaries, and Saints wherever convenient.
Any courtesies extended to them will be very much appreciated. Sincerely yours, LeGrand Richards.
We left as soon as we got the letter, for Boston, as Brother Dilworth Young was there at that time and he has been such a good friend to me all his life. At the mission there as we arrived, were missionaries, and there was a homesick girl, who, after hugging my wife and finding that we were from Utah, she was made a happy, well girl. I was happier than her to think a few words could make such a change in anyone.
Our next stop was Cincinnati, as this was a special stop to see a colored Brother and his family. Bro. Mark E. Peterson [sic] gave me the address, as he had baptized two members when he was on his mission and thought a lot of the family.
On arriving in Cincinnati we had a sadder outlook. We found that society had creeped into religion. Most of the members lived across the river on the Kentucky side and some of them did not want the Negro family to come to church. They could only come to church once a month, on fast Sunday. Cincinnati was at that time only a branch. I went Sunday with the colored brother whose name by the way was Len Hope. His family had been receiving missionaries for many years. Bro. Peterson said he had many a meal in the Len Hope home. I went in the gospel doctrine class and as I had already had the lesson they were on, I was able to answer many questions. When Sunday School was out I gave my letter to the bishop to read, and after reading he said "How long will you be here?" and I said "two days." He said, "Would you like to say a few words at Sacrament tonight?" I said, "Sure I would." Then it was that he told me of the feeling of some of the members of the Church about the Negro family. He told me to be easy on the "haters." I said, "I will be so nice they will like me." He said they all sat on the right side, the leader had long bushy hair.
When Brother Spencer W. Kimball heard that I was going down South he called me into his office to talk to me. He said, "I want to tell you something. You have been raised in Utah and you don't know those people. You won't get treated there like you do here. Be very careful, what you say, and where you go. They will always be right and you will be wrong, but say nothing, you will then get along."
That afternoon I asked the Lord to lead me in the right way that night. The bishop had said about ten minutes. Somehow that last verse in the 26th chapter of 2nd Nephi said "Read me." I talked a short while on brotherhood. Then I took the Book of Mormon and started to read, but my time was up - I looked at the bishop. He said, "Go on." I finished the entire evening by looking at the bishop several times and each time getting the go ahead sign. As I had expected, those people came to shake my hand and greeted me as a good Latter-day Saint. One man said, "I did not know there were such things in the Book of Mormon." That Negro family was permitted to come and were made welcome by all the members of the church.
I went to Atlanta next and had a wonderful time. There were 15 missionaries there, and they all read the letter I had from Bishop Richards. I did not have time to stay long in Atlanta, as I wanted to get to Shreveport where the new mission was being set up. We stayed overnight there. There were no missionaries there.
We had an experience that is worth mentioning. I was on the train between Jackson and Meridian, Mississippi when a lady and her grown daughter got on the train. She began to look at me and my wife. I don't know what she thought, but she finally said "Are you a preacher?" I said, "No lady - I am a Mormon." She said "What is a Mormon?" I told her about the Prophet Joseph. When she got off the train in Meridian, I gave her the only tract I had. It was baptism. The birth of water and spirit by Orson F. Whitney. I did not get her name, but two years later on the [Salt Lake] Temple grounds she tapped me on the back and said, "I know you." She told me about the time on the train, then said, "I'm here for my first conference."
My wife Martha died in May 1954, and as I wanted to go to California, I went to visit my sister, who had been living there some 35 years. I placed my recommend in the Arlington Ward from where I acted as a guide to the dedication of the Los Angeles Temple.
I spoke to many firesides and seminaries and University of S. Cal Institute. Pres. Paul Dunn said I could please his classes better than he could, sometimes, as they liked to see me come. I spoke to several of Brother Tingey’s classes. I talked to a class of Brother William Heartman in Long Beach, that had no standing room, all wanting to know why I was a Mormon.
Sincerely,
Brother A. L. Howell
Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
I was born August 9, 1878, in Mansfield, Louisiana. I arrived in Salt Lke City, August 1, 1890. I was the first Negro to go to high school and graduate. During my school days I had many friends, but not many of my own race, because there were not many.
My first wife was Nina Stevenson, whom I married in Detroit, Michigan, August 1, 1903. Jay, my first child, was born Nov. 26, 1904, and Abbie, my second child, was born Nov. 14, 1905. My third child, Lucille, was born Nov. 2, 1910. Paul, my fourth, was born June 25, 1912; Edna, my fifth, was born Sept. 30, 1915. Floyd, my sixth child, was born May 12, 1917; Glen Robert was born Aug. 19, 1919. Marry [sic] was born Nov. 28, 1922, and died 1936. Paul died 1920, Lucille died 1962. All were members of the L.D.S. Church. My wife died Feb. 1, 1945.
I married Martha Perkins in 1945. She had four children. Lucile, Frank, Huron and George, all grown and married. Martha died 1955. All were members of the Church. Martha was the oldest grandchild of Green Flake, who came with Brigham Young to Utah.
