BLACK MORMONS & THE PRIESTHOOD BAN: Frequently Asked Questions

but may not be posted to websites without written permission.

• Are Mormons racists?
• Why couldn't black men hold the Priesthood in the Mormon Church before 1978?
• But isn't the Curse of Cain doctrine 'racist' and the Priesthood-ban a form of discrimination?
• Isn't believing that black folks are or were 'cursed by God' a 'racist' belief?
• I've heard that there were lots of Mormons in the Ku Klux Klan. Is this true?
• I've heard that Joseph Smith taught that black folks didn't have souls. Is this true?
• Will the Mormon Church ever just apologize to black folks for teaching that they are the descendants of Cain and cursed by God?
• This Mormon once told me that blacks were never cursed, and another told me that blacks are not Cainites, but these were speculations or personal opinions. Is this true?
• I've heard that the Mormon Church taught that black folks followed Lucifer, is this true?
• All you need to go to Heaven is to believe in Jesus! Didn't He say there isn't any marriage in Heaven?
• Why would black folks wish to become Members of the Mormon Church?

Dear Inquirer,

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as 'The Mormon Church', or The LDS Church, has never taught that black folks are 'inferior' in any way, shape, or form to people of other races. In fact, a book of Mormon scripture called The Book of Abraham, says that the Hamites (black Africans) were "blessed with wisdom" from God along with being "cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood"(Abraham 1:26). The Prophet Joseph Smith, the prophet-founder of the Church, was a great advocate for the rights of black folks, and that at a time when it was very unpopular to have his views. He rejected the notion of the then widely accepted belief that Negroes were 'naturally inferior' to whites. He said that blacks in his day seemed ignorant only because they were kept so by the white man, and change the situation (educate blacks) and blacks would be the equal to the white man.

The Prophet Joseph Smith's attitude toward black folks can be summed up in an incident that occurred while he was Mayor of Nauvoo; a Mormon city in Illinois on the banks of the Mississippi River, in 1842; many years before slavery had ended in America. A woman named Mary Frost Adams tells us what happened:

The horse was Joseph's prized white stallion, and was worth about $500; a huge sum at the time. With the money from the sale, Anthony was able to purchase his child out of slavery.

The Prophet Joseph Smith tirelessly advocated the rights of black folks; in a time where it wasn't popular to do so; not even in the Northern States of the U.S. where slavery was illegal. As Mayor of Nauvoo, Illinois, a white man (a non-Mormon) had whipped a black man terribly for stealing some of his goods. The black man's name was Chism. Joseph asked Chism if he had stolen the good, and Chism replied he had. He charged Chism a small fine, and had the white man arrested for whipping Chism! This OUTRAGED white men all over the state, and in the neighboring state of Missouri, which was pro-slavery. Not long afterwards, Joseph Smith was again arrested on trumped-up charges, and soon assassinated, along with his brother Hyrum, in a jail in Carthage, Illinois.

The Prophet Joseph Smith was a great advocate for the black people! He died because he not only wanted to end slavery, but he wanted blacks educated and given equal rights. For this cause, and others, he was hated.

This article was written by The Elijah Abel Society of Black Latter-day Saints; an independent organization of Black Mormons who wish to educate other Mormons, and the general public, about Black Mormon history and heritage. This is not an official statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you would like an official response from the LDS Church, then please write a letter to the address below:

Public Affairs
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
50 North East Temple St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84150

(If you live outside of the U.S., make sure to add "U.S.A." at the bottom of the address)

Also if you live in the United States, you can call LDS Church Offices toll-free at 1-800-453-3860; anytime between 11a.m.. to 6p.m. Eastern Time, 8a.m. to 3p.m. Pacific Time, 9a.m. to 4p.m. Mountain Time, or 10a.m. to 5p.m. Central time. Call that number, wait for the recording, then dial "O", and ask for "Public Affairs". Tell them you are black, and that you are asking about the Church's teachings regarding people of black African lineage ("lineage"=bloodline).

What we offer here in this article, and in the articles linked below, are our own sincere opinions as black Mormons, and should not be thought of as an official statement from the LDS Church.

The Missionaries of the Church are (mainly) young men and women who have been called to serve from 18 months to 24 months, at their own expense of that of their families, to teach people the Message of the Restoration and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They have not been trained to answer questions regarding the Church's past doctrines concerning people of black African descent. For this reason the below article and information is provided as a resource for them to give to investigators, new converts, and other inquirers who have questions in this area. This article is not copyrighted. It's duplication and distribution in any form by any one is encouraged.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are Mormons Racists?

