Michael:
Elijah Abel was a black member of the Church from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was ordained an Elder and a Seventy in Kirtland, Ohio, in 1836, and served 3 full-time missions to the Church.
We don''t know why the prophet Joseph Smith advocated the ban. There is no historical (documentary or anecdotal) evidence that he ever made the reason public. All he said is that ""Negroes"" (term normally used at that time without any negative connotation) should not be ordained to the priesthood. You can find this in the book ""Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith"". This statement was made decades before the abolition of slavery in the United States, which lead us to believe that the prophet might be considering the potentially serious (perhaps even fatal) implications of ordaining slaves to the priesthood.
At this moment I don''t recall saying anything about the content of the Church archives being available on the Internet. However, lots of documents held in the archives are open to individual researchers. They are located on the second floor of the east wing of the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City.
In order to verify the historical authenticity of a statement you need a great deal of time and patience––a research grant would be invaluable as well. First one needs to determine the approximate time when the statement was made. Then, one needs to find some kind of document containing the statement––it could be a personal or an official letter, or an entry in someone''s personal journal, or the written minutes of an official meeting. Once the statement is found somewhere, the next step is to verify the authenticity of the document––is it original or a copy? Either way, was it made by a trustworthy (i.e. accurate, truthful, reliable) writer? Then, to whom (person or audience) the statement was mad, and what the context was––an official meeting, a dinner, a political rally, a church service, or just an informal get-together of old friends? In determining the context it is also important to consider external factors: under what kind of political, social, and economic environment was the statement made? By this you can see how one can go about making a living as a historian.
The quote from President Spencer W. Kimball on intermarriage is an excerpt of an unpublished letter contained in the Church archives.
The legend of Ham (or Canaan) stealing the clothing from the garden of Eden may be found in a number of sources, but I guess the easiest one is the book ""Legends of the Jews"" by Louis Ginzberg. I think you will find this account (and alternative ones) in volume one. I suppose our library has a copy of this book.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie''s talk ""All Are Alike Unto God"" was only published back in 1978 in a compilation of talks to CES-Church Educational System personnel. But guess what? I have a copy and I would be glad to make an extra copy to you. Just come to my office.
Dr. Leonard Arrington''s book is titled ""Adventures of a Church Historian"" and you can find it at DeseretBook.com, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, or at the site of the University of Illinois Press.
If you have additional questions, don't hesitate to contact me. You are also welcome to come visit me in my office.
Bro. Martins
Marcus H. Martins. Ph.D.
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Laie, Hawaii 96762
E-mail: martinsm@byuh.edu
Internet: http://academics.byuh.edu/religion/martins.htm
>>> MICHAEL SARAFIAN 08/07/00 13:53 PM >>>
Brother Martins,
I attended the African club gospel forum you spoke at and was hoping you could answer a few questions for me. At the beginning you spoke about Elijah Abel. I wasn't quite certain what you had said . . . Joseph Smith advocated the ban but did not prevent Elijah Abel from being ordained? Was Elijah Abel black? Where was he from? And was he ordained an ofice in the priesthood? If Joseph Smith advocated the ban (and do we know that for sure) why did he not prevent Elijah Abel from being ordained? What documentation is there of this occuring?
I think you mentioned that some time in the future, the church archives will or may be available to us on the internet? How can someone gain access to the church archives now? Is it available to anyone or restricted to certain people? If I wanted to verify that something is documented or just a rumor, how could I do that?
Where can I find the quote by President Kimball regarding inter-racial marriages?
Where can I read about the legend of Hem or Canan steeling the garment from Noah?
Where could I find a copy of the address to religion educators from Bruce R. Mckonkie?
What is the name of the book by Leonard Arrington and where could I find a copy?
If you could answer my questions I would really appreciate it and thank you for coming and speaking to us at the gospel forum. Preach on brother . . .
Michael Sarafian.