I was always athletically inclined in baseball, football, and track. I will just copy the report of the last football game from, "The Voice of the West" by Wendell Ashton:
Football games seemed to receive more notice than any other local athletic event when the News was kicking off with its daily sports coverage. There were almost two entire columns describing the 34-0 victory of Salt Lake High over East Denver's footballer's [sic] on Thanksgiving Day in 1900. The game was attended by five thousand fans, including Utah's Governor Heber M. Wells, arriving in a beautifully rubber-tired vehicle. Those were the days when perspiring huskies discarded gear as they played, fists flew frequently, and a colored fullback named Abe Howell "was everything from the band-wagon to the steam calliope" for Salt Lake High.
At the century's turn, the sports writer handled players as roughly with his words as they did each other with their hands. A little exaggeration was alright too, if it made good reading. The news account of the Salt Lake-Denver game started of: "The Salt Lake High School, 34; East Denver High School, Goose Egg." (End of quote.)
I served on Community Chest board 1951-52-53 and on the executive board of Boy Scouts the same time. I spent two years on the Welfare Council, and seven years on the City Federation of Labor.
The following is from the Tribune when I was on the Chest Board: Early backer of Y.M.C.A. lauds chest. When Salt Lake City's Y.M.C.A. was in knee pants, Abner L. Howell was in gym pants, including a businessmen's class in gymnastics.
But both Mr. Howell and the Y.M.C.A. have come a long way since he joined Sept. 1, 1898. Now active in Salt Lake organized labor circles, Mr. Howell is believed to have been a member of the Y.M.C.A. longer than anyone else in the city. A well-known athlete in his day, Mr. Howell served as assistant physical director for the association. In 1902 he resigned to go to the University of Michigan, where he played football for two seasons under the Wolverines famous coach, Fielding Yost.
Previously he had been fullback on the Salt Lake High School team, which he recalls with a chuckle "used to beat the state's colleges all the time."
Mr. Howell's fifty years in Y.M.C.A. activity have given him a keen appreciation for its work and for the Community Chest, which supports it: And he will tell you the Y.M.C.A., though it now has no gym, nor swimming pool, operates better under chest sponsorship.
They can now plan activities in advance, assured of a budget with which to carry them out. In the old days we had to plan on contributions from a few supporters and on paid memberships. Also, they have been able to expand services and provide important training for the young. "In my day you couldn't even join unless you were 21," he explains.
Mr. Howell, who represents organized labor on the Welfare Council, one of twenty-two red-feather agencies supported by the chest, urged the "working man" to give full support to the current chest drive.
"The working man and his family benefit most from the chest and should give it their whole-hearted support," he said.
Sincerely,
A.L. Howell
January 1965
Dear Sister Carter,
You wanted to know about my conversion to the Church. Well, that was just natural for one seeking to know and learn. I was born just 13 years after the slaves were set free, and grew up just when the black people were having their hardest time to understand what it was to be free. Before I was in my teens I wondered many times why I was a different color to the other boys. Little by little I was told that I was cursed and could not go to heaven when I died, but was doomed to go to hell with the devil and burn forever.
One day, when the boys were telling me these things, I was so touched that I began to cry. While in this frame of mind, Bro. John Henry Smith [of the Twelve] came along and wanted to know what was wrong and why I was crying. So I told him. He comforted me with a few kind words and took me to his house, a block away. He got the Book of Mormon and turned to the 26th chapter of 2nd Nephi, and last verse. He then said read this, which I did. When I was through reading, a great load was lifted from my heart and mind, and my eyes were opened, and I read more and more. I thought how great that was! The words "all are alike unto God."
I could not find anything in the Bible that pleased me so much as what I had just read in the Book of Mormon. I never discussed my thoughts with anyone. I just dreamed day after day to myself. I did not tell my mother about this as she did not want to join the Church. The people who owned her in slavery time were Methodist and she always said that was good enough for her. With this background I grew up joining no church but with all Latter-day Saint ideas, ways and thoughts.
I did not go to church much until I was married and my first child was old enough to be baptized. My wife and I were baptized [on February 26, 1921] and then was when I became active in the Church and have been ever since.
I knew President Grant since I was a boy, and always liked him because he used to let me in the baseball games when he used to play 2nd base on the team. Then in 1902 he took 50 missionaries to organize the Japanese Mission. I was the porter on the car that took them to Portland, Oregon. When he left me there he told me about living a good straight life and then our paths did not cross anymore until 1936 when he was President of the Church, and had started the church welfare plan and I began to work for the Church. I helped build all the buildings in the welfare center. I did other work for the Church; I tore down the last of the old tithing office. It was while working there that he gave me this letter that I will copy:
Dear Brother Howell, The Presidency has been delighted with the splendid work that you have done in tearing down the old tithing office building, and in order to express a little appreciation I am giving myself the pleasure of handing you a copy of the little pamphlet that I issued during the holiday entitled "Treasures I Would Share."
I am also handing you a copy of a book entitled "The Power of Truth." While I was in England I purchased 4500 copies of the book and the copyright. I consider the first, second, and last paragraphs of the first article in this book as fine as almost anything I have read.