A. For the vast great majority of them: No!
We cannot say that some white Mormons aren't racists (at least moderately so), but what we can say is that the overwhelming vast great majority of active Church Members are not in any way, shape, or form "racist".

Perhaps 40 to 50 years ago, when most white Americans were moderate racists (as was Abraham Lincoln), one could say that most white Mormons were "racists". This is because, until the last decade, most Mormons were white and most were Americans. Thus Mormons tended to reflect the racial attitudes of the majority of other white Americans; which was, decades ago, a moderate racist one. Most white Americans didn't hate black folks, but they did believe they were superior; because this is what they were taught. This is what American universities taught until perhaps the 1950s. There were no Mormons who were radical racists; like members of the Ku Klux Klan. In fact, in the 1920s, when the Klan had 5 million members in the United States (the equivalent of 15 million members today), the LDS Church was extremely anti-Klan, and the KKK considered the LDS Church to be it's "greatest enemy".

Over the last few decades the attitudes of most white Mormons, as most white Americans, has changed. Today, especially for white Latter-day Saints under the age of 50, any racist beliefs are simply not tolerated. If any white Member of the Church today is racist (and some do of course exist) they keep this hidden from others (except of course from the ones they are discriminating against).

The Church also brings in hundreds of thousands of converts each and every year from all over the world. Some of them are whites who come from cultures which still teach and promote racist views. Although the Church has made declarations condemning racism and such views, some of these members ignore such admonitions and cling to the views they were taught as children. When they express such views they are lovingly counseled to repent of them. Sometimes they do. Sometimes they don't. If they are found promoting such views in church, they may face disciplinary action. Most often, these people keep these views to themselves.

Here are a few selected statements from Presidents, Apostles, and other Church leaders regarding racism that have appeared over the years:

Joseph Smith (1st President of the Church) said in 1842:

He said in 1844:

He also said:

He said in 1844:

Parley P. Pratt (Apostle) said in 1855:

Brigham Young (2nd President of the Church) said in 1860:

"Negroes should be treated like human beings, and not worse than dumb brutes [animals]. For their abuse of that race, the whites shall be cursed, unless they repent." (Journal Discourses 10:111)

He said in 1863:

David O. McKay (9th President of the Church) said in 1935:

He said in 1944:

John A. Widtsoe (Apostle) wrote in 1946:

President McKay said in 1951:

Joseph Fielding Smith (10th President of the Church) said in 1962:

He said in 1963:

Bruce R. McConkie (Apostle) wrote in 1966:

President Spencer W. Kimball (12th President of the Church) said in 1972:

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles issued this statement in 1986:

Elder John K. Carmack (Member of the First Quorum of Seventy) wrote in 1993:

Elder Alexander Morrison (Member of the First Quorum of Seventy) said in 1993:

Q. Why couldn't black men hold the Priesthood in the Mormon Church before 1978?

A. Some black men did hold the Mormon Priesthood before 1978! But except in the case of Elijah Abel and his descendants, all men of Hamitic lineage (bloodline) were forbidden to hold the LDS Priesthood before 1978. However, black-skinned men of non-Hamitic lineages, like the Dravidians of India, the Aborigines of Australia, the Melanesians of Fiji and Melanesia, and the Negritoes of the Philippines and Indonesia, all had a right to the Priesthood, and those who were worthy Members of the Church held it before 1978. Also, white-skinned Hamites could not hold the Priesthood or partake of the higher ordinances of Mormon Temples until 1978.

The Priesthood - Ban

The Priesthood-ban, as it is called, wasn't really a question of skin-color but of lineage or bloodline. Anyone having one drop of Hamitic lineage was denied the Priesthood (if he was male--only men can hold the Mormon Priesthood), and whether male or female denied the higher ordinances of Mormon Temples. That changed via a Revelation from the LORD in 1978. Since that time, men of Hamitic lineage have received the Priesthood, and all Hamites can receive all the ordinances, blessings, and offices in the Church that anyone else can.

The Priesthood ban was based upon several verses in a book of Mormon Scripture called The Book of Abraham, which is in a volume of scripture known as The Pearl of Great Price; which, along with the Bible, The Book of Mormon, and The Doctrine & Covenants, is one of the four Standard Works of the LDS Church. The Prophet Joseph Smith claimed to have divinely translated The Book of Abraham from some ancient Egyptian papyrus he came accross in the late 1830s. The papyrus came from Thebes, and included some Egyptian funeral texts. Joseph Smith studied these, and received the revelation we know call The Book of Abraham. In the first chapter of that small book Abraham writes that Pharoah, the king of Egypt, was "a righteous man", but could not hold the Priesthood because he was a descendants of Ham, and the Hamitic lineage or bloodline was "blessed with wisdom" but "cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood" (Abraham 1:26). In another revelation of Joseph Smith, called The Book of Moses, also in The Pearl of Great Price, it says that the Cainites, the descendants of Cain, the son of Adam, were "black" (Moses 7:22).

