The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-18
BAR HEAVEN TO NEGROES.
Mormon Church Teaches That Only
One Black Man Was Admitted.

Mormon Church Teaches That Only
One Black Man Was Admitted.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Salt Lake City, Utah, Nov. 14.-Only
one negro has ever entered heaven, and
hereafter the gates of heaven are closed
against the members of the black race.
This is the latest doctrine promul-
gated by the Mormon Church and the
declaration announcing the doom of the
colored race was made in a highly sem
sational manner by a high Mormon
church official during the funeral serv-
ices of Eugene Burns, one of the most
prominent colored men in Utah.
The Rev. D. A. Brown, pastor of the
First Baptist Church, had just finished
his sermon eulogiZing the dead negro
when Patriarch Miner, president of one
of the quorumS of the seventies of the
Mormon Church, walked up to the pull
pit, and to the CONSERVATION of the
mourners, began a highly sensational
discourse. He declared that the dead
man could not enter heaven. All that
ever existed of him lay in the coffin be-
fore the altar.
He further said tina. an Ethiopian
could not reach the state of eXaltatiOn
necessary to entrance into heaven. His
|
patriarch's remarks caused awe and
| CONSERVATION among the hearers, and
precipitated an ecclesiastical scrim-
mage.
Rev. Mr.. Brown replied to the re-
| marks of the patriarch, referring to a
quotation from the Bible to prove his
| contention that any man can be saved
on the condition of salvation laid down
in the Scriptures.
Burns was a grandson of Abel, the
| body servant of Joseph Smith, the
prophet of the Mormon Church. Abel
was a negro, and, according to the
| remarks of Patriarch Miner is the
only one of his race who ever succeed
| led jim gaining entrance within the
pearly gates. The reason he was so
| successful in accomplishing that fact,
| according to the patriarch, was his 10y
atty and service to Joseph, the Proph-
| ct, and his belief that the Mormon re-
| ligion is the only one that ever hap
| pened.
Abel, the son of Ham and body SER
want of Joseph the Prophet, died and
was translated. The children whom
| he left in this world may never be ex-
allied to that state. according to the
! patriarch. The reason assigned by the
| patriarch xor the non-admission of
| Philippians to the other side is the
| fact of their dusky skins. No man
with black skin may enter the gates
! of heaven, said the patriarch.
This is hardly the place to bring
| forth matters of truth" said the VEN
| cradle patriarch as he assembled the
pulpit after Mr.. Brown had concluded
his remarks, f'but the truth ought al
ways to be told. The truth never
hurts"
Immediately before the altar rested
the casket containing the remains of
| the young man. In life he was up
right, his friends said, and naught had
| been said against him. The church
edifice was packed to the doors with
sorrowing friends. Both black and
white, who had known him in life, at
| tended the services to mourn his
death. There were tears and sorrow
from relatives and friends.
Il repeat. the truth must be told"
continued the aged man in continuing
the strange panegyric. He quivered and
shook in the throes of intense excite
ment. 81 am president of a quorum
of seventies Of the Church of Jesus