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The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 1908-1912
The Colored Races
On March 14, 1908, a Deseret Evening News editorial said, "An unknown friend in Texas criticizes the 'News' for designating certain efforts at disenfranchising the negroes in the South as 'inicuitous.' We regard any measure the purpose of which is to circumvent the Constitution as iniquitous, and can make no exception in the case referred to. We ask only for a fair and square deal for all, and that the rights and prerogatives guaranteed by the Constitution be respected. If the provisions of the Constitution are thought to be too liberal, there are legal modes of procedure by which to effect such corrections as experience proves to be necessary. But any illegal procedure against a class, or an individual, must be characterized as iniquitous. It is dangerous, too, to the state.
"But our critic places his objection to the negro vote on rather peculiar grounds. He claims, in a little pamphlet that has come to this office, that only the Caucasians are created in the image of God; that 'the Ethiopian, in spite of perverted passages of Scripture, was not an object of Christ’s mission;' that the negro is a Lamanite with a curse upon him; and that all the colored race is good for is slavery. He even goes so far as to claim that the colored races do not belong to the 'world,' and his reasoning on this point is peculiar. He says:
'The churches, almost without exception, in view of their impotence in the way of advancing the cause of Christ, have for the past century or more, adopted a false interpretation of the word 'world' used in the New Testament, so as to include blacks of all shades of color and of whatsoever origin, and in face of the fact that every respectable authority, such as Gibbon, etc., will agree that until the time of Columbus, this word meant the region about the Mediterranean sea, or the countries inhabited by the white race, in proof of which, such regions were only embraced when the disciples received their allotments for fields of missionary labors. Though easy of approach, none were sent to London, China, or Japan, for the palpable reason that the people of these regions were not affected by Adam’s fall, whatever may have been their origin?'
"We must confess that this reasoning does not appeal to us. We are aware that speculation has given rise to various opinions regarding the origin and unity of the human race, but the probability, even from a scientific view, is for the unity of origin. Darwin says: 'When naturalists observe a close agreement in numerous small details of habits, tastes, and dispositions between nearly allied natural forms, they use this fact as an argument that all are descended from a common progenitor, who was thus endowed; and, consequently, that all should be classed under the same species. The same argument may be applied with much force to the races of man.'
So much for the argument of science. It is held by Blumenback [sic], Prichard, Cuvier, Max Muller, and others, while on the other side are Kant, Haeckel, Agassiz, and others.
"But our anonymous friend tells us that the Ethiopian was not an object of Christ's mission. That contrasts strangely with the fact that one of the early converts was the prime minister of an Ethiopian queen. This queen, it is asserted by tradition, reigned over the region of upper Nubia. She was converted through her minister, and from her place Christianity was promulgated through the entire region, including Abyssinia. It is added that this convert even went through Arabia and to the island of Ceylon [Sri Lanka], preaching the gospel. Bartholomew is said to have proceeded as far as India. And how do we know that the disciples of the Apostles did not go both to China and to the interior of Africa? To assert that they did not do so, should not be done without sufficient evidence. There is no reason to believe, against tradition that their labors were confined to the Mediterranean coast lands.
"The statement that the authors of the New Testament included only the countries around the Mediterranean in the term 'world' is only partly correct. That word is used in more than one meaning. When we are told 'the world was framed by the word of God,' it means more than the Mediterranean countries. We are told that 'the whole world lieth in wickedness.' That must include the entire race. Sometimes the 'world' means an 'age,' and sometimes a 'dispensation.' Sometimes the world refers to the portion of the earth that was known at that time, and sometimes, in the Old Testament, we believe, to Palestine alone.
"But, without going any further into this, it seems to us that the commission given by the Lord to His Apostles embraced every human being. For He commissioned them to preach the gospel to 'every creature.' If that means anything, it means that neither color, nor ignorance, nor degeneration is a bar to salvation. No one is so black that he is not one of God's creatures. No one stands so low in the scale of intelligence that he is not a creature of the Creator. The plan of salvation concerns him, as it concerns everything both in heaven and on earth.
"There may be weighty reasons why the various races should be kept within the boundaries which the Apostle says God has appointed to them. There would be more harmony in the great human family, if the races had never intruded upon the territory naturally occupied by each. It was a mistake to hunt human beings in one part of the world and make them slaves in another. But a wrong cannot be righted by committing another. And disenfranchisement of a class, on the ground that it is not entitled to human rights because of the color of the skin, cannot be justified by any arguments from the Scriptures."
"But our critic places his objection to the negro vote on rather peculiar grounds. He claims, in a little pamphlet that has come to this office, that only the Caucasians are created in the image of God; that 'the Ethiopian, in spite of perverted passages of Scripture, was not an object of Christ’s mission;' that the negro is a Lamanite with a curse upon him; and that all the colored race is good for is slavery. He even goes so far as to claim that the colored races do not belong to the 'world,' and his reasoning on this point is peculiar. He says:
'The churches, almost without exception, in view of their impotence in the way of advancing the cause of Christ, have for the past century or more, adopted a false interpretation of the word 'world' used in the New Testament, so as to include blacks of all shades of color and of whatsoever origin, and in face of the fact that every respectable authority, such as Gibbon, etc., will agree that until the time of Columbus, this word meant the region about the Mediterranean sea, or the countries inhabited by the white race, in proof of which, such regions were only embraced when the disciples received their allotments for fields of missionary labors. Though easy of approach, none were sent to London, China, or Japan, for the palpable reason that the people of these regions were not affected by Adam’s fall, whatever may have been their origin?'
