45 Righteous Spirits and the Restriction of the Priesthood - 1. The Peasl of Great Price account of the Question: lineage of Cain, Egyptus, etc., is gener- ally accepted without question, also D & C, Section 98, with reference to the souls of all mankind being pure and innocent. However, the statements of both Paul and Peter that ‘God is no respecter of persons’ has proven a difficult hurdle in the light of our denial of the priest- hood to the colored people. If all spirits that have or will live’ on the earth were righteous spirits in heaven, then what is the answer to why the righteous spirit dwells in the flesh of the Negro, and yet is denied the priesthood and those avenues nec- essary to working out his salvation” What a wonderful time it will be, spoken cAnmer by Jeremiah, when all the menibers of the Church can see eye to eye, and have a clear vision of the truth, so that they will all teach the same truth. As it is, through our lack of guidance by the Holy Spirit, we reach false conclusions and’ cherish incorrect notions, and many in the world, because of lack of guidance, hug to their bosoms false traditions and blindly walk in dark-. ness and misunderstanding.RIGHTEOUS SPIRITS AND RESTRICTION OF PRIESTHOOD 163 ‘TEACHINGS FROM STANDARD Works It is true that the Pearl of Great Price accounts for the lineage of Egyptus, and that the Doctrine and Cove- nants declares that the spirits of ALL men were innocent in the beginning, It also teaches us that following the beginning, and even in the world of spirits there came a rebellion, and that one-third of the hosts of heaven re- belled because of their agency and had to be cast out. When they were cast out, there were many who did not join the rebellious forces, but who were not valiant. Because of their lack of obedience, they were not de- prived of receiving bodies, but came here under restric- tions. One of those restrictions is that they were denied the priesthood. They may. come into the Church, but they are not privileged to obtain the priesthood in this life. They can be baptized, and if faithful to the end, then in the next existence and in the due time of the Lord the restrictions placed upon them in the first existence will be removed. If they do not repent then these re- strictions will not be removed. Cumipren Ane Born IN INNOCENCE Now the Lord has informed us that when a child is born, it comes in this world innocent. That is to say that it is not subject to any penalty that has to be cleansed such as is taught in the Catholic and most Protestant churches. So far as we are concemed, that child is in- nocent, It was innocent in the beginning. It is innocent here and not to be punished, for as far as mortality is concerned it has committed tio sin. Therefore, Negro babies like all other babies are innocent in their “infant164 ANSWERS TO GOSPEL QUESTIONS state.” Should they die, they will be entitled to go to the celestial kingdom, just like other babies, because in this life they have done no wrong. The scriptures are not contradictory. Many times some of us try to make them so. The fault is ours, not the word of the Lord.