Discover the many histories of Black Mormons
"All things are numbered unto me, for they are mine and I know them."
Moses 1:35
Who
Explore the names and biographical sketches of black Latter-day Saints baptized into the faith between 1830 and 1930. Who were they? Some names, like Jane Manning James and Elijah Able, will be familiar, while other names, such as Elijah Banks, Freda Magee Beaulieu, Esther “Nettie” Kirchhoff, and Marie Graves, likely will not. Learn their stories and read the documents about their lives for yourself.
Where
Where did Black Latter-day Saints live at the time of their baptism into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? The answers may surprise you: Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Tylertown, Mississippi; Oakland, California; Johannesburg, South Africa; Lowell, Massachusetts; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and South Bend, Indiana. These are just a few of the places where Black Saints encountered Mormonism and converted to the faith.
When
During which decades between 1830 and 1930 did most Black Latter-day Saints convert to the faith? Did black people convert to Mormonism before the Civil War? After the Civil War? In the 1830s and the 1920s? Enter here to find out.
How Many
How many Black Latter-day Saints were baptized into the faith during its first one hundred years? How many were men and how many were women? How many were enslaved at the time of their conversion? How many black men were ordained to the LDS lay priesthood and how many black men and women participated in LDS temple rituals before June 1978? Keep up to date on the numbers as the database continues to grow.