"We must confess that this reasoning does not appeal to us. We are aware that speculation has given rise to various opinions regarding the origin and unity of the human race, but the probability, even from a scientific view, is for the unity of origin. Darwin says: 'When naturalists observe a close agreement in numerous small details of habits, tastes, and dispositions between nearly allied natural forms, they use this fact as an argument that all are descended from a common progenitor, who was thus endowed; and, consequently, that all should be classed under the same species. The same argument may be applied with much force to the races of man.'
So much for the argument of science. It is held by Blumenback [sic], Prichard, Cuvier, Max Muller, and others, while on the other side are Kant, Haeckel, Agassiz, and others.
"But our anonymous friend tells us that the Ethiopian was not an object of Christ's mission. That contrasts strangely with the fact that one of the early converts was the prime minister of an Ethiopian queen. This queen, it is asserted by tradition, reigned over the region of upper Nubia. She was converted through her minister, and from her place Christianity was promulgated through the entire region, including Abyssinia. It is added that this convert even went through Arabia and to the island of Ceylon [Sri Lanka], preaching the gospel. Bartholomew is said to have proceeded as far as India. And how do we know that the disciples of the Apostles did not go both to China and to the interior of Africa? To assert that they did not do so, should not be done without sufficient evidence. There is no reason to believe, against tradition that their labors were confined to the Mediterranean coast lands.
"The statement that the authors of the New Testament included only the countries around the Mediterranean in the term 'world' is only partly correct. That word is used in more than one meaning. When we are told 'the world was framed by the word of God,' it means more than the Mediterranean countries. We are told that 'the whole world lieth in wickedness.' That must include the entire race. Sometimes the 'world' means an 'age,' and sometimes a 'dispensation.' Sometimes the world refers to the portion of the earth that was known at that time, and sometimes, in the Old Testament, we believe, to Palestine alone.
"But, without going any further into this, it seems to us that the commission given by the Lord to His Apostles embraced every human being. For He commissioned them to preach the gospel to 'every creature.' If that means anything, it means that neither color, nor ignorance, nor degeneration is a bar to salvation. No one is so black that he is not one of God's creatures. No one stands so low in the scale of intelligence that he is not a creature of the Creator. The plan of salvation concerns him, as it concerns everything both in heaven and on earth.
"There may be weighty reasons why the various races should be kept within the boundaries which the Apostle says God has appointed to them. There would be more harmony in the great human family, if the races had never intruded upon the territory naturally occupied by each. It was a mistake to hunt human beings in one part of the world and make them slaves in another. But a wrong cannot be righted by committing another. And disenfranchisement of a class, on the ground that it is not entitled to human rights because of the color of the skin, cannot be justified by any arguments from the Scriptures."
"The Negro and the Priesthood"
The April 18, 1908 issue of Liahona, the Elders' Journal contained an article called "The Negro and the Priesthood" which said the following: "We learn from the Pearl of Great Price that the gospel, including animal sacrifice foreshadowing the atonement of Christ, was taught to Adam and his immediate descendants. Abel, the righteous son of Adam, offered sacrifice 'of the firstlings of his flock,' thus obeying the law and honoring the Savior who was to come. Of Cain and his offering the Bible says: 'And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. (Gen. 4:3.) The following verse from the Pearl of Great Price, page 21, throws more light on Cain's sacrifice: 'And Cain loved Satan more than God, and Satan commanded him saying: Make an offering unto the Lord.' Cain's offering was made in obedience to a command of Satan, and consisted of fruits of the ground instead of a living animal whose life could be taken, thus typifying the atonement of a Messiah who should come in the 'meridian of time.' Here we have 'a changing of the ordinances,' a rebelling against God, a denial of the Christ, an apostasy.
"God had respect for Abel's offering - his religion - but for Cain's He had no respect. We learn from the Pearl of Great Price, pages 22-3, that Cain was angry and made a compact with Satan under which Satan was to deliver Abel into Cain's hands, and Cain was to obey the commands of Satan. This compact was carried out, and Cain slew Abel. His motive was double: To gain possession of the dead man's flocks, and gratify a jealous hate. The murderer became the head of a secret cabal whose object was to murder for gain. God cursed him and 'set a mark' upon him so that no one finding him should kill him, and he became a fugitive and a vagabond. Still he begot many sons and daughters and builded a city. His seed were black, and did not mix with the other descendants of Adam... It is thus clear that the negro race flourished before the flood, and it is probable that the law of God forbade admixture with them. The theory that Ham, in violation of this law, married a woman of this race is, we think very reasonable. The shocking crime which he committed after the flood could hardly have been his first offense, and proves him to have been a man of depraved proclivities, at least when under a wrong spirit, although at one time, before the flood, he was a righteous man, for he 'walked with God' in company with his father and two brothers...
"That the negroes are descended from Ham is generally admitted, not only by Latter-day Saint writers but by historians and students of the scriptures. That they are also descended from Cain is also a widely accepted theory, though the sacred history does not record how this lineage bridged the flood. In our opinion the best explanation of this difficulty is the hypothesis that Ham's wife was a descendant of Cain. The curse of Noah rested upon Canaan, the son of Ham, (see below) and he it was who became ancestor of the black race. That all of the descendants of Ham were black is not shown by trhe record. He had four sons (Gen. 10:6) and at least one daughter who had children (Pearl of Great Price, page 37). But that all of the posterity of Canaan were black is made plain (Pearl of Great Price, page 37): 'And there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people.' Abraham, referring to a king of Egypt of his day, says (Pearl of great Price, page 55): 'Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and as a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth.' From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land.
