Fall 2020 LDS Conference Guide

CONFERENCE The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 190th Semi-annual General Conference

TRYING TIMES:

The fight against COVID-19 and racial injustice

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Fall 2020

Join us in discovering a changed world through faith

BY TYLER MAFFITT

F

aith in all its forms has been radically altered in 2020, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been no exception.

COVID-19 has strained the ability of Latter-day Saints to attend church meetings and temple ceremonies across the globe. It has dulled our sense of community by restricting interaction with those we love most. It may have even cut short the lasting memories and answers to important questions of faith many young adults gain through their mission.

Through all this, there are examples of those who have found the ability to live the joy of their belief in the restored church of Jesus Christ. Their decision to study, connect with and better understand the teachings of the church were strengthened through quarantine and the natural ability to more clearly reflect through isolation.

This fall 2020 edition of CONFERENCE magazine highlights a few of the courageous individuals living their

faith through unique times, and delves into their search for answers through meaningful conversation and deep supplication.

We at the Daily Herald and Standard-Examiner invite you to join us on this sojourn through the challenge facing our communities. By better understanding our shared humanity, situations such as joblessness, changes in public policy and the consequences of COVID-19 can be more fruitfully understood as an opportunity to draw on each other’s strength, grow in our faith and gain perspective on the things that are most important to us.

Parallel to the changes being endured through this pandemic is a renewal to confront the past and acknowledge our commonalities despite differences in the color of our skin.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has called for a strengthened understanding in its approach to race in recent years, and 2020 has afforded the church another opportunity to show leadership.

GET OUT THERE &

This edition of general conference magazine will delve into that history, provide historical context on the church’s relationship with race, speak with persons of color who proudly proclaim their affiliation with the LDS church and seek to understand the church’s efforts going forward.

I would like to thank Genelle Pugmire, Karissa Neely and Heather Marcus for their hard work on the fall 2020 LDS General Conference guide. Their dedication to bringing meaningful stories affecting members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is difficult but wholly necessary.

We hope you enjoy these stories alongside the many talks throughout the fall general conference and find them not just useful, but a joy to read.

Sincerely, Tyler Maffitt Executive Editor Daily Herald and Standard-Examiner

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Healing the wounds of racism

Thank You

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A look at Black members throughout history

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The LDS history of Blacks and the priesthood

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FamilySearch involved in 50 projects researching Black genealogies, history

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Sister Sharon Eubank, director of LDS Charities, mobilizes during pandemic

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Latter-day Saints adapt to at-home church during COVID-19

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Table of Contents 7 Global church, global pandemic

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COURTESY OF ELDER EVEREST MOLL

Elder Everest Moll from Florida is currently serving a mission in Norway. COVID-19 affected Norway less than other countries, so he was able to continue his mission during the height of the pandemic earlier this year. He will return home in February.

Global church, global pandemic

BY KARISSA NEELY

Herald Correspondent

M

anaging a global church is a monumental task. Add a worldwide pandemic on top of that, and well, it becomes colossal.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints finished the last session of General Conference this past April, many thought things would be back to normal by now, and families would be securing their tickets to attend sessions of the October General Conference in perA6 LDS GUIDE

son. But they will not.

Oh, how much we’ve all learned and adapted since April.

And, oh, the many adaptations church leadership made as well.

Missionary service

During the height of the pandemic in the spring, many missionaries returned to their native homes temporarily. By midsummer, though, most of these missionaries were reassigned to missions in their

native countries and returned to service, according to church spokesperson Daniel Woodruff.

A smaller number of missionaries who were in places less affected by the pandemic were able to remain on their mission. Elder Everest Moll of Sarasota, Florida, was one of those. He is currently serving in Norway, and did not return home during the height of the pandemic.

He and his companions were limited in the work they could do in contacting and

teaching people, so they spent a lot of their time serving others.

“Throughout quarantine, I have truly come closer to God. This time is a tremendous gift from the Lord. My companions and I have learned that keeping a missionary schedule and setting goals is still applicable — and even crucial — to an effective day. We still look and act the part and enjoy doing it,” Moll said in a May 6 article for Please see GLOBAL, Page A7

COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

The First Presidency of the LDS Church (Left to right) President Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor, President Russell M. Nelson, President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor, wear face masks as they listen to Emiline Twitchell, a conservator at the Church History Library talk about items placed in the Salt Lake Temple time capsule.

GLOBAL From A6

The Church News.

Virtual conferences

In normal years, teenagers within the church regularly gather for weekly activities. Many also attend regional summer conferences where they learn doctrine while socializing with others of their faith.

But during COVID-19, those activities became virtual.

Youth from all over the world participated in a unique virtual music festival in July. According to the Church Newsroom, the virtual broadcast “included youth representing more than 20 countries, including: Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, the Philippines, Tonga, the United

Kingdom and the United States.”

The women of the church also participated in a virtual conference of their own.

BYU Women’s Conference, which normally is held at Brigham Young University, and draws tens of thousands of women, was held completely online in May. The conference was held digitally and was free to stream, featuring pre-recorded talks from conference organizers, leaders from the church and other speakers.

BYU Education Week, another conference that draws thousands of men and women, and usually held in August, was rescheduled. According to information from organizers, this year’s conference, originally planned for Aug. 17-21, will be an online conference that members can view starting Oct. 7.

world closed. Workers and patrons attending the temple often work in close proximity to each other. And many of the workers are of retirement age — a demographic affected in higher rates by COVID-19.

By summer, though, church leaders started opening temples through a phased approach. Some are currently in Phase 1, where only living marriage sealings are done for husbands and wives. Others are in Phase 2, where all temple ordinances for living individuals can be completed. Some are still fully closed.

Church worship

For the past six months, church members around the world have worshiped at home. In many areas, members had special permission from their local bishops to administer the sacrament, symbolizing the Temple worship death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, During the spring, temples all over the within their own homes with priesthood

authority.

Earlier this summer, the church presidency announced that members could start a phased return to church meetings, where allowed by local government regulations, and under the direction of local church leaders.

Utah wards participating in this return to meetings are doing so cautiously. Most ward bishoprics set specific Sundays and staggered times for sacrament meeting, so only some of the congregation attends at a time. Most encourage members to wear masks and socially distance while in the building.

Church leadership has not yet announced when wards will return to full meetings every Sunday.

But because of the church’s “Come Follow Me” curriculum, many families have been able to continue their worship and learning wherever they are.

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Latter-day Saints adapt to at-home church during COVID-19

BY GENELLE PUGMIRE

Daily Herald

With all the chaos and confusion in the world today, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turn to their beliefs that their homes can be a refuge from the storm. The home should be second only to the temple as a respite, a place of love and learning, a holy place.

That belief is helping families as they work through the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.

Be prepared

President Russell M. Nelson, leader of the more than 16.5 million worldwide membership of the church, had been president only seven months when he announced a change for the church.

As part of ongoing efforts to help Latterday Saints “learn doctrine, fortify faith, and foster heartfelt worship,” Nelson announced the new adjustments would include a home-based, church-supported curriculum.

