Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons

Who chooses low you know low slow houses. Even you will know the difference. See you on the seat. The order is new on the seat. The ornery people could think you're an idiot. And then they don't make any you know apologies about telling you so if you're black in your morning D Rose would you believe in D Rose would you come from and what that church has done. I don't feel like I have to choose between being Mormon and being black. I will always be black and I will die. The thing I don't mind defending the church to black people. I do my defending my blackness to members of

the church. Perception is that it really is not open that it's a closed kind of community that that really does not want others to be a part of that tradition. And that's the perception which hinges on exclusion. But I was angry for a very long time but I switched that anger into a determination to be a pioneer. For black music. Church let me. Play. This. Clip. They were proud of their ethnicity. Proud of the accomplishments of our race and yet I braced the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I've stayed in that faith. For 30. Years. That should say so. I hope it. Is. Not. A metaphor. And. Not a local time. This gospel is for all people.

It was called The Second Great Awakening religious revival. Many of them camp meetings and we see Groves springing up everywhere during the early 19th century. Joseph Smith founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints claimed to receive a vision and further claim that he was called to restore the Church of Christ. With a new religion came new scriptures called The Book of Mormon. Converts were soon referred to as Mormons Mormon doctrine included a belief in life before birth in a preexistence spirit children of God had claimed the privilege of mortality. There was then no war in heaven. Spirits who followed the devil were cast out never to experience mortal birth. Where did I come from. Who am I these. These were important questions Where did I come from.

What is my purpose in life. Where am I going. I certainly didn't believe in you know that would come from from from nothing to the planet but he said we came from a pre-mortal life and the light came on church doctrine declared that mankind would be punished for individual sins not for the fall of Adam and he even suggested that the fall was a vital element in human progress. Without it mortals could not experience the refining power of sorrow. I believe I chose to come to earth as a black man I don't believe God forced my body my spirit blackbody. I chose to. I recognize what it was going to mean to me and my my family and and I chose my mission. Joseph Smith and those who headed the church after him were considered modern profits by Mormon converts. Though Smith insisted he was far from perfect his followers revered him and his successors.

You've had prophets. And apostles all through the Scriptures. Showing their human side. I can reconcile that a man can be a prophet and be imperfect prophets made mistakes and do things that God didn't command them to do. But that doesn't mean that they were completely errant and that we shouldn't both and therefore any church organization you belong to will have its imperfections and you have to make the decision of whether you're going to abandon those imperfections and depart from them whether you're going to be one of those people that tries to change it. On April 6th 1830 six members of the New Church of Christ met in a farmhouse to organize the religion soon Mormon missionaries began proselytizing. In 1830 to. Elijah Abel the man of African descent was baptized. He would soon be a missionary himself. His full fellowship within the early

church suggested a precedent. There was no apparent segregation in this new faith but would remain so. Elijah Abel was one of the more interesting and in some ways one of more tragic figures in in in latter day saint. History I guess tragic but also courageous I'd say he was very courageous I mean I guess a complex individual. He was one of the earliest members of the church becoming a member during the 1830s and during that same decade of the 1830s being ordained first an elder and then following that 70 he was ordained by Joseph Smith Abel was one of the first undertakers in the Mormon settlement of Navi Illinois. He left not two years before the arrival of Jane Manning and her family though Jane and Eliza would meet later. Jane was a young girl.

She met some missionary. She convinced her family. To go to Illinois. So they all packed up and they were welcomed by the founder Joseph Smith as well as his wife. And they were invited into their home to stay with her and live in their house. Jane Elizabeth Manning Jane's. Soon after they broke up the mansion. It was during this time that the Prophet Joseph and his brother Hiram were martyred. I went to live with the family of Brigham Young. I stayed there until he was ready to emigrate to this valley. One advantage in Janes life is known only through the journey of a white pioneer Partridge Lyman. April 18 49. We baked the last of our flour today and have no prospect of getting more till after harvest.