"It thus appears that the original inhabitants of Egypt were descendants of Ham through Canaan, and hence were black. It also appears that a king of Egypt, known to Abraham, and presumably contemporary with him, was of the same race. But were the Egyptians, that is the ruling class in that country, during the period from Joseph to Moses, negroes? Without undertaking to discuss the question fully, we will suggest that between Abraham and Moses there was plenty of time for such political changes as would place a different race in power; and that, if the taskmasters of the children of Israel were descendants of Canaan, the prophetic curse pronounced upon him was reversed. The children of Israel were the descendants of Shem, and under the curse of Noah, Canaan was to be a servant to Shem, instead of his master. He was also to be a servant to Japheth... So far as any record in our possession shows, Canaan was the sole ancestor of the negro race, and upon Canaan and his seed Noah placed the double curse of a black skin and a condition of perpetual servitude. Now the priesthood is divine authority to preside, and to say of a race that they shall be servants forever is equivalent to saying that they shall not hold authority, especially divine authority. Hence the curse of Noah necessarily means that the race upon which it rests cannot hold the priesthood...
"By reading the Book of Abraham and Paul's epistle to the Hebrews, not to mention many other portions of sacred writ, we see that it was the design of the Almighty to confine the priesthood to a certain lineage which ran from Shem to Noah, and from him to Abraham, and thence down through certain strains of blood to the end of the world. Deprivation of the priesthood was part of the curse placed upon Canaan and his seed by Noah, who held the keys that 'bind on earth that it may be bound in heaven.' From the Pearl of Great Price, page 55, we learn that 'the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham;' that this Pharaoh was a righteous man, and that Noah 'blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the priesthood.' That is, forbade him and his posterity to hold the priesthood. Noah had authority from the Almighty to designate which branches of his posterity should, and which should not, hold the priesthood; and he was undoubtedly directed in the matter by revelation.
"A more comprehensive explanation of the reason why certain strains of lineage have been chosen to hold the priesthood, while certain others have been forbidden to do so, is found by going back to the pre-existent state of mankind... A few by their faithful devotion to truth, won the promise that they should receive their mortal bodies through a lineage that would entitle them to the priesthood; but to the great mass of spirits this promise was not given, while some were predestined to come to earth through a parentage that would deprive them of this honor. The spirits that appear in mortality as negroes were of this latter class, and a lineage had to be provided for them which would accord with their deserts [sic]; hence the dealings of god with Cain, Ham, Canaan, etc. The present writer has heard President Young quoted as offering a still further explanation of the reason why negroes are not ordained to the priesthood. It was to the effect that they did not possess sufficient innate spiritual strength and capacity to endure the responsibility that always goes with the Priesthood, and to successfully resist the powers of darkness that always oppose men who hold it; and that, were they to be clothed with it, evil agencies would harrass [sic] and torment them, frighten them with spiritual manifestations from a wrong source, and so destroy their rest and peace that the priesthood instead of being a blessing to them would be the reverse."
"God had respect for Abel's offering - his religion - but for Cain's He had no respect. We learn from the Pearl of Great Price, pages 22-3, that Cain was angry and made a compact with Satan under which Satan was to deliver Abel into Cain's hands, and Cain was to obey the commands of Satan. This compact was carried out, and Cain slew Abel. His motive was double: To gain possession of the dead man's flocks, and gratify a jealous hate. The murderer became the head of a secret cabal whose object was to murder for gain. God cursed him and 'set a mark' upon him so that no one finding him should kill him, and he became a fugitive and a vagabond. Still he begot many sons and daughters and builded a city. His seed were black, and did not mix with the other descendants of Adam... It is thus clear that the negro race flourished before the flood, and it is probable that the law of God forbade admixture with them. The theory that Ham, in violation of this law, married a woman of this race is, we think very reasonable. The shocking crime which he committed after the flood could hardly have been his first offense, and proves him to have been a man of depraved proclivities, at least when under a wrong spirit, although at one time, before the flood, he was a righteous man, for he 'walked with God' in company with his father and two brothers...
"That the negroes are descended from Ham is generally admitted, not only by Latter-day Saint writers but by historians and students of the scriptures. That they are also descended from Cain is also a widely accepted theory, though the sacred history does not record how this lineage bridged the flood. In our opinion the best explanation of this difficulty is the hypothesis that Ham's wife was a descendant of Cain. The curse of Noah rested upon Canaan, the son of Ham, (see below) and he it was who became ancestor of the black race. That all of the descendants of Ham were black is not shown by trhe record. He had four sons (Gen. 10:6) and at least one daughter who had children (Pearl of Great Price, page 37). But that all of the posterity of Canaan were black is made plain (Pearl of Great Price, page 37): 'And there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people.' Abraham, referring to a king of Egypt of his day, says (Pearl of great Price, page 55): 'Now this king of Egypt was a descendant from the loins of Ham, and as a partaker of the blood of the Canaanites by birth.' From this descent sprang all the Egyptians, and thus the blood of the Canaanites was preserved in the land.
"It thus appears that the original inhabitants of Egypt were descendants of Ham through Canaan, and hence were black. It also appears that a king of Egypt, known to Abraham, and presumably contemporary with him, was of the same race. But were the Egyptians, that is the ruling class in that country, during the period from Joseph to Moses, negroes? Without undertaking to discuss the question fully, we will suggest that between Abraham and Moses there was plenty of time for such political changes as would place a different race in power; and that, if the taskmasters of the children of Israel were descendants of Canaan, the prophetic curse pronounced upon him was reversed. The children of Israel were the descendants of Shem, and under the curse of Noah, Canaan was to be a servant to Shem, instead of his master. He was also to be a servant to Japheth... So far as any record in our possession shows, Canaan was the sole ancestor of the negro race, and upon Canaan and his seed Noah placed the double curse of a black skin and a condition of perpetual servitude. Now the priesthood is divine authority to preside, and to say of a race that they shall be servants forever is equivalent to saying that they shall not hold authority, especially divine authority. Hence the curse of Noah necessarily means that the race upon which it rests cannot hold the priesthood...