From the time of Brigham Young onward, Mormon Church Presidents (whom Mormons believe to be Prophets, Seers, and Revelators of the LORD) have interpreted these verses as Negroes being of the Cainite/Hamitic bloodline, and would not be allowed to hold the Priesthood until the Abelites first had the opportunity. A brief explanation of the Curse of Cain and a brief overview of its history in the LDS Church is as follows:

1. Cain, the eldest son of Adam, had the birthright to the Holy Priesthood. He and his descendants (the Cainites) had the right to receive it first. But Cain offered a sacrifice to the LORD in a state of unworthiness, or wickedness. The LORD did not accept this offering, but rejected it. Because Abel's offering was made in a state of worthiness, or righteousness, the LORD accepted Abel's offering, and Cain lost his birthright to Abel; his younger brother.
2. Cain, being jealous and angry, decided to kill Abel; mistakenly thinking that the birthright to the Priesthood would revert back to him. After this was done, the LORD cursed Cain; made him a wandering upon the earth, and put a 'mark' upon him so that anyone recognizing him would not kill him. The 'mark' of Cain was a black skin. This was not the curse, but actually a mark of protection from the LORD. The ground would not yield fruit for him. He was to wander the earth. This is known as "The Curse of Cain".
3. Instead of Cain's descendants receiving the birthright first, they would receive it last. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. The Cainites would be banned from receiving the Priesthood until Abel was resurrected, had children, and all of Abel's children received it first. Then the curse would be removed from the descendants of Cain, and they would receive the Priesthood and all the blessings thereof.
4. The Sethites (the descendants of Seth--the third son of Adam and Eve) and the Cainites (the descendants of Cain) were not allowed to intermarry. However, this did happen. The result was corruption, and the LORD decided to destroy the Adamites in a great flood. He chose Noah to save himself, his wife, and his sons, and their wives; along with two of every kind of useful animal in the Ark. According to Mormon teachings, the wife of Ham was Egyptus: a Cainite woman. Thus, the Cainite bloodline, or lineage, continued through the Flood. The descendants of Ham and his Cainite wife Egyptus were Mizraim, Cush, Put, and Canaan. The descendants of Mizraim, Cush, and Put settled in North Africa. Mizraim is the Hebrew name for "Egypt". Cush is the Hebrew name for Nubia (now Sudan), and Put is thought to have settled in what is now the Ethiopia region. Joseph Smith believed that Negroes were "the sons of Cain" (i.e. the descendants of Cain), and most Mormon Presidents and Apostles have had the same belief. That would mean that black Africans are Cainites (descendants of Cain through Egyptus, the wife of Ham), and Sethites (the descendants of Noah via Ham) as well as Hamites (the descendants of Ham). The Canaanites did not settle in North African, but in the land of Canaan; which is now called Israel, or Palestine.
5. Elijah Abel, a black man of African descent, and his male descendants, have always had the Holy Priesthood. This is explained because Elijah Abel was of such great faith, that the LORD made an exception in his case and with his descendants. There is a similar situation in the Bible in The Book of Ruth. Because the Moabites (a white-skinned people who were the descendants of Lot, the nephew of Abraham) did not give food or water to the Israelites when they came out of Egypt into the desert, the LORD cursed them; proclaiming that a Moabite would not enter the Congregation of the LORD until the 10th generation. However, Ruth, a first generation Moabitess, showed such great faith that the LORD made an exception, and she became an Israelite. Jesus Himself was a descendant of Ruth and Obed. The descendants of Elijah Abel are all white; because Abel's sons and daughters married white Mormons back in the late 19th century.
6. Hamites, of whatever skin-color, could not hold the Priesthood or partake of the Higher Ordinances of Mormon Temples; which include Endowments and Sealings. However, they could enter Mormon Temples to be baptized for the dead. They could be Members of the Church. But they could not serve as missionaries. From the 1840s to the early 1960s the Church never had more than 1000 black Members of African descent. However, in the mid-1960s some black Africans started to receive visions in which Jesus or an angel told them about the Church. Some of these black Africans began to find information about the Church, and to preach and form entire congregations, and sometimes their own denominations with tens of thousands of black Africans as members. They called themselves 'Mormons' and 'Latter-day Saints'. The Church tried to encourage these people, but the men were not ordained to the Priesthood.
7. In the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s the Church received much negative media attention because of the Priesthood-ban. The Church issued strong statements condemning racism, and encouraging its Members to stand for the civil-rights of all Americans; but they also declared that the Priesthood-ban was of the LORD, that it had nothing to do with the 'civil-rights' of Americans, and that only the LORD, the Author of the ban, could lift it.
8. In 1978, the Church was building a Temple in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At that time there were tens of thousands of Mulatto Mormons in Brazil; people with both white and black ancestry. These people had great faith, and sacrificed much to build the Temple in Sao Paulo; the largest city in Brazil. Many of these people knew that they would be allowed in the Temple, but could not partake of the most important ordinances in them. Yet, they still sacrificed to build it. Seeing the exceeding faith of these Mulatto Saints, the General Authorities of the Church, who are called "The Brethren", prayed for months that the Priesthood-ban be finally lifted. On June 1st, 1978, in the Holy of Holies in the Salt Lake Temple, the LORD communicated to President Spencer W. Kimball, and He lifted the Priesthood-ban from off the Hamitic lineage. The vast great majority of Mormons were overjoyed at the news. Only a few weeks later, the first black men of African lineage since Elijah Abel and his descendants were ordained to the Priesthood, and they and their families soon thereafter received the Higher Ordinances of the Temple.

