Posted by:
steve benson
(
)
Date: April 07, 2015 04:33PM
My grandfather ETB criticized me, via both personal phone call and letter, for cartoon-lampooning the Mormon Church during the Hofmann scandal, telling me to take it easy on the Church.
By way of background, in an episode that caused considerable consternation among the Mormon hierarchy, a skilled forgerer and document collector named Mark Hofmann attempted to alter the official version of the Church's beginnings by fabricating documents in which early Church leaders claimed a white salamander, not an angel, delivered the gold plates to Joseph Smith.
Before the forgery was unmasked, Mormon leaders, fearful the documents might actually be genuine, desperately attempted to buy them from Hofmann for tens of thousands of dollars, intending to hide them from the prying eyes of historians, the press and other perceived critics, not to mention Church members. Only when Hofmann, in a botched attempt to cover his tracks, blew up some Mormons, along with some of his own fingers, was the scheme discovered.
I drew a cartoon showing a stereotypical Mormon PR man, sporting a flat top and conservative business suit, on the phone to his secretary, wailing, "Mad bombers, white salamanders, forgeries, con men! Golly darn, Sister Jones, that does it! Get me a cup of coffee!"
My grandfather called my newspaper office, telling me directly and somberly that he had a cartoon in front of him that he wished to read aloud to me. After repeating the punch line, he paused dramatically and asked, "Why?" I was tempted to respond with a "Why not?" but thought better of it. Instead, I tried to explain that one of the best defenses in the face of criticism is an ability to laugh at oneself. My grandfather replied, "I still love you. Just go easy on us."
Here's what he then wrote me on official Church stationery regarding the same cartoon, reiterating the point he had first made in his phone call to me at my workplace:
"Dear Stephen:
"I still love you and encourage you to keep up the good work by pointing out by the cartoon method the evils of the day. I would just like to suggest that you go easy on the Church.
"The Lord bless you, my devoted grandson. I am proud of you. Love and blessings to all."
(Ezra Taft Benson, "Grandpa," to Stephen Benson, 7 November 1985)
The Hofmann-cartoon letter was the last personal piece of correspondence I received from my grandfather before he died nine years later. A few days after he penned it, he found himself the acting President of the Mormon Church, following the sudden death of Spencer W. Kimball. Omce under control of his handlers at the top of the Cult chain, I received no other personal correspondence from him.
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 04/07/2015 04:54PM by steve benson.