"By reading the Book of Abraham and Paul's epistle to the Hebrews, not to mention many other portions of sacred writ, we see that it was the design of the Almighty to confine the priesthood to a certain lineage which ran from Shem to Noah, and from him to Abraham, and thence down through certain strains of blood to the end of the world. Deprivation of the priesthood was part of the curse placed upon Canaan and his seed by Noah, who held the keys that 'bind on earth that it may be bound in heaven.' From the Pearl of Great Price, page 55, we learn that 'the first government of Egypt was established by Pharaoh, the eldest son of Egyptus, the daughter of Ham;' that this Pharaoh was a righteous man, and that Noah 'blessed him with the blessings of the earth, and with the blessings of wisdom, but cursed him as pertaining to the priesthood.' That is, forbade him and his posterity to hold the priesthood. Noah had authority from the Almighty to designate which branches of his posterity should, and which should not, hold the priesthood; and he was undoubtedly directed in the matter by revelation.
"A more comprehensive explanation of the reason why certain strains of lineage have been chosen to hold the priesthood, while certain others have been forbidden to do so, is found by going back to the pre-existent state of mankind... A few by their faithful devotion to truth, won the promise that they should receive their mortal bodies through a lineage that would entitle them to the priesthood; but to the great mass of spirits this promise was not given, while some were predestined to come to earth through a parentage that would deprive them of this honor. The spirits that appear in mortality as negroes were of this latter class, and a lineage had to be provided for them which would accord with their deserts [sic]; hence the dealings of god with Cain, Ham, Canaan, etc. The present writer has heard President Young quoted as offering a still further explanation of the reason why negroes are not ordained to the priesthood. It was to the effect that they did not possess sufficient innate spiritual strength and capacity to endure the responsibility that always goes with the Priesthood, and to successfully resist the powers of darkness that always oppose men who hold it; and that, were they to be clothed with it, evil agencies would harrass [sic] and torment them, frighten them with spiritual manifestations from a wrong source, and so destroy their rest and peace that the priesthood instead of being a blessing to them would be the reverse."
Death of Jane Manning James
On April 16, 1908 Jane Manning James died. Because she was such a well-known and beloved citizen the Deseret News carried her obituary on the front page, a treatment usually reserved for General Authorities and prominent Utah politicians. It reported: "Jane Manning James, an aged colored woman familiarly known as 'Aunt Jane,' passed away about noon today at her late residence, 529 Second East Street, after a lingering illness. She was in her ninety-fifth year, and up to a few months ago was comparatively hale and hearty. A severe fall caused a marked decline in her physical condition and gradually she grew weaker until the end came. The picture is a reproduction of a photo of the deceased, taken with her brother, Isaac Manning, two years her junior. By the latter 'Aunt Jane' was tenderly cared for during the last 15 years of her life, especially during the months of her illness. Both were servants in the family of the Prophet Joseph Smith at Nauvoo and each has remained loyal and true to the Prophet's memory since his tragic death nearly 64 years ago. They were converted to Mormonism in the early 'forties' in Connecticut. Few persons were more noted for faith and faithfulness than was Jane Manning James, and though of the humble of the earth she numbered friends and acquaintances by the hundreds. Many persons will regret to learn that the kind and generous soul has passed from the earth. Notice of funeral will appear later."
On April 21 it reported, "Mrs. Jane Manning James, the aged colored woman who died last week, was buried yesterday, the funeral services being held at the Eighth Ward meetinghouse, commencing at 2 o'clock. The house was crowded, many in the congregation being of her own race. Flowers in profusion were contributed by friends who had learned to respect the deceased for her undaunted faith and goodness of heart. A sketch of her life, as dictated by Mrs. James, was read by Mrs. Elizabeth J. D. Roundy, and the speakers were President Joseph F. Smith and Bishop T. A. Clawson. Bishop Oscar F. Hunter presided over the services, and music was furnished by the ward choir. The remains were laid to rest in the City Cemetery." The next year a biography of Wilford Woodruff by Elder Matthias Cowley said, "In after years when President Joseph F. Smith preached the funeral sermon of this same faithful woman he declared that she would in the resurrection attain the longings of her soul and become a white and beautiful person."
On April 21 it reported, "Mrs. Jane Manning James, the aged colored woman who died last week, was buried yesterday, the funeral services being held at the Eighth Ward meetinghouse, commencing at 2 o'clock. The house was crowded, many in the congregation being of her own race. Flowers in profusion were contributed by friends who had learned to respect the deceased for her undaunted faith and goodness of heart. A sketch of her life, as dictated by Mrs. James, was read by Mrs. Elizabeth J. D. Roundy, and the speakers were President Joseph F. Smith and Bishop T. A. Clawson. Bishop Oscar F. Hunter presided over the services, and music was furnished by the ward choir. The remains were laid to rest in the City Cemetery." The next year a biography of Wilford Woodruff by Elder Matthias Cowley said, "In after years when President Joseph F. Smith preached the funeral sermon of this same faithful woman he declared that she would in the resurrection attain the longings of her soul and become a white and beautiful person."
Outreach to Black People
On May 27, 1908 the Council Minutes record, "Interesting letter read from President H. L. Steed of the South African Mission... In some cities, he says, the natives have become interested in the gospel, and elders have held meetings with them. This however he had not encouraged, as the elders could not meet the demands made upon them by the white population, and he asked to be instructed on the question of laboring among the natives, by whom he evidently meant negroes.
