[Letter on behalf of the First Presidency]
"... The hearts of the Brethren bleed with sorrow over the lot of yourself and millions of others [black people] who find themselves in the same situation but for which neither the Brethren nor the Church is in any way responsible... I am happy to tell you that from the very beginning the Brethren have said that ultimately the restraint under which you now rest will be removed, and that, as President Woodruff expressed it, 'The day will come when all that race will be redeemed and possess all the blessings which we now have.' ... Under this principle there is no injustice whatsoever involved in this deprivation as to the holding of the priesthood by the negroes.' ... there is nothing the Brethren can do about removing the restraints until the Lord speaks again. Your place was determined by the Lord himself, and the only underlying principle of which we are aware is that which the Lord himself announced. The point I should like to leave with you is briefly that the Lord assigned you your place for reasons which He himself had, and a part of which, at least, he has given to us."
[Joseph Anderson, Letter to Herbert A. Ford, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
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