April 25th. Jane James the colored woman brought me two pounds of flour. It being about half she had. Here you have this black one who was a pioneer who walked across the plains just like everyone else who didn't have the same opportunity to go through the temple just like everyone else did. Whose testimony was signed and sealed with her own blood in the blood of Christ and His Gospel. She had gifts beyond giving the flower the flower is not the gift. Her charity. Is the gift. We have gifts to offer also. The issue of slavery was a fiery one in 1844. Not long before his death and Joseph Smith challenge the nation to break off the

shackles from the poor black man Brigham Young the man who most Latter day Saints followed West after Smith's death had once indicated an acceptance of black church members even the ordination of blacks into the priesthood. Brigham Young eight hundred forty seven. It's nothing to do with the blood. For of one blood has God made all flesh. We have one of the best elders an African you know in Massachusetts. But he soon faced a dilemma many southerners brought their slaves with them on the Mormon migration. The slaves represented other than wealth and brought strong bodies to the track but not always strong enough. John Brown January 1847 it finally turned cold and we had the severest kind of time. It was too severe for the negro It was my boy whose name was Henry

took cold and finally through it a fever which caused his death as territorial governor in Utah. Young had weighty questions before him. How would you respond to slavery. How would the Mormons now isolated from the rest of the nation regard those of African descent as territorial governor opens this legislative session. And kind of lays out the agenda for the for the for the session and addresses the question of slavery. He was advocating that slavery be permitted for those who came who were already in Utah or came to Utah with slaves of their own. Young is perhaps more pronounced than that of this. That he accepted the so-called biblical rationale that were employed by Southern defenders of slavery Brigham Young made the first known official statement about the role of black

people in the church as part of his discussion about the role of black people in the state. And his statement in 1852 was that the descendants of Cain. Were or were not permitted to hold the priesthood and he added that he was basically saying this on his own lights. He said if no other prophet said it before now I say that since the seed of Cain and not are not entitled to the blessings of the priesthood. Most denominations stated that children were born in sin condemned because of the fall of Adam any Mormon doctrine however proclaimed that all children were born innocent. How could Mormons view blacks as cursed because of Cain or Canaan. And yet believe that humans were born sinless. How could Mormons condemn a man for his lineage and yet believe that mortals would be punished for their own sake

not for Adam's transgression. Many trying to fit their old view of blacks into their new faith. Since Mormons believed in a pre-mortal war a few speculated that some spirits had been less valiant in that war than others. Perhaps they had even been neutral density. Or signified 1845 at the time the Devil was cast out of heaven. There was some spirits who did not take a very active part on either side. They were required to come into the world and take bodies in the constant lineage of Canaan and hence the negro or African race. How can you have a second article of faith believe a man will be punished for their own sins and not fret of transgression and then but that. Well black people can have the priesthood because they're all being cursed for the sins of Cain and. And that clearly wasn't satisfactory to a lot of people which is why someone had to invent fence sitters in the preexistence for doing the tradition of this gentle mistake.

Chief because you personally know and believe me I do it just like you know peace it becomes a curse. When I first joined the church for the sake of argument and convenience went along with the theory that maybe it was something bad that I did in the preexistence that would prevent me from having a priest and I became aware of the priesthood proscription and and it was the traditional explanations that they but they were less valiant in the preexistence that they were marked with the curse of Cain or the curse of Cain and because of that that they. Couldn't hold the priesthood and as I got a little bit older they said yeah this is the they had there was reference made to the Scriptural proof texts of course and so I became increasingly bothered by by what the LDS church was doing especially as I became aware

that the there was of this same type of priesthood prescription in other white dominated churches when I went in the army and my disaffection was so deep that when I when I went through and they they always ask you you know a bunch of series of personal questions including your religious preference and it was a black NCO who was asking you this is what your religious preference and I impulsively burst out you know preference I have no preference because I was too embarrassed and too ashamed to tell him that I belonged to a church that discriminated against members of his race and barracks where to us. Why not go Mayo. Bay what to let me see Curtis Curtis. That is so dope to dog up there shaking. And.

