Methodist Church: That means just because Cain received a mark, all of Cain's offspring suffer because of his killing Abel. Is this a just God?
Missionaries: We didn’t say this dark skin came because of Cain. Ezekiel 18:2 points out that "the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father." It was his seed, however, that the Lord chose to send those less valiant spirits into the world. Because they were less valiant in the preexistence there had to be a way of knowing who they were so that they would have less responsibilities than those who were valiant in the pre-existence. And by valiant we mean that in that great war in heaven recorded in the Book of Revelations, there were those who did not fight for the Lord, while others were fighting for Lucifer and then there were those who did not fight, they were not valiant in support of the Lord. Those who fought for Satan, of course, we know were cast out of heaven. Now it is a blessing for the Black people because they were not required to serve others and would not be accountable for that service. They merely had to save themselves. Now of course they are on an equal standing with everyone else.
Methodist Church: I want scriptural support for that statement.
Missionaries: You live by only one-fourth of the word of God so it makes it pretty difficult to give you any answer that would satisfy you. You seem to want to execute judgment on the Lord's way of doing things just because you do not comprehend the mysteries of heaven. Paul said that God "hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times BEFORE appointed, and the bounds of their habitation." (Acts 17:26) This clearly shows that the Lord, before the earth, chose the time and place in which we would be born and this He did through His judgment and mercy or as we believe, based on our performance in the war in heaven which obviously took place in the pre-existence of which you do not believe. That is why future events could be spoken by the Holy Prophets and even individual experiences be revealed. The only thing the Negro was deprived from in the Church was the Priesthood. The situation with the Negro is identical with that of the Old Testament and Gentiles in the times of Christ. We read that "Christ was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel". Yet, Christ was just but it was His purpose and will not to go to the Gentiles; His apostles were sent out with the same restriction, (Matt. 10:5-6) and it was with some difficulty that He persuaded them to go to all men when the period of Israel's prior rights were expired. (Mark 16:14; Acts 10). Such was the case with the Negro. They were not restricted to Church membership, but to serve others. The Lord had promised that the day would come, just as it came to the Gentiles, that the Negro would receive God's Priesthood and the blessings from it. We believe that the Negro can go to the highest kingdom, for as Paul taught, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, so shall he reap." (Gal. 6:7) The same holds true in Christ's parable of the talents. Where much is given, much is required. I have pointed out to you why they were restricted, from the scriptures, and explained to you the reasoning, it is in harmony with Holy Scripture. Was this any different from what was taught in the Old Testament in Ezra chapter two?
There is a long list of genealogy given for only one purpose, to prove who was allowed to hold the priesthood. In Ezra 2:60-63 we specifically learn that a certain group of people were not found in the lineage which was allowed to hold the priesthood and were considered “as polluted, put from the priesthood”. It further stated that until “there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim” they could not hold this priesthood. Now tell me brethren, which one of you possess this thing? We read that Joseph Smith said he had one, there were twelve witnesses that testified to that fact even at their death bed. Now the definition of Urim and Thummim is truth and light or in other words it would take a prophet to restore the rights of the priesthood to those who previously could not hold it. And of course, that has been done. Also notice that throughout the Bible only the house of Israel held the priesthood…more specifically the tribes of Levi, Judah and Joseph. If you trace the genealogy of the Negro you will soon see they do not come from the house of Israel but from Ham, the son of Noah who married a Negro and thereby continued the race. You will notice that the blessings of the chosen people come through Shem. The blessing of Japheth would be that he could be adopted into the house of Shem. ("And Japheth may dwell in the tent of Shem.") Now you have the scriptures and the answers yet your churches never followed these scriptures in this matter either.