"The question of preaching the gospel to the native negro population was now considered, President [Joseph F.] Smith remarking that all we could do for that class of people was to preach the gospel of repentence [sic] to them, as they would be entitled to Church membership, and where they receive the gospel they should be encouraged to form branches composed of their own class of people."
On July 25, Liahona, the Elders' Journal responded to a question from M. T. J. of Pueblo, Colorado, who asked, "When Jesus commanded His apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature, did that include the negro? If so, should they have our Church literature distributed among them? If not why not?"
The editors responded, "The mission which Jesus gave to His apostles included the negro, and there is no reason why our literature should not be given to negroes when they desire to read it. But the mission of the apostles was to be performed under instructions which were to be given them from time to time by revelation. They held the keys by which they were empowered to open the gospel door to the different nations and races of the earth, and this was the labor required of them; but it was to be performed in conformity with regulations and commandments imparted as required by revelation. By this principle the apostles knew when the time had come for them to open the gospel door to any given nation or race. So it is in our day; and while the apostles of this dispensation have issued proclamation to all men everywhere to repent, call upon the Lord and obey the gospel, they have not yet taken measures specially designed for the conversion of the negro race. Our missionaries laboring in states where negroes abound have been instructed not to deny information concerning the gospel, or even baptism, to members of that race who earnestly desire the same; but not to make any special effort to convert them. A few negroes, but not many, have been baptized into our Church since its organization."
"The question of preaching the gospel to the native negro population was now considered, President [Joseph F.] Smith remarking that all we could do for that class of people was to preach the gospel of repentence [sic] to them, as they would be entitled to Church membership, and where they receive the gospel they should be encouraged to form branches composed of their own class of people."
On July 25, Liahona, the Elders' Journal responded to a question from M. T. J. of Pueblo, Colorado, who asked, "When Jesus commanded His apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature, did that include the negro? If so, should they have our Church literature distributed among them? If not why not?"
The editors responded, "The mission which Jesus gave to His apostles included the negro, and there is no reason why our literature should not be given to negroes when they desire to read it. But the mission of the apostles was to be performed under instructions which were to be given them from time to time by revelation. They held the keys by which they were empowered to open the gospel door to the different nations and races of the earth, and this was the labor required of them; but it was to be performed in conformity with regulations and commandments imparted as required by revelation. By this principle the apostles knew when the time had come for them to open the gospel door to any given nation or race. So it is in our day; and while the apostles of this dispensation have issued proclamation to all men everywhere to repent, call upon the Lord and obey the gospel, they have not yet taken measures specially designed for the conversion of the negro race. Our missionaries laboring in states where negroes abound have been instructed not to deny information concerning the gospel, or even baptism, to members of that race who earnestly desire the same; but not to make any special effort to convert them. A few negroes, but not many, have been baptized into our Church since its organization."
More Deliberations by the First Presidency and the Twelve
On August 26, 1908 the Council Minutes record, "Letter read from Elder Ralph A. Badger, late President of the South African Mission, dated this city 17th Inst., asking in substance the following questions: (1) What shall be done where people tainted with negro blood embrace the Gospel, the writer going on to say that such people are very numerous in South Africa and some are now members of the Church whose children associate with those of the white race who are members of the Church, the latter objecting to this being done. (2) The writer wished to know if the Gospel should be preached to the native tribes, and states that an old native missionary had become a member of the Church at Queenstown, and is anxious to start an active missionary work among the natives; that the son of a Zulu chief had also been baptized who had requested that missionary work be done among the Zulus.
"With reference to the first question President Smith remarked that he did not know that we could do anything more in such cases than refer to the rulings of Presidents Young, Taylor, Woodruff, and other presidencies, on this question, amounting to this, that people tainted with negro blood may he admitted to Church membership only. In this connection President Smith referred to Brother Abel, who was ordained a Seventy by Joseph Young, in the days of the Prophet Joseph, to whom Brother Young issued a Seventies certificate; but this ordination was declared null and void by the Prophet himself. Later Brother Abel appealed to President [Brigham] Young for the privilege of receiving his endowments and to have his wife and children sealed to him, a privilege President Young could not grant. Brother Abel renewed this application to President Taylor with the same result, and still the same appeal was made to President Woodruff afterwards, who of course upheld the position taken by Presidents Young and Taylor. He later wrote to President Smith that he had received a patriarchal blessing under the hands of Father Joseph Smith, and he said he inferred that the blessing conveyed the idea that he was to be the connecting link between his race and those holding the priesthood. But notwithstanding the fact that he was a staunch member of the Church, Presidents Young, Taylor, and Woodruff all denied him the blessings of the House of the Lord. The same efforts he said had been made by Aunt Jane to receive her endowments and be sealed to her husband and have her children sealed to their parents and her appeal was made to all the Presidents from President Young down to the present First Presidency. But President Cannon conceived the idea that, under the circumstances, it would be proper to permit her to go to the temple to be adopted to the Prophet Joseph Smith as his servant and this was done. This seemed to ease her mind for a little while but did not satisfy her, and she still pleaded for her endowments. President Smith then remarked that if we take this position without any reserve and refer such people to the curse pronounced upon Cainan [sic], giving them to understand that they are descendants of Cainan, that the curse has not been removed, and that all of his race are deprived of the rights of the priesthood because of the decree of the Almighty, and until the Lord sees fit to remove that curse it would be for them to content themselves with the privilege of receiving the First Principles of the Gospel, thereby enabling them to become members of the Church, and thereafter live righteous lives, which will bring them far greater salvation in the Kingdom of God than any other so-called Christian religion is capable of doing for them. And in closing the President added that where the priesthood may have been bestowed upon men tainted with this blood, in all such cases their ordinations must be regarded as invalid.