Wishing you abundant success in the battle of life, I remain,
Heber J. Grant
This has always increased my faith, to think that such a man would think of me as one of his 4500 friends. I have not the time to write just what he wanted me to read, but it is the best of advice. That was in 1936-1939 when I spent those happy days working for the Church. I spent most of the forties with organized labor being a member of the city federation board of labor. Later I was on the executive board of the Salt Lake Boy Scouts council. I also served two years on the community chest, and was on the welfare board. I served two years on the State Senate door. About this time I wanted to see some of the East and South so I went to [Presiding] Bishop LeGrand Richards and had a talk. He had told me if I ever decided to go, to come in and talk with him. The following is the letter he gave me:
June 20, 1951. To whom it may concern: This will introduce you to Brother and Sister Abner L. Howell (colored) who are good members of our church, being members of the Evergreen Ward here in Salt Lake City.
Brother and Sister Howell have been faithful throughout the years and are now enjoying what they have looked forward to for a long time; namely a trip through the Southern and Eastern parts of the United States. We have invited them to call upon our people, the missionaries, and Saints wherever convenient.
Any courtesies extended to them will be very much appreciated. Sincerely yours, LeGrand Richards.
We left as soon as we got the letter, for Boston, as Brother Dilworth Young was there at that time and he has been such a good friend to me all his life. At the mission there as we arrived, were missionaries, and there was a homesick girl, who, after hugging my wife and finding that we were from Utah, she was made a happy, well girl. I was happier than her to think a few words could make such a change in anyone.
Our next stop was Cincinnati, as this was a special stop to see a colored Brother and his family. Bro. Mark E. Peterson [sic] gave me the address, as he had baptized two members when he was on his mission and thought a lot of the family.
On arriving in Cincinnati we had a sadder outlook. We found that society had creeped into religion. Most of the members lived across the river on the Kentucky side and some of them did not want the Negro family to come to church. They could only come to church once a month, on fast Sunday. Cincinnati was at that time only a branch. I went Sunday with the colored brother whose name by the way was Len Hope. His family had been receiving missionaries for many years. Bro. Peterson said he had many a meal in the Len Hope home. I went in the gospel doctrine class and as I had already had the lesson they were on, I was able to answer many questions. When Sunday School was out I gave my letter to the bishop to read, and after reading he said "How long will you be here?" and I said "two days." He said, "Would you like to say a few words at Sacrament tonight?" I said, "Sure I would." Then it was that he told me of the feeling of some of the members of the Church about the Negro family. He told me to be easy on the "haters." I said, "I will be so nice they will like me." He said they all sat on the right side, the leader had long bushy hair.
When Brother Spencer W. Kimball heard that I was going down South he called me into his office to talk to me. He said, "I want to tell you something. You have been raised in Utah and you don't know those people. You won't get treated there like you do here. Be very careful, what you say, and where you go. They will always be right and you will be wrong, but say nothing, you will then get along."
That afternoon I asked the Lord to lead me in the right way that night. The bishop had said about ten minutes. Somehow that last verse in the 26th chapter of 2nd Nephi said "Read me." I talked a short while on brotherhood. Then I took the Book of Mormon and started to read, but my time was up - I looked at the bishop. He said, "Go on." I finished the entire evening by looking at the bishop several times and each time getting the go ahead sign. As I had expected, those people came to shake my hand and greeted me as a good Latter-day Saint. One man said, "I did not know there were such things in the Book of Mormon." That Negro family was permitted to come and were made welcome by all the members of the church.
I went to Atlanta next and had a wonderful time. There were 15 missionaries there, and they all read the letter I had from Bishop Richards. I did not have time to stay long in Atlanta, as I wanted to get to Shreveport where the new mission was being set up. We stayed overnight there. There were no missionaries there.
We had an experience that is worth mentioning. I was on the train between Jackson and Meridian, Mississippi when a lady and her grown daughter got on the train. She began to look at me and my wife. I don't know what she thought, but she finally said "Are you a preacher?" I said, "No lady - I am a Mormon." She said "What is a Mormon?" I told her about the Prophet Joseph. When she got off the train in Meridian, I gave her the only tract I had. It was baptism. The birth of water and spirit by Orson F. Whitney. I did not get her name, but two years later on the [Salt Lake] Temple grounds she tapped me on the back and said, "I know you." She told me about the time on the train, then said, "I'm here for my first conference."
My wife Martha died in May 1954, and as I wanted to go to California, I went to visit my sister, who had been living there some 35 years. I placed my recommend in the Arlington Ward from where I acted as a guide to the dedication of the Los Angeles Temple.
I spoke to many firesides and seminaries and University of S. Cal Institute. Pres. Paul Dunn said I could please his classes better than he could, sometimes, as they liked to see me come. I spoke to several of Brother Tingey’s classes. I talked to a class of Brother William Heartman in Long Beach, that had no standing room, all wanting to know why I was a Mormon.
Sincerely,
Brother A. L. Howell
Main Page: Latter-day Saint Racial History
