Research Guide
Black Latter-day Saints
This guide contains many resources for researching your family history within the Church History Library.
Overview
This research guide provides an introduction to selected historical materials held at the Church History Library that pertain to Black Latter-day Saint history. Select collections and resources held at other institutions are also included in this guide. There are multiple parts to this research guide. The first provides some context to the history of Black Latter-day Saints. The next provides general guidance and advice for conducting research on this topic. The final two parts provide a sample selection of online and on-site resources. Please note that not all resources featured in this guide are authored, endorsed, or maintained by the Church.
Access to the materials identified in this guide is subject to the library’s
Historical Detail
Black Latter-day Saints have been numbered among the Church’s membership since 1830. In the first half of the 19th century, Black members whose ancestry traced to Africa received the priesthood, served missions, led congregations, crossed the plains (including in the first pioneer company of 1847), and helped establish the Church in Utah Territory. From 1852 through 1978, Black men were restricted from receiving the priesthood, and both Black men and Black women were prohibited from receiving temple ordinances.
However, during that time, the Church was not devoid of Black membership. In 1971, the
Research Guidance
It is important to acknowledge up front that conducting research regarding Black Latter-day Saint history can be difficult. Challenges to research include a scarcity of records, inaccuracies passed through oral traditions, the unintentional inclusion of fictional literary characters in family histories, incorrect documentation due to individuals “passing” as white, and inadequate cataloguing procedures at archives and libraries. These kinds of challenges are not unique to just Black Latter-day Saint history or conducting research at the Church History Library.
Additionally, like most historical topics, Black Latter-day Saint history contains sensitive subject matter. Black members of the Church throughout the world have been subjected to various forms of racism and oppression. Historical documents and materials may contain language and content that are considered inappropriate by 21st-century standards. While materials that contain racist sentiments may be found in Church History Library collections, in no way does the Church History Library promote or support the ideas or opinions found within racist publications or manuscripts. Making such materials accessible to researchers enables further academic conversation on such topics, which allows for greater historical understanding.
When conducting research about early Black members of the Church who were enslaved, keep in mind that they may appear under their given name, their chosen surname, or the surname of their enslaver. For example, information about Oscar Smith is often found under the name “Oscar Crosby,” and information about Hark Wales can be found under the name “Hark Lay.” Being aware of the proper and improper names of enslaved individuals may yield additional results when searching the
Another thing to keep in mind, especially when doing research pertaining to the 19th century in the United States and England, is that spelling was not standardized, including names. For instance, information about Elijah Able can also be found under the surname “Abel.” Sometimes slightly changing the phonetic spelling of an individual’s name can yield more search results.
For several reasons, some collections (including oral histories and AV materials) may be closed to research or require special access permissions before the collection may be viewed. To learn more about the reasons some collections are closed to research, please see our
Additional help or questions about conducting research pertaining to Black Latter-day Saint history is available by reaching out to our Church history consultants through our
Online Resources
This section provides a select sample list of online and digital resources that help facilitate research about Black Latter-day Saint history. The first portion of this page features Church History Library collections and Church-produced materials. The second provides information about projects and resources pertaining to Black Latter-day Saint history that can be found at other institutions.
Church History Online Resources
19th Century
The
In her autobiography, Jane Manning James recounts her conversion to the Church; travel to Nauvoo, Illinois; some of her experiences in Nauvoo with Joseph Smith; and concludes with some description of her life in Utah.
Sometimes records and information pertaining to specific individuals can be found embedded within other collections. For example, spiritual testimonies given by Samuel D. Chambers can be found throughout the pages of the
20th/21st Centuries
This recording includes introductory remarks from Gordon B. Hinckley, Boyd K. Packer, Thomas S. Monson, Ruffin Bridgeforth, Darius Gray, Eugene Orr, and others.
This item is a compilation of interviews conducted by KSL and collected from Black individuals living in Utah. Those interviewed include Ruffin Bridgeforth, Florence Lawrence, Betty Stewart Moore, Nelson Styles, Billy Mason, and Dr. Ronald C. Coleman.
This item is a collection of television news coverage regarding the 20th anniversary of the 1978 revelation known as “Declaration 2.”
Oral Histories
The Church History Department has gathered oral histories from Church members all over the world. Oral histories gathered from Black Church members can be found by searching the
Written by the Church History Department, Global Histories are a good place to find information about the Church in various countries. The histories include African countries, such as
Non-Church History Online Resources
The
On-site Resources
This section lists Church History Library materials that can only be accessed by visiting the Church History Library’s reading room. These items have not been digitized and are not readily available online. This list of selected items only features collections that are open to research. Additional collections, including those that are closed to research, can be found by searching the
Textual Resources
This collection documents the history of the “Love Branch,” or “Branch of Love,” in South Africa. The branch began in 1916 as a scripture study group in the home of William P. Daniels, a Black member of the Church in Cape Town. After several years, the group caught the attention of South African Mission President J. Wyley Sessions, who advocated for it to become a regular Church meeting. Unfortunately, at that time, Church leaders in South Africa denied the request, but they did assign an elder to preside over the group while Daniels conducted. In December 1931, the study group became a “branch”—not an actual branch, per se, but a branch in name—which functioned as an auxiliary of the Relief Society and Sunday School. Although he did not hold the priesthood, Daniels was called to serve as the “branch” president. The Love Branch continued until Daniels’s death in 1936.
This collection contains interviews of Church members and others in African countries, including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Nigeria, and Zaire. Interviewees talk about their church experiences and the Church’s activities in Africa that have contributed to progress in their respective countries and across the continent.
This history provides a summary of events leading to the establishment of the Church in Nigeria. Included are descriptions of the experiences of Anthony Obinna, which led to the first sacrament meeting in Nigeria at his home in March 1974 and to the first Nigerian baptisms in November 1978.
This item complements the previous item in this list,
This collection from Quinn G. McKay includes his reflections on the status of the Black community in Utah and in the Church. Additionally, it includes information about discussions with his uncle, President David O. McKay, about the priesthood restriction, how his perceptions changed while attending Harvard University, his experiences in Nigeria during the 1960s, his thoughts about the Genesis Group, and his response to the 1978 revelation that ended the priesthood restriction.
This collection is comprised of documents and memorabilia from the funeral of Joseph William Billy Johnson. The funeral program includes an account of his life and his role in establishing the Church in Ghana.
This collection, compiled by Alice Faulkner Burch, who served as the group’s Relief Society president from 2014 to 2019, is comprised of programs from Genesis Group firesides. This collection also includes pass-along cards from the 2018 “Be One” event that commemorated the 40th anniversary of
Notes
Notes