I of course wouldn't have except back. There were a few blacks in the Mormon settlements and the nation already accommodated segregation. Given the way America regarded its black citizens it is no surprise that the LDS priesthood restriction was a non-issue for over a century. That would have affected not only men but women of African lineage. None were permitted to enter the Mormon temples to receive the most sacred ordinances of the faith. Jane Manning James requested these ordinances repeatedly but she was denied her first request was made to church president John Taylor. She visited him on Christmas Day 1884 the day a lie for Abel died on the day of Abel's funeral. Jane dictated a letter to President Taylor. Dear Brother I called on your house last Thursday to have a conversation with you concerning my future salvation. I realize my race in

color and cannot expect mine down menses others who are white yet God promised Abraham that in his seed all nations of the Earth should be blessed. Is there no blessings for me. You assisted in the Gospel. Jane Jane. Since race has been a divisive issue in most religions nobody paid much attention to the Latter day Saints restrictions on blacks. One of the things my father often stated was that the most segregated hour in America was the hour where we got our religious orientation which was on Sunday morning at 11 o'clock.

So to find a religious organization. That does not have a pop star when it comes to diversity is to find a worldwide challenge is to have diversity without adversity. In the Mormon church every 12 year old boy was ordained into the LDS priesthood. Unless he had African ancestry a family moved into our ward that had a boy about my age and an older sister. And when all of us reached age 12. We were all given the priesthood except that boy. Name was Richard. And we never could understand why that was. And the bishop explained to us that it was well because he he

had. Paint from the seed of Cain. And i course had no idea what that meant. As we got into it further we got more and more of an explanation that this this boy's family had been converted into the church. So a few years ago and through their journey a logical research I discovered they had a remote black ancestor. And so nobody in that family could hold a priest or go to the temple. Since this boy had blond hair and blue eyes we found it difficult to understand how this could be. Since Latter day Saints believed in a modern prophet. Most assume that God had established the priesthood ban from the churches beginning with but there were questions. What about Polynesian Filipino Negritos. Was the priesthood restriction a policy or a

doctrine of the ninth president of the church. DAVID MACKAY faced the issue early in his ministry. It was not an issue at all to him by his own account. For 15 years after he became a member of the Quorum of the twelve. He went on this trip around the globe and one of the first stops was in Hawaii. He reported later at a missionary conference in South Africa in 1954. That on that trip to Hawaii he met a Polynesian woman. And active faithful member of the church who was has been also active faithful member. Was part African ancestry. And it was at that time that he really became aware of the fact that there was a policy that did not allow this man to be ordained to the priesthood which is really an astounding admission on his part that he's been an apostle now for 15 years. It tells you this was not a front burner issue. He wrote to

President Grant then the president of the church asking if an exception could be made to that rule because this clearly was such an exceptional man. Their response was that President Grant also wished that an exception could be made but that the policy and he did call it a policy and not a doctrine. Which would have to remain in place until a revelation changed. By mid-century with the missionary efforts so widespread leaders had to address the restriction directly. They often relied on old speculation. They almost always assumed that God had put the policy into place. But church doctrine cannot be changed by man. Comes Through God through Revelation which most people don't understand I think because. Fresh. Year was nineteen sixty four when I finally started meeting with missionaries we met at our home my mom's home.

The missionaries had been there once or twice I think maybe only one. Called me into her room. And said I don't want those two young men back here they're not welcome to my home did not want me with what she considered a racist church. I was starting to develop what we call the test. Story about the Gospel itself being restored to the earth and that intrigued me and I wanted to know more. It was the day before my scheduled baptism. It was on Christmas night and I was having my exit interview with the missionaries at their apartment. And after they had asked their questions they said well

rather great Did you have any questions. And there was one that I had to I had raised earlier in the discussions and when I had done that I was told well we'll get to that later. The slightly later arrived because I raised it again and that is in the Book of Mormon. There are a number of groups of people but primarily to the Lamanite and the ME fight. But oftentimes the Lamanite are darker skinned and out of favor with God where the neophytes are portrayed as being white and the good guys and I wanted to know how offended anyway that related to me and I don't want to. When we got up walked over to the corner. And left his companion there to respond and he said Well brother great. The primary implication is that he won't be able to hold the priesthood. And went on to explain that it was because of my race and I just thought how

