Faculty Mentor(s)
Dr. Gloria Tseng, History
Document Type
Poster
Event Date
4-12-2024
Abstract
Amid the Nazi persecution of various Christian sects, Heber J. Grant, the president and living prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS), declared to his congregation in Salt Lake City that Mormons in Germany were able to gather freely. The LDS Church has a long history of displaying its pro-Jewish beliefs, which should have made them natural enemies of the Third Reich. Yet, the Latter-Day Saints leadership, through a logical and carefully fostered survival strategy, offered legitimation to the Nazi state for the sake of self-preservation. From incorporating anti-Semitic references in LDS publications to excommunicating a young Church member who was beheaded by the Nazis for a protest, Church leaders constantly attempted to "buddy up" to Hitler's regime. Moreover, their collaboration did not grow out of ignorance of Nazi atrocities; in fact, it was in light of them that LDS leaders surrendered their deeply held Zionist beliefs for self-preservation. Through both public and private communications, Church leaders repeatedly demonstrated their awareness of Jewish suffering in Germany. This project examines the inconsistency between Mormon beliefs and Mormon policies in the Nazi era and argues that faith must lead to discernment and moral courage, even in the face of some of the most challenging circumstances in history. Unfortunately, despite their faith clearly pointing them against the Nazi regime, the Latter-Day Saints rendered unto Hitler, thereby contradicting their own professed beliefs.
Recommended Citation
Repository citation: Walker, Nick, "Render unto Hitler: Examining the Inconsistency between Mormon Beliefs and Mormon Policies in the Nazi Era" (2024). 23rd Annual A. Paul and Carol C. Schaap Celebration of Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity (2024). Paper 88.
https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/curca_23/88
April 12, 2024. Copyright © 2024 Hope College, Holland, Michigan.
