Beginning in
1989, there was a “freeze” on the Church by the government in Ghana where even
donating tithing to the Church was a potential criminal offense. During this
time, there was a lot of anti-Mormon activity in Ghana by the likes of Ed
Decker’s Saints Alive in Christ organisation
and other like-groups. Such a “freeze” lasted 18 months.
Dr. Emmanuel
Abu Kissi was trained as a medical doctor and is a convert to the Church. In
2002, was called as an Area Authority Seventy. During the “freeze” in Ghana, he
wrote various responses to articles attacking the Church, with a strong focus
on the Church’s attitude towards blacks. I am reproducing two articles he wrote
(note: I do not agree with everything he wrote—such are presented more out of
an example of a black member defending the Church on the charge of racism):
Are Mormons
Antagonistic to Black People of the Negroid Race?
Enclosure with Letter of Appeal through Cpt.
(Rtd.) Koko Tsikata
After the “Saints Alive in Christ” and other
anti-Mormon organizations have gone through their archives to convince the
Government and people of Ghana, with wicked lies, that the Latter-day Saint (Mormon)
hates the black person of negro race, we the members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) in Ghana want you to examine historical
evidence pertaining to the subject of racism in relation to the Church.
The Church history is in seven volumes with
an eight book of index to all seven books They span a period of time from 1820
to 1848.
Page 374 of volume one documents “The
manifestation of the Mob” otherwise known as “the secret constitution” of July
1833. Parts of the document reads: “But their conduct here stamps their
character in their true colors. More than a year since it was ascertained that
they had been tampering with our slaves, and endeavoring to sow dissensions and
raise seditions among them. Of this their “Mormon” Leaders were informed and
they said they should deal with any of their members who should again in like
case offend. But how spacious are appearances. In a late number of the Star,
published in Independence by the leaders of the sect, there is an article
inviting free negroes and mulattoes from other states to become “Mormons” and
remove and settle among us. This exhibits them in still more odious colors. It
manifests a desire on the part of their society, to inflict on our society and
injury that they know would be to us entirely insupportable, and one of the
surest means of driving us from the country . . . and, in fine, they have
conducted themselves on many other occasions, in such a manner, that we believe
it a duty we owe to ourselves, our wives, and children to the cause of public
morals, to remove them from among us, as we are not prepared to give up our
pleasant places and goodly possessions to them or to receive into the bosom of
our families as fit companions for our wives and daughter, the degraded and
corrupted free negroes and mulattoes that are now invited to settle among us.
This is the accusation with which the people
of Missouri wanted their Government to disband the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints from the white man’s country. And of course in Ghana, in Black
man’s country, they have had to reverse the picture to annoy the Government and
people of Ghana to achieve their aim.
Following this manifesto there was a law
enacted by the Government of Missouri in the U.SA. 1833.
Page 377 of volume one of the Church history quotes
that law in part as follows: “Section 4—Be it further enacted, that hereafter,
no free negro or mulatto, other than citizen of someone of the United States,
shall come into or settle in this state under any pretext whatsoever;”
In April 1836, as recorded in page 436-40 of
volume 2, the Prophet Joseph Smith wrote to Oliver Cowdery that a gentleman
that had come to Kirtland who advocated the principles or doctrines of those
who are called Abolitionists. In a lengthy letter the prophet asks on page 437,
“And besides, are not those who hold slaves, persons of ability, discernment and
candor? Do they not expect to give an account at the bar of God for their
conduct in this life? It may no doubt with propriety be said that many who hold
slaves live without the fear of God before their eyes.”
In 1843, the Prophet Joseph Smith had a brief
discussion on negroes as document in vol. 5 pages 217-218.
“5 pm on Monday 2nd January 1843, Elder Hyde
inquired the situation of the negro. I replied, change their situation with the
whites, and they would be like them. They have souls and are subjects of
salvation. Go to Cincinnati or any city, and find an educated negro, who rides
in his carriage, and you will see a man who has risen by the powers of his own
mind to his exalted state of respectability. The slaves in Washington are more
refined than any in high place, and the black boys will take the shine off many
of those they brush and wait on.
Elder Hyde remarked. “Put them on the level
and they will rise above me.” The Prophet concluded that he would put the
negroes on a national equalisation if he had anything to do with them.
In 1844 the Prophet Joseph Smith made the
following inspired statement which was published throughout the United States.
This is recorded in the introduction to volume three, page XXVI.
“Petition, also, ye godly inhabitants of the
slave sates, your legislators to abolish slavery by the year 1850, or now and
save the abolitionists from reproach and ruin, and infamy and shame. Pray
congress to pay every man a reasonable price for his slaves out of the surplus
revenue arising from the sale of public lands, and from the deduction of pay
from members of Congress. Break off the shackles from the poor black man, and
hire him to labour like other human beings; for an hour of virtuous liberty is
worth a whole eternity of bondage.”
So it is clearly evident from the foundation of
the church that the Mormons are not antagonistic to black people. The Statement
that no black man will go to heaven must have originated from the Elimina
Castle in Ghana. It is known that the white missionaries who lived there did
write on the wall in that castle that no black man will go to heaven. They were
not Mormons.
According to Church History, true followers
of Jesus Christ have suffered severe persecutions with disbandment and killings.
When the Roman Emperor [Nero] burnt Rome, [A.D. 62], so that a new capital city
he was going to build in his name would have no competitors, and when he
realised that the truth was coming to light so that he would be unpopular; he
accused the Christians in Rome of arson and killed as many of them as he could
lay hands on.
