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Bookstore Home > Gender and Cultural Issues > Black Studies
Bound for Canaan (Standing on the Promises, Book 2)
From the challenges of colonization and the lure of the gold rush to the Emancipation Proclamation and the poverty and prejudice of life in Zion, Bound for Canaan, the second volume in the award-winning Standing on the Promises trilogy, traces the extraordinary lives of several prominent black Mormon pioneers from 1838 to 1891. Rooted in historical fact and brought to life by the authors' exhaustive research and engaging writing, this gripping account continues the unforgettable story of black Latter-day Saints who stood on the promises of God through plain and prairie, grief and gladness, fetters and freedom. Review Excerpts: "The Association for Mormon Letters is pleased to present its first award for historical fiction to Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aidan Gray for their trilogy Standing on the Promises. Over the course of three novels, the reader is taken on a journey from the early nineteenth century to the present day, following The story is as unflinching in its portrayal of this period of American history, in which even free blacks were mistreated and condescended to, as it is gentle and understanding in tone, putting the actions of early Saints in the historical context of that day. As readers discover the perseverance of black men and women in the face of ongoing persecution, even at the hands of some of their This is not just the history of black Latter-day Saints. It is the history of our church, and in some ways the history of all its members--a pioneer story in _____ "Wonderful!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for bring this history to light. How has it gone all this time without being told. So many people will gain from it. It sure gives me greater strenght to endure my trials. To me, this second book was even better and more captivating than the first. I have told everyone I know about these books. Everyone must know the full story of our church history." --Sumina Aldhizer, Virginia _____ "I thought that the authors couldn't do any better than they did on the first book, but they out did themselves again. I haven't been able to put this volume down. I thought I knew church history, but I have got a whole new perspective on it now. I will never look at church history the same again as long as I live. It brought out feelings that I didn't know that it would. Every person in the church should read this book and understand that there is more to Church History than we are ever taught." --Shauna Olsen _____ "Bound for Canaan is the second volume of the "Standing on the Promises" trilogy from Young and Gray. It continues the dramatic stories, so ably begun in the first volume of this series, of the black pioneers of the Mormon religion. These are stories little known because little told. But they form an important part of the Mormon identity. We are fortunate to have this series coming into our hands at this time. Bound for Canaan continues the inspiring, and tragic, stories of Elijah Abel and his wife Mary Ann, Isaac and Jane Manning James, and the Flakes, among others. Taking such characters through Nauvoo to the Salt Lake Valley, we follow their lives through the days of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Civil War, and the end of slavery. Babies are born and die; crops are planted, some fail; loves are lost and found; religion succeeds and fails. Young and Gray take us into the lives of these noble people, sparing us nothing of their tears and shed blood. But while this book is "their" story in essence, it is, in fact, our story in so many ways. It is the story of a nation, born in its desire for liberty, losing sight of that most elemental liberty -- the right to live a life free to pursue happiness in an equal and open society. It is the story of a Church that claims to be the Restored Church of Jesus Christ, welcoming the powers of the priesthood back to the earth after a long absence, but denying these powers and privileges to some because of their skin color. The most compelling character, to me, was Elijah Abel. I will spare you a long review by focusing on Abel, leaving you to discover the others in your own reading of the book. Readers will remember that Joseph Smith, Jr., ordained Abel to the priesthood, despite his skin color. In Vol. 1 of Standing on the Promises, we were given a foretaste of what Elijah would be facing -- several brethren visiting him after the death of Joseph, announcing that his "priesthood" would, to put it mildly, be coming under review. In one extraordinary encounter, Elijah Abel reaches Salt Lake City and requests an audience with Pres. Young. Knowing that Brigham Young would not agree to see him to discuss his priesthood, Abel asks to see the President to discuss how he, Elijah, could contribute to the building of the Salt Lake Temple. And indeed, he intends to help in this building project, regardless of how Pres. Young responds to his request for further blessings. Abel has heard that there were more blessings in store for him as a priesthood holder, but they were being denied to him because of his race. He wanted to appeal to Brigham to open up the Temple blessings to him. What he finds is a recalcitrant leader, unwilling to fully discuss the issue (he keeps changing the subject), and finally handing Abel a copy of the Pearl of Great Price, assuring him he would understand why he couldn't partake of these ordinances after reading the booklet. One cannot help but be appalled at Brigham Young's apparent lack of sensitivity. The authors are careful to note that Brigham Young was a product of his times. His views on race, while considered severe (some can be found in the Journal of Discourses), were not unusual for his time. But Elijah Abel wonders why the heavenly view can't rise above the prejudices of an earthly society: Brigham sat straighter and spoke loud. "I regret that most of your race have known ill treatment. Shame on those who have rendered it. They will be judged by a just God." His voice became sadder. "But, Elijah," he said, leaning across his desk, "you know the burden your race carries by divine decree. That burden is the very sin of Cain. I cannot undo the mandates or the curses of the Eternal I Am. You understand that, don't you? You always understood that the Negro has his separate place on this earth?" Let it not be said that the authors are overly critical of Brigham Young. In fact, it is made plain that, in light of his