foolish I had been. What my mother's warning had been and should have been heeded. And. Here were two young men supposedly representatives of God and that of the Savior. Serving missions. And yet they were telling me that I could not be equal to other men because of my skin and my race and I thought these are two of the biggest hypocrites on God's green earth. So I made up my mind at that point. They didn't know it but there was no way in hell I was going to be baptized to deal to his church next day. I was really troubled with it and I had my nightly prayers. Then I entered into prayer a second time. That night I received a personal revelation. Instructing me that this was in the Restored Gospel. And I wish to join. There was no mention whatsoever of the priesthood restriction or whether it was just for

interest but it was of God or of man. This is the restored gospel in your truck. It was none of that families as the civil rights movement forced the nation to confront its people. The LDS priesthood restriction was no longer. Oh yeah the Mormon Church and Brigham Young University came under scrutiny and then under fiery condemnation. OK the church seem clearly out of step with where the larger American society was moving as far as black rights and empowerment of African-Americans and and people of color go on and do your thing and you go on and do your thing wherever it suits you. But don't expect me to endorse of cooperate with or be a part of it.

We simply can no longer stand for any kind of discrimination when it comes from church or state. And no matter where we find prejudice or and discrimination we have to try to take the issue of the BYU room and the Mormon Church is such an important issue to black students. When myself and other black students on this campus restore education to prevent Brigham Young from wrestling here that task wrong we forgot about the great views of the church which sits back you know its position and it does not admit blacks to the priesthood does not marry black Thanks and it's achieving good on the line and things that people can't do simply because they're black. The official position is that we have now a temporary restriction. Or restriction not allowing us to hold the priesthood. It's not just one little church or one particular set of beliefs. It is a representative. The general psychological condition you see in

your case you say you believe that you know and this you have a set of regulatory beliefs to support the public doesn't know them well but even if they did know it the fact of the matter is that your belief from his subject of point of view contributed to his condition. Aspects of the black community the Mormon position. I couldn't speak to the priesthood restriction but what I could say is that there were black Latter day Saints and there have been black letter days and that I was a proud black and proud of my race that was proud of my faith and there was no conflict. Between the two for church president David McKay the race issue became more and more difficult. Marion D Hanks had been the church's military representative in Vietnam. Who told me that when he visited President McKay prior to one of his trips he recounted to him an incident that had occurred the prior

trip where he was in a field hospital. And some soldiers were medivac down from a firefight. He said one of them was a black soldier who was out of the US who'd had part of his leg blown off. And he said I was trying to comfort him at his bedside as they were going in for surgery. And he said as I told President McKay this story. So the tears started to come down his cheeks and he said I have prayed and prayed and prayed over this issue but there has been no reply. President David Allman McKay died in 1970 and was succeeded by 94 year old Joseph Fielding Smith when Joseph Fielding Smith died. Carroll to be really relatively young at age 73 became the church president. Only 18 months later suddenly die next in seniority was 78 year old Spencer Wally Kimball a short humble man from

bachelor Arizona. President Kimball had already made strong statements against racism when the Lord has made all flesh equal. When he finds no difference between them. Who are we to find a difference and to exclude. How monster is prejudice in the years between his call as an apostle and his ascension to the presidency. Spencer Kimball had undergone life threatening illnesses surgery for throat cancer at a removed one and one half of his vocal cords leaving his voice distinctively raw and deep. It was this voice which responded to the inevitable question would there be a change in policy. Anticipating no major changes in the immediate future. The vast majority of Black Pioneers descendants had joined their churches in the 1960s. There were very few black Mormons in Utah and no more than three or four hundred worldwide.

Those few faced hard questions. It is a single right you know if you look at the trees and I mean this is hard. These are these white you know these white everybody because they are black and evil because they live in fear. Nobody knew how earnestly Spencer Kimball was wrestling with the questions which weighed on the church. Could those of African descent be ordained into the priest toyed. Could blacks participate in Temple rituals. Very good. Day after day that I want to go to the temple. Everybody got out of the Temple Mount and prayed and I prayed really such. See I tell you something must be foreigners. That was extremely important to me.

