From 1849 to 1978, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) prohibited men of black African descent from being ordained to the priesthood. In 1978, the church's First Presidency declared in a statement known as "Official Declaration 2" that the restriction had been lifted. Between 1830 and 1849, a few black men had been ordained to the priesthood under Joseph Smith. A 2016 survey of self-identified Mormons revealed that over 60 percent of respondents either "know" or "believe" that the priesthood/temple ban was God's will.