Nelson also announced that Sunday worship services would be two hours instead of three with the last hour being for at-home study.

The Come Follow Me at-home curriculum for all ages began Jan. 1, 2019.

“The new home-centered, Churchsupported integrated curriculum has the potential to unleash the power of families, as each family follows through conscientiously and carefully to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith,” Nelson said.

Little did church members or Nelson know that Come Follow Me, newly filmed Book of Mormon videos, the church’s online library, YouTube channel, Tabernacle at Temple Square channel and other support websites, would become a major source for at-home worship and study during a worldwide pandemic that would begin just one year later.

Church at home

“We had a whole year to practice before we had to do this,” said Ganel-Lyn Condie, author, motivational speaker and YouTube.com talk show host for “Real Talk.”

Condie, a member of the LDS Church, has interviewed a number of guests on the topic of at-home church.

“I love Come Follow Me,” Condie said.

“It lets us talk about what’s really happen-

COURTESY WILLIAM A. WILSON FOLKLORE ARCHIVES

A home-made sacrament tray helps a single mom with three daughters focus on the meaning of the sacrament until a priesthood holder can come to their home to bless it.

ing in real life.”

Families have been able to do deeper study into the scriptures, ask important and relevant questions and feel comfortable doing so in their homes.

Condie noted that every family she has met is trying to do church their own way, the way that is best suited for them, but still focused on learning and coming closer to Christ.

Collecting the stories

As soon as leaders in the church saw what was happening to the people in Wuhan, China, a huge airlift of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other humanitarian supplies was sent. That was Jan. 29.

While leaders were thinking about supplies for Wuhan, they also were thinking about what could happen with the virus and started at-home preparation for the possibility of a worldwide pandemic. They knew life in the church would need to have several ongoing adjustments in the pandemic’s wake, according to the church newsroom information.

In a matter of a few weeks, changes and closures in the church were far reaching.

From all temples being closed, to thousands of missionaries coming home and church offices to meeting houses being closed, members began implementing a total home-based and church-supported program in crash-course fashion.

Since March 12, when church attendance was halted, Christine Blythe has been gathering stories of at-home church experiences from people around the globe.

Blythe, a folklore archives specialist of the William A. Wilson Folklore Archives in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at Brigham Young University, shares a few of the more than 350 experiences she has received so far.

“Largely people have really loved home church,” Blythe said. “It makes the sacrament (communion) a more personal experience.”

Most people follow a laid-out pattern for worship that includes a song, prayer, thought/talk on a gospel topic and a lesson from Come Follow Me or past General Conference talks.

From what Blythe has received and what Condie has heard, the most important part of at-home church is the time set aside for the sacrament.

The focal point

The sacrament (communion) is the focal point of all LDS Church Sunday worship services. It is a time of renewal, of devotion and meditation as members recall their baptismal covenants (promises to God) and belief in the death, resurrection and atonement of Jesus Christ, according to church teachings.

The LDS Church uses bread and water to represent the body and blood of Christ during the sacrament portion of worship services each week.

That has not always been the case.

Unusual circumstances have sometimes called for unusual methods of worship.

Following the devastation of Germany and other Eastern European countries from World War II, even potato peelings were

used by members of the church to represent the body of Christ, according to LDS Church history.

Today, people who have dietary concerns, are welcome to bring to church a cracker or whatever they need to represent these special emblems to be blessed.

The stories are inspiring and in some cases humorous, according to Blythe. She also has received stories from those not of the LDS Church but from groups that have their origins in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Blythe notes she is also seeking and collecting stories from churches all over the world that are holding online church, from Lutheran to Presbyterian, Independent Christian congregations to Jewish Synagogues, being at home hasn’t changed the desire to worship.

One Seventh-day Adventist Pastor, Dan Martella, who used to pastor to the Provo congregation, said he has had an interesting time of it. He noted he had never been trained in Seminary to do Zoom worship services during a pandemic. He is learning a whole new way to reach out to his congregation.

Bringing the spirit of the Lord through the computer screen often demands a bit more creativity than in-person services, according to Blythe.

“With in-home church there is more creativity happening,” Blythe said.

In the case of in-home sacrament, church members are going out of their comfort zone to accommodate a need. In some cases, those accommodations would never touch the sacrament table at church.

“Latter-day Saints are purchasing sets of shot glasses,” Blythe said. “Lots of them.”

For a church that doesn’t drink alcohol, the shot glasses are becoming vessels holding water symbolizing Christ’s blood that was shed for them, according to Blythe.

Members of the church have reported using red solo cups (without the beer), doll tea services, bathroom-sized paper cups and just regular glasses out of the cupboard for the sacrament, according to Blythe.

For the emblems of Christ’s body people have reported using everything from baPlease see AT-HOME, Page A10

Fall 2020

AT-HOME From A9

guettes to Ritz crackers.

One family said they prepare for Sunday sacrament by baking a special loaf of bread every Saturday, according to Blythe.

The stories

While hundreds of stories have been shared, many stories are so personal people have asked not to share their names, according to Blythe.

Blythe noted that some members are reporting that women and children are playing a bigger role in the sacrament at home, which they would not do at church.

While women are an essential part of the priesthood, only worthy males in the LDS Church are allowed to receive or be ordained to the priesthood.

At in-person church the responsibilities of preparing the sacrament trays and the table clothes are left to the Aaronic Priesthood, typically boys from age 11 to 15. Priests in the Aaronic Priesthood, boys ages 15 to 18 may bless the sacrament.

Blythe notes that is different as families worship in their homes. Women and children are often preparing and setting the place where the sacrament is blessed, while the prayers are offered by priesthood holders in the home.

Single women, in most areas, are able to have priesthood holders come to their homes. Blythe noted in a few of her stories, women have prepared the bread and water and men have offered the sacrament prayers at their front doors. They wear masks and sanitize their hands. If members are unable to partake of the sacrament they are invited to read the prayers and have a moment of silence to remember Christ and their relationship with him.

Blythe noted the early Latter-day Saints were all about the family. It was the core institution. Some of her collections have stories referencing the importance of gathering in the home. Having church at home feels like going back to a more simple way of life, where family members connect with one another, to what is really important.

“We often get into a Sunday slump,” Blythe said. “Dragging kids to church, putting the roast in the oven. This time (of athome church) has caused us to pause and A10 LDS GUIDE

Blythe shared this story from one man who had no bread.

“I prepare the sacrament by getting out a plate from the kitchen and putting the closest thing I have to bread on the plate,” he said. “A couple of weeks ago I used leftover pancakes. For water we just used glasses from the shelf and put enough water in just for one gulp.”

A young husband and his wife have three daughters ages 12, 6 and 1. Blythe noted they let the two oldest girls give talks to let them practice speaking for their church and then they have the sacrament.

