Genesis Group facts for kids

The Genesis Group is a special organization within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was created to support African-American members and their families.

How the Genesis Group Started

Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Thomas Monson, Gordon B. Hinckley, and Boyd K. Packer, helped start the Genesis Group. They worked with Ruffin Bridgeforth, Eugene Orr, and Darius Gray. The group began on October 19, 1971, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Its main goal was to give Black members a place to connect with each other.

Early Meetings and Purpose

The Genesis Group held special meetings for Black members of the Church. These meetings included groups like Relief Society (for women), Primary (for children), Young Men, and Young Women. They also had meetings where members could share their beliefs. Even with these special meetings, members of Genesis still went to their regular Sunday church meetings.

The Genesis Group was like a small church group, but it did not have the same leadership roles as a regular church ward. Ruffin Bridgeforth led the group from 1971 to 1978.

Changes in 1978

On June 8, 1978, the Church announced a new revelation. This revelation meant that all worthy male members of the Church could hold the priesthood. The priesthood is the authority to lead and perform religious duties in the Church. After this change, fewer people attended the Genesis Group meetings. The group officially stopped meeting in 1987. One reason for the drop in attendance was that members already had many church activities. Adding more meetings made it hard for some to attend.

Reorganizing the Group

The Genesis Group was started again in 1996. This happened because many felt that African Americans in the Church still had unique needs. They believed members could benefit from having a chance to connect with each other.

Since being reorganized, the group has had several leaders. These include Darius Gray (1997–2003), Don Harwell (2003–2018), and Davis Stovall (2018-present). Church leaders at the local and general levels were assigned to help and support the Genesis Group.

Other Genesis Groups

Other Genesis-like groups have also existed in different places. For example, a group was in Washington, D.C.. By 2007, similar support groups were active in cities like Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, Los Angeles, and Houston. Today, the main Genesis Group meets on the first Sunday of every month in Salt Lake City.

See also

• 1978 Revelation on Priesthood
• Black Mormons
• Black people and early Mormonism
• Black people and Mormonism