I am one such African. However, because I didn't sit on the fence in the pre-mortal existence I would always be referred to as a European.

As a child our bp had a gardener. This was around the time of the 1978 proclamation and a black face in an LDS chapel was non existent. As kids we would often be minded by him whilst the adults had meetings in the bp's house. He wasn't much older than us and was a great genuinely fun person to be with. He was, however, a domestic servant in a country that had just come to the end of a bloody civil war and was having to break down the barriers of apartheid that existed - particularly in schools. He would still address his employers as "baas" and "madam" and in those days would have been called a "garden boy" (thankfully that term is no longer acceptable).

The young gardener joined the Church and went on to become the second black 70. I haven't seen him for years but he was a genuinely humble honest and all round decent guy. I was thrilled for him when he was called to be our country's first stake president.

When I look back now, I can't help wondering whether he was an easy choice for the withering white men at the top. He had spent all of his formative years and some of his working life being subservient to the white man so would be unlikely to give them any grief.

The one thing I do know is that he was absolutely honest and, certainly the last time we met, had a genuine belief. I look forward to the next time I see him so I can ask him some questions. Unless he has changed dramatically, I think I would get honest answers.