No, Guy, the proscription against ordaining Negroes to the priesthood had its
genesis in Joseph Smith's 1831 "Book of Moses" and his 1842 "Book of Abraham."

The quote most certainly reflected Smith's attitude and teachings towards the
Negro race:

"The power, glory and blessings of the Priesthood could not continue with those
who received ordination only as their righteousness continued; for Cain also
being authorized to offer sacrifice, but not offering it in righteousness, was
cursed."  ("Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith," p. 169.)

"I referred toe the curse of Ham for laughing at Noah, while in his wine, but
doing no harm.  Noah was a righteous man, and yet he drank wine and became
intoxicated; the Lord did not forsake him in consequence thereof, for he
retained all the power of his Priesthood, and when he was accused by Canaan, he
cursed him by the Priesthood which he held,...and the curse remains upon the
posterity of Canaan until the present day." (ibid, pp. 193-194.)

Because Abel was only 1/8 Negro, could pass for white, and was Smith's loyal
servant.  But Smith's ordination of Abel was obviously the exception to Smith's
own rules of banning Negroes (or Canaanites, Hamites, or whatever other term he
identified them by) from being ordained to the priesthood.

If you do not believe that the priesthood ban was Joseph Smith's doing, then
you are saying that every LDS church president from Brigham Young until 1978
was in error, a.k.a. "leading the church astray."

Randy J.