"Brother [Francis M.] Lyman said he fully endorsed this position, and remarked that whatever the Lord has in store for the negro race it must be received through obedience to the Gospel, and it will therefore be for them to receive the Gospel of repentance as circumstances may admit, and be satisfied with that portion of it, and prove faithful to it.
"As an item of information, the truth of which however President Smith said he could not vouch for, although it had come to him through the late President Jesse N. Smith, who claimed that it had come to him indirectly from the Prophet [Joseph Smith], that Ham's wife was an adulteress, and that she went into the ark pregnant from the seed of Cain, and in that way brought that blood through the flood, from whom sprang the early inhabitants of Egypt. Also that Ham finding that he was deprived of the rights of the priesthood, and becoming desperate in consequence of his condition, sought to emasculate his father and brothers and thereby usurp the rights of the priesthood for himself and posterity which wicked attempt renewed and intensified the curse of God upon him and his seed, in that they should be deprived of the priesthood and become servants of servants forever.
"President [John R.] Winder moved that the Council endorse the former rulings of the first Presidency, which are the rulings of this Council. In connection with this motion it was understood that our Elders should not take the initiative in proselyting among the negro people, but if negroes or people tainted with negro blood apply for baptism themselves they might be admitted to Church membership in the understanding that nothing further can be done for them. It was also understood that the secretary was to get together the rulings of former councils on this question, also the public utterances of President Young and others on the same subject.
"Motion put and carried."
It appears that President Smith's memory was faulty, for he contradicted his own statement in 1879 that Elijah Abels had never been dropped from the Seventies quorum. Additionally, Elder Ables was ordained by Zebedee Coltrin, not Joseph Young (though Brother Young did sign the certificate), and he died before Wilford Woodruff became President of the Church.
On September 2, 1908 the Council Minutes report, "On the question of negro blood, the secretary presented extracts from council minutes, dated August 22, 1895, March 11, 1900, and extracts from Discourses by President Young, dated October 9, 1859, March 8, 1863, August 19, 1866, as follows:
"PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG, OCTOBER 9, 1859:
'You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild and seemingly deprived of nearly all theblessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind. The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark on him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race - that they should be the 'servant of servants,' and they will be until that curse is removed, and the abolitionist cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree. How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, and they never can hold the priesthood or share in it untill all other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the priesthood and the keys thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam's children are brought up to that favorable position, the children of Cain cannot receive the first ordinances of the priesthood. They were the first that were cursed, and they will be the last from whom the curse will be removed. When the residue of the family of Adam come up and receive their blessings then the curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will receive blessings in like proportion.'
"President Brigham Young, March 8, 1863:
'Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty of the law under God [sic] is death on the spot. This will always be so.'
"President Brigham Young, August 19, 1866:
'Why are so many inhabitants of the earth cursed with a skin of blackness? It comes in consequence of their fathers' rejecting the power of the holy priesthood, and the law of God. They will go down to death. And when all the rest of the children have received their blessings in the holy priesthood, then that curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will then come up and possess the priesthood, and receive all the blessings which they are not now entitled to [sic].'"
"With reference to the first question President Smith remarked that he did not know that we could do anything more in such cases than refer to the rulings of Presidents Young, Taylor, Woodruff, and other presidencies, on this question, amounting to this, that people tainted with negro blood may he admitted to Church membership only. In this connection President Smith referred to Brother Abel, who was ordained a Seventy by Joseph Young, in the days of the Prophet Joseph, to whom Brother Young issued a Seventies certificate; but this ordination was declared null and void by the Prophet himself. Later Brother Abel appealed to President [Brigham] Young for the privilege of receiving his endowments and to have his wife and children sealed to him, a privilege President Young could not grant. Brother Abel renewed this application to President Taylor with the same result, and still the same appeal was made to President Woodruff afterwards, who of course upheld the position taken by Presidents Young and Taylor. He later wrote to President Smith that he had received a patriarchal blessing under the hands of Father Joseph Smith, and he said he inferred that the blessing conveyed the idea that he was to be the connecting link between his race and those holding the priesthood. But notwithstanding the fact that he was a staunch member of the Church, Presidents Young, Taylor, and Woodruff all denied him the blessings of the House of the Lord. The same efforts he said had been made by Aunt Jane to receive her endowments and be sealed to her husband and have her children sealed to their parents and her appeal was made to all the Presidents from President Young down to the present First Presidency. But President Cannon conceived the idea that, under the circumstances, it would be proper to permit her to go to the temple to be adopted to the Prophet Joseph Smith as his servant and this was done. This seemed to ease her mind for a little while but did not satisfy her, and she still pleaded for her endowments. President Smith then remarked that if we take this position without any reserve and refer such people to the curse pronounced upon Cainan [sic], giving them to understand that they are descendants of Cainan, that the curse has not been removed, and that all of his race are deprived of the rights of the priesthood because of the decree of the Almighty, and until the Lord sees fit to remove that curse it would be for them to content themselves with the privilege of receiving the First Principles of the Gospel, thereby enabling them to become members of the Church, and thereafter live righteous lives, which will bring them far greater salvation in the Kingdom of God than any other so-called Christian religion is capable of doing for them. And in closing the President added that where the priesthood may have been bestowed upon men tainted with this blood, in all such cases their ordinations must be regarded as invalid.
"Brother [Francis M.] Lyman said he fully endorsed this position, and remarked that whatever the Lord has in store for the negro race it must be received through obedience to the Gospel, and it will therefore be for them to receive the Gospel of repentance as circumstances may admit, and be satisfied with that portion of it, and prove faithful to it.