“My husband blesses and passes the Sacrament on our sofa table (he looks at the prayers on his iPad),” the wife said. “We use the miniature china tea cups I have DOURTESY WILLIAM A. WILSON FOLKLORE ARCHIVES from my own childhood as our sacrament Children’s tea seat is being used by one family with little girls for the sacrament cups cups. My girls think it’s pretty fun to drink from them.” during at-home church service.

She adds, “We have loved at-home bring Christ into our homes.” church and it has added to the spirit of our home so much. We will never forget Lizzie’s challenge this special time.”

“With me as a single mother, with no priesthood holder in the family, it has Others’ stories been a challenge because we haven’t had Blythe has received in-home church the sacrament [as often],” says Lizzie Mo- stories from those of other faiths and parhodisa of South Africa, in an LDS news- ticularly those who have broken away from room press release. “But once in a while, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day our ministering brethren are able to come. Saints. She shared two of them, but there It’s not every week as we have always been are many more in her collection.

Community of Christ used to. But it is still a huge blessing.”

A single mom with three daughters from The Community of Christ followed Pennsylvania waits for a time they can have Joseph Smith III, the son of the Prophet the sacrament again. To bring the spirit Joseph Smith rather than Brigham Young. of the sacrament into her home she made Followers believed that the succession something her girls could focus on. should follow a Patriarchal, father to son, “We made a sacrament tray out of wood thread similar to the teachings of the Old and a handle,” she said. “We bought plastic Testament. They accept the Book of Morshot glasses at the dollar store. Because I mon as scripture and certain portions of am a single mom and have three daughters, the Doctrine and Covenants, a book of LDS we weren’t able to take the sacrament for Church scripture that contains revelations three months. We made the tray and cloth to Joseph Smith and others. It is canonized looking forward to the time we could take scripture by the church membership. it again.”

“I am a Seventy in the Community of While this story is personal and sacred Christ and a Pastor of the Toronto congreto this family, Blythe said others have seen gation,” one man said in answering Blythe. the making of sacrament trays as a mon- “As of last fall the First Presidency (not to etary opportunity. be confused with the First Presidency of “Many people are carving sacrament The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day trays out of wood that are very ornate and Saints), changed the guidelines of celeare selling them,” Blythe said. brating the sacrament of the Lord’s SupYou can find them on Pinterest and Etsy per to allow for simultaneous communion and other social media platforms. Sellers from multiple locations.” are pushing the idea the trays are a meHe said the disciples (church members) mento of 2020. are able to prepare the bread and wine/grape

juice at their various locations. The prayers are said by priesthood members at one of the participating locations and all participants where they are will be able to partake.

“People are sometimes worried that doing sacred things in new ways trivializes or tarnishes the experience. We have found the opposite to be true,” the pastor said.

“People around the world have felt the outpouring of the spirit when engaged in this Christian tradition.”

Bickertonites

The Bickertonites (sometimes called Rigdonites) are followers of William Bickerton and Sydney Rigdon — who broke away from the original church. The official name of the church as registered in Pennsylvania where it is headquartered, is The Church of Jesus Christ.

After Joseph Smith died, Rigdon, who was first counselor in the First Presidency, believed he was the rightful successor and not Brigham Young, the president of the Quorum of the Twelve, according to Bickertonite history. They accept the King James version of the Bible and the Book of Mormon as scriptures.

One Bickertonite member from Michigan writes, “We are having church service using Zoom. There is a sermon, music, testimony and prayer. Pre-COVID-19 we had communion every Sunday. Since everyone is at home and not all of our men are ordained elders, we can’t have physical bread and wine. During our services we take a moment to think about communion, what it means to us and the sacrifice of Jesus.”

She adds, “Our general church authorities haven’t specified how we should continue our worship service, so every branch/location is doing what is best for their group. We have other smaller branches join our Zoom meeting.”

She reports that several members in her congregation have had experiences (dreams, visions, tongues) that God is in the matter and the righteous need not fear.

Blythe noted that while many members of all churches are anxious to get back to church to worship with friends and commune with one another, there are just as many respondents, if not more, who say they will miss not having church at home.

Daily Herald reporter Genelle Pugmire can be contacted at gpugmire@heraldextra. com, (801) 344-2910, Twitter @gpugmire

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Healing the wounds of racism

BY KARISSA NEELY

Herald Correspondent

A

fter the May 25 death of George Floyd, a Black man, at the hands of a white police officer in Minnesota sparked outrage across the nation, Black men and women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hope the faithful within their own congregations will more earnestly seek to heal the wounds of racism.

Even within the circle of church membership, people can do better, Zandra Vranes explained in a June 20 video on the Black LDS Legacy Facebook group. Vranes, author, speaker and one half of the duo Sistas in Zion, asked members to “yoke up” with Black members and to live up to their covenants to “mourn with those who mourn, and comfort those who stand in need of comfort.”

“We just want to be loved, to be supported by our faith community,” she said.

Darius Gray asked for this as well in a 2016 post for the church’s website, churchofjesuschrist.org. “[I]t would be beneficial if we became a community of listeners. If we first endeavored to truly hear from those we consider as ‘the other,’ and if our honest focus was to let them share of their lives, their histories, their families, their hopes, and their pains, not only would we gain a greater understanding, but this practice would go a long way toward healing the wounds of racism,” he said.

Gray is an author, speaker, and one of the original founding members and leaders of the Genesis Group, an organization established in 1971 by the presidency of the church to serve the needs of Black members.

In his 2016 post, Gray asked church members to acknowledge and recognize that racism still exists even within the hearts of members, and to actively work to become more Christlike in thought and action.

“If you are seeking a way to approach those who may appear different, I offer this advice, which has helped me negotiate life’s pathways,” he said. “Meet the person, not the color. Greet the individual, not the ethnicity. See the child of God for A12 LDS GUIDE

ISAAC HALE, DAILY HERALD

Joseph Freeman poses for a portrait in his West Valley City home on Friday, June 5, 2020. Freeman was the first black person to receive the priesthood from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was baptized on Saturday, Sept. 20, 1973, and received the priesthood on Sunday, June 11, 1978. who he or she really is — a brother or sister — rather than someone different.”

African Americans are about 14% of the population of the United States, according to census estimates. Within the church, they only account for 4% of the membership, Jana Riess explained in her book, “The Next Mormons: How Millennials are Changing the LDS Church.” Thus, they are very small in ranks and often are the only people of color in their local congregation.

Black in Utah

Isaac Thomas Isaac Thomas joined the church in 1972, even though he initially struggled with the policy denying Black men the priesthood.

“But something just whispered, ‘It’s OK. If the Lord is in charge, I’m OK,’ “ Thomas, 71, said in a recent interview at his home

in Orem.

Though he wanted to serve a mission for his faith, without the priesthood he could not. So he looked around for another way to serve, and ended up with the Young Ambassadors, a performance group from Brigham Young University. He feels his two years with that group, traveling all over the United States, was an important mission.

“I talked to a lot of people about the church as we traveled around. And I always got a lot of questions,” he said.

