-- Mar 1, 1900; Thursday
Presidents [Lorenzo] Snow, [George Q.] Cannon and [Joseph F.] Smith were at the office. At 11 o'clock the Twelve Apostles met with the Presidency at the office. There were present: Presidents Snow, Cannon and Smith, Elders Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, John W. Taylor, Anthon H. Lund and Abraham O[wen]. Woodruff. ...
President Smith informed the Council that he had learned that one of the Bishop's counselors of the Fremont [Idaho] Stake had joined a secret society, and that some twenty-five other brethren had done likewise, and that this counselor claimed he had a right to do this, and held that it was no one's business to question that right. Whoever of the Apostles shall attend the next conference of Fremont Stake is to confer with the Stake presidency in regard to this matter, and advise accordingly. In the meantime a letter is to be written to them. ...
A communication from President Ira Hinckley setting forth that a man in Oasis named Church, had received his patriarchal blessing in which he was told that he was of the lineage of Ephraim and that he should have the priesthood and go on a mission. But it is believed and so understood that he inherits some negro blood in him through his mother, and many questions were being asked about the right of this party to hold the Priesthood, some holding that he might do so provided the white blood predominates.
President Snow, commenting on this subject, said that he asked President Brigham Young on one occasion, why it was that millions and millions of people were cursed with a black skin, and when, if ever, this curse would be removed? President Young explained it in this way--but whether he had it revealed to him or not, President Snow did not know. -- When Cain slew Abel he fully understood the effects of the killing of his brother, but that it extended to the spirits in eternity. He said that in the spirit world people were organized as they were here. There were
Patriarchs standing at the head of certain classes of spirits, and there were certain relationships existing which affected their coming into the world to take tabernacles. For instance, when Abel came into the world it was understood by Cain that the class of people which he presided over as a prince, if they ever came into the world in the regular way, they would have to come through him. So with Cain, he was a prince presiding over a vast number of a certain class of spirits, and it was natural that they should come through him, if at all, and therefore when Cain slew Abel he understood that the taking of his brother's life was going to deprive the spirits over whom he (Abel) presided from coming into the world, perhaps for thousands and thousands of years; hence the sin was immense because the effects were immense. Then there was this understanding when the Lord executed judgment upon Cain: The spirits under his leadership still looked up to him, and rather than forsake him they were willing to bear his burdens and share the penalty imposed upon him. This was understood when the curse was pronounced upon him, and it was understood that this curse would remain upon his posterity until the class of spirits presided over by Abel should have the privilege of coming into the world and taking tabernacles, and then the curse would be removed.
President Cannon remarked that he had understood that the Prophet Joseph [Smith] had said during his lifetime that there would be a great wrong perpetrated if the seed of Cain were allowed to have the Priesthood before Abel should have posterity to receive it and this curse was therefore to remain upon the seed of Cain until the time should come that Abel should have posterity. He understood that that time could not come until Abel should beget spirits in the eternal worlds and those spirits obtain tabernacles; if it were otherwise the slayer would have advantages over the slain. President Cannon further remarked that it would seem that there was a class of spirits who had to take such bodies for the reason that Ham introduced this blood through the ark by marrying a woman of the cursed seed named Egyptus.
The sum of $300 was appropriated in favor of C. L. Christensen to enable him to buy a home at Monticello [Utah], he having been offered a home there for this amount. This appropriation was made as an acknowledgment of his long and faithful services as an Indian interpreter and his present impoverished circumstances. ... FirstPresidencyandQuorumoftheTwelveminutes
-- Mar 1, 1999
Presidents [Lorenzo] Snow, [George Q.] Cannon and [Joseph F.] Smith were at the office. At 11 o'clock the Twelve Apostles met with the Presidency at the office. There were present: Presidents Snow, Cannon and Smith, Elders Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, John W. Taylor, Anthon H. Lund and Abraham O[wen]. Woodruff. ... President Smith informed the Council that he had learned that one of the Bishop's counselors of the Fremont [Idaho] Stake had joined a secret society, and that some twenty-five other brethren had done likewise, and that this counselor claimed he had a right to do this, and held that it was no one's business to question that right. Whoever of the Apostles shall attend the next conference of Fremont Stake is to confer with the Stake presidency in regard to this matter, and advise accordingly. In the meantime a letter is to be written to them. ... A communication from President Ira Hinckley setting forth that a man in Oasis named Church, had received his patriarchal blessing in which he was told that he was of the lineage of Ephraim and that he should have the priesthood and go on a mission. But it is believed and so understood that he inherits some negro blood in him through his mother, and many questions were being asked about the right of this party to hold the Priesthood, some holding that he might do so provided the white blood predominates. President Snow, commenting on this subject, said that he asked President Brigham Young on one occasion, why it was that millions and millions of people were cursed with a black skin, and when, if ever, this curse would be removed? President Young explained it in this way--but whether he had it revealed to him or not, President Snow did not know.