Journal of Discourses, 26 vols., 7:, p.291
Remarks by President Brigham Young, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great
Salt Lake City, October 9, 1859.
Re****ted by G. D. Watt.
You see some cl***** of the human family that are black, uncouth,
uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, wild, and seemingly
deprived of nearly all the blessings 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 one 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 upon 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 Abolitionists 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 until all the 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 favourable
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 pro****tion.
To Whom it May Concern:
The Doctrine and Covenants Official Declaration--2
On September 30, 1978, at the 148th Semiannual General
Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the
following was presented by President N. Eldon Tanner, First Counselor
in the First Presidency of the Church:
In early June of this year, the First Presidency announced
that a revelation had been received by President Spencer W. Kimball
extending priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy male members
of the Church. President Kimball has asked that I advise the
conference that after he had received this revelation, which came to
him after extended meditation and prayer in the sacred rooms of the
holy temple, he presented it to his counselors, who accepted it and
approved it. It was then presented to the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles, who unanimously approved it, and was subsequently presented
to all other General Authorities, who likewise approved it
unanimously.
President Kimball has asked that I now read this letter:
June 8, 1978
To all general and local priesthood officers of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world:
Dear Brethren:
As we have witnessed the expansion of the work of the Lord
over the earth, we have been grateful that people of many nations have
responded to the message of the restored gospel, and have joined the
Church in ever increasing numbers. This, in turn, has inspired us with
a desire to extend to every worthy member of the Church all of the
privileges and blessings which the gospel affords.
Aware of the promises made by the prophets and presidents
of the Church who have preceded us that at some time, in God's eternal
plan, all of our brethren who are worthy may receive the priesthood,
and witnessing the faithfulness of those from whom the priesthood has
been withheld, we have pleaded long and earnestly in behalf of these,
our faithful brethren, spending many hours in the Upper Room of the
Temple supplicating the Lord for divine guidance.
He has heard our prayers, and by revelation has confirmed
that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in
the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its
divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that
flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple. Accordingly,
all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the
priesthood without regard for race or color. Priesthood leaders are
instructed to follow the policy of carefully interviewing all
candidates for ordination to either the Aaronic or the Melchizedek
Priesthood to insure that they meet the established standards for
worthiness.
We declare with soberness that the Lord has now made known
his will for the blessing of all his children throughout the earth who
will hearken to the voice of his authorized servants, and prepare
themselves to receive every blessing of the gospel.
Sincerely Yours,
Spencer W. Kimball
N. Eldon Tanner
Marion G. Romney
The First Presidency
Recognizing Spencer W. Kimball as the prophet, seer, and
revelator, and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, it is proposed that we as a constituent assembly accept this
revelation as the word and will of the Lord. All in favor please
signify by raising your right hand. Any opposed by the same sign.
The vote to sustain the foregoing motion was unanimous in
the affirmative.
Salt Lake City, Utah, September 30, 1978
Gordon B. Hinckley, Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley, p.491-492
In a revelation given in 1831, which has become Section 1 of the
Doctrine and Covenants and is known as the preface to that book of
revelation, the Lord set forth one of the great purposes for the
restoration of the gospel in this the dispensation of the fulness of
times. He said that, among other reasons, the gospel was restored so
that "every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the
Savior of the world." (V. 20.)
It does not say that every man shall speak in the name of God the
Lord. The meaning is that every man may speak, provided he is worthy
and receives the priesthood.
But for many years during the history of the Church, the priesthood
was withheld from many worthy men because of their lineage. Then, in
June of 1978, a remarkable and wonderful thing occurred. The president
of the Church, the prophet of the Lord at the time, Spencer W.
Kimball, announced a revelation under which every worthy man could,
under proper cir***stances, receive the eternal priesthood with
authority to act in the name of God.
I was not present when John the Baptist conferred the Aaronic
Priesthood. I was not present when Peter, James, and John conferred
the Melchizedek Priesthood. But I was present and was a participant
and a witness to what occurred on Thursday, June 1, 1978. My memory is
clear concerning the events of that day. . . .
Each first Thursday of the month is a day for fasting and the bearing
of testimony by the General Authorities of the Church. So many of the
Brethren are absent from home on the first Sunday of the month because
of assignments to stake conferences that we hold our monthly testimony
meeting in an upper room of the Salt Lake Temple the first Thursday of
the month. The Thursday of which I speak was June 1, 1978. We heard
testimonies from some of the brethren, and we partook of the sacrament
of the Lord's Supper.
It was a wonderfully spiritual meeting, as are all such meetings in
these holy precincts and under these cir***stances. Then the members
of the First Quorum of the Seventy and the Presiding Bishopric were
excused, while there remained the president of the Church, his two
Counselors, and ten members of the Council of the Twelve-two being
absent, one in South America and the other in the hospital.
The question of extending the blessings of the priesthood to blacks
had been on the minds of many of the Brethren over a period of years.
It had repeatedly been brought up by Presidents of the Church. It had
become a matter of particular concern to President Spencer W.
Kimball.
Over a considerable period of time he had prayed concerning this
serious and difficult question. He had spent many hours in that upper
room in the temple by himself in prayer and meditation.
On this occasion he raised the question before his Brethren-his
counselors and the Apostles. Following this discussion we joined in
prayer in the most sacred of cir***stances. President Kimball himself
was voice in that prayer. I do not recall the exact words that he
spoke. But I do recall my own feelings and the nature of the
expressions of my Brethren. There was a hallowed and sanctified
atmosphere in the room. For me, it felt as if a conduit opened between
the heavenly throne and the kneeling, pleading prophet of God who was
joined by his Brethren. The Spirit of God was there. And by the power
of the Holy Ghost there came to that prophet an assurance that the
thing for which he prayed was right, that the time had come, and that
now the wondrous blessings of the priesthood should be extended to
worthy men everywhere regardless of lineage.
Every man in that circle, by the power of the Holy Ghost, knew the
same thing.
It was a quiet and sublime occasion.
There was not the sound "as of a ru****ng mighty wind," there were not
"cloven tongues like as of fire" (Acts 2:2-3) as there had been on the
Day of Pentecost. But there was a Pentecostal spirit, for the Holy
Ghost was there.
No voice audible to our physical ears was heard. But the voice of the
Spirit whispered with a certainty into our minds and our very
souls.
It was for us, at least for me personally, as I imagine it was with
Enos, who said concerning his remarkable experience, "And while I was
thus struggling in the spirit, behold, the voice of the Lord came into
my mind." (Enos 1:10.)
So it was on that memorable June 1, 1978. We left that meeting subdued
and reverent and joyful. Not one of us who was present on that
occasion was ever quite the same after that. Nor has the Church been
quite the same. ("Priesthood Restoration," Ensign, October 1988, pp.
69-70.)
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