This Priesthood-ban has been referred to by Mormons as:

1. The Curse of Cain (the son of Adam)
2. The Curse of Egyptus (the wife of Ham)
3. The Curse of Pharoah (the righteous son of Ham and Egyptus and king of Egypt)
4. The Priesthood-ban (i.e. Hamites being 'banned' from the Priesthood until 1978)

Some Members of the Church, both black and white, don't believe that the Curse of Cain was of God. They believe it was a misinterpretation by the Apostles and Presidents of the Church, and that it never should have happened. Others believe that the Church 'never really taught' this doctrine, but that it was merely the opinion of some of the Members, or perhaps a few of the Apostles. Yet, a close examination of all the historical data reveals that the Priesthood ban was based solely upon the Curse of Cain Doctrine, and that it was always presented by Church leaders as a "doctrine of the Church" from the very beginning. At no time was it ever put forth as mere opinion or speculation. Some in the Church believe that the Curse of Cain Doctrine was an invention of Brigham Young, the 2nd President of the Church, and not the Prophet Joseph Smith. Yet, the evidence shows that it probably originated with Joseph Smith. He was the translator of The Book of Abraham; where it says that Pharoah was of Hamitic lineage, which lineage was "blessed with wisdom" but "cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood" (Abraham 1:26). Also, in a debate he had with John C. Bennett, the first Mayor of Nauvoo, on who had the greater cause of complaint against the white man, Indians (native Americans) or Negroes, the Prophet said "that the Indians have greater cause to complain of the treatment of the whites, than the Negroes or sons of Cain." (History of the Church 4:501)

Mormons who accept the Curse of Cain Doctrine, and the resulting Priesthood-ban, as from the LORD also believe that both are now irrelevant; since the Priesthood-ban was lifted in 1978 by the LORD's revelation to President Spencer W. Kimball. But they also believe that the past shouldn't be forgotten; just understood. Since 1978, worthy black males in the Church have been ordained to the Priesthood. One of them, Helvecio Martins of Brazil, who joined the Church before black men could be ordained to the Priesthood, became a General Authority in the Church in 1990. He became a Member of the 2nd Quorum of Seventy; which is the 5th highest quorum in the Church.

Q. But isn't the Curse of Cain doctrine 'racist' and the Priesthood-ban a form of discrimination?

Under the dictionary definition of 'racism' the Curse of Cain doctrine is not 'racist'. It did not declare that people of Hamitic lineage were 'inferior' to people of other races or lineages. Indeed, it actually said that the Cainites were the founders of the first cities, and the first to work in brass and use musical instruments. These are not the actions of an 'inferior' people. The Curse of Cain Doctrine declared that the ancient Egyptians, who were 'blessed with wisdom' but 'cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood' were really the first to develop math, science, and architecture. Surely, these are not signs of 'inferiority'. If anything, the Curse of Cain Doctrine presents the descendants of Cain as SUPERIOR to other races and lineages; at least anciently. Yet, the Bible contains many prophecies, like in Ezekiel 29, that the LORD would scatter the Egyptians among the inhabitants of Pathos (black Africa), and would divide them, and would make of them, in the latter days, slaves of other nations. Some blacks, including many Africans and African-Americans who are not Mormons, see these Biblical prophecies as being fulfilled. Others see these things are totally unrelated, and see any suggestion that they are of Cainite or Hamitic lineage as 'racist' in itself.

