By Jerald and Sandra Tanner

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Because of the anti-Negro doctrine there are not many blacks in the Mormon Church, and there is reason to believe that some of the blacks within the Church are almost at the point of rebellion. Recently a group was organized within the Church which is known as the “Genesis Group.” H. Michael Marquardt has interviewed a member of this group and has obtained some important information. In his notes of an interview held November 7, 1971, we find the following concerning the Genesis Group:

Set up for Black missionary work . . . The Group hopes to reinactivate Black members in the Salt Lake Area. Main objective is to get the Priesthood and then do missionary work among the Black both in America and throughout the world . . . June 24, 1971 was the first time that the First Presidency and Twelve have prayed in the Temple about whether Black members of the Church should hold the Priesthood. The First Presidency and Twelve were not in agreement on the question. But they did agree that the Genesis Group should be formed.

An article concerning the Genesis Group which appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune caused some confusion among members of the Church. In this article we find these statements:

A stake for black members of the Church . . . has been formed in Salt Lake City. The organization, called Genesis Group, is part of the auxiliary program of the Liberty Stake.

Ruffin Bridgeforth Jr., president of the group, said the stake was in total concordance with the Mormon Church. Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson and Boyd K. Packer, members of the Council of Twelve Apostles, set the stake apart Oct. 19. (Salt Lake Tribune, October 24, 1971)

[Bold in quotations is added for emphasis and does not appear in originals.]

This article caused confusion because it referred to the group as a “stake.” Now, if the group were actually a “stake” this would mean that the blacks had received the Priesthood, and that Ruffin Bridgeforth is a stake president—a stake president, of course, has to hold the Priesthood.

That the Church did not give the Priesthood to the blacks is very plain from an article which appeared in the Church Section of the Deseret News—the Mormon newspaper. This article does not use the word “stake” or even the word “branch” when referring to the Genesis Group:

An organization for black members of the Church, called the Genesis Group, was formed as part of the auxiliary program of Liberty Stake in Salt Lake City. Designed to serve all black members in the Salt Lake Valley, the group will meet and conduct Relief Society, Primary and MIA for the benefit and enjoyment of their members, but will attend their respective Sunday School and sacrament meetings in their home wards, where they will retain their membership.

The group will meet in the Third Ward facility at 119 E. 7th South.

A group presidency was called, sustained and set apart as follows: President Ruffin Bridgeforth, Darius Gray, first counselor, and Eugene Orr, second counselor . . .

The group will work with the auxiliaries of Liberty Stake. Liberty Stake also has the Danish, Norwegian, Chinese and Japanese branches as part of the stake. (Deseret News, October 23, 1971)

The reader will notice that the Genesis Group is never referred to in this article as a “stake.” It is referred to only as a “part of the auxiliary program of Liberty Stake.” While the article speaks of the “Danish, Norwegian, Chinese and Japanese branches,” the word “branch” is not used with regard to the Genesis Group. It is only a “group.” It has a “group presidency,” not a Stake Presidency nor even a Branch Presidency. This “group presidency” has no Priesthood authority and can only preside over meetings for the women and young people. They must return to their home wards for “their respective Sunday School and sacrament meetings.” The reason that the black people have to return to their own wards for the meetings on Sunday is very clear: these meetings require someone who has the Priesthood. The sacrament is passed twice on Sunday, and black people can neither bless nor pass it. Therefore, they have to return to their “home wards” on Sunday so that the white boys can serve them the sacrament!

At first glance, it would appear that the Genesis Group is moving in the wrong direction—i.e., they seem to be moving toward segregation. As we examine the matter more closely, however, we see that segregation could actually be a victory for the black people. The Mormon Church cannot allow blacks to become completely segregated because this would mean they would have to give them the Priesthood. Other churches which discriminate against blacks at least allow them to have their own congregations and perform their own ordinances. The Mormon leaders, however, say that the ordinances of the Mormon Church cannot be performed without their Priesthood, and since blacks cannot have the Priesthood they cannot even achieve segregation! If they could perform ordinances for their own people, it would actually be a step toward equality. It is reported that the Genesis Group is friendly toward white people and that they are welcomed into the services. From all this we conclude that the Genesis Group really wants Priesthood, and that they are only using segregation as a means of obtaining it.

On July 2, 1972, Joseph Fielding Smith, the tenth President of the Mormon Church, had a heart attack and died. Although President Smith was responsible for much of the anti-Negro feelings in the Mormon Church, there is no evidence that there will be a change in policy. On July 8, 1972, the Salt Lake Tribune, carried an article which contained this information:

Harold B. Lee was chosen Friday as president of the Church . . .

President Lee was asked if any change is contemplated in spiritual interpretations of the church which bars blacks from holding the priesthood.

“To one who doesn’t believe in revelation, as we do, there can be no adequate explanation,” he responded. “We stand by and wait until the Lord speaks.” (Salt Lake Tribune, July 8, 1972)

For more information concerning the origin and development of the anti-Negro doctrine in the Mormon Church, see Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? pages 262-293.

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