Helvecio martins autobiography in five short

Helvécio Martins (27 July 1930 – 14 May 2006) was the first Latter-day Saint of African descent to be called as a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Helvecio martins autobiography in five short

Born to descendants of African slaves in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Elder Martins joined the Church of Jesus Christ in 1972, despite his knowledge that the Church did not then allow members of African descent to hold the priesthood or to receive templeordinances.

On 9 June 1978, Martins and his family heard of the announcement wherein the Church announced that it was conferring the priesthood upon all worthy male members of the Church. After Martins received the priesthood and received his temple ordinances, he served as a bishop, and then as a counselor in a stake presidency.

Elder Martins then served as the first president of the Brazil Fortaleza Mission.^[1] He served in this position from 1987 until his call as a General Authority.

In April 1990, President Ezra Taf