Civil rights and Mormonism have been intertwined since the religion's start, with founder Joseph Smith writing on slavery in 1836. Initial Mormon converts were from the north of the United States and opposed slavery. This caused contention in the slave state of Missouri, and the church began distancing itself from abolitionism and justifying slavery based on the Bible. During this time, several slave owners joined the church and brought their enslaved people with them when they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois. The church adopted scriptures which teach against influencing slaves to be "dissatisfied with their condition" as well as scriptures which teach that "all are alike unto God." As mayor of Nauvoo, Smith prohibited Black people from holding office, joining the Nauvoo Legion, voting or marrying whites; but, as president of the church Black people became members and several Black men were ordained to the priesthood. Also during this time, Smith began his presidential campaign on a platform for the government to buy slaves into freedom over several years. He was killed during his presidential campaign.
Some slave owners brought their slaves with them to the Salt Lake Valley, though several slaves escaped. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) issued a statement of neutrality towards slavery, stating that it was between the slave owner and God. A few years later, Brigham Young began teaching that slavery was ordained of God and that equality efforts were misguided. Under his direction, Utah Territory passed laws supporting slavery and making it illegal for Black people to vote, hold public office, join the Nauvoo Legion, or marry whites. In California, slavery was openly tolerated in the Mormon community of San Bernardino, despite being a free state. In the 1860s, the US federal government freed the slaves and overturned laws prohibiting Black men from voting.
After the Civil War, issues of civil rights went largely unnoticed until the civil rights movement of the 1960s. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) criticized the church's position on civil rights, led anti-discrimination marches and filed a lawsuit against the church's practice of not allowing black children to be Boy Scout troop leaders. Several athletes began protesting Brigham Young University over its discriminatory practices and the LDS Church policy that did not give black people the priesthood. In response, the church issued a statement supporting civil rights and changed its policy on Boy Scouts. Church apostle Ezra Taft Benson began criticizing the civil rights movement and challenging accusations of police brutality. After the reversal of the priesthood ban in 1978, the church has stayed relatively silent on matters of civil rights.
Slavery
Statements on slavery from early church leaders The period from 1830 to 1844 was of fundamental importance in shaping Mormon beliefs and customs with regard to race. Joseph Smith supported and opposed slavery at different points in his life. In 1835, someone (very likely Oliver Cowdery) wrote an official declaration that opposed baptizing slaves against the will of their masters. Joseph Smith would support this declaration. In the statement, they also wrote that it was not right to make slaves "dissatisfied with their situations." The statement became part of the Doctrine and Covenants.
Smith wrote an essay in 1836, published in Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate, which was strongly anti-abolitionist. In the essay, he gave five reasons for opposing the abolition of slavery: Smith feared racial miscegenation and race war, stating that abolitionism was "calculated to ... set loose, upon the world a community of people who might peradventure, overrun our country and violate the most sacred principles of human society, chastity and virtue." Smith believed that any evil inherent in slavery would already have been known and realised by "men of piety" from the Southern slave states—but they had no objection to it. Smith "did not believe that the people of the North have any more right to say that the South shall not hold slaves, than the South have to say the North shall." Smith believed that abolitionism went against the "decree of Jehovah" whereby the Old Testament, in his understanding, decreed that blacks were cursed and destined to be slaves. Smith placed great importance on biblical precedents for slavery, for example in Abraham, Leviticus, Ephesians, and Timothy; and he quoted Paul in the New Testament: "Servants be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, the singleness of your heart."
Smith probably wanted to distance Mormons from abolitionists, since many Mormons were living in Missouri, a pro-slavery state. After the Mormons were forced out of Missouri, they lived in Illinois, a free state. Smith's position on slavery changed, and he was vocally against slavery from 1842 until his death.
Because of slave owners who were converting to the church in Missouri, there was much confusion regarding the church's position on slavery. These same feelings arose during the migration to Utah. In 1851, apostle Orson Hyde stated that there was no law in Utah Territory prohibiting or authorizing slavery, and that the decisions on the topic were to remain between slaves and their masters. He also clarified that individuals' choices on the matter were not in any way a reflection of the church as a whole or its doctrine. Church president Brigham Young taught that slavery was "of Divine institution, and not to be abolished until the curse pronounced on Ham shall have been removed from his descendants."