times, he was more kindly disposed toward people of color than many of his contemporaries. But on the matter of priesthood, he was unmovable. But there are troubling questions. Can a mortal, even the President of the Church, project a misguided view of earthly racial relations into a heavenly mandate? And so doing, how does he reconcile this to Joseph Smith's contrary actions? We may never know the answers to these questions. Elijah Abel would go to his grave a loyal member of the Church, in fact serving his very last days on a mission for the Church. But we never get the sense that he ever came to terms with how the Church, after Joseph's death, dealt with those who shared his race. He toys with the idea that his lot in life is, in fact, a larger mission. I hope he finally discarded this idea, although we are not told. When we read of the passing of Elijah's wife, Mary Ann, we are gripped with an almost uncontrollable fury. The words of the book tell it best: A recently returned missionary spoke at Mary Ann's funeral. Elijah would hear only a sentence or two before his mind would meander into melancholy paths. For the rest of his life, he could never recall the speaker's name. And the speaker continues to relate how the gospel is being brought to the "benighted tribes of the wilds of Africa." And all the while Elijah's thoughts are elsewhere, just barely hearing the speaker, and wondering why this white speaker thinks this is the time and place to let all the "negroes" know how lucky they are to have white people saving their souls on the Dark Continent. But Abel will have none of it. His thoughts: She is my wife, the beginning of my days and the comfort of my nights. She is all the anguish this world has known and all the joy it might find. Her eyes saw me so clear. She could see me despite the clownin', minstrel paint on my face, despite my need to buy a place in a world that won't take me as a man. Her nose smelled the rankness of our son's disease, and she held his pain. She ministered to him like the angel I kept waitin' for. Why didn't I see her then as full as I'm seein' her now. Her breasts that fed our babies and made my slumber soft. Her hands, her legs, her private self. All, all, all of her. Say her name. Acknowledge my wife: Mary Ann Adams Abel. (317) Can anyone read these words and not feel shame, anger, sadness? I had to put the book down and suppress a deep shudder. Even in death, the righteous Mary Ann, wife of righteous Elijah Abel, was, in the eyes of the returned missionary, a non-person. The story of Elijah Abel's life stands as an example of righteousness and loyalty in the face of struggle and disappointment. I'll leave the reader to explore the lives of the others, whose trials and triumphs are recorded in this fine book. Over the years, I've used many words to describe the books I've reviewed. I've called books "very good," "a wonderful read," and have been, at times, less flattering. Bound for Canaan merits a word I use sparingly -- "important." It matters on so many levels: 1. To the extent that the story of the contributions, and trials, of the black pioneers of Mormonism remains untold, I believe that the modern Church will continue to struggle with the vestiges of racism. The Church continues to be a reflection of its times. Anecdotal evidence is abundant that pre-OD2 thinking has not entirely dissipated. This is not to imply that institutional racism continues. But while the Church continues to struggle with its past, I am optimistic about the future. 2. Church history has been largely sanitized when it comes to the place of the black man and woman in the building up of the kingdom. But then, the tellers of American history are no different. Efforts are being made in the American historical community to correct this situation. Young and Gray are leading the charge in effecting a similar correction within the Mormon Church. Who should read this book? I say, with no hesitation, every member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should own this volume, indeed, the entire series. Here is a story that will fill you with sorrow and anger, but ultimately with hope. Because the story of race relations in Mormonism is not yet ended. Is it possible that this generation will write the final chapter?" --Jeffrey Needle, Reviewer, Association for Mormon Letters, 2002 _____ "Normally as a book reviewer, I read the book and express my opinion of its quality and let the chips fall where they may. I have an obligation to the reader to be honest, not to the author to be kind, because the reader has a right to know if the book is worth its price. With Bound for Canaan, I'm immersed in a dilemma without a comfortable solution. I don't believe the choices that the authors Margaret Young and Darius Gray made while crafting this book were the right ones. Yet I have to announce without reservation that this book is worth its price -- that the stories within it must be read. If I say that portions of the book were not especially enjoyable to read, I fear people will decide not to read it. If I praise the book so people will read it, I fear readers may question my competence or my integrity as a reviewer. So how does a reviewer say, "You must read this book," and, "The quality is not up to par," at the same time? I guess I did just say it. So let me spend some time explaining in detail what I mean. I can imagine Young and Gray dialoguing back and forth as they work out what format to use for this trilogy about black Mormon pioneers, and the second book in particular. Maybe what they wanted to write was history, but there is such scant information available, a historical novel approach might be better. They can flesh out the people they're writing about that way and make them real to the reader. Which approach should they take? They took both. Bound for Canaan feels like an uneasy hybrid of history and historical fiction. The first book, One More River to Cross, worked fairly well, because the authors concentrated on a small cast of characters -- Jane Manning James, Isaac James, and Elijah Able. It worked as a historical fiction novel, while the footnotes kept the reader grounded in historical fact. But there were more black Mormon pioneers than these three and their immediate families. Who can fault Young and Gray for wanting to get their stories out too? Both LDS members and the country at large are woefully ignorant of the contributions blacks have made to our history. Most LDS, if they're aware of any black Mormons at all besides Alan Cherry and Gladys Knight, have heard of the one who was