Ezra Taft Benson and the State of Israel - Brandeis Institutional ...

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Smith, the members of the group “emphasized the lofty aspects of Jewish religiouscommunity life.” 39 Another prominent leader of the Mormon faith and member of thegroup in 1873, Heber C. Kimball, sent home poignant letters describing his impressions.Many of those impressions include encounters with Jewish people in Europe andelsewhere, and reflect his personal admiration for them. “They are the most spirited,ambitious and persevering people I ever saw. They believe the gathering of Israel. . . isnear. . .” 40Other meetings described by the Mormon missionary group are similarlypositive and enthusiastic about the Jewish people and their forthcoming gathering. 41Brigham Young, close friend of Heber C. Kimball and second president of the Church,expressed his view on the subject of the Jewish people amongst the nations, contrastingthem specifically with the Rhoma, or Gypsies: “The Jew is a worshiper of Jehovah – theGritana, or Rhoma, knows him not. . . .” 42 Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of theChurch, expounded on the Mormons' familial bond with the “Brother Jew.” “Whom doyou call Gentiles?” he asked. “Every nation except the literal descendents of Israel. We,the Latter Day Saints, are Gentile, in other words, we have come from among the Gentilenations, though many of us may have the blood of Israel within our veins.” 43This sense of kinship generally translated into positive relations betweenMormons and Jews, as well as continued support for Jewish aspirations for theirhomeland. In a 1902 General Conference of the Church, Latter-day Saint historian andapostle Brigham H. Roberts spoke favorably and passionately about the emerging Zionistmovement, and their recent meetings in Basle, Switzerland to move forward the return of3940414243Glanz, Jew and Mormon, 86.As quoted in Glanz, Jew and Mormon, 87.Glanz, Jew and Mormon, 86-88.Glanz, Jew and Mormon, 62.Glanz, Jew and Mormon, 64.16
the Jewish people to Palestine. 44 As previously noted, Mormons viewed this new Zionistmovement as fulfillment of the dedication of Orson Hyde of the Holy Land for thegathering of the Jewish people. Mormons also fostered relations by attempting tobecome familiar with Jews and the Jewish faith. In 1870 Brigham Young arranged forthe visit of Rabbi H. Z. Sneerson of Jerusalem from San Francisco to Salt Lake. Hisletter to the Rabbi is most telling.Salt Lake City, U.T., November, 1870Rabbi H. Z. Sneersohn, San Francisco:Dear Sir – Your favor of 29 th ult. is to hand. In reply permit me to say itwill afford our citizens much pleasure to have you address them in theTabernacle on subjects of such deep and abiding interest to us all as thepast history and present condition of God's covenant people Israel.If possible please inform me, a day or two in advance of your coming,when you will be here, so that the people may be notified through thePress of your intended visit, and the Tabernacle be prepared for yourlecture.I remain, Dear Sir, Very Sincerely Yours,In the Cause of Israel,Brigham Young. 45Another revealing passage comes from a volume written by I.J. Benjamin, ThreeYears in America. As a Jewish world traveller, Benjamin wrote a chronicle of his time inAmerica for his European fellows, describing life in the “New World.” In the secondvolume, he dedicated a chapter to his experience among the Mormons in Utah. Hecomments on various peculiarities of the people, but overall is favorable in hisimpressions. Having called upon, and being received that very evening by BrighamYoung, the current prophet and president of the Church (1862), he describes Young as“very friendly and courteous, particularly to Hebrews who are called by the sect, 'brother4445Brigham H. Roberts, General Conference, 1902, Church History Archives.H. Z. Sneersohn, Palestine and Roumania: A Description of the Holy Land, and The Past and PresentState of Roumania, and the Roumanian Jews (New York: Hebrew Orphan Asylum PrintingEstablishment, 1872), xv.17
Page 2 and 3: AcknowledgementsI am indebted to Pr
Page 4 and 5: Table of ContentsIntroduction - 1Ch
Page 6 and 7: elationship in any depth.In researc
Page 8 and 9: friendships with various Israeli le
Page 10 and 11: Joseph Smith taught that Latter-day
Page 12 and 13: Gentiles, and it will be again inha
Page 14 and 15: for their long suffering. Yet, he,
Page 16 and 17: focus on both the fulfillment of pr
Page 18 and 19: Smith and Brigham Young, as previou
Page 22 and 23: Jews.'” 46Benjamin further descri
Page 24 and 25: Chapter 2: Benson's Religious Leade
Page 26 and 27: audiences. The first, called, “Je
Page 28 and 29: Benson's sense of kinship for the J
Page 30 and 31: eturn of the Jews to the land of Pa
Page 32 and 33: general mention of his efforts at s
Page 34 and 35: Or perhaps it did not aid in his ap
Page 36 and 37: about Jews and Israel, throughout t
Page 38 and 39: and Peter Grose describe the frustr
Page 40 and 41: Israel's victory in the Six Day War
Page 42 and 43: the Messiah. Indeed, both Benson an
Page 44 and 45: those visits, as opposed to those o
Page 46 and 47: U.S. agricultural products on credi
Page 48 and 49: The American public, though divided
Page 50 and 51: States.” 133Indeed, a Gallup poll
Page 52 and 53: with Britain and France, for their
Page 54 and 55: many Americans that Israel was now,
Page 56 and 57: those experiences to give validity
Page 58 and 59: Benson, “I want you to pray to Go
Page 60 and 61: gathering. Some of those themes inc
Page 62 and 63: Ben Gurion and Levi Eshkol, both of
Page 64 and 65: sending “two Mormon Books,” and
Page 66 and 67: Yet Ben Gurion's next letter, dated
Page 68 and 69: on this occasion with Shimon Peres
Page 70 and 71:
cultivate land for crops in the 194
Page 72 and 73:
attitude in the Synagogue Light art
Page 74 and 75:
United States, his views on Israel
Page 76 and 77:
eminded the host that he had not be
Page 78 and 79:
Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
Page 80 and 81:
"Though Thy servant is now far from
Page 82 and 83:
BibliographyAlteras, Isaac. Eisenho
Page 84 and 85:
Madsen, Truman G. “Mormon Attitud
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