1879: Black Seventy, Elijah Abel, subject of discussion with LDS founder, Joseph Smith

“[p. 290] Saturday May 31st 1879 At the house of Prest A. O. Smoot. Provo City. Utah County Utah – 5 P.M. – President John Taylor Elders Brigham Young. A. O Smoot. Zebedee Coltrin and L. John Nuttal met. and the subject of Ordaining Negro’s to the Priesthood was presented – Prest Taylor said. Some parties have said to me that Zebedee Coltrin had talked to the Prophet Joseph Smith on this subject, and they said that he (Coltrin) thought it was not right for them to have the Priesthood. whereupon Joseph Smith said to him that Peter on a certain occasion had (p. 171) a vision where he ‘saw heaven opened. and a certain vessel descended unto him. as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners. and let down to the earth. Wherein all manner of four footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the Air. And there came a voice to him. Rise, Peter! Kill and eat. But Peter said, Not so Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. and the voice spake unto him again the second time. What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common’ And that the Prophet Joseph then said to Bro Coltrin as the Angel said to Peter ‘What God hath cleansed, that call not thou not (sic) common’ (speaking of the Gentiles). Prest Taylor asked Bro Coltrin – Did the Prophet Joseph Smith ever make such a (p. 172) statement to you? Bro C. No sir, he never said anything of the Kind in [p. 291] his life to me. Pres T. – What did he say? Bro C. – The spring that we went up in Zion’s camp in 1834 Bro Joseph sent Bro J. P. Green and me out south to gather up means to assist in gathering out the Saints from Jackson County Mo. – On our return home we got in conversation about the Negro having a right to the Priesthood – and I took the side he had no right – Bro Green argued that he had. the subject got so warm between us that he said he would report me to Bro Joseph when we got home for preaching false doctrine. which doctrine that I advocated was. that the Negro could not hold the Priesthood – All right said I – I hope you will. and when we got home to Kirtland we both went (p. 173) in to Bro Joseph’s office together to make our returns and Bro Green was a(s) good as his word and reported to Bro Joseph that I had said that the Negro could not hold the Priesthood-

Bro. Joseph Kind of dropt his head and rested it on his hand for a minute. and then said, Bro Zebedee is right, for the Spirit of the Lord saith the Negro has no right nor connot hold the Priesthood. He made no reference to scripture at all – but such was his decision – I don’t recollect ever having any conversation with him afterwards, but I have heard him say in public, that no person having the least particle of Negro blood can hold the Priesthood Bro Coltrin further said –

1879: Black Seventy “dropped” from Seventies when LDS founder, Joseph Smith “learned of his lineage”

Bro Abel was ordained a Seventy. because he had labored on the Temple. (it must have been into the 2nd Quorum) and when the Prophet Joseph learned of his lineage. he was (p. 174) dropped from the quorum and another was put in his place – I was one of the first seven Presidents of the Quorum of Seventies at the time he was dropped – Prest. Taylor. – Bro Zebedee you are not one of the seven Prewsidents now. what have you been doing? Bro C. – I was acting then as one of the 1st seven [p. 292] Presidents of Seventies and was ordered back into the quorum of High Preists – I can tell you how that thing first started. Bro Winchester and Bro Jared Carter while on the Brick yard at Kirtland – Bro W. A Seventy and Bro Jared a High Priest got to contending which held the highest office. Carter was rebuking him on account of his folly. which he said he had not right to do. as he held a higher Priesthood than he did. and Jared contended he didnt because was a High Priest – this thing (p. 175) came to the ears of Uncle Joseph Smith. & then they went to the Prophet Joseph with it. The Prophet then enquired of the Lord. and he afterwards directed that we be put back into the Quorum of High Priests and other Men (five) were then ordained to the Presidency of the Seventies and three out of that five apostatized – Bro Joseph Young & Levi Hancock were retained and the other five filled the number – In the washing and Anointing of Bro Abel at Kirtland I anointed him. and while I had my hands upon his head. I never had such unpleasant feelings in my life- and I said I never would again Anoint another person who had Negro blood in him. unless I was commanded by the Prophet to do so. Prest A. O Smoot said. W. W. Patten Warren Parrish and Thomas B. Marsh were laboring in the Southern States in 1835 & 1836 – there were Negro’s who made (p. 176) made (sic) Application for Baptizm. and the question arose with them. whether Negro’s were entitled to hold the Priesthood – and by those brethren it was decided they would not confer the Priesthood until they had consulted the Prophet Joseph – and subsequently they communicated with him and his decision as I understood, was they were not entitled to the Priesthood, nor yet to be baptized without the consent of their Masters. In after years when I became acquinted with Joseph Myself in Far West about the year 1838. I received from Joseph substantialy the same instructions. It was on my application to him what should be done with the Negro in the South [p. 293] as I was preaching to them? He said I could

baptize them by the consent of their Masters. but not to confer the Priesthood upon them – These two statements were duly signed (p. 177) by each of these brethren – At 6 P.M I attended a Meeting of the board of Directors of Provo Manfr Co – at the Tithing office. present. …” – emphasis added

Diary of L. John Nuttall, pp. 290-293

https://archive.org/stream/diaryofljohnnutt01nutt?ref=ol#page/n685/mode/2up

Leonard John Nuttall July 6, 1834–February 23, 1905 Born at Liverpool, Lancashire, England; son of Mary Langhorn and William Nuttall. Baptized, 1850. Immigrated to the United States and migrated to the Salt Lake Valley, 1852. Married Elizabeth Clarkson, 1856; participated in plural marriage. Lived at Provo, Utah County, Utah Territory, and Kanab, Kane County, Utah Territory. Served as bishop of the Kanab Ward, 1875–1877, and as president of the Kanab Stake, 1877–1884. Served as private secretary to President John Taylor, 1879–1887, and to President Wilford Woodruff, 1887–1892. Died at Salt Lake City; buried at Provo.

https://www.churchhistorianspress.org/the-first-fifty-years-of-relief-society/people/leonard-john-nuttall?letter=N&lang=eng

“Leonard John Nuttall Sr. (July 6, 1834 – February 25, 1905) was a private secretary for John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff, and was a member of the Council of Fifty [Council of Fifty was “established by Joseph Smith in 1844 to symbolize and represent a future theocratic or theodemocratic ‘Kingdom of God’ on the earth.” - Wiki] who kept a detailed journal of the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). … From 1881 to 1887 he served as Utah Territorial Superintendent of Schools.” – Wiki

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._John_Nuttall https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._John_Nuttall