Now to expound on the rest of your questions, after we die we go to a place called the Spirit World, which encompasses a place called "Paradise" and a place called "Spirit Prison". (Luke 23:43; 1 Peter 3:18-20; Job 32:8) It is not heaven because on the cross Jesus said to the one thief: "Today thou shalt be with me in Paradise" and yet three days later He told Mary not to touch him because He had not yet ascended to His Father in Heaven, (John 20:l7) therefore heaven and where ever the Lord went for three days are obvious not the same place. This should be very plain to see from the scriptures. There is a gulf between these two places so no one goes from one to the other without a proper baptism. (Luke 16:26) While Christ's body was in the tomb, His spirit went to the “world of spirits” which is the correct translation of the Greek words used in the original text. It could not have been prison because we have already established that the Lord could not have been in the spirit prison because no unclean thing could be with the Lord, therefore He would have gone to the world of spirits into the paradise side and there set up the missionary program which would allow for missionaries to go to the prison side and teach them the gospel so that when the work for the dead such as baptism for the dead, as we have previously shown, would have an effect on those that were in the prison. (1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6; Isaiah 12:55, etc.)
If not here upon the earth, a person will learn of the gospel in the spirit world, thereby giving all of our Heavenly Father’s children a chance to hear the gospel and receive equal opportunities. (1 Tim. 2:5) This does away with the heresy called "heathen damnation”. Since baptism is a necessary covenant and can only be performed in the flesh, and many have lost the opportunity to be baptized because of where they were born or when they were born, a just God has sent His servant Elijah, (Malachi 4:4-6; Heb. 11:40) with the priesthood keys necessary to do baptism for the dead by proxy, (1 Cor. 15:29; Heb. 11:39-40) as was taught by Paul in the Holy Scriptures. Our Father in heaven loves all His children and will not forsake them because of they did not have an opportunity in life to hear the true gospel. Everyone will have that chance and will have the free agency to accept the truth or reject it. That baptism is necessary is without question. (John 3:5; Heb. 6:1-4)
We believe in the literal second coming of Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), and that we will ascend to meet Christ in the air at His return if we are faithful. The earth will experience 1,000 years of righteousness then, (Rev. 20:1-6) and Christ will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. All the righteous people that live on the earth will inhabit homes and continue to produce for their physical needs and live as families. (Isaiah 65:17-25) During this millennial rain Satan will be bound and not be released again until the end of the 1000 years, then he will be loosed for as season, (Rev.20:7) and after a great battle he will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Then we will all stand before the judgment bar of God, (Rev.20:12-l3) and receive our rewards according to our works.
Our exaltation will be through the grace of Christ, (Eph. 2:8-9) after all we can do. (Philippians 2:12) Christ has prepared many nations for us (John 14:1-3) in the Father's Kingdom, but we await one of three rewards, (1 Cor. 15:40-42), which by name are called the Celestial Kingdom (verse 40), the Terrestrial Kingdom, (verse 40), and the Telestial Kingdom (Doctrine and Covenants 76). Notice the Bible compares the Sun to one, the Moon to the next, and the Stars to another kingdom, but in the years of translating the Bible, the name of the third place was omitted, which is why we need more revelation which can only come from and through the prophets. That place we know by name, only because of modern day revelation. Paul was privileged to see the Third Heaven in 2 Cor. 12:2-4, thereby proving a first and second. The highest will be occupied by the presence of God and Christ and the Holy Ghost and will be as Paul stated "like the glory of the sun." Those that receive this kingdom will have been members of His Church, and those who lived the teachings and commandments of God and were righteous. The second kingdom will have the presence of Christ and the Holy Ghost but not the Father. The lowest kingdom (compared with the stars of the firmament) will be where the wicked of the earth will dwell. They have inherited the "lake of fire and brimstone" which figuratively describes the sorrow they will find by losing their opportunity of living with God and Christ while have a full knowledge of what they could have had. Paul said this group would be punished with everlasting destruction FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD. (Thess. 1:9) Our claim is supported by scripture as we have just listed. Christ with a body of flesh and bones, (Luke 24:39), will change "our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto himself." (Philippians 3:21) Now if we are all saved no mater what we do, why then is there a need for three heavens?