The Priesthood-ban was a form of discrimination! To 'discriminate' means to choose one thing over others. The LORD chose Israel, among all nations, to be His people. His chose one tribe of 13 Israelite tribes, the Levites, to be His Priests anciently. Many people don't realize that in ancient times, only the Levites, or the descendants of Levi, the son of Israel, could be Priests. All other tribes were banned from Priesthood service; including the tribe of Judah, from which came Jesus. This is definitely discrimination, but it was discrimination from the LORD. He has a right to discriminate as He sees fit. We do not. If the Priesthood-ban was from the LORD, then it was His discrimination. We are not to discriminate, but the LORD can discriminate as He sees fit. He very often has.

Q. Isn't believing that black folks are or were cursed by God a 'racist' belief?

No. That is not how 'racism' is defined. God alternatively blesses and curses all nations according to how they adhere or reject His Laws and Prophets. The Bible records many curses upon various peoples, for example:

1. The LORD curses all women to bear children in great suffering because the Serpent (Satan) deceived Eve.
2. The LORD curses all men to earn their bread by the sweat of their brow because Adam partook of the forbidden fruit.
3. The LORD curses the Egyptians with plagues because Pharoah refused to let the Israelites go out of Egypt.
4. The LORD curses the Moabites and Ammonites because they did not provide food and water to the Israelites in the desert wilderness.
5. The LORD promises to curse the ISRAELITES, His own chosen people, if they do not adhere to His commandments.

The LORD has a history of blessing and cursing nations and lineages according to how they obey or disobey His laws, and according to how they adhere to or ignore His prophets. These blessings and cursings have absolutely nothing to do with racism!

Brigham Young, the 2nd President of the Church, taught that the ancient Israelites were 'cursed of God' as well as being blessed by Him:

The LORD said to His people Israel through the Prophet Moses:

The Kingdom of Israel later split into two kingdoms: the Northern Kingdom (sometimes called 'Samaria' or referred to as the 'Ephraimites'; the largest of the Ten Northern Tribes), and the Southern Kingdom; called 'Judah'. The Jews are from the lineage of Judah and Benjamin. The Northern Tribes ignored the commandments and prophets of the LORD, and in response to that the LORD allowed them to become the slaves of the Assyrians. They remained slaves until they became free, and they traveled north. They became 'lost' among the peoples of Europe and Asia. They became known as the 'Ten Lost Tribes of Israel'. The Kingdom of Judah, the Jews, also violated the commandments of the LORD, and rejected His Prophets. They too became cursed, and the LORD allowed the Babylonians to conquer and enslave them. The Jews, unlike the Ephraimites, did not become lost. They returned to the Holy Land. Some believe that the tribes of Ephraim and Manesseh intermingled with pagan European peoples, and eventually became known as the Anglo- Saxons.

This is significant, since white Mormons claim to be of the lineage of Ephraim or Manesseh; two of the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel. Thus, both the ancestors of White Anglo-Saxon Mormons and of Black African Mormons were both blessed and cursed; but in different ways.

Read that again: BOTH the lineage of Ham and of Ephraim has been blessed, and cursed, but in different ways.

Q. I've heard that there were lots of Mormons in the Ku Klux Klan. Is this true?

A. No! It's absolutely totally false! It's another unfortunate false rumor that has circulated quite widely in the African-American Community. There is no truth to it. In fact, the opposite is true. Historian Larry R. Gerlach, in his book Blazing Crosses in Zion, writes that the KKK was unsuccessful in Utah because of the opposition of the Mormon Church. Gerlach writes:

Here are just a few quotes from a few anti-KKK editorials that appeared in the Mormon Church's Deseret News over the years:

In 1868, only a few years after the Klan first raised it's ugly head, the Church published this editorial against the Klan and other so-called "patriotic" anti-Black racist organizations:

1870s-1890s: During this period the KKK spearheaded anti-Mormon meetings and attacks in the Southern U.S. Half a dozen Mormon missionaries and Members in the South were killed by Klansmen during this period; with many more being beaten, tarred-and-feathered, assaulted, chased out of town, or threatened with death. (Blazing Crosses, pp.11ff)

1908: The stage version of Thomas Dixon's best-selling novel The Clansman, which portrayed blacks as ignorant and ravenous brutes and glorified the KKK as white heroes, had toured all over the U.S. and came to Salt Lake City. The Gentile (non-Mormon) newspaper, The Salt Lake Tribune, praised both the play and its message. The Mormon paper, the Deseret News said that while the play itself was "an excellent production" the Klan was not a heroic organization as the play portrayed, but "rode about the country at night killing or torturing Negroes and their sympathizers" in a "reign of terror" and "became a band of idle, dissolute and vicious individuals who entered upon a career of brutality and violence that appalled the country." (Nov. 2). On the other hand, The Salt Lake Tribune, at that time an Anti-Mormon paper which constantly insulted Mormons and published anti-Mormon articles, wrote later of the film version of the play called Birth of a Nation, which even went beyond the play in it's negative portrayal of blacks. The anti-Mormon Salt Lake Tribune wrote that "Mob violence and outlawry [by blacks] are depicted, followed by spectacular vies of the Ku Klux Klansmen who organized secretly to control the Negroes through their superstitious fears. The Klansmen were fearless night riders and they wore white shrouds. Acts of vengeance were perpetrated under the cover of darkness, and the pictures show clearly why such extreme measures were necessary for the continuance of law and order." (April 2, 1916)