"As an item of information, the truth of which however President Smith said he could not vouch for, although it had come to him through the late President Jesse N. Smith, who claimed that it had come to him indirectly from the Prophet [Joseph Smith], that Ham's wife was an adulteress, and that she went into the ark pregnant from the seed of Cain, and in that way brought that blood through the flood, from whom sprang the early inhabitants of Egypt. Also that Ham finding that he was deprived of the rights of the priesthood, and becoming desperate in consequence of his condition, sought to emasculate his father and brothers and thereby usurp the rights of the priesthood for himself and posterity which wicked attempt renewed and intensified the curse of God upon him and his seed, in that they should be deprived of the priesthood and become servants of servants forever.
"President [John R.] Winder moved that the Council endorse the former rulings of the first Presidency, which are the rulings of this Council. In connection with this motion it was understood that our Elders should not take the initiative in proselyting among the negro people, but if negroes or people tainted with negro blood apply for baptism themselves they might be admitted to Church membership in the understanding that nothing further can be done for them. It was also understood that the secretary was to get together the rulings of former councils on this question, also the public utterances of President Young and others on the same subject.
"Motion put and carried."
It appears that President Smith's memory was faulty, for he contradicted his own statement in 1879 that Elijah Abels had never been dropped from the Seventies quorum. Additionally, Elder Ables was ordained by Zebedee Coltrin, not Joseph Young (though Brother Young did sign the certificate), and he died before Wilford Woodruff became President of the Church.
On September 2, 1908 the Council Minutes report, "On the question of negro blood, the secretary presented extracts from council minutes, dated August 22, 1895, March 11, 1900, and extracts from Discourses by President Young, dated October 9, 1859, March 8, 1863, August 19, 1866, as follows:
"PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG, OCTOBER 9, 1859:
'You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild and seemingly deprived of nearly all theblessings of the intelligence that is generally bestowed upon mankind. The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brethren will be cursed the longest of any of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed and that would have put a termination to that line of human beings. This was not to be, and the Lord put a mark on him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race - that they should be the 'servant of servants,' and they will be until that curse is removed, and the abolitionist cannot help it, nor in the least alter that decree. How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, and they never can hold the priesthood or share in it untill all other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the priesthood and the keys thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam's children are brought up to that favorable position, the children of Cain cannot receive the first ordinances of the priesthood. They were the first that were cursed, and they will be the last from whom the curse will be removed. When the residue of the family of Adam come up and receive their blessings then the curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will receive blessings in like proportion.'
"President Brigham Young, March 8, 1863:
'Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty of the law under God [sic] is death on the spot. This will always be so.'
"President Brigham Young, August 19, 1866:
'Why are so many inhabitants of the earth cursed with a skin of blackness? It comes in consequence of their fathers' rejecting the power of the holy priesthood, and the law of God. They will go down to death. And when all the rest of the children have received their blessings in the holy priesthood, then that curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will then come up and possess the priesthood, and receive all the blessings which they are not now entitled to [sic].'"
Nelson Holder Ritchie
In December 1909 Bishop John Whitaker recorded in his journal, "On the 10th, had a long conversation with brother Nelson Holder Ritchie, father of 12 children and living in the Pleasant view ward. As soon as he crossed the threshold of the front door, I felt that he had Negro blood in him. He came for a recommend to go through the temple and I asked him many questions concerning his birth. He told me his father was a pure blooded Cherokee Indian and that he never knew his mother, but was told by some friends she was very dark, Creole or mulatto, and a woman by the name of Nancy McNeal raised him. He told me he explained to his present wife before he married her all he knew of his genealogy and they want to go through the temple. He has been faithful and a good provider and saw no reason why he could not; but that feeling still persisted and I had many conversations with him on the matter and finally sent for his wife and learned all the facts she knew, still I felt the same and told them how I felt. "They were really disturbed over the matter and I told them I would take their genealogy and all the facts and submit the case to the First Presidency of the Church. I did and they held several meetings with the Twelve and finally President Smith sent for me and said: ‘Johnny (he always called me by that name for years) We have fully considered the case of Brother Ritchie, and have concluded that as you are common judge in Israel, we return the case to you to decide.' That was a terrible responsibility, but I again had several meetings with the Richies [sic] and finally told them I still felt the same, that I appreciated they were good saints, and that feeling as I did, I dare not issue a recommend to the temple unless my feelings changed; that if they remained faithful and true, if they did not go to the Temple and died without getting in the Temple, the Lord would give them all they were entitled to, but according to my understanding of the gospel anyone with Negro blood was not entitled to the temple rights [sic]. They said their children, at least some of them had already been to the temple for their marriage. So I told them to be faithful and no one could eventually hinder them from receiving all blessings earned by them, but not to think I had any personal feelings in the least, but must not go against my continued impressions. I made them feel that I was responsible also for anything I did to hinder good people from going to the Temple, that thus far, no one has been given a recommend to go the Temple by me unless my blessing went also. This case was a source of considerable sorrow to me for I believe they were good saints but [I] never gave the recommend."
Baptisms for the Dead
On November 10, 1910 the Council Minutes report, "Letter read from President B. A. Hendricks of the South African Mission, dated October 4, addressed to President Rudger Clawson, stating in substance that a serious race question was confronting himself and associates, missionaries, on account of the doctrine having been taught to some of the negro saints that they could perform certain ordinances in the House of the Lord, and he desired an answer to this question: 'Is it possible for a promiscuously bred white and negro to be baptized for the dead?' adding that a great many blacks had become members of the Church in South Africa, and were good, honest people. President Hendricks also stated that by asking this question he did not wish it to be inferred that he and his fellow missionaries were directing their work among the white race.