--When Cain slew Abel he fully understood the effects of the killing of his brother, but that it extended to the spirits in eternity. He said that in the spirit world people were organized as they were here. There were Patriarchs standing at the head of certain classes of spirits, and there were certain relationships existing which affected their coming into the world to take tabernacles. For instance, when Abel came into the world it was understood by Cain that the class of people which he presided over as a prince, if they ever came into the world in the regular way, they would have to come through him. So with Cain, he was a prince presiding over a vast number of a certain class of spirits, and it was natural that they should come through him, if at all, and therefore when Cain slew Abel he understood that the taking of his brother's life was going to deprive the spirits over whom he (Abel) presided from coming into the world, perhaps for thousands and thousands of years; hence the sin was immense because the effects were immense. Then there was this understanding when the Lord executed judgment upon Cain: The spirits under his leadership still looked up to him, and rather than forsake him they were willing to bear his burdens and share the penalty imposed upon him. This was understood when the curse was pronounced upon him, and it was understood that this curse would remain upon his posterity until the class of spirits presided over by Abel should have the privilege of coming into the world and taking tabernacles, and then the curse would be removed. President Cannon remarked that he had understood that the Prophet Joseph [Smith] had said during his lifetime that there would be a great wrong perpetrated if the seed of Cain were allowed to have the Priesthood before Abel should have posterity to receive it and this curse was therefore to remain upon the seed of Cain until the time should come that Abel should have posterity. He understood that that time could not come until Abel should beget spirits in the eternal worlds and those spirits obtain tabernacles; if it were otherwise the slayer would have advantages over the slain. President Cannon further remarked that it would seem that there was a class of spirits who had to take such bodies for the reason that Ham introduced this blood through the ark by marrying a woman of the cursed seed named Egyptus. The sum of $300 was appropriated in favor of C. L. Christensen to enable him to buy a home at Monticello [Utah], he having been offered a home there for this amount. This appropriation was made as an acknowledgment of his long and faithful services as an Indian interpreter and his present impoverished circumstances. ... Letter from Ira N. Hinckley read, stating that a man in Oasis named Church had received his patriarchal blessing in which he was told that he was of the lineage of Ephraim and that he should receive the priesthood and go on a mission But it is understood that he inherits some negro blood in him through his mother, and questions were being asked about the right of this party to hold the priesthood, some holding that he might do so provided the white blood predominates. President [Lorenzo] Snow, commenting on this subject, said that he asked President Brigham Young on one occasion why it was that millions and millions of people were cursed with a black skin, and when, if ever, this curse would be re-moved? President Young explained it to him in this way, but whether the President had had this revealed to him or not he did not know, or whether he was giving his own personal views of what had been told him by the Prophet Joseph [Smith]. He said that when Cain slew Abel he fully understood that the effects would not end with the killing of his brother, but that it extended to the spirits in eternity. He said that in the spirit world people were organized as they are here. There were patriarchs standing at the head of certain classes of spirits, and there were certain relationships existing which affected their coming into the world to take tabernacles; as, for instance, when Abel came into the world it was understood by Cain that the class of people he presided over as a prince, if they ever came into the world in the regular way, they would have come thru him. So with Cain, he was a prince presiding over a vast number of a certain class of spirits, and it was natural that they should come through him, if at all, and therefore when Cain slew Abel he understood that the taking of his brother's life was going to deprive the spirits over whom he presided from coming into the world, perhaps for thousands and thousands of years; hence the sin was immense because the effects were immense. Then there was this understanding when the Lord executed judgement upon Cain; the spirits under his leadership still looked up to him, and rather than forsake him they were willing to bear his burdens and share the penalty imposed upon him. This was understood when the curse was pronounced upon him, and it was understood that this curse would remain upon his posterity until the class of spirits presided over by Abel should have the privilege of coming into the world and taking tabernacles, and then the curse would be removed. President [George Q.] Cannon remarked upon this subject, as he said, he had on a prior occasion when this subject was under consideration, that he had understood that the Prophet Joseph [Smith] had said during this lifetime, that there would be a great wrong perpetrated if the seed of Cain were allowed to have the Priesthood before Abel should have posterity to receive it, and this curse therefore was to remain upon the seed of Cain until the time should come that Abel should have posterity. He understood that that time could not come until Abel should beget spirits in the eternal worlds and those spirits obtain tabernacles; if it were otherwise the slayer would have advantage over the slain. President Cannon further remarked that it would seem that there was a class of spirits who had to take such bodies for the reason that Ham introduced this blood through the ark by marrying a woman of the accused seed named Egyptus. A conversation which took place in the President's Office on March 11th [sic], 1900, in which President Lorenzo Snow and President George Q. Cannon expressed themselves well, in my opinion, serve to cover all of the points on this question I ha
