It is hard for Afri[c]ans to leave the age-old practices of their traditional religious teachings to become members of the LDS Church, said Mark Bradshaw, panelist for the History Week discussion Thursday about "Mormonism in Black Africa."

Bradshaw, an LDS missionary to Nigeria and Ghana, said the African people like to bring their drums to church and dance and sing, because that is their tradition.

"They have no musical instruments other than drums," Bradshaw said. "When they are not allowed to use their drums, sing their songs or clap, we deny them their culture. Attempts have been made to get the church music department to go over and help, but they have not come yet.

"We shouldn't throw out their culture . . . but it is difficult to separate the culture . . . and the essence of the gospel. They do have religious quality in their singing," Bradshaw said.

African people are extremely religious, said panelist Derek Thom, a geographer from Utah State University who has done research in Africa. "All religions over there have a belief in one Supreme Being," Thom said.

The announcement June 9, 1978, that the blacks could receive the priesthood began a beautiful era for the Mormon Church, Thom said.

The church is converting large numbers of South Africans, said William F. Lye, moderator for the panel. Lye is a historian of Africa and dean of the College of Humanities at USU. "African people have deep spiritual roots and are very responsive to religious things," Lye said.

We are ignorant of the people we are teaching in Africa, said panelist Albert Badoe, a junior from Osu Acca, Ghana, majoring in international and area studies. He said people still ask if he lives in a grass hut or a house. "They like it when I tell them we live in trees--then they want to know more," he said.

The missionaries need to know about the people they are going to teach, Badoe said.

The idea of a pre-existence [sic] is a traditional African belief, he said. They also know there is a life after this life, but they do not know where.

The church has been in Africa for a number of years, but it was not formally organized until the priesthood announcement by President Spencer W. Kimball, Badoe said. "The people sent letters pleading with the church to get them to organize the church so they can feel a part of an organization," he said.

African member rejoiced when they heard the announcement, Badoe said.