Often, people asked him how he could be a member of a racist church because of the priesthood policy before 1978. He always defended the church and its members, explaining to questioners that he did ISAAC HALE, DAILY HERALD not experience any more racism within this Joseph Freeman holds his copy of The Book of Mormon while posing for a portrait in his West Please see HEALING, Page A13 Valley City home on Friday, June 5, 2020.

HEALING From A12

JOHNNY MORRIS, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY HERALD

Please see HEALING, Page A14

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Black history. Black history has never been taught enough in our schools, he said, but those who are taking down statues “dedicated by Frederick Douglass, or paid for by slaves — that’s canceling history.”

“We are not a perfect country. But what we do is try to correct the mistakes of the past,” he said.

He also recognizes that the people within the church, himself included, are not perfect. And he doesn’t expect them to be. But he stands by his faith, his experiences and the leadership of the church.

“I have not had one prophet since I’ve been a member of the church not denounce racism and bigotry. And many times when they talk about it, the people who need to

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Kofi Aidoo, 23, a student at Brigham Young University, leads chants during the March Against Racism rally held at the Provo Historic Courthouse on Saturday, June 13, 2020. About 1,500 people gathered to protest for civil rights after a series of protests across the country and the state.

The protest was co-organized by Women’s March Provo and Project Blindspot.

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church than he had seen and experienced with members of other religions.

He also lived by a friend’s advice. The friend told Thomas he would find people in the church who were racist, and to simply avoid them. He’d find others who just were acquaintances. “Others will love you as you are, cleave to them,” the friend concluded.

When the church’s 1978 proclamation restoring the priesthood to Black males was announced, Isaac was engaged to his soon-to-be wife, Claudia. Instead of the civil wedding they’d thought was their only option, they were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple. They were the first living Black couple sealed in any temple.

Thomas and his wife have lived in Orem for 40 years, raising seven children in Utah.

While he’s experienced racism within and out of the church, he said he has never experienced overt racism in the church. He has felt a strong support system around both him and his family.

“If something overtly racist happened to me, I’d have a front yard full of people here ready to fight for me, and I’d have to calm them all down,” he said with a laugh.

Thomas expressed concern about the protests and rioting he witnessed across the nation this summer. Originally from Missouri, he remembers what it was like as a child in the 1950s, and participated in civil rights marches there in the late 1960s.

“The Civil Rights Movement was a peaceful movement, a movement not just for Black civil rights but for everyone’s civil rights. Not like today where everyone is sectioned off to their corners,” Thomas said. “The movement I was a part of was to end segregation. But today, people are selfsegregating and it doesn’t make sense.”

Thomas is also a Vietnam veteran, and he feels society — after so much improvement in race relations since his childhood days in the 1950s — has taken a few steps back in the last decade. Those fighting for social justice have lost a sense of what they are fighting for.

“Some of this is way out of control.

We’re making known criminals, who have a history with the police, our heroes,” Thomas said. “We’re teaching Black children that if the police lock you up, you’re a hero. What kind of message is that?”

Thomas worries that current generations don’t have a solid understanding of

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hear it are not in the room,” he said.

Joseph Freeman Joseph Freeman, a 68-year-old resident of West Valley, grew up in North Carolina, where he often passed remnants of burnt KKK crosses on his neighbors’ front lawns as he went to school. At the age of 10, he helped out at a local farm with a few other children, and his mother fretted because one of them was a white girl just younger than him.

“My mother was so afraid for me. She’d tell me to stop talking to that girl. To me, she was just one of the other kids there, but I could be in danger of being killed just for talking with a white girl,” Freeman said in a recent phone interview.

He frequently experienced racism, even after he’d left North Carolina. At one point, he owned a commercial custodial business and often worked in Denver, driving from site to site.

“I was stopped by police at least once a month in downtown Denver. It went on for years like that,” he said.

Freeman joined the church in 1973. After the church’s 1978 proclamation restoring the priesthood to Black males was announced, he was the first black man of African descent, since the time of Joseph Smith, to be ordained as an elder in the church. The office of elder allows him to officiate in all the sacred sacraments or covenants in the church. He said he feels blessed to be a part of the church.

And much has changed in race relations for the better — both within and without the church — since his younger days. But he also feels the current racial tensions right now are a call for all people — and especially people of faith — to wake up.

“It’s a call for you to ask, ‘How am I acting? How do I feel about people?’ and see the change you need to make. That’s the gospel of repentance — to help us become better people through Christ. To throw off the old person you were and become a child of God and act like he acts, do as he does, and love as he loves,” he said.

Freeman echoed Thomas’ sentiments that integrating ourselves with people of different colors, ethnicities and beliefs allows us to see that everyone breathes like everyone else, that “we’re all of the same blood, all of the same family.”

“If you can come to that thought — if you could really think like that — then it could be better,” he said.

A14 LDS GUIDE

ARI DAVIS/SPECIAL TO THE DAILY HERALD

Isaac Thomas, right, interviews Jaxson Jefferson who poses as Samuel the Lamanite for a Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints’ Primary Singing Time video at Thomas’ house in Orem on Friday, Sept. 4, 2020.

A look at Black LDS members throught history

BY GENELLE PUGMIRE

Daily Herald

Elijah Abel

Abel was born July 25, 1810, in Washington County, Maryland, to Andrew Abel and Delilah Williams, according to the Joseph Smith Papers collection.

Abel had one Black great-grandparent, apparently on his father’s side. Thus, according to church traditions he had the blood of Cain running in his veins.

In September 1832, a white church member named Ezekiel Roberts baptized Abel in Ohio, a northern state where Blacks interacted somewhat more freely.

Abel worked as an undertaker, carpenter and hotel keeper. He was ordained an elder by Ambrose Palmer on Jan. 25, 1836, six years after the church was founded.

He was issued an elder’s license, March 31, 1836, at Kirtland, Ohio, and ordained a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy by Zebedee Coltrin on Dec. 20, 1836, according to the Joseph Smith Papers recently released by the LDS Church.

He married Mary Ann Adams on Feb. 16, 1847, in Hamilton, Ohio, and moved to Cincinnati in 1850. The church history notes that Adams was a woman of mixed

race. They had four children.

He moved to Utah in 1853. From 1883 to 1884 he served an LDS mission in the U.S. and Canada. He returned to Salt Lake City in December of 1884 and died just days later on Dec. 25, according to the Joseph Smith Papers.

“In the early twentieth century, Abel’s status as a Black priesthood holder was largely forgotten, church history states. “Mormon historians later rediscovered the story of Abel’s ordination, his faith in the restored gospel, and his service as an early missionary.”

In the early days of the church there were very few Black members and only a handful were ordained to the priesthood.

Green Flake

Forced by mob persecution to leave their homes in Nauvoo, Illinois, many members of the church decided to go west to find a new home. The next year, 1847, under the direction of President Brigham Young, they moved to the Great Salt Lake Valley, Utah. The first pioneer colony to arrive at the valley numbered 143 men, three women and two children. Among these first settlers COURTESY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS Please see VIGNETTES, Page A16

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was Green Flake, a former slave of a North Carolina planter, who had been converted earlier to the church, according to Jane McBride Choate.

