Almighty Quote by Brigham Young
“Ham will continue to be servant of servants, as the Lord decreed, until the curse is removed. will the present struggle free the slave? No; but they are now wasting away the black race by thousands… Treat the slaves kindly and let them live, for Ham must be the servant of servants until the curse is removed. Can you destroy the decrees of the Almighty? You cannot. Yet our Christian brethren think that they are going to overthrow the sentence of the Almighty upon the seed of Ham. They cannot do that, though they may kill them by thousands and tens of thousands.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: LDS General Conference, 1857
The biblical curse on Ham is portrayed as a divine decree that cannot be undone by human effort.
In simple terms: Divine curses are immutable according to this view.
Key Takeaway
Recognize limits of human power over divine will.
Themes
faith
divine decree
racial theory
Mood
critical
historical
Type
theological
controversial
When to use this quote
- religious discourse
- social policy
- racial justice debates
Key Concepts
theology
historical racism
Questions to Reflect On
- Can divine judgments be reinterpreted?
- How does this view affect racial equality?
A Different Perspective
Modern scholarship rejects racial interpretations of biblical curses.
![“In supporting argument for segregation, Paul [the apostol] addresses the people in his epistle to the Colossians, and he tells them how to treat their slaves. "Slaves, obey your masters. Masters, be kind to yourslaves." Paul was in favor of a kinder and gentler slavery; it never occurred to him to…” quote by John Shelby Spong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/236/john-shelby-spong-1488_addresses_in-supporting-argument-for-segregation-p_1109923.jpg)
