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Mormon founder Joseph Smith ordained some black men to the LDS priesthood. Bruce R. McConkie. shown ini 1972, at one time taught that black skin was "the curse of Cain," an allusion to the biblic Courtesy | Rachel Burnette Photography Paulette Payne, a Mormon talk-show host in Atlanta LDS Church President Spencer W. Kimball, in a historic announcement in June 1978, lifted the ban on black males entering the LDS p Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Amram Musungu, a Mormon from Kenya who is a leader in the LDS Swahili ward, in his home in S Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Darius Gray, former president of the Genesis Group, a support group for black Mormons, Wedn Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Darius Gray, former president of the Genesis Group, a support group for black Mormons, Wedn Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Darius Gray, former president of the Genesis Group, a support group for black Mormons, Wedn File | The Salt Lake Tribune During the time of the ban on black males being ordained to the priesthood, some LDS leaders, inclu | Jerri Harwell Genesis Group leaders at the anniversary gathering left to right: Darius A. Gray - Eugene Orr (counselors to Ruffi Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune Darius Gray, former president of the Genesis Group, a support group for black Mormons, Wedn Steve Griffin | The Salt Lake Tribune Amram Musungu, a Mormon from Kenya who is a leader in the LDS Swahili ward, in his home in S Courtesy | Rachel Burnette Photography Paulette Payne, a Mormon talk-show host in Atlanta Courtesy photo Early in its history, church leaders stopped conferring the priesthood on black males of African descent. A revelat