Drawing on unpublished documents from the LDS Church History Archives, this volume presents the story of Elijah Ables, the first black Mormon priesthood holder. A committed friend of Joseph Smith, Elijah Ables fiercely upheld institutional Mormonism when other Mormons refused. In turn, Joseph Smith faced down criticism from within in order to create a safe space for Ables to thrive. The Saints' memories of their friendship continued well into the twentieth-century. As a man scorned and ostracized, Ables stuck by the faith he loved to the day of his death. Ables' story shows reveals the human...