Great leaders like Peter and Paul are [believed]
to have been killed [in A.D. 65] upon this charge [of arson] leveled against
the Christians. This is history that many people know. This time our Government
has not done anything wrong for which they need a cover up and for which another
sacrificial lamb in the form of our church must be the sinless victim.
We are therefore, humbly appealing to the Government
of the Republic of Ghana, in the name of “June 4 and 31st December” and also “Freedom,
Justice and accountability”; we also appeal to the Government of Ghana in the
name of the Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ, that we, the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) must be given justice through trial
as is inherent in the laws of the land and aspirations of our Revolution.
May God bless our country Ghana.
May God bless the leaders of Ghana with
wisdom and desires of righteousness and justice.
Is the Black
Man Cursed by the Book of Mormon?
The Book of Mormon is an inspired historical
account spanning a period from B.C. 600 to 421 A.D.
It is another testament of Jesus Christ. The
Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the Pearl of Great Price are the four
books which constitute the Standard Works of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints.
1 Ne[phi] 1:4 and 1 Ne[phi] 10:4 indicate
that in the year BC 600, in the first year of the reign of Zedekiah, King of
Judah, there was a man called Lehi who prophesied that the people of Jerusalem
must repent or the great city would be destroyed. They sought to kill Lehi for
making such pronouncements. Go asked Lehi and his wife Sariah, with their sour
sons, Laman, Lemuel, Sam and Nephi to depart out of Jerusalem. They were
accompanied by his friend Ishmael with his wife, five daughters and two sons
and also Zoram whom they influenced to travel with them.
They travelled for eight years in the
wilderness. 1 Ne[phi] 17:4, and during this time Jacob and Joseph were born to
Lehi, 1 Ne[phi] 18:7. The group settled at a place they called Bountiful where
Nephi was instructed by God to build a ship with which they travelled by sea to
a promised land which happens to be present day America.
During the journeying the eldest son Laman
was very rebellious and incurred the displeasure of his father and of God. Nephi
was righteous, very obedient and Godly and later became the prophet in the
group. Several moments of contentions arose between Laman and Nephi. Lemuel,
and two daughters of Ishmael, and the two sons of Ishmael and their families
followed Lama and were called Lamanites. Sam, and Ishmael and his wife plus his
three other daughters followed Nephi and were called Nephites. Nephi used to
teach his people righteousness as exemplified in 1 Ne[phi] 10:20, 21, “Therefore
remember, O man, for all thy doings thou shalt be brought into judgment.
Wherefore, I ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then
ye are found unclean before the judgment seat of God; therefore, ye must be
cast off forever.”
According to his genealogy, Lehi was a
descendant of Joseph, the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt 1 Ne[phi] 5:14.
Nephi referred to the descendants of the Nephites as his seed, and he referred
to the Lamanites and their descendants as his brethren. These two groups became
like enemies and separated into two nations soon after they had landed on the
promised land, 2 Ne[phi] 5:5. Both groups were therefore Israelites and none
was black.
Here now begins the information in the Book
of Mormon which the evil one has [twisted and perverted into a tool used] to
persecute the church in the countries of the black man . . .
2 Ne[phi] 5:20-24, “Wherefore, the word of
the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that; Inasmuch as they
will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the
Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence. And he had caused the
cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity.
For behold, they had hardened their hearts against them, that they had become
like a flint; Wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome,
that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of
blackness to come upon them. And thus saith the Lord God; I shall cause that
they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.
[And cursed shall be the seed of him that mixeth with their seed; for they
shall cursed even with the same cursing. And the Lord spake it, and it was
done.] And because of their cursing which was upon them they did become an idle
people, full of mischief and subtlety, and did seek in the wilderness for
beasts of prey.”
Note that this curse was to be in force for
as long as the Lamanites remained in their iniquities. Naturally, however, they
did not remain in their iniquities all the time. In fact the Lamanites became
more and more righteous while the Nephites later became so degenerate that the
Lord caused their extinction as was prophesied by Alma in Alma 45:10, 11 and
14.
Jacob 2:35, says of the Nephites, “Behold, ye
have done greater iniquities than the Lamanites, our brethren. Ye have broken
the hearts of your tender wives, and lost the confidence of your children,
because of your bad examples before them; and the sobbings of their hearts
ascends up to God against you.” [Jacob 3:3-7 warns the Nephites,] But, wo, wo
unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day before God; for
except ye repent the land is cursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which
are not filthy like unto you, nevertheless they are cursed with a sore cursing,
shall scourge you even unto destruction.
And the time speedily cometh, that except ye
repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will
lead the righteous our from among you.
Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye
hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their
skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not forgotten the commandment
of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were
one wife, and concubines they should have none, and there should not be whoredoms
committed among them.
And now, this commandment they observe to
keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the
Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day
they shall become a blessed people.
Behold their husbands love their wives, their
wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children;
and their unbelief and hatred towards you is because of the iniquities of their
fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great
Creator? . . .
[The Book of Mormon pronouncement that
concerns all races including the blacks is found in 2 Nephi 26:33 which] says
that God invites all the children of men to come unto him and partake of his
goodness; “And he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and
free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto
God, both Jew and Gentile.” . . .
The blackman of negroid Race was never
associated with the Lamanite and his curse. The Lamanite is Jew and the
Blackman is Gentile. (Emmanuel Abu Kissi, Walking
in the Sand: A History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in
Ghana [Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 2004], 220-27)