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

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Benson's sense of kinship for the Jews arose not only out of his empathy for theirsad history, but also out of a conviction that Mormons had “cosuffered with them.” 64Hebriefly recounts the much shorter narrative of repeated expulsion and persecution ofMormons in the United States before they trekked west in search of deliverance. He evenpoints out the similarities in topography between Palestine and the Great Basin in Utah,where the Saints settled. 65 Yet, he quickly emphasizes that Mormon interest in Jews is notbased solely on their cosuffering, but on their common heritage and destiny, which hereiterates often in his message. Summarizing his explanation of common suffering andheritage, Benson ends his message with an appeal to a passage from the Hebrew Bible,that “the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel.” 66One aspect of his “Message to Judah” to which Benson devotes a great deal oftime is the visit of Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde to Palestine in 1841. In fact, Bensonrecounted this visit on several other occasions as well, revealing it to be an event ofcentral importance in his understanding of the gathering of the Jewish people to theirhomeland. His 1950 address to the entire membership of the Church of Jesus Christ ofLatter-day Saints also contains a lengthy reference to Hyde's mission, as do his 1960Stake Conference remarks. In fact, all three texts contain many of the same elements.Despite 26 years separating the two major addresses, Benson's sentiments seem almostentirely unchanged, unlike many of his Christian counterparts whose support for theJewish State increased dramatically after 1967. Israel's victory in the Six Day War646566Benson, “Message to Judah,” 2.It is common for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to compare the Latter-daySaint exodus to Utah with the Israelite Exodus from Egypt – often citing not only their “Israelite”heritage, but also the similarity of the land in topography.Benson, “Message to Judah,” 12; Jeremiah 3:1824
convinced many Christians that God truly was with the Jews in Israel, and manyAmericans that Israel was a solid U.S. ally against encroaching Soviet power in theMiddle East. 67 Yet, Benson seems unaffected either by Israel's early socialist leanings, orby the 1967 War, and his messages remained remarkably similar, evidencing thecontinuity of his convictions and his efforts to disseminate them.Yet, the two speeches bear some important differences as well, in both content andpurpose. Elder Benson, as Apostle to the Church, in 1950, focuses on the Hyde'sprophetic call to dedicate the land of Palestine for the return of the Jews. He includeswithin this explanation the story of another emissary to Palestine 30 years later (1873),George A. Smith, who likewise dedicated the land for the return of the Jewish people, andemphasizes the promise that “the barrenness and sterility of the land would be removed,that springs of water would burst forth, that the land would become fruitful again.” 68This emphasis on the redemption of the land is another theme that reappears often inBenson's writings, especially as they relate to his work as Secretary of Agriculture. 69As noted, Benson's emphasis here seems to be on fulfillment not just of ancientprophecy, but of modern prophecy as well. He explains Hyde's belief that Great Britainwould play a prominent role in bringing the Jews back to their homeland, and thenasserts, “Almost immediately following the visit of George A. Smith to this land,organizations began to come into existence, the purpose of which was to sponsor the676869Michael Oren, Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present (New York:W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2007), 527.Benson, “Jews Return to Palestine,” 4While this theme clearly references his religious views, it will be addressed more specifically in thefollowing chapter.25
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 20 and 21: Smith, the members of the group “
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 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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