Mormons- a question about Joseph Smith and eternal slavery for African americans?

Question

Jane Manning was an African-American woman from Nauvoo. In the Nauvoo pageant , the Mormon church shows her as so grateful to be taken care of by the Mormons. They did not show the part in church history where the family of Joseph Smith has her sealed to the family as a servant for eternity in a special ceremony allowed by the First Presidency of the church. (Black Saints in a White Church, pp. 40-41)

Do you think she is still glad the mormons took care of her, even now as, according to Mormonism, she will be the Smith family slave for eternity?

http://www.blacklds.org/mormon/history.html

phrog- they may have felt discomfort about the priesthood ban, but they seemed to have no qualms about her spending eternity as the Smiths servant (slave)

Answer 1

Yes, she was indeed sealed to him as a family servant. The problem is that according to the LDS Church, Emma was excommunicated and her temple blessings revoked, so Joseph Smith's children (and presumably, servants) are technically no longer sealed to him.

The sealing of black servants only continued for a short time, which was until Joseph's death... after that, the only sealings done were by Brigham Young right before the departure to Utah. After 5 or 6 years of being in Utah, blacks were denied all temple blessings, which basically kept future servant sealings from ever taking place.

Edit: Guys, will you all just CHILL?! The words "racist" and "racism" don't even appear in the question. She didn't talk about the priesthood ban, or about Africa, or about black missionaries. She asked a question about Servant Sealings, and specifically the case of "Black Jane" (as she was known by the members in Nauvoo). Please stop trying to deflect the question.

Answer 2

I can only emphasize as others have, that the cites you provide, and the story of Jane Manning, do not lead to the conclusion there is eternal slavery for African Americans.

Jane Manning requested this and the church made concessions, at least so it appears. I haven't actually read the book which you cite to in the main body of the question.

Certainly, if you read through the website you link to you understand and see the Mormons were some of the strongest advocates of freedom and equal rights for all people, regardless of color. The Mormon church continues today to preach the importants of respecting all people regardless of faith, race, sex, etc.

Answer 3

Of course I dont know, but I would venture to say that she was happy. God can turn even the worst situations around for good. She is probably grateful for having the care of the Smiths, even though she may not have been ok with being their slave. If she did live for God she probably had the view that she really wasn't going to be a slave for eternity and that truth can be comforting. She is probably not worried about it because she does not fear it and does not believe the same way.
God bless

Answer 4

I'm having a hard time accepting that source because it doesn't ring true. Joseph Smith Jr was running for President of the United States on an abolitionist platform - why would he have someone sealed to him as eternal slave if he was working to end slavery?

I've never heard of someone being sealed as a servant before - only as a spouse or parent / child.

Answer 5

Thing is, it's only slavery if you believe it's slavery, apparently. Believe is the keyword. It's like a bank robber holding a gun to a cashiers head; he's not a bank robber if he doesn't believe he's a bank robber. You know, the god he worships said quite clearly that one can hold a gun to the head of a bank cashier and take money from them but it's not robbing the bank. A black person can be a servant for eternity but it's not slavery; god says it's not.

See the answer above for Mormon 'logic' exemplified.

Answer 6

I believe not in the Mormon Church. If she does , she will like being slave of Joseph's family.

God bless.

Answer 7

Thats one of the dumbest things I've ever heard!
I've Never heard of Jane Manning, but If she was sealed to them it was because they loved her and had adopted her into their family, and then had her sealed. and not as an eternal slave, or slave of any kind.

Answer 8

correct me if i am wrong, but i have read numerous times that the early mormons were AGAINST slavery. this is one of the reasons they were forced out of missouri.

Answer 9

There will be no SLAVERY in the Celestial Kingdom.

And Joseph Smith doesn't determine who goes where, Christ does.

Answer 10

She wasn't a slave. She worked as any woman worked in those times.

Jane Elizabeth was born to Isaac and Eliza Manning in Wilton, Connecticut, in the late 1810s or early 1820s. While a young girl she lived as a servant—but not a slave—in a prosperous white farmer’s home. Her adherence to Christian principles (she became a member of the Presbyterian church) helped prepare her for the message of two Mormon missionaries who traveled in the area where she lived. When Charles Wandell preached the message of the restored gospel in Connecticut, Jane embraced it and acquainted her relatives with it. As preparations were made for the Saints in the area to immigrate to Nauvoo, Jane and eight members of her family joined the larger group.

In October 1843, the new Mormons traveled together from Wilton, Connecticut, to Buffalo, New York. Jane recorded that the Manning family became separated from the main group when boat authorities refused them passage. As the other members of the Wandell party boarded the vessel, Jane’s little group began walking the eight hundred miles to Nauvoo. Jane recalled:

“We walked until our shoes were worn out, and our feet became sore and cracked open and bled until you could see the whole print of our feet with blood on the ground. We stopped and united in prayer to the Lord, we asked God the Eternal Father to heal our feet and our prayers were answered and our feet were healed forthwith.”

Upon reaching Peoria, Illinois, the Mannings were puzzled when local authorities threatened to place them in jail because they could not produce their “free papers.” Finally able to convince the men that they had never been slaves and did not need “free papers,” they were allowed to go.

Her gravestone reads:
Jane Elizabeth Manning James
"I try in my feeble way to set an example for all."
Born free in 1882 [sic], Fairfield County, Connecticut
Baptized LDS in 1841, she led a group of family members to Nauvoo, Illinois in 1843
"Our feet cracked open and bled until you could see the whole prints of our feet with blood on the ground."
Jane lived with Joseph, Emma and Mother Smith
"Brother Joseph sat down by me and said, 'God bless you. You are among friends."
Married Isaac James around 1845
Arrived in Salt Lake September 22, 1847
"Oh how I suffered of cold and hunger, but the Lord gave us faith and grace to stand it all."
Shared half her flour with Eliza Partridge Lyman, who was near starving.
Died April 16, 1908, outliving all but two of her eight children.
"But we went on our way rejoicing, singing hymns, and thanking God for his infinite goodness and mercy to us."


Jane Manning James had been born free and worked as a housekeeper in Joseph Smith's home. When she requested the temple ordinances, President Taylor took her petition to the quorum of the Twelve, but precedence prevailed. When Wilford Woodruff became president of the Church, he comprised and allowed Sister James to be sealed to the family of Joseph Smith as a servant. This was unsatisfying to Sister James as it did not include the saving ordinance of the endowment, and she repeated her petitions. She died in 1908, true to the faith, bearing testimony of the true fulness of the restored gospel. President Joseph F. Smith honored her by speaking at her funeral. The unusual concession granted to Sister James illustrates the discomfort leaders felt about priesthood restriction.

edit: servant, not slave. It is the position she held and was happy with according to her own biography. they tried to give her what she wanted without going against their own practices. Nobody said religion was always right. - truth is constant, not people. and nobody said this church, or any of the others hasn't made mistakes in the past. It's not something I agree with any more than moving certain people to the back of the bus, segregated schools, or drinking fountains either - but it happened. At least there has been some progress made since. We should learn from, rather than dwell on past mistakes.