Choate wrote a biography on Flake that was printed in the Liahona, an LDS Church magazine.

“Born in Anson County, North Carolina, in 1825, Green was inherited by Madison Flake after his father’s death. As was the custom of the time, Green took the surname of his master,” Choate said. “After Madison Flake joined the Church, he offered Green his freedom. However, Green chose to remain with Madison, and he moved to Nauvoo (Illinois) with the Flake family. In Nauvoo, Green served for a short time as one of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s bodyguards.”

After the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, the saints followed their new leader Brigham Young west, away from persecution.

“Madison asked Green to go with the first wagon train of Saints to help prepare for the subsequent arrival of the Flake family,” Choate said. “Life was hard for all of the pioneers. Green proved himself strong and reliable as the small group of men set up winter quarters in Nebraska, made a trail along the Platte River to Fort Laramie, Wyoming, in the spring, and found a way through the Rocky Mountains.”

President Young became ill with a fever when they arrived at Echo Canyon. He sent Orson Pratt ahead with a company of 42 men, instructing them to build bridges and roads as they went. Green Flake was included in this group, according to Choate.

“When Madison Flake arrived a year later, he found a beautiful home ready for his family. At this time, Green was only twenty-two years old. Shortly afterward Green married Martha Crosby, and they had two children. After his wife died in 1885, Green went to live near his son and daughter in Gray’s Lake, Idaho. He returned to Salt Lake City in 1897 to attend the Jubilee Pioneer Celebration and to receive a special certificate for being one of the first pioneers to enter the valley. He died six years later in Gray’s Lake at the age of seventy-eight,” according to Choate.

Samuel D. Chambers A16 LDS GUIDE

COURTESY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Elijah Able Born on May 21, 1831, in Pickens County, Alabama, Samuel grew up in Noxubee County, Mississippi, as an orphan. Slave traders took away his mother, Hester Gillespie, while Samuel was a small boy.

Thus he embraced the LDS faith despite “not having kind parents” to encourage him. Nevertheless, as he later told the Deacons’ quorum, “the spirit of God remained with me.” He had “known the gospel to be true ever since I was confirmed,” and after his conversion he “greatly longed” to gather with the Saints, but being a slave he “could never see how it would be brought about.” Samuel was cut off from any contact with the church but “tho’ lacking age and experience yet God kept the seeds of life alive in me.” During these years in bondage he married. But shortly after the birth of his son Peter his first wife either died or was sold into Texas (the records disagree), according to William Hartley, church historian.

“Samuel Davidson Chambers, a tall middle-aged black, regularly attended the monthly meetings of the Salt Lake Stake Deacon’s quorum of the LDS Church during the 1870s,” according to Hartley.

Converted as a slave in Mississippi, he retained his testimony for a quarter century without any contact with the church.

Finally, as a freedman after the Civil War,

COURTESY OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

Amanda and Samuel D. Chambers he migrated on his own to Utah, and for the next six decades he functioned as a faithful Latter-day Saint, Hartley added.

“When Mormon missionaries were proselyting in Mississippi in 1844, their message was not widely received. However, one 13-year-old slave boy, Samuel Chambers, showed unusual interest in the elders’ street meeting discussions, and a nighttime baptism and confirmation soon followed,” Hartley said.

On May 4, 1858, he married Amanda Leggroan, a slave who was born to Green and Hattie Leggroan in Noxumbra County, Mississippi, on Jan. 1, 1844.

When the Civil War brought the collapse of the Confederacy, Samuel became a free man. He turned to shoemaking and then

to sharecropping in order to support his family. It had been 21 years since his baptism. “I then commenced to save means to gather (to Utah),” he recalled, and “this took me four years.” This desire to join the Saints is most remarkable in Samuel’s case because he had “never heard another word of the gospel” since his baptism, Harley writes.

One thing was certain with Samuel: “I did not come to Utah to know the truth of the gospel, but I received it away back where the gospel found me.”

Daily Herald reporter Genelle Pugmire can be contacted at gpugmire@heraldextra.com, (801) 344-2910, Twitter @gpugmire

The LDS history of Blacks and the priesthood

BY GENELLE PUGMIRE

Daily Herald

P

erhaps the most important moment for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the 20th century was the revelation on the priesthood on June 8, 1978.

Under the leadership of President Spencer W. Kimball, joined by his counselors in the first presidency, President N. Eldon Tanner and President Marion G. Romney, a special meeting was held following months, and in some cases years, of church leaders studying scriptures, church doctrine and seeking the Lord to know if the time was now right to give Blacks the priesthood.

Those three men were joined in the upper room of the Salt Lake Temple by the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that included: Ezra Taft Benson, Mark E. Peterson, Delbert L. Stapley, LeGrand Richards, Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson, Boyd K. Packer, Marvin J. Ashton, Bruce R. McConkie, L. Tom Perry and David B. Haight.

While Benson, Hunter, Hinckley and Monson went on to serve as presidents of the church, all those who were in the temple at the time of the revelation on the priesthood have since died. However, their influence and testimony on what happened that day, and leading up to it, will remain a turning point for the church.

Black history

The historical significance of Blacks in the church is a part of the greater story on the 1978 revelation. Numerous books and papers have been written on the subject.

There is no doubt among scholars that Edward Kimball’s book and papers on his father’s experience is perhaps the best and most personal collection available.

“When the Church was very young a few Black men were ordained to the priesthood. But soon such ordinations ceased, and a tradition grew, supported by common Christian beliefs and certain scriptural interpretations, that African Blacks bore the burden of a curse levied by God on Cain and his posterity, which precluded them from participating fully in the life of the Church,” Edward Kimball writes.

“After World War II, the civil rights movement grew powerfully, calling for

COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

A congregation in Madagascar holds worship services outdoors prior to baptizing new members into the Church, Aug. 31, 2020. equal legal and social status for Blacks.

The movement gained strength through the 1960s, resulting in strong criticism of the church for its exclusion of Blacks from the priesthood and the temple, motivating some church leaders to brace against attack and others to ask whether the time had come to seek a change,” Kimball added.

The Blacks-and-the-priesthood story most often begins with Joseph Smith and Elijah Abel. Other stories include Green Flake, Samuel D. Chambers and others.

One of the most notable Black women in the church is Jane Manning James.

Members in the 21st century are just beginning to hear their stories, as before now they were rarely reported.

Long forgotten

“By the twentieth century, the origin of the restriction on Blacks having the priesthood had receded far enough into the past that it carried the sanctity of long-established tradition,” Edward Kimball said.

“Most Mormons felt satisfied that it had a scriptural basis, even though the cited passages were at best ambiguous.”

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Edward Kimball notes that his father Spencer knew that the restriction did not come from explicit scriptures but rather from interpretations by various church leaders.

“The reasoning, as often constructed, ran this way: If (as attributed to Joseph Smith and Brigham Young) God disapproved of Blacks holding the priesthood, and if (in God’s justice) individuals are accountable only for their own shortcomings, the withholding of priesthood from Blacks who have lived worthily in mortality must reflect some kind of failure on their part before they were born,” Edward Kimball said.

