BEGINNINGS OF THE “PRE-EXISTENCE THEORY”

Trying to make better sense of the curse, Apostle Orson Pratt hypothesized in 1844:

“At the time the devil was cast out of heaven, there were some spirits that did not know who had authority, whether God or the devil. They consequently did not take a very active part on either side, but rather thought the devil had been abused, and considered he had rather the best claim to government. These spirits were not considered worthy of an honorable body on this earth.... Now, it would seem cruel to force pure celestial spirits into the world through the lineage of Canaan that had been cursed. This would be ill appropriate, putting the precious and vile together. But those spirits in heaven that lent an influence to the devil, thinking he had a little the best right to govern, but did not take a very active part any way, were required to come into the world and take bodies in the accursed lineage of Canaan; and hence the Negro or African race” (I don’t have the reference for this).

Again, he states that it would be unfair:

"…if all the spirits were equally faithful in their first estate [but] are placed in such dissimilar circumstances in their second estate… Among the two-thirds who remained [after the Devil was east out], it is highly probable, that, there were many who were not valient [sic] in the war, but whose sins were of such a nature that they could be forgiven...." (The Seer, 1 [April 1853]: 54-56).

Brigham Young did not agree. When asked if it were true that the children of Cain were “fence-sitters” in the preexistence, he replied:

"No, they were not, there were no neutral [spirits] in Heaven at the time of the rebellion, all took sides.... All spirits are pure that came from the presence of God. The posterity of Cain are black because he committed murder. He killed Abel and God set a mark upon his posterity. But the spirits are pure that enter their tabernacles...." (Journal History, 25 Dec. 1869, citing "Wilford Woodruff's Journal.").

The great Mormon scholar, B.H. Roberts, elaborated on the idea of a pre-existent determinant and added a lengthy explanation of the history of the curse:

“Others there were, who may not have rebelled against God [in the war in heaven], and yet were so indifferent in their support of the righteous cause of our Redeemer, that they forfeited certain privileges and powers granted to those who were more valiant for God and correct principle. We have, I think, a demonstration of this in the seed of Ham. The first Pharaoh-patriarch-king of Egypt was a grandson of Ham: ... [Noah] cursed him as pertaining to the Priesthood ... Now, why is it that the seed of Ham was cursed as pertaining to the Priesthood? Why is it that his seed could not have right to the Priesthood? Ham's wife was named ‘Egyptus’, which in the Chaldaic signifies Egypt, which signifies that which is forbidden; ... and thus from Ham sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land... Was the wife of Ham, as her name signifies, of a race which those who held the Priesthood were forbidden to intermarry? Was she a descendant of Cain, who was cursed for murdering his brother? And was it by Ham marrying her, and she being saved from the flood in the ark, that ‘the race which preserved the curse in the land’ was perpetuated? If so, then I believe that race is the one through which it is ordained those spirits that were not valiant in the great rebellion in heaven should come; who through their indifference or lack of integrity to righteousness, rendered themselves unworthy of the Priesthood and its powers, and hence it is withheld from them to this day” (The Contributor, 6:296-97).

The First Presidency later renounced this concept in 1912:

"…there is no revelation, ancient or modern, neither is there any authoritative statement by any of the authorities of the Church ... [in support of the idea] that the negroes are those who were neutral in heaven at the time of the great conflict or war, which resulted in the casting out of Lucifer and those who were led by him” (First Presidency letter from Joseph F. Smith, Lund, and Charles Penrose, to M. Knudson, 13 Jan. 1912, in Bennion papers).