Joseph Freeman

__NOTOC__Joseph Freeman, Jr. (born 1952) was the first black member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) to receive the church's priesthood after the LDS Church lifted the ban on blacks holding the priesthood in 1978."Salt Lake Tribune", 1978-06-24.] Freeman was also the first black member to receive church temple ordinances. [http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,948228,00.html "Mormonism Enters a New Era"] , "Time", 1978-08-07.]

On 1978-06-08, the First Presidency of the LDS Church announced that church president Spencer W. Kimball had received a revelation instructing that "all worthy male members of the Church may be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color". [Doctrine and Covenants, [http://scriptures.lds.org/en/od/2 "Official Declaration—2"] .] Freeman — an American Latter-day Saint convert living in Utah — received the LDS Church priesthood on 1978-06-11 and was the first black man ordained to the Mormon priesthood since 1935. [Elijah Abel — grandson of early Latter Day Saint Elijah Abel — received the Melchizedek priesthood and was ordained to be an elder on September 29, 1935; see Newell G. Bringhurst, "The 'Missouri Thesis' Revisisted: Early Mormonism, Slavery, and the Status of Black People" in Newell G. Bringhurst and Darron T. Smith (eds.) (2006). "Black and Mormon" (Urbana: University of Illinois Press) pp. 13–33 at p. 30.]

On 1978-06-23, Freeman was sealed to his wife and five children in the Salt Lake Temple by apostle Thomas S. Monson, and thereby became the first black person to undergo this ordinance in the LDS Church.

Freeman later served as a bishop of the LDS Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Publications

*Joseph Freeman (1980). "In the Lord's Due Time" (Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft)

ee also

*Blacks and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
*Official Declaration—2

Notes

References

*Eric Gorski, "Mormons mark '78 end of ban on black priests: Halt of inexplicable policy hasn't boosted membership", "Denver Post", 2003-12-21.
*Jean Torkelson, "Black man a pioneer in Mormon priesthood: Joseph Freeman has served LDS Church for 20 years", "Rocky Mountain News" (Denver), 1998-05-29.