Mormon Priesthood Holder Elijah Abel

The first black man to hold the Mormon priesthood did not receive it after June 9, 1978, nor did he live in the twentieth century. He actually was born July 25, 1808. His name was Elijah Abel, and he was ordained an Elder in the Melchizedek priesthood, March 3, 1836. He was later ordained a Seventy, December 20, 1836, the latter ordination being renewed April 4, 1841. Many years later in Utah, he was called in 1883 to serve a mission for the Church in Canada. He returned home, sick, the following year, and died Christmas day, 1884 (Bush, "Mormonism's Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview," Dialog, vol. 8, no. 1).

Not only was Elijah Abel ordained to the priesthood, at least two of his descendants were also. Elijah's son, Enoch, was ordained an Elder November 10, 1900. Enoch's son, also named Elijah, was ordained a Deacon sometime before 1925, ordained a Priest July 5, 1934, and ordained an Elder September 29, 1935. Records indicate at least three other blacks, a man with the last name of Lewis, on Samuel Chambers, and another named Edward Leggroan, were also ordained into the Mormon priesthood; Lewis as an Elder, Chambers and Leggroan as a Deacons (Ibid.).