MURRAY, Utah — Elijah Abel, Jane Manning James and Green Flake hold a unique, but rather obscure place in Mormon history: all three joined the church in its infancy and all three were black.

They also remained faithful after policies were altered and blacks were denied priesthood blessings in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Abel was the first black man ordained to the priesthood in 1836. James worked in the home of church founder Joseph Smith and followed the faith's next president, Brigham Young, across the Plains to Utah in 1848. Flake came to Utah as well, but as the slave of white members. He was freed by Young in 1854.

Such stories won't remain unknown if Darius Gray and Margaret Young have anything to do with it. They've chronicled the struggles of black Latter-day Saints in a new documentary "Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons."

To read more about the film on MormonTimes.com please click here.