Just curious if I had any hopes and aspirations natural you know to be able to come into the church. But because I didn't have the priest those hopes dreams if you will were sort of muted. If if my role in the church was limited to being a prospect of elder for two years if you will from 68 to 78 to maybe teach your boy scout limited callings you know so it kind of mutes your or puts a damper on your own your hopes and aspirations but once the revelation on priesthood came then the ability to broaden your training your dog or just become a hundredfold. June in 1978 is known to Mormons as the long

promised day. The day when the priesthood restriction was lifted. When you said they were making a way and we wanted to do a fine thing we had been raised from the lower middle. It is great news. It was something totally unexpected.

That did not come as a result of pressure political pressure or anything because there was nothing and it took a heavy weight off of the church no longer for those who continue to want to continue to maintain thing race bigotry but they hide behind membership. The priesthood revelation did extend priesthood but did nothing to repudiate the racist folklore. The idea of a curse and the concept that blacks had been less valiant than others you know pre-mortal life. The fact of the matter is it's still in print and a whole generation of new people can then

pick that up and read it as if it were truth as if it were Mormon doctrine instead of say a person's opinion about what this is. And the church doesn't officially sponsor it but I think it now has a disclaimer that these are the views of our McConkey and that it is not actually a Mormon doctrine but heck that's the title I would think that the disclaimer could be a lot stronger and should be prefaced with his big disclaimer in 78 and also my conk you said forget everything that I said and what Brigham Young said or George can and say or whoever else said that is contrary to today's revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding without the light and knowledge of the that is now come into the world. We get our light and knowledge line upon line precept upon precept. And there has now been an added a flood of light and intelligence on this issue. That's key.

That erases all the darkness and all the fuse and all the thoughts of the past realize that there are these ideas out there that there are ideas among people in the church about curses about different races about all these things acknowledge it first and don't sweep it under the rug then having acknowledged it acknowledge that it's not right and God is no respecter of persons God needs God wants you to love everybody like he does and so you have to get over it. So then how do we help people get over it. Then you give them correct information. There is no such thing as say fence sitters in the preexistence or we've not found some curse that came upon these people so that their lineage would be this or that everybody would be denied the priesthood you know teach correct information debunk the myths and just say flat out this isn't true. Nor do the change of policy sweep away any discomfort with diversity. The first time ever I was called a nigger was in the Salt Lake Temple.

People come up to you and to me and they say they think that they're being nice and generous and it's really offensive because they'll say things like I just you're so sweet I don't know how I'm going to recognize you in the Celestial Kingdom because I try to visualize you white but I just don't see that. So you have to you recognize me so you know you have to come find me. We put together a Sunstone panel of former African mission presidents. And to talk about the church in Africa. And I was very touched by one of these men who said the church called me to go to Africa. And I was not spiritual compared to that I did not want to go and minister to blacks. I

did not see them as people who were equal and I had to go home and get down on my knees and ask the Lord to forgive me and to change my heart so that I could go to Africa and minister to his children and I did and it was the you know one of the greatest things of my life. Even as the Mormon Church moves forward as one of the fastest growing religions in the world it is still tainted by a reputation for being racist. Retention of African-American converts is difficult for every African-American. I didn't say black I'm an African-American because I was in Africa are dealing with the same situation. But every African American is going to have to deal with that black issue at some point. Why the blacks couldn't hold the priesthood is this a racist church. Is it true. Can they be racist and the church be true. I came to you to decide it well about this case because before I got here I

did hear a lot of rumors and most of it was about the Mormon church some good some bad but mostly bad you know. When a lot of the rumors that I heard was from people that actually have been in the church but for some reason there was no longer members of the church and that's where I heard most of my bad roommates. If you go to any Baptist church anywhere in the world you know any any black Baptist church let me be specific specific you know they don't welcome you with open arms extend the white right hand of fellowship for you. They're going to make you feel welcome. You're going to get a warm fuzzy. OK if you will but not so in all of the stakes of Zion you don't get a warrant if a black person comes in. It is pitiful if I have to if this is a scenario exists OK and bring your new found bring in a black investigator going into to my war say I

forewarn you that you can expect this to walk in there and it's like. Playing on you know it's tortures it's their funeral and so request everybody to sit in an inn or near one corner sing and talk and somebody is up front and everybody you know we're always you know church where you clap your hand to stomp your feet you say to the preacher preachers preach and you know everybody is having a joyous time. You know when I walk in here and I think ah this is different this is difficult to remain faithful. As a black member because there's not a lot to really keep coming back and I mean that sincerely. You know it just for me. And I often pose a question that if things are reversed but the more to come to you know religion out to