In Utah Territory
The first known slaves to enter the Utah Territory came west with the congregations of Mississippi. By 1850, 100 Black people had arrived, the majority of whom were enslaved. After the pioneers arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, they continued to buy and sell slaves as property. Many prominent members of the church were slave owners, including William Henry Hooper, Abraham O. Smoot, and Charles C. Rich. Church members would use their slaves as tithing, both lending out their slaves to work for the church as well as giving their slaves to the church. Though initially opposed to it, by the early 1850s Brigham Young was a "firm believer in slavery". Young and Heber C. Kimball used the slave labor that had been donated as tithing and then eventually granted their freedom. The church opposed slaves who wanted to escape their masters.Brigham Young told Greeley: "If slaves are brought here by those who owned them in the states, we do not favor their escape from the service of their owners." (see Greeley, Overland Journey 211–212) quoted in
After the Compromise of 1850 allowed California into the Union as a free state while permitting Utah and New Mexico territories the option of deciding the issue by popular sovereignty, the Utah Territorial Legislature took up the issue of legalizing slavery. At that time, Young was governor, and the Utah Territorial Legislature was dominated by church leaders. In 1852, Young addressed the joint session of the legislature advocating slavery. He made the matter religious by declaring that if members of the church believe in the Bible and the priesthood then they should also believe in slavery. Following the speech, the Utah Legislature passed an Act in Relation to Service, which officially sanctioned slavery in Utah Territory. The Utah slavery law stipulated that slaves would be freed if their masters had sexual relations with them; attempted to take them from the territory against their will; or neglected to feed, clothe, or provide shelter to them. In addition, the law stipulated that slaves must receive schooling.
Utah was the only western state or territory that had slaves in 1850,Negro Slaves in Utah by Jack Beller, Utah Historical Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 4, 1929, pp. 124–126 but slavery was never important economically in Utah, and there were fewer than 100 slaves in the territory. In 1860, the census showed that 29 of the 59 black people in Utah Territory were slaves. When the American Civil War broke out in 1861, Utah sided with the Union, and slavery ended in 1862 when the United States Congress abolished slavery in Utah Territory.
In San Bernardino
In 1851, a company of 437 Mormons under direction of Amasa M. Lyman and Charles C. Rich of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles settled at what is now San Bernardino. This first company took 26 slaves, and more slaves were brought over as San Bernardino continued to grow. Since California was a free state, the slaves should have been freed when they entered. However, slavery was openly tolerated in San Bernardino. Many wanted to be free, but were still under the control of their masters and ignorant of the laws and their rights. The Fugitive Slave act had been passed, which put freedom for African Americans in jeopardy. This law expired in 1855 which opened up an opportunity for the enslaved in California to fight for their freedom.Smith, S. (2020, February 7). Pacific bound: California's 1852 fugitive slave law •. Blackpast. https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/pacific-bound-california-s-1852-fugitive-slave-law/ State law prohibited blacks from testifying against whites in the state of California, however, this law was bypassed and a group of slaves took their owner to court. Judge Benjamin Hayes freed 14 slaves who had belonged to Robert Smith. One of these slaves was Bridget "Biddy" Mason, who fought for her freedom after her owner, Robert Smith, attempted to return to Texas where slavery was legal with his slaves.U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.) Bridget "Biddy" Mason. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/people/biddymason.htm Mason would take Robert Smith to court in the "Mason v Smith 1856" case and win her freedom along with the 13 other slaves that belonged to Robert Smith. Evidence of Robert Smith bribing Biddy Mason's lawyer to drop the case was a huge factor in the judge's decision to free Robert Smith's slaves. Robert Smith then fled back to Texas after he feared he would face charges of bribery. Judge Benjamin Hayes declared that Biddy Mason and the other slaves "should be left to their own pursuit of freedom and happiness." Biddy Mason would go on to become a real estate millionaire, philanthropist, and a prominent member of the Los Angeles community from 1856 to her death in 1891.Williams, J. K. (2006b). Bridget "Biddy" Mason: From slave to businesswoman. Compass Point Books.
Black suffrage
As in other places in Illinois, only free white males could vote in Nauvoo.
When Utah Territory was created, suffrage was only granted to free white males. At that time, only a few states had allowed black suffrage. Brigham Young explained that this was connected to the priesthood ban. He argued that black suffrage would help make blacks equal to whites, which would result in a curse. On January 10, 1867, Congress passed the Territorial Suffrage Act, which prohibited denying suffrage based on race or previous condition of servitude, which nullified Utah's ban on black suffrage.Congressional Globe, 39th Congress, 2nd Session, pp. 381–82 - See more at: http://www.blackpast.org/primarywest/territorial-suffrage-act-1867#sthash.dqdUkXeh.dpuf
Civil rights movement