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Joseph Freeman, Jr. | |
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| Born | July 24, 1952 (1952-07-24) (age 73) |
| Occupation(s) | Religious leader, minister, author |
Joseph Freeman Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is the first man ofBlackAfrican descent to receive theMelchizedek priesthood[1] and be ordained anelder inthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) after the announcement of the1978 Revelation on Priesthood, which allowed "all worthy male members of the Church" to "be ordained to the priesthood without regard for race or color."[2]
Freeman was born inVanceboro, North Carolina, to Rose Lee Smith and Joseph Freeman, Sr.[3] His paternal great-grandparents, William and Ellen Freeman, wereslaves inCraven County, North Carolina, who gained their freedom by escaping to Brushton, North Carolina, during theAmerican Civil War, where they received help from Union soldiers until finding land to settle.[4]
At the age of ten, Freeman was baptized and became a member of theHoliness Church, the faith his father's family had supported for at least three generations. After graduating from high school he obtained an evangelist's license fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a lay minister in the faith.[5]
In 1972, at age 19, Freeman enlisted in theUnited States Army and was stationed inHawaii.[6] While in Hawaii he became dissatisfied with the Holiness congregations he attended and began to study otherChristiandenominations. During this time, he met several people who wereLatter-day Saints, including a sergeant in his unit. After several months of studying with LDS Churchmissionaries, reading theBook of Mormon, and being fully informed of the restriction of priesthood ordination for men of African descent, Freeman stepped down from his role in the Holiness faith and was baptized and confirmed a member of the LDS Church on September 30, 1973. During the period of investigation prior to his baptism he met Toe Isapela Leituala, aSamoan convert to the faith of six years. The two were married on June 15, 1974.[7] In 1975, Freeman left the military and the couple eventually moved toSalt Lake City, Utah.
On June 8, 1978 the LDS Church'sFirst Presidency announced thatchurch presidentSpencer W. Kimball had received arevelation and that the Lord "has heard our prayers, and ... has confirmed that the long-promised day has come when every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood, with power to exercise its divine authority, and enjoy with his loved ones every blessing that flows there from, including the blessings of the temple ... without regard for race or color".[8]
On June 10, 1978, at astake priesthood meeting, Freeman's name was presented and received unanimous approval for ordination to the Melchizedek priesthood.[9] On June 11, 1978, three days after the announcement of the revelation, Freeman was ordained to the office of elder in the Melchizedek priesthood. The ordination was performed by hisbishop, Jay Harold Swain.
Typically, men are ordained to the office of apriest in theAaronic priesthood approximately one year prior to ordination as an elder in the Melchizedek priesthood. Due to his years of faithfulness and spiritual aptitude, Freeman's ecclesiastical leaders felt that it would be appropriate to ordain him to the office of elder without prior ordination to the Aaronic priesthood. Thus, unlike many men of black African descent who were ordained to the office of priest in the Aaronic priesthood that same day, Freeman is recognized as the first to be ordained an elder as a result of the revelation.[10]
On July 23, 1978,[11] Freeman wassealed to his wife and their two sons, Alexander and Zechariah, in theSalt Lake Temple and thereby became one of the first men of black African descent to receive this ordinance.[12]Thomas S. Monson, then a member of theQuorum of the Twelve Apostles, officiated at the ceremony.
In 1986, Freeman moved toDenver, Colorado, where he was employed as the overseer of maintenance of the LDS Church'sDenver Colorado Temple for 15 years. He moved back to Salt Lake City in 2001.[13]
In 1993, Freeman adopted his daughter's son, J.J. Freeman. J.J. lived with Freeman for the next seven years.
After moving back to the Salt Lake Valley in 2001, Freeman served for a time as an LDS Church bishop.[14] In October 2020, Freeman became first counselor in thepresidency of the Salt Lake Granger North Stake.[15]
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