1920: The KKK was "an insult and a menace to orderly government" which would lead to "riot and bloodshed" (23 Dec.)

1921: "So far as its operations are known-it's secrecy, its mummery, its terrorism, its lawlessness--it is condemned as inimical to the peace, order, and dignity of the commonwealth. These mountain communities of ours have no place whatever for it in their social scheme of things. It should be spurned and scorned, and any individual presenting himself as authorized or qualified to establish ranches, domains, camps or Klans should be made emphatically to understand that his local endeavors will be worse than wasted, and his objects are detested, and his [absence] is preferred to his company. The people of Utah have no taste or patience for such criminal nonsense, and there should be all plainness in making that fact known." (July 23)

1946: The Deseret News called the KKK "American Storm Troopers" (after the German Storm Troopers which got Hitler into power), and that the KKK was "a sad event for America". (July 17)

1948: The Deseret News called "the Ku Klux Klan plague" contains "the virus which will sad the liberty and freedom of all Americans." (July 29)

1960s: The Deseret News referred to the KKK as "Bullies in Bedsheets" and declared "it is time for the United States of America to stamp out such organized conspiracy and lawlessness." (Jan. 1, 1966)

At the 1923 Imperial Klanvocation (convention) in Atlanta, Georgia, the Grand Dragon of Wyoming declared to the assembled Klan officers who their number 1 'enemy' was:

Because of the immense popularity of the 1916 film Birth of a Nation (the film version of The Clansmen) millions of white American men joined the Ku Klux Klan. By 1924 it had 5 million members (the equivalent of about 15 million white men today), and controlled the states of Indiana, Maine, and Colorado. The Klan was as powerful in Northern and Mid-Western as in Southern States; if not more so. Yet, the Klan didn't even have a foothold in the states of Utah and Idaho; both of them back then were 'Mormon' states. In 1924, the New York Times reported:

The Mormon Church recommended that America destroy the Klan in 1868. America didn't listen.

Q. I've heard that Joseph Smith taught that black folks didn't have souls. Is this true?

A. Absolutely not! Yet another false rumor. The Prophet Joseph Smith said:

There have been black Mormons since the early 1830s; which itself refutes this false rumor.

Q. Will the Mormon Church ever just apologize to black folks for teaching that they are the descendants of Cain and cursed by God?

A. Not likely. If the Priesthood-ban was an invention of Mormon leaders, then they could apologize for it. However, the claim of Mormon prophets, from Brigham Young to Spencer W. Kimball, was that it was not from them, but from the LORD. And the LORD has said:

People should realize that the Mormon Church has always taught that Hamites (people of the lineage of Cain through Egyptus) have been "blessed" by the LORD as well as "cursed" by Him, and that the LORD both blessed and cursed the Israelites as well! Black Africans (and other Hamites) are not the only lineage to have been cursed; nor the only one to have been blessed either.

In 1998, a small group of Mormons (most of them white) asked if the Church would repudiate the Curse of Cain doctrine and say that the Priesthood-ban was in fact an 'unfortunate mistake'. The Church did not do this, but rather told reporters and others that they would let the 1978 Revelation "speak for itself". Some Mormons consider the 1978 Revelation to be an 'apology'. Others don't see it that way at all. The Church apparently leaves it up to each individual to interpret it for themselves. You can read the 1978 Revelation below. (Anyone who prints out this article to give to others should make sure to include the 1978 Revelation in their printout of this article, and staple it to this article). You may read The 1978 Revelation yourself, and draw your own conclusions.

Q. This Mormon once told me that blacks were never cursed, and another told me that blacks are not Cainites, but these were speculations or personal opinions. Is this true?

A. The Curse of Cain Doctrine was never presented as the 'personal opinion' of Mormon leaders. It was always presented as "doctrine". In official Statements of The First Presidency (which reflect official Church positions) it was called "a doctrine of the Church":

Those Mormons who tell you it was never taught, or never doctrine, or merely 'personal opinion' are not accurately describing the truth about the matter. Most Mormons today are not that aware of the history of the doctrine or the Priesthood-ban. These are things NOT taught to them in Sunday School. Many of them merely repeat what they have 'heard' from others, and unfortunately repeat inaccuracies.

