• MormonCulture

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• The Genesis Group

  • Organized in 1971 under the direction of President Joseph Fielding Smith in Park Stake to provide auxiliary activity for black members in Salt Lake City. ¹ -- SeanGates

  • "On October 19, 1971, the Genesis Group is formed under the direction of Joseph Fielding Smith. Apostles Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson and Boyd K. Packer are assigned to meet with Ruffin Bridgeforth Jr., Darius Gray, and Eugene Orr to form the beginnings of the Genesis Group. The organization is to provide a fellowship group for black members in Salt Lake City as well as to try to activate other black Mormons who have gone inactive." ² -- TroySalo

  • More from an interview with the above mentioned Darius Gray:

    • "Genesis was begun in 1971. Three black Latter-day Saint men approached the LDS Church, and said that "We see that there are some common issues within the LDS black community, and we need some help. We need to find a way of being able to meet the needs of our people." We had a lot of our members dropping away, becoming inactive in the church.

      As a of that, we started meeting with three of the General Authorities, three of the Apostles. We met for over a quite a lengthy period of time and from that came an organization. We were called to be the presidents of an organization, and it was given to us to come up with a name. The name we selected was "Genesis," a beginning. I think it is interesting that Genesis began in October of 1971, and just seven years later the Priesthood was available. I think we needed to have that happen, we needed to have Genesis in place to transition to the Priesthood."³

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