Research Guidance

It is important to acknowledge up front that conducting research regarding Black Latter-day Saint history can be difficult. Challenges to research include a scarcity of records, inaccuracies passed through oral traditions, the unintentional inclusion of fictional literary characters in family histories, incorrect documentation due to individuals “passing” as white, and inadequate cataloguing procedures at archives and libraries. These kinds of challenges are not unique to just Black Latter-day Saint history or conducting research at the Church History Library.

Additionally, like most historical topics, Black Latter-day Saint history contains sensitive subject matter. Black members of the Church throughout the world have been subjected to various forms of racism and oppression. Historical documents and materials may contain language and content that are considered inappropriate by 21st-century standards. While materials that contain racist sentiments may be found in Church History Library collections, in no way does the Church History Library promote or support the ideas or opinions found within racist publications or manuscripts. Making such materials accessible to researchers enables further academic conversation on such topics, which allows for greater historical understanding.

When conducting research about early Black members of the Church who were enslaved, keep in mind that they may appear under their given name, their chosen surname, or the surname of their enslaver. For example, information about Oscar Smith is often found under the name “Oscar Crosby,” and information about Hark Wales can be found under the name “Hark Lay.” Being aware of the proper and improper names of enslaved individuals may yield additional results when searching the Church History Catalog and elsewhere.

Another thing to keep in mind, especially when doing research pertaining to the 19th century in the United States and England, is that spelling was not standardized, including names. For instance, information about Elijah Able can also be found under the surname “Abel.” Sometimes slightly changing the phonetic spelling of an individual’s name can yield more search results.

For several reasons, some collections (including oral histories and AV materials) may be closed to research or require special access permissions before the collection may be viewed. To learn more about the reasons some collections are closed to research, please see our access policy.

Additional help or questions about conducting research pertaining to Black Latter-day Saint history is available by reaching out to our Church history consultants through our Ask Us service.