Q. I've head that the Mormon Church taught that black folks followed Lucifer, is this true?

A. NO!!! It is absolutely and TOTALLY false! Yet another false rumor being spread around. An early Mormon apostle named Orson Pratt did offer a theory as to why some spirits were born into the Cainite/Hamite lineage and were denied the Priesthood in mortality. He speculated that they were "less valiant" in the War in Heaven in the Pre-existence. The Mormon Church has 'always' taught that all men and women are the spirit sons and daughters of God, and we all lived with Him before the creation of this world in what is called the Pre-existence, or, the Pre-Earth Life. The Church teaches that in this spiritual world there was a war between Jehovah (Jesus) and Lucifer (Satan). One-third of the spirits took the side of Lucifer, and they were punished by being cast to Earth without physical bodies. These became the Devil (Lucifer) and his angels (the Demons). Two-thirds of the spirits sided with Jehovah (later known as 'Jesus'), and fought against Lucifer and his followers. Among those who fought against Lucifer and remained on the side of Jehovah were the spirits who would be later born into the Hamitic lineage (bloodline). Orson Pratt speculated that these spirits were "less valiant" than other spirits in the War in Heaven, and this may be why they were born into a lineage which could not hold the Priesthood. This supposition was based upon the belief that our individual actions in this life will determine what reward, or 'glory', we receive in the Afterlife.

In His Parable of the Sower, Jesus said of the seed which fell on "good ground"; which represents the Gospel (seed) being accepted by true Christians (good ground):

Christians are saved by grace, but we are judged by works (Revelations 20:12). This is because there are various degrees of glory, or reward, in the Resurrection; which is the Day of Judgment. Grace saves us from Hell, but we shall be judged by our works. Our works don't save us, but they do determine what kind of glory, or heavenly reward, we shall receive. Some shall receive the greatest glory; which is Eternal Life. This is referred to as the "Celestial" glory. Others shall receive a lesser glory called the "Terrestrial Glory," and still others shall receive a still lesser glory than that called the "Telestial" glory. Those who receive the Celestial Glory will be the Manifest Sons of God, and shall receive crowns of glory. They shall receive Eternal Life; which means more than just "going to heaven". It means to receive crowns and thrones. It means to be married for all eternity. All who do not receive this glory shall be angels in Heaven.

The difference between an "angel" in Heaven, and a person who receives the Celestial glory is like the difference between Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and monks and nuns. What is the difference? Adam and Eve were given dominion over this planet. They were placed in Paradise. They were immortals and not angels. Angels are like eternal monks and nuns; they are single and alone for all eternity. Yet, God married Adam and Eve, and told them to multiply, and since they were immortal they were married for all eternity.

It says in a book of Mormon scripture called the Doctrine & Covenants that those who "are not valiant in their testimony of Jesus" in this life will "obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God" (D&C 76:79). These are people who are honorable, but who are not valiant in their testimonies of Jesus, and they "are not gods, but are angels of God forever and ever," and "remain separately and singly, without exaltation, in their saved condition, to all eternity." (D&C 132:16-17).

In other words, there are three types of people in Heaven after the Resurrection of the Dead:

1. Elect. Those who are saved and exalted. Those who become the Manifest Sons of God. They shall be not only saved from Hell but also receive crowns. This is the Celestial Kingdom.
2. Saved. Those who are saved, but not exalted. These include all true Christians, and those Latter-day Saints who were not "valiant" in their testimony of Jesus in this life. They shall become like the Angels of Heaven; eternal monks and nuns. They shall not marry nor be given in marriage, but shall remain alone and single for all eternity as the messengers and servants of God. This is the Terrestrial Kingdom.
3. Unbelievers. Those who are not saved nor exalted. Between death and the Resurrection (Day of Judgment) they shall abide in Hell; because they rejected the Blood of Jesus. After they have paid "the uttermost farthing [penny]" in Hell, they shall be resurrected and receive the lowest kingdom of glory: the Telestial Kingdom. They too shall become angels in Heaven, but of a lower rank.

Mormon Apostle Orson Pratt, in 1852, speculated that some spirits were "less valiant" in the War in Heaven, and, as a punishment, they would be born into the lineage of Cain (and Ham). This is known as the "Less Valiant Theory". But the reader must remember that this is merely "speculation", and no such doctrine exists in the Revelations of the Church. The Prophet Joseph Smith nowhere taught this, and Brigham Young seems to have repudiated the idea. Nevertheless, some Presidents and Apostles of the Church more or less accepted it as true. President David O. McKay called it "a reasonable supposition"; meaning a speculation or theory that was reasonable to believe. But, we must remember, it was never a doctrine of the Church. On the other hand, the Curse of Cain doctrine was always presented as a doctrine of the Church.