It was a common teaching in early days of the church, and reiterated in “Mormon Doctrine,” written by Bruce R. McConkie, that men of African or “Negro” descent would not receive the priesthood in this lifetime. From “Mormon Doctrine” it said, “Negroes in this life are denied the priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty.”

On pages 476 and 477 of the 1958 first edition of “Mormon Doctrine,” it continued, “President Brigham Young and others have taught that in the future eternity, worthy and qualified Negroes will receive the priesthood and every gospel blessing available to any man.”

Just 20 years later, Spencer W. Kimball announced that all worthy male members could hold the priesthood. Members of the church voted on the matter in the October conference of 1978 and it became part of the church’s book of scriptures, the “Doctrine and Covenants,” known as Official Declaration 2.

In a recent commentary since becoming a member of the First Presidency, President Dallin H. Oaks said before he was a general authority, he questioned why those of African ancestry were denied the blessing of the priesthood.

Oaks said he determined, “to be loyal to our prophetic leaders and to pray — as promised from the beginning of these restrictions — that the day would come when all would enjoy the blessings of priesthood and temple. Now that day had come, and I wept for joy.

“The reasons that had been given to try to explain the prior restrictions on memA18 LDS GUIDE

COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

A young boy is baptized in a river near his village, Aug. 31, 2020.

bers of African ancestry — even those pre- most part until after World War II. viously voiced by revered Church leaders — were promptly and publicly disavowed,” The 1940s Oaks added.

“In 1947, the First Presidency assigned Heber Meeks, president of the Southern A timeline States Mission, to explore the possibility Edward Kimball reports, ”The first of proselyting in Cuba. Meeks asked his known direct statement by a Church Presi- knowledgeable LDS friend, sociologist dent that blacks were denied the priest- Lowry Nelson of the University of Minhood came from Brigham Young in Feb- nesota, about the mixed racial picture in ruary 1849 when he said of ‘the Africans’: Cuba and whether missionaries would ‘The curse remained upon them because be able to avoid conferring priesthood on Cain cut off the lives of Abel. ... The Lord men with some Negroid ancestry,” Edhad cursed Cain’s seed with blackness and ward Kimball said. “Nelson sent his reply to both Meeks and to the First Presidency, prohibited them the Priesthood.

“In 1852, Wilford Woodruff reported expressing sharp dismay at the policy. The that Brigham Young, speaking to the Presidency responded, ‘From the days of Utah territorial legislature, took personal the Prophet Joseph even until now, it has responsibility for articulating the restric- been the doctrine of the Church, never tion: ‘Any man having one drop of the seed questioned by any of the Church leaders, of Cane [sic] in him cannot hold the priest- that the Negroes are not entitled to the full hood and if no other prophet ever spake blessings of the Gospel.’ Its explanation, it before I will say it now in the name of they said, was to be found in the premortal Jesus Christ. I know it is true they know existence.” it’,” Kimball reported.

In 1952, Nelson, still unable to reconcile That is how the church remained for the this church policy with his understanding

of the gospel, published an article critical of the policy in The Nation, drawing national attention, Edward Kimball said.

In 1949, President George Albert Smith’s administration began sending out a consistent statement in response to inquiries.

It followed the pattern set in earlier private correspondence by the First Presidency and by David O. McKay, who had been a counselor in the First Presidency since 1934: “It is not a matter of the declaration of a policy but of direct commandment from the Lord, on which is founded the doctrine of the Church that Negroes ... are not to have the priesthood at the present,” Edward Kimball noted.

1950s

“When McKay became Church President in April 1951, he continued to respond to queries with this same statement. But behind the scenes, application of the policy was changing to some degree.

“In 1948, during the George Albert Please see PRIESTHOOD, Page A19

PRIESTHOOD From A18

liams returned with the names of fifteen thousand unbaptized converts who were waiting for the Church to come to them,” according to Edward Kimball.

Kimball notes that in January 1966, the Biafran War broke out. For the next five years, civil strife kept Nigeria in turmoil.

Even after the war ended, political instability continued until a peaceful military coup in July 1975.

While leaders in the church continued to discuss the race issue, the world was not standing still.

“Congress adopted the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The march from Selma, Alabama, to the state capitol occurred in 1965, and that same year three hundred protesters paraded to the Church Office Building demanding that the Church endorse a civil rights bill then languishing in the Utah legislature,” according to Edward Kimball.

Smith administration, priesthood leaders in the Philippines were authorized by the First Presidency to ordain Negrito men to the priesthood,” Edward Kimball said. “These were native men with black skin who had no known African ancestry.

Descent from Black Africans only — not skin color or other racial characteristics — became the disqualifying factor.”

In 1954, McKay is said to have appointed a special committee of the Twelve to study the issue. They concluded that the priesthood ban had no clear basis in scripture but that church members were not prepared for change.

“In an administrative decision, President McKay discontinued the practice in South Africa of requiring converts to trace all lines of their ancestry out of Africa as a way of establishing they had no Negroid blood,” Edward Kimball said.

1970s Kimball noted that most General Au“The Church did not make a public thorities tried to avoid public discussion statement, but the legislation passed,” of the topic.

Kimball said. “Between 1968 and 1970 at least a dozen demonstrations or violent 1960s acts occurred when BYU athletic teams “Hugh B. Brown, counselor to Presi- played other schools. Opposing players dent McKay from 1961 to 1970, appears refused to participate or wore black armto have been the leader most open to bands. One spectator threw acid, and anchange,” Edward Kimball said. “He urged other threw a Molotov cocktail that failed that the priesthood restriction could be to ignite. Stanford severed athletic reladropped as a matter of church adminis- tions with BYU.” trative policy without requiring a speMany other things transpired on the iscific revelation. He reasoned that if the sue of race during the 1970s, but there is restriction had not come by revelation, no doubt feelings were changing not only it could be vacated without revelation. within the membership of the church but But despite his strongly held views and in the highest levels of leadership. powerful influence, President Brown’s “In the spring of 1978, shortly before position did not then prevail.” the revelation announcement, F. Briton In 1960, Glen G. Fisher, newly released McConkie was in Manila by assignment president of the South African Mission, giving patriarchal blessings,” Edward stopped in Nigeria to visit groups that Kimball said. “To a woman of African dewere using the church’s name. He re- scent, he promised she would receive the ported to the First Presidency that their blessings of the temple. To Alonzo Harris, faith was genuine. He urged sending a black man, he promised that he would missionaries to baptize believers and to receive the priesthood and the blessings organize branches, according to Edward of the temple in his lifetime. Upon his Kimball. return to Utah, Briton told his brother “LaMar Williams, who as secretary Elder Bruce R. McConkie about the unto the Church Missionary Committee usual blessings, and Bruce responded answered letters that came from Africa, noncommittally, “I am glad to know you was sent to Nigeria in 1961. He was met have given those blessings.” at the airport by ten pastors he had been Kimball adds, in only a few days, these corresponding with and discovered that otherwise mystifying events would be they were unaware of one another. Wil- seen as part of a foreshadowing.