Africa. And live the true Gospel to go on. African cultural connotations and there were drums and you know the charismatic preacher how many white Mormons could make that adjustment if the same doctrines were true. OK. And once people see it from that perspective then they start don't understand what the black experience in the church is about. From the time Elias hable became the first Mormon missionary of African descent the stage was set for a future missionary of any lineage. Just as every 12 year old Mormon boy is generally ordained to the priesthood every 19 year old Mormon men and many women are expected to become missionaries. It is not the privilege of a few but the duty of the majority.

I saw young white missionaries from Utah from Idaho and a few from California and the surrounding states. Come into their war and this is an inner city ward near the airport. People who come to Atlanta to do business here come to that war. But when asked these youngsters coming you know shift after shift so to speak and going into neighborhoods that Affeldt I'm comfortable going at. It certified in my man again here is the truthfulness of the gospel for these young people. To take two years out of their lives and put their lives in jeopardy and some of them at gunpoint and at my point and yet they kept coming. I was blessed I was retired I didn't have a job and I had a good running out of will be nice but a lot of miles on that out of the deal with the missionaries and that had some of the best times of my life. Going into the ghetto so to speak going in with a wham song out and with the drunks and. The pimps and the prostitutes hung out. Before the mission is that went down and I bought myself out of been scared to death. But when I saw them go I had to

go. And that entranced me into the church. By the grace of God nothing can take me out of the church because of their commitment. Limits differences. In the bigger picture. Make no difference that. If we accept the gospel as the Apostle Paul taught us we all become the children of Abraham. No matter what our lane it is and in fact one way I like to look at it is that that's the gift of the world's people to the LDS church. Mormons believe that God still reveals truth and will yet reveal more. And Mormons believe in the possibility even the inevitability of change. This creates a space for growth and for repentance. Obviously it would be good if the church could do something. And a repentant Sam's to say that yes the issue did exist and the church has done a beautiful in terms of welcoming people of all races all colors and all creeds

and I'm sure that the Brethren have it and they manage they will do something. At the appropriate time to. Do what needs to be done to move us to propel us forward not just move us forward to propel us forward toward being the common sorts of athlete who would be pleased when I remind you that no man who makes his spare zing remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he considering yourself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ. How can any man hold in the male priesthood arrogantly assume that he is eligible for the priesthood. Or as another who lives a righteous life but whose skin is of a different color is ineligible. I was and so. LAKE CITY A guest

of the Mormon Church met the president at all. And as we set the conference the president and the leaders the pair of various departments he apologized for the role one that the church play you in the Supreme Being. And slavery and he serves. I learned of the background of your church and the founding of your church and I want to apologize for whatever role the Mormon Church. Perry not only there but has paid and racism and America has said I thank you very much for making the statement. It is certainly true that the Mormon Church of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has been off

and discrimination. But you've done so much good. And now to hear of these woods I would certainly say that. The LDS Church moves into a new century. It's converts of color pioneer forward adding There are many stories and voices to those of the earlier pioneers. When I was 11 my family joined the church. We were a very strong kind of gusto family and. I grew up knowing that God existed. I grew up knowing that I had a savior being kind of hostile. You're going to heaven or you're going to hell. Period. The whole concept of heaven and hell never set well with me.