Again, the "Less Valiant Theory" is not now, nor ever was, a doctrine of the LDS Church. The Church has always presented black folks as followers of Jehovah (Jesus) in the War in Heaven before this earth was created.

Q. All you need to go to Heaven is to believe in Jesus! Didn't He say there isn't any marriage in Heaven?

A. Believing in Jesus is all one needs to get to Heaven, but what reward one receives in Heaven is based upon more than mere belief. The Apostle Paul wrote:

Jesus said that "the children of this world" shall be angels in Heaven (Luke 20:34), but He told His disciples (His Elect) "Ye are NOT of the world" (John 15:19). He said to Peter:

What does this binding and loosening refer to?

It can only refer to marriage in Heaven. Only the LDS Church today has this "sealing power" that Jesus gave to Peter. No other church or religion even claims to have it!

Q. Why would black folks wish to become Members of the Mormon Church?

A. Because it is true. When Jesus was upon the earth the Jews believed that the Samaritans and Canaanites (both of the lineage of Cain) were 'cursed' to be the servants of the Israelites. The Jews called Gentiles (white non-Israelites) "swine" (pigs), and they called the Samaritans and Canaanites "dogs" (which means 'servants'). Jesus told His Apostles to preach to all the world, but NOT give the Holy Priesthood to the Gentiles or Canaanites:

A Canaanite woman came to Jesus and begged Him to heal her daughter:

Jesus called the Canaanite woman a "dog"; which meant a 'servant'. She could have gotten angry, and prideful. She could have spit in His face and walked away. Instead, she swallowed her pride, and said, "Truth, Lord!" Because of her great faith, her daughter was healed. Because of the great faith of Elijah Abel, he and his male descendants were given the Priesthood; while all other Hamites were denied it--until the 1978 Revelation.

If you were a Canaanite in the time of Jesus and Jesus called you a "dog" what would you do? Would you:

Unless you swallowed your pride and said "Truth, Lord", you would not have Eternal Life. If the LORD calls you a "dog" you don't disagree, but ask Him how you should serve Him. Only those with that kind of exceeding faith will inherit Eternal Life. The Mormon Church doesn't expect you to bow down to any white man! But you will bow down to the LORD, and accept His Words if you indeed wish to be His servant. And only His true and faithful servants will inherit Eternal Life.

The Book of Mormon is a story about two peoples: the Nephites ("Nee-fights") and Lamanites ("Layman-ites"). The Nephites were a white-skinned people, and the Lamanites were a dark-skinned people. The Nephites were utterly destroyed by the Lamanites. Why? A Nephite prophet named Jacob warned the Nephites against their racial pride. He said:

Nephite Prophets in The Book of Mormon warned that racial pride should prove their destruction:

The Nephites were utterly destroyed by the Lamanites because of their pride. Proverbs says:

Whether it is white racial pride, or black racial pride in response to it, either way, it will prove a spiritual destruction!

If black folks allow their pride to make them reject the Mormon Church, then they are not going to inherit Eternal Life. The Prophet Alma declared:

Jesus said about the latter days:

The LORD said to the Prophet Joseph Smith--who was the Voice of the LORD in the Latter-days:

On the top of most Mormon Temples you will see an angel blowing a trumpet. This is symbolic of the gathering of the Elect of God in the last days. The Elect of God shall gather to His temples, and receive the ordinances therein, and be "sealed" together unto Eternal Life.

The purpose of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to gather the Elect of God from the four corners of the Earth. Only the Elect will inherit Eternal Life; which means to inherit the Celestial Kingdom. All others will not; including all other Christians. The Elect of God include people of every nation, kindred, tongue, color, and people. There are many people of black-skin tone who are the Elect of God, and there are many people of white skin who are not the Elect of God. How can the Elect be distinguished from the non-elect? The LORD has declared to His Church:

We testify to you that this is the True Church of the Elect of God. We testify that you can inherit Eternal Life, and be sealed to your loved ones in Mormon Temples, and have them with you not only for this life, but for all eternity. We testify to you that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior, our LORD, the Son of God, and that Joseph Smith was His Prophet, His Voice, in these last days; the latter-day John the Baptist. We testify to you that if you hearken unto the Voice of the LORD, and harden not your hearts out of pride, you will inherit all God has in store for those who truly love Him. We invite you to listen to the Missionaries; they have the Message of Life and Salvation. We say these things to you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

The Elijah Abel Society