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FamilySearch involved in 50 projects researching Black genealogies and history

BY GENELLE PUGMIRE

Daily Herald

I

n a year where the history of Black lives have been at the forefront of protests and pleadings throughout the world, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and FamilySearch, the family history and genealogical arm of the church, are stepping up and bringing Black families together.

Brent Hansen, program manager and leader of the African Heritage Team at FamilySearch has been busting his buttons waiting to announce the 50 different collections he and his team have been working on to help Blacks find their ancestors.

Why it matters?

The LDS Church believes genealogy is important in connecting generations of family members together. Through vicarious work in the church’s temples, members can be united and sealed to family who are departed. In turn the spirits of those who have died can accept or reject the ordinances performed for them, including baptism, marriage and the sealing of children to parents, according to the church.

For Black families who have had ancestors that were enslaved or trafficked, documenting and finding family names and history is unique and not without some effort.

“It’s a myth there aren’t African records or they are hard to find,” said Thom Reed, deputy chief genealogical officer. “We’re publishing (names) all the time. We’re working feverishly.”

Hansen noted that last year they found 10 million records of Black family names.

The projects Hansen is currently working on are gathering records from African Americans, Brazil, the Caribbean and Africa. More are scheduled in the future.

They have added in just the past 18 months, five times as many names than are found in the Freedman Bureau data base, according to Hansen.

COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

(From left to right) Thom Reed, FamilySearch product manager; Lonnie G. Bunch III, Founding Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture; D. Todd Christofferson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; David Ferriero, United States Archivist; Rex M. Ellis, associate director for Curatorial Affairs of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Part of the Freedman Bureau project.

project done four years ago for the Freed -men's Bureau.

The Freedmen’s Bureau, organized under an 1865 congressional order at the end of the Civil War, provided assistance to freed slaves in many ways. Handwritten records of these transactions include records such as marriage registers, hospital or patient registers, educational efforts, census lists, labor contracts and indenture or apprenticeship papers and other documents. The records were compiled in 15 states and the District of Columbia.

In December 2016, FamilySearch, the world’s largest genealogy organization, presented the newly indexed database of the historic Freedmen’s Bureau Records to Freedman Bureau the Smithsonian National African AmerThe most well-known project on gath- ican Museum of History and Culture in ering former enslaved Black names was a Washington, D.C. The database contains A20 LDS GUIDE A20 LDS GUIDE

genealogical information of freed African Americans after the Civil War, according to a church press release.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles presented the database on a flash drive to museum founding director Lonnie Bunch in front of an audience of congressional leaders, genealogical experts and volunteers who were key to the project’s success.

“For the first time in history, African Americans can now bridge the gap between freedom and slavery and reunite their families — on paper — that were once torn apart by slavery,” Christofferson said.

For over a year, more than 25,000 volunteers participated in the project in the United States and Canada. Volunteers uncovered the names of nearly 1.8 million of the 4 million people who were enslaved,

according to FamilySearch.

Key to the project’s success were the nationwide chapters of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society who partnered with local Latter-day Saint congregations, Black churches and others in more than 100 indexing events.

According to Sydney Bjork, content strategist for record priorities at FamilySearch, they have found hidden gems during their research.

Bjork found the story of Robert Church out of Memphis in one of the heaviest Black populated counties in Tennessee.

“Robert Church was the ‘first Black capitalist’,” Bjork said. “He went from being a slave to being a millionaire. He died in 1920 at the age of 73.”

Please see GENEALOGIES, Page A20

GENEALOGIES From A21

Bjork said the records of slaves are unique. One Charles Carter, a slave owner, had his slaves’ births registered so you can see how families are grouped, babies that died and how many grew to adulthood. Those are significant records in genealogical research.

“It’s impossible to have a full picture of what their life looked like,” Bjork said. “They have amazing resilience.

They survived passage across the ocean, survived working in the fields and in the homes, but they pushed forward.”

The Virginia birth records are unique. They made lists of women’s names that had been given a blanket. “That signifies they just had a baby,” Bjork noted.

Reed said they also have had to look at property tax records because the slaves were considered property and owners had to pay taxes on them.

“If you can connect to a slave holder, that’s big,” Reed said. “It’s a different type of research and harder to find.”

According to Hansen, there is a core team of nine people on the Black Heritage projects.

“In Africa there is a significant amount of oral records being gathered,” Hansen said. “Exciting things are happening in Africa.”

Brazil’s records are currently being digitized. The Caribbean focus is on capturing records.

“We’ve been digitizing records for a long time. There

are millions of records in the Caribbean,” Hansen said.

Hansen noted there are many missionaries supporting the projects and researching.

“Our strategy is to get the biggest bang for the buck.

Smaller places get moved to the back burner. We have records that are searchable sitting in our back pockets,” Bjork said.

Reed said the team has been working with Michigan State University and its centralized database at http:// enslaved.org. At Vanderbilt University, the church is working with the Slave Society.

“We can’t do this alone,” Reed said. He said they are working with a woman in Jamaica using Facebook who is helping with research.

“There is a woman running Barbados records now and we have another group interested,” Reed said.

Reed said they have all felt the influence and gentle direction from those who are on the other side.

“This is all part of Heavenly Father’s plan to redeem his children,” Reed said.

Hansen added, “This hastening of the work is more than us. We are motivated and strengthened.”

While the African Heritage projects continue, COVID-19 has affected the research worldwide. They have had to shut down 40 cameras recording information. Oral genealogies have to be face to face in countries that have closed borders.

“I get out of bed every morning anxious to do what

COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

Thom Reed, deputy chief genealogical officer of African Heritage for FamilySearch International, attends an interfaith worship service held at Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church Thursday, October 24, 2019, in Charleston, South Carolina. we’re doing,” Hansen said.

While many march for Black lives here, Hansen believes there are many more of their ancestors excited and waiting to be connected to their family on the other side.

Daily Herald reporter Genelle Pugmire can be contacted at gpugmire@heraldextra.com, (801) 344-2910, Twitter @gpugmire

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Sister Sharon Eubank, director of LDS Charities, mobilizes during global pandemic

BY GENELLE PUGMIRE

Daily Herald

If you want to know what it’s like to bring a global pandemic into your living room, ask Sister Sharon Eubank, director of Latter-day Saint Charities.

For her health and those she lives with, Eubank must be extremely careful of getting or spreading COVID-19.

That means she has worked with her teams nearly nonstop from her home computer.

LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of the church, was created in 1985 in response to the Ethiopian famine.

The church called for a special fast and monetary donation among its membership. Since then, the church has responded to many other needs around the world, according to church information.

To say Latter-day Saint Charities is a global force for good is understating its ability to mobilize and their humanitarian power.

That power has been propelled into high gear with COVID-19, according to Eubank.