ve heard discussed, and the following is the substance of their remarks on this subject: President Snow remarked that he asked President Brigham Young on one occasion why it was that millions and millions of people were cursed with a black skin, and when, if ever, this curse would be removed. In answer President Snow said that President Young explained it to him in this way, but whether the president had had this revealed to him or not President Snow did not know, or whether President Young was giving his own personal views, or whether he had been told this by the Prophet Joseph, he did not know. But President Young said that when Cain slew Abel he fully understood the scope and effects of that killing, that is, he understood that the effects would not end with the killing of his brother, but that it would extend to certain spirits unborn. He said that in the spirit world (our primeval state) people are organized as they are here. There are patriarchs standing at the head of certain classes of spirits, and there are certain relationships which affect their coming into the world to take tabernacles; as for instance, when Abel came into the world it was understood by Cain that the class of people that he (Abel) presided over, if they ever came into the world in the regular way, they would have to come through him. So with Cain, he presided over a vast number of a certain class of spirits, and it was natural that they should come though him, if at all, and therefore when Cain slew Abel he understood that the taking of his brothers life was going to deprive the spirits over whom he presided from coming into the world, perhaps for thousands and thousands of years; hence the sin was immense because the effects were immense. Then there was this understanding, when the Lord executed judgment upon Cain: The spirits under his leadership still looked up to him, and rather than forsake him they were willing to bear his burdens and share the penalty imposed upon him. This was understood when the curse was pronounced upon him, and it was understood also that this curse would remain upon his posterity until the class of spirits presided over by Abel should have the privilege of coming into the world and taking tabernacles, and then the curse would be removed. President Cannon remarked on this subject on this particular occasion that he had understood that the Prophet Joseph Smith had said, in substance, that there would be a great wrong perpetrated if the seed of Cain were allowed to have the priesthood before Abel should have posterity to receive it; and for this reason the curse was to remain upon the seed of Cain until the time should come that Abel should have posterity. He understood that the time could not come until Abel should beget spirits in the eternal world, and these spirits obtain tabernacles; that if it were otherwise the slayer would have advantage over the slain. Pres[iden]t. Cannon further remarked that it would seem there was a class of spirits who had to take such bodies for the reason that Ham introduced this blood through the ark by marrying a woman of the accursed seed named Egyptus. The following is the reported utterance of President Brigham Young on the same subject, being part of a discourse delivered by him October 9th, 1859: "You see some classes of the human family that are black, uncouth, uncomely, disagreeable and low in their habits, and seemingly deprived to a great extent of blessings of intelligence bestowed upon mankind generally. The first man that committed the odious crime of killing one of his brothers will be cursed the longest of any one of the children of Adam. Cain slew his brother. Cain might have been killed, and that would have terminated that line of human beings. This was not to be, and instead the Lord put a mark upon him, which is the flat nose and black skin. Trace mankind down to after the flood, and then another curse is pronounced upon the same race, namely, that they should be servants of servants, and they will be until that curse is removed; and the abolitionists cannot in the least alter that decree. How long is that race to endure the dreadful curse that is upon them? That curse will remain upon them, and they never can hold the priesthood or share in it until all the other descendants of Adam have received the promises and enjoyed the blessings of the Priesthood and the keys thereof. Until the last ones of the residue of Adam's children are brought up to that favorable position, the children of Cain cannot receive the first ordinances of the Priesthood. They were the first that were cursed and they will be the last from whom the curse will be removed. When the residue of the family of Adam come up and receive their blessings, then the curse will be removed from the seed of Cain, and they will receive blessings in like proportion." The following is taken from a discourse by President Young delivered March 8th, 1863: "Shall I tell you the law of God in regard to the African race? If the white man who belongs to the chosen seed mixes his blood with the seed of Cain, the penalty under the law of God is death on the spot, and this will always be so." We held our Thursday meeting at Pres[iden]t. [Lorenzo] Snow's Office. We had an interesting and pleasant meeting. Among other things the curse of Caine was discussed. JournalHistoryMinutesGeorgeFGibbsLettertoJohnMWhitakerJanuaryAbrahamOwenWoodruffDiary
Endnotes:
LDS History Chronology: Lorenzo Snow
Mormon History Timeline: the life of Lorenzo Snow
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
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