"President Smith remarked that he saw no reason why a negro should not be permitted to have access to the baptismal font in the temple to be baptized for the dead, inasmuch as negroes are entitled to become members of the Church by baptism."
"President Smith remarked that he saw no reason why a negro should not be permitted to have access to the baptismal font in the temple to be baptized for the dead, inasmuch as negroes are entitled to become members of the Church by baptism."
Death of Isaac Manning
On April 17, 1911 the Deseret News reported, "Funeral services for Isaac Lewis Manning, who died in St. Mark's hospital last Thursday, were held Sunday afternoon at 1 o'clock from the Third Ward meetinghouse. The services were conducted by Bishop Rosco Eardley of the Third Ward. The speakers were President Joseph F. Smith, Elder Anthony W. Ivins of the Council of the Twelve, and Bishop O. F. Hunter, all of whom paid high tribute to the faithfulness and integrity of the departed. Pres. Smith in his remarks, referred to the salvation that awaits all of God's children in the hereafter. He said that the faithfulness of the departed and his obedience to the gospel placed him in a position to be a partaker of the blessings that God has in store for the faithful. The music was furnished by the Third Ward choir. The pallbearers were Edward J. Gardner, Peter J. Sandburg, Henry Kilpatrick, Otto Wunderlick, August P. Lindholm and Jesse Pendry. Interment was in the City Cemetery. There were in attendance many colored friends and relatives of the deceased.
"Isaac Lewis Manning, the colored clerk and servant of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, was born in Fairfield County, Connecticut, May 31, 1815. He was a trusted servant of the Prophet, and with his sister Jane lived for many years in the household of Joseph Smith. When the Prophet and his brother Hyrum were martyred in Carthage Jail, Mr. Manning was a member of the party that accompanied the bodies to Nauvoo a help to dig the graves in which the Prophet and the patriarch were buried. When the Mormons were driven out of Illinois he did not come to Utah as did his sister in 1847, but settled in Missouri were he resided until 18 years ago (1893). He was married and had one child, but his wife and child both died before he came to Utah. He and his sister Jane lived at 259 Second East Street until about three years ago, when, upon the death of his sister, he went to live with his grand-niece, Mrs. Josephine Eastlin, at 150 East Seventh South Street. On account of his prominence in the early history of the Church he was treated with a great deal of deference by all the Church officials and was respected and revered by all who knew him for his kind disposition and generous nature. He and his sister for years had special seats reserved for them in the tabernacle in the front in the center of the building. Jane made cushions for the seats, and the old couple and their friends have exclusive rights to the seats. Mr. Manning lived in the days of slavery, but was never in bondage. This fact always gave him great pleasure, and he claimed to be a regular New England Yankee.
"Isaac Manning said he knew Brother Joseph was a man of God, and he would have laid down his life for the Prophet if he could’ve done so. He hoped to live so that he could meet the Prophet and be with him on the other side. Isaac Manning’s wife died in 1891, in Ohio. He lived with his sister, Jane until her death. About three months ago he was stricken with dropsy and heart trouble. He was taken to St. Mark’s hospital April 9, and died four days later. Among his living relatives are the following: Sylvester James of East Mill Creek, Mrs. Ellen M. McLean of Tonopah, Nev., a son and daughter of his sister Jane; and Mrs. Josephine Eastlin, with whom he lived at the time of his death. With the death of Isaac Lewis Manning, one more of the generation who saw and knew the Prophet is gone."
Next: The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 1913-1930
"Isaac Lewis Manning, the colored clerk and servant of the Prophet Joseph Smith in Nauvoo, was born in Fairfield County, Connecticut, May 31, 1815. He was a trusted servant of the Prophet, and with his sister Jane lived for many years in the household of Joseph Smith. When the Prophet and his brother Hyrum were martyred in Carthage Jail, Mr. Manning was a member of the party that accompanied the bodies to Nauvoo a help to dig the graves in which the Prophet and the patriarch were buried. When the Mormons were driven out of Illinois he did not come to Utah as did his sister in 1847, but settled in Missouri were he resided until 18 years ago (1893). He was married and had one child, but his wife and child both died before he came to Utah. He and his sister Jane lived at 259 Second East Street until about three years ago, when, upon the death of his sister, he went to live with his grand-niece, Mrs. Josephine Eastlin, at 150 East Seventh South Street. On account of his prominence in the early history of the Church he was treated with a great deal of deference by all the Church officials and was respected and revered by all who knew him for his kind disposition and generous nature. He and his sister for years had special seats reserved for them in the tabernacle in the front in the center of the building. Jane made cushions for the seats, and the old couple and their friends have exclusive rights to the seats. Mr. Manning lived in the days of slavery, but was never in bondage. This fact always gave him great pleasure, and he claimed to be a regular New England Yankee.
"Isaac Manning said he knew Brother Joseph was a man of God, and he would have laid down his life for the Prophet if he could’ve done so. He hoped to live so that he could meet the Prophet and be with him on the other side. Isaac Manning’s wife died in 1891, in Ohio. He lived with his sister, Jane until her death. About three months ago he was stricken with dropsy and heart trouble. He was taken to St. Mark’s hospital April 9, and died four days later. Among his living relatives are the following: Sylvester James of East Mill Creek, Mrs. Ellen M. McLean of Tonopah, Nev., a son and daughter of his sister Jane; and Mrs. Josephine Eastlin, with whom he lived at the time of his death. With the death of Isaac Lewis Manning, one more of the generation who saw and knew the Prophet is gone."
Next: The Church of Jesus Christ and Black People 1913-1930