Eubank also serves as first counselor in the general COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES presidency of the Relief Society, the church’s organization for its 6 million female members ages 18 and over. Her Latter-day Saint Charities worked with international medical nonprofit MedGlobal to provide medical supplies to prevent day job is directing volunteers and working with hundreds the spread of COVID-19 in Majdal Anjar, Lebanon, where there is a large refugee population of partners in helping with crises throughout the world, according to her church biography. ways.”

Throughout the world, the church is divided into areas Working from home with General Authority Seventies over each area. They In January, with a global pandemic at her doorstep, Eu- also have teams representing Latter-day Saint Charities bank and her team started planning on how they could that work with those leaders in each area of the world and respond to basically everyone’s needs. report to Eubank.

“We’re giving 147% or more,” Eubank said. “There is “This is the first time responding to a global event,” Eubank said. “Everybody in the whole world is being af- nothing more pressing.” fected.”

Typically, Latter-day Saint Charities responds to in- Project Protect dividual disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tyOne of the biggest needs through the pandemic has phoons and volcanoes. been face masks. In late spring, Latter-day Saint ChariNever have those charities had to respond to the entire ties along with other partners sponsored Project Protect. world at once, and Eubank said they had to look at the The goal was to make 5 million face masks in five weeks, issue with a whole new set of eyes. according to Eubank. With instructions and cloth cut, “We don’t have to motivate LDS volunteers during CO- more than 10,000 volunteers reached their goal. Some VID-19,” Eubank said. “It is the biggest response and the volunteers have continued to make masks as service projlargest (we’ve had) in 162 countries.” ects and have made nearly 1 million more.

At the same time, volunteers were sewing face masks Perhaps the biggest question for Eubank is: How do you respond to, organize and assign and direct a global in Utah, the church’s Beehive Clothing facilities in Brazil, event from your living room? Eubank said there are 20 Mexico, Paraguay, the Philippines and Utah shifted their members of her team at church headquarters in Salt Lake operations from the manufacture of religious clothing to COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES City and they meet daily. the sewing of masks (all locations) and gowns (Utah only) Sister Sharon Eubank, director of Latter-day Saint Charities “We are looking at technology to see what we can do,” and First Counselor in the general presidency of the Relief Eubank said. “It’s forcing us to do things in different Please see CHARITIES, Page AA23 Society.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

Jean B. Bingham, Relief Society General President (left); Sharon Eubank, Latter-day Saint Charities president (center) and Reyna I. Aburto, second counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, wave to Project Protect volunteers as they deliver completed masks to a Deseret Industries location in Murray, Utah, on Saturday, May 16, 2020

CHARITIES From A22

needed by those in the medical field.

Well over 100,000 face shields for caregivers and 100,000 reusable gowns were made, according to a church press release.

“We’re trying to work with governments [and] community leaders and find out what they need and then respond,” Eubank said at the press conference for Project Protect.

“We have mobilized the Relief Society and their families to help with some of these projects.”

Purchased crops

Eubank said she has taken some time to read stories from the 1930s Great Depression. That is when the LDS Church began its Welfare Service programs.

“There was food, but it was unable to be harvested,” Eubank said. “It rotted in the fields.”

When stores started emptying at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she vowed that would not happen in 2020.

When media outlets started showing dairy farmers dumping milk, and potato farmers lamenting not being able to save their crop, the Latter-day Saint Charities and the church welfare system took action.

“To the church’s credit, they worked with the potato farmers and bought potatoes to dry for instant potatoes,” Eubank said. “They bought milk and turned it into cheese for the welfare shelves. All over the world the way has been made, it’s inspiring.”

Eubank said the perspective on the pandemic has shifted over the months.

“In the beginning, COVID-19 was about health,” Eubank said. “The longer it goes on it’s about a food crisis and employment.”

Eubank is sure the LDS Church and its charities will continue to step up with help from membership donations and service time.

“Sixteen million people (members) are under covenant to help people,” Eubank said.

Ongoing projects

In 2019, Latter-day Saint Charities helped in 142 countries with over 3,221 projects working with 2,000 different partners, with financial donations in the millions.

Humanitarian efforts are supported through nine signature programs of Latter-day Saint Charities that include: Please see CHARITIES, Page A24

Fall 2020

COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

Latter-day Saint Charities partnered with MedGlobal in providing medical-grade face masks and personal protective equipment to medical personnel in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

CHARITIES From A23

• Benson Food project • Clean Water and Sanitation • Community Projects • Emergency Response • Immunization • Maternal and Newborn Care • Refugee Response • Vision Care • Wheelchairs One hundred percent of donations are used for humanitarian efforts. The church absorbs its own overhead costs and utilizes a global network of volunteers, who generously contribute their time and expertise.

Volunteers often live in the communities in which they serve, according to the church.

Latter-day Saint Charities also sponsors many other welfare and self-reliance programs, including vocational, rehabilitative, counseling and other services.

A24 LDS GUIDE

This includes millions of hours donated by Latter-day Saint doctors, nurses and other church members each year, according to church information.

By April 17, Latter-day Saint Charities had approved over 110 COVID-19 relief projects in 57 countries. More were added throughout the summer. That is not all, the charities still responded with food and medical supplies to explosion victims in Lebanon, to Hurricane Laura devastation as well as the wildfires in California.

“Latter-day Saint Charities is very lucky because we have partnerships, whether it’s a pandemic or not,” Eubank added. “We’ve had trusted relationships over time. So when there is a pandemic, we don’t have to start from scratch. We know exactly how to help each other.”

beginning of the year, when masks and other protective equipment were shipped to China.

The church’s humanitarian arm also has provided medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) throughout Europe. In addition, masks have been donated in Vietnam, in partnership with Fatherland Front in Hanoi City. Work is also underway in underdeveloped countries where there’s currently no available testing for COVID-19.

Latter-day Saint Charities is also responding to the pandemic by providing food and other supplies around the globe.

In partnership with Save the Children, relief is being sent to Rwanda, Sudan and Tanzania. Another project to provide personal protective equipment is underway in Ukraine, in partnership with the COVID-19 projects Adventist Development and Relief Agency The church has partnered with Project (ADRA).

In addition, the church is participating HOPE in Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America. The first donation came at the in another project with ADRA to provide

urgent food in Serbia.

“We invite our members to participate in these and other relief projects in their areas and communities as opportunities arise and as local government directives and personal circumstances allow,” said a First Presidency letter.

The First Presidency consists of President Russell M. Nelson and his counselors, President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring.

From Asia to Zimbabwe, Latter-day Saint Charities is assisting in ongoing COVID-19 relief efforts throughout the world.

With continued donation from members, careful planning with partners on best distribution, Latter-day Saint Charities will continue to provide humanitarian relief through the COVID-19 crisis and for years to come.

Daily Herald reporter Genelle Pugmire can be contacted at gpugmire@heraldextra.com, (801) 344-2910, Twitter @gpugmire

COURTESY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTIES

Masks being delivered to the Ministry of Health in Mongolia by LDS volunteers on April 15, 2020, to be distributed to doctors and other medical workers.

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