The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsΒ celebrated the 50th anniversaryΒ of the Genesis Group on Saturday night in the Tabernacle on Temple Square.
The Genesis Group is a multi-stake activities group in the Churchβs Utah Area.
It helps Black members of the faith and their families, friends, and others build faith in Jesus Christ, foster unity and strengthen their membership in the Church.
Click HERE to watch the full devotionalΒ
Under the direction of the First Presidency in October 1971, Elders Gordon B. Hinckley (1910β2008), Thomas S. Monson (1927β2018) and Boyd K. Packer (1924β2015) established the Genesis Group as a dependent branch of the Church. This move was a response to a request from three Black Latter-day SaintsβRuffin Bridgeforth, Darius Gray and Eugene Orrβto better serve the needs of African American Latter-day Saints in Utah.
Featured speakers included President M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Genesis Group President Davis Stovall, Church Historian, and Recorder Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., Darius Gray, Natalie Sheppard, Jerri Harwell (wife of former group president Don Harwell, who died earlier this year) and Eddie Gist (a counselor in Harwellβs presidency).
The Debra Bonner Unity Gospel Choir provided the music.
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When I was going through the mission training center in June 1973, we ate our meals in the church office building. During lunch one day, one of the founding members of the Genesis group came by our table and shared his testimony of Jesus Christ and the restoration of the Gospel to the earth through Joseph Smith. It was a tremendous witness and has stayed with me through all those years.