ordained to the priesthood and maybe something about the existence of a "black Jane," and that's about it. There were many blacks in those early years of this dispensation, and they deserve to have their stories told. But perhaps trying to tell them all in one book wasn't such a good idea. The three original characters from the first book didn't play a major role in the second until well into that volume. We were introduced to others -- Liz Flake, Green Flake, Louis Gray, and more. But their stories were not done justice. The cast was too large for me to keep track of. The stories about these newcomers suffered as a result. They felt grafted in to the main stories. Did Young and Gray feel the burden of their mission too much, to the detriment of their art? But I want to hastily switch gears from this negative feedback, because it doesn't come close to representing the whole book. You see, when the authors do tell the stories of the original three characters, the power of the first book returns in full force. The lukewarm reception I felt for book two gave way to gratitude for its existence. So my report to the reader is: just like several of the characters headed for California to take part in the Gold Rush, you'll have to mine and sift through some ore to find the nuggets in Bound for Canaan. But they are there -- oh yes, they are there. The interview Elijah Abel had with Brigham Young over his priesthood and the temple ordinances. The day Elijah decided to turn his family into a degrading minstrel show so he could feed his family and get medical care for his ailing son. The ugly divorce of Jane and Isaac James, with no villain in the affair to blame because the desires of both individuals were so understandable. The debate that went on after Brigham Young's death that solidified the policy of blacks and the priesthood. The spouses and children who died; the children who left the church in bitterness. And the most horrifying scene in church history, more horrifying than Haun's Mill because no bad guys perpetrated it, more scandalous than Mountain Meadows Massacre because no one's survival seemed at stake. The day Judge Lynch came to Salt Lake City and two thousand "Saints" committed murder out of sheer hatred. Along with the nuggets are patches of gold dust, where little bits and pieces of information about American history are filtered in. Fascinating but little known information. I would have preferred that the authors stay concentrated on Jane, Isaac, and Elijah. There is more than enough drama in their three lives to fill a trilogy. Trust that others will be inspired to search out and tell those stories waiting to be mined in our history. Or maybe tell the stories themselves -- in another book after this trilogy is complete. Perhaps your brain works better than mine, and can keep track of the expanding cast of characters. But even if your reaction is comparable to mine, this is a book that you must read. Sift through the ore for the nuggets -- they will provide you with the enduring kind of wealth that the gold dust of the '49ers couldn't hold a candle to. These are stories that have long lain hidden, but are as inspiring as any story about a faithful white disciple of Christ. And much more poignant, because for once the tribulations the faithful disciple endures are not caused by the wicked, ungodly enemies of divine truth. This time we have met the enemy, and he is us. As I learn more and more about the stories of faithful black Mormons, both in history and modern times -- thanks primarily to Young and Gray -- I find the notion that the "descendants of Cain and Ham" were ever cursed to be laughable. I'm coming to realize that the crucible of slavery and racism that these people have endured have refined a truly Christian people, who have longsuffered with great patience and trust in God, who have personified the admonition of Jesus to turn the other cheek with their white brothers and sisters who have all too often not recognized the tribulations they've caused. If my black brothers and sisters can forgive so much pain inflicted by their fellow Saints, I can certainly forgive Margaret Young and Darius Gray their desire to include as many of their stories as they could squeeze in, even if it meant tarnishing the aesthetics of their literature a little." --D. Michael Martindale, Association for Mormon Letters, 2002 Click here to read more about Standing on the Promises. Margaret Blair Young teaches creative writing at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. An accomplished author, she has won numerous awards from the Utah Arts Council, including Best Short Story Collection for Elegies and Love Songs (which also captured Best Short Story Collection of the Year from the Association of Mormon Letters); Best Novel of the Year in 1992 for Salvador, and Best Novel of the Year in 1995 for Merry's Daughters. She has also written three plays, two of which have been produced at BYU, including Dear Stone and I Am Jane. Margaret also teaches at the Spanish Institute at BYU. She says working on Standing on the Promises: One More River to Cross was "totally different than anything I've ever written. I felt completely inspired with each page, and everything else I've written prepared me for this." Darius Aidan Gray has a Bachelor of Sciences degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Utah, and has completed programs with the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University sponsored by the Ford Foundation, ABC, and CBS (a professional program equivalent to earning a Master's Degree without the thesis). A skilled communicator and writer, he was senior staff reporter and chief photographer at the CBS affiliate in Salt Lake City. He also worked as an assistant to a U.S. Senator on African Affairs. He's also an independent business consultant, and a small business owner dealing with the automobile after market. Through August 2003, Darius presided over the Genesis Group, an official arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organized in 1971 to support Church members of African descent. His grandfather James Louis Gray was born a slave; his great-grandfather Louis Gray was a slave near Independence, Missouri, and appears in Standing on the Promises: One More River to Cross. Title: Bound for Canaan (Standing on the Promises, Book 2) Retail Price: Your Price: Only $16.95
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Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aidan Gray, 2002, Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 6.5x10" hardbound, 441 pages.