I knew that there had to be something more because I knew I didn't want to go to hell because I knew that Hell was hot and eternity was long and knew that from church and I just knew that if Heavenly Father I would end my prayer I would say Heavenly Father if you really love me why do I have to go to hell because I was bad and I knew I was going to hail the missionaries checked our family out my grandmothers invited them in and she said that we don't have to listen to what they're saying but it's hot outside and they have on those hot suits. Let's invite them in and give them something cold to drink and pretend like we're listening. They they visit with us a couple of times and in between that time I don't really know if I paid attention but I do know that when we the first time that we went to the LDS church I felt like. I felt like the savior was standing in the doorway and when I walked and just knew to recognize the spirit and it felt like I was at home where I belonged I felt the spirit so clearly then say I mean it

testified to me that I was where I needed to be. It's the crux of who I am when I get up in the morning. Being the Latter day Saints being a Christian rooted in that knowledge it defines what I do and maybe more importantly what I don't do. And that's been the key in my life and I'm grateful for that. So it's affected everything in my life pass everything. So I attended my own ward twice one does have to be a Fast and Testimony Sunday it was the week before I got baptized. So I gave my testimony and said I'm not a member yet but I will be next week I'm getting baptized next Sunday. I am a former anti I was certified in Mormonism and everybody showed up at my baptism. I have one of these people were all of these people wanted to see the former anti hit the water. I was the one chosen. And I really believe I was chosen to be in a position where when the missionaries came I would

deceptive so that I could bring the blessings to my posterity do to my ancestors it's real to me. I've had personal experiences where I've had and you know deceased ancestors communicate that to me you know time of visions or whatever but you know clear communication. And I'm the link and I have to remain strong during my periods of doubt because there are people on you know that haven't even come down to earth and there are people that come here and left that are dependent on me to continue to be that link because right now I'm the only link. And if I fall away. Game over. I like to think. But. We were God's chosen people of the latter days. That of all the races on the face of the year. And trusted. That honor. To us. Not to white

people. He and trusted that honor of purging his church to us. Our people were tried. Proven counter slavery whips masters beatings the selling of our children. And we persevered. Taken from our homeland and we're still here. Still strong. Facing God has always preserved the black race. I know who I am and because I know what the Gospel is about and I have a responsibility as a member of this church to find out what is true for me. People are mean and people are ignorant and they say mean and ignorant things. However because the spirit testified to me of the truthfulness of the gospel I could not go and look my savior in his eyes and say I couldn't do it because people were mean.

They said mean things. That what we want to instill in our children is a sense of pride of who they are. Being a child of God but being a black child of God in a beautiful garden there if he had wanted to make everybody the same he would have done that but instead he made us all different for a reason and part of that reason to me is so that we could teach each other. The warder that joined. Probably four five hundred ten times every day on Sunday. There may have been three or four blacks. And I am a former pastor head pastor of a missionary in the Baptist church. And then passed it in the church which which was born out of racism. For those who know history Church History and American history. But I have never felt more at home in this congregation. An extreme minority. It was just one of the most genuine feelings and one of the most. Maybe it was Southern hospitality I don't know if we go to the Book of Revelation

in the Book of Revelation that talks about the twelve tribes and it talks about twelve thousand from each tribe this is and my man this is after the resurrection and then after he talks about the hundred forty four thousand twelve thousand from the strap he says I saw another number that nobody could number and he said they were all races all creeds and colors and I think the Mormon Church is implementing this and bringing it about. I think it will come about in our church. That that all races will be embraced into the church and I think they'll be an opposition from the very top of the church down to for lack of a better term to the lowest position in the church if there is any such thing as a low position in the church. I think of the words of David in the sound as David says I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness that paints a picture in my man of everything in the Church of Jesus Christ is important. If you when I clean temple when I go and polish the chandelier is when the temple clothes up are clean. That's important work I feel special and notice the house of my God and I know the spirit of my Savior is there.

And so it's a special time. When. If you had the power to do one thing to make me one shade which I haven't the power to do it what would that change. So I thought about this a lot. And I admire Paul the Apostel and his ability to convince that the gospel is true. The fact that I have that ability to speak to someone.

But there help them to understand the way that I feel I feel that we're going to have that ability to convince others of the power of Christ the message that he brought his broad message yet simple message. If I have that ability it could change the world. But I suspect it would be a happy camper. So I can say about that here if you're for sure I'm sorry. And then I will give you the letter that I saw for. The approach. Thank you.