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Posted by: steve benson ( )
Date: September 10, 2012 09:11PM

PART 1

In another thread, RfM poster “ad42” requested information regarding Mormon Church sympathies and cooperation with the Nazis before and during World War II, saying that such information would be “very interesting”

(“Re: Never Heard of It,” posted by “ad42,” on “Recovery from Mormonism” bulletin board, 30 July 2012, at: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,584741,584747#msg-584747)


The ugly reality is that German Mormon leaders and their loyal, in-country Saints were sympathetic to and cooperative with the Nazis.

Purposely hidden from view by the Mormon Church for decades is the chilling and abhorrent fact that the Mormon Church actively encouraged German Latter-day Saints to stand by der Fuhrer.

Not only did many German Mormons do so, they did so enthusiastically. The evidence for this is clear, overwhelming, undeniable and unbelievable.

**Below are damning excerpts about pro-Nazi sympathies among World War II-era German Mormons, from Alan F. Keele and Douglas F. Tobler, “The Fuhrer’s New Clothes: Helmuth Huebner and the Mormons in the Third Reich,” in "Sunstone" magazine, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 20-29:

--"Hitler enjoyed at least as much popularity among German Saints as he did among the population in general. His apparent dynamism and self-confidence seemed to show a way out of the chaos and weakness of the Weimar years. Moreover, as ‘good Germans,' the Mormons were acutely aware that Hitler had risen to power through legal channels . . .

"Some Church members even saw Hitler as God’s instrument, preparing the world for the millennium. Superficial parallels were drawn between the Church and the Nazi party with its emphasis on active involvement by every member . . .

"The vital importance of ‘Aryan’ ancestry gave new significance to genealogical research. And the Fuhrer himself, the non-smoking, non-drinking vegetarian who yielded to no one in his desire for absolute law and order, seemed to embody many of the most basic LDS virtues."

--"Some Church members even saw Hitler as God's instrument, preparing the world for the millennium."

--"Superficial parallels were drawn between the Church and the Nazi Party, with its emphasis on active involvement by every member. The women's auxiliary of the Party and the Hitler Youth were regarded by some as secular equivalents to the Church's Relief Society, MIA, and the Scouting programs."

--". . . [S]ympathy [for some of the Nazi goals] was apparently shared by some members of the [Mormon] Church leadership. The Church's German magazine, 'Der Stern,' reminded its readers in 1935 that Senator Reed Smoot had long been a friend of Germany, and this attitude seemed to receive official sanction during President Grant's 1937 visit. The message to the German Saints was clear: Stay here. Keep the Commandments. Try to get along the best you can, even under some limitations. We want to keep the Church intact and the missionaries working.”

--"The German Saints were not eager for a confrontation with their national government and they were happy to follow President Grant's advice. By and large, the Mormons and the Nazis coexisted comfortably."

--"In their eagerness to coexist with the [Nazi] government, American officials of the German [Mormon] Church resorted to public relation efforts . . . Probably the clearest example of this tendency is an article by West German Mission President Alfred C. Rees entitled 'In the Land of the Mormons.' The article appeared in a special issue of the Nazi Party organ Der 'Volkische Beobachter' dated April 14, 1937.

"In the Editor's Preface to the article, President Rees is called 'the representative of the Church in Germany,' who 'paints for our readers a portrait of Mormonism today, a church which views the New Germany with sympathy and friendship.'

"Whether President Rees originally wrote the article in German or not, the language of the piece abounds in such loaded terms as Volk and Rasse (race), and a picture of Brigham Young bears the caption, 'Fuhrer der historischen Mormonenpioniere.' But the significance of these linguistic gaffes is magnified by hindsight. More disturbing is the way President Rees blatantly parallels Mormonism with Nazism.

"As Rees warms to his topic, Mormonism begins to sound like a fulfillment of Nazi teachings, providing 'the practical realization of the German ideal: "the common good takes precedence over the individual good."' Rees concluded by assuring his readers that 'Mormons are people who put this healthy doctrine into action.' Reading articles such as this, it would have been easy for a German Saint to mistakenly conclude that the seal of official Church approval had been placed on the Nazi regime."

--"[The Mormon] policy of appeasing the Nazis worked well until the war broke out. Despite the classification of Mormonism as a sect 'dangerous to the state . . .' according to Gestapo reports, the Church was not summarily dissolved as many others were. The missionaries remained; the Church continued. Even during the war, Mormon life was disrupted more by bombing raids, supply shortages, and travel restrictions than by official harassment. By and large, the German Saints lived through the Thousand-Year Reich much like the rest of their countrymen."
_____


**Next, a warning from a then-LDS writer and historian about the Mormon Church-owned "Deseret News" being regarded as a likely appeaser of Nazi Germany:

“If the 'Deseret News' is careful not to offend [Nazi] Germany, and I gather … that it is falling backwards on the attempt, it is my guess that first of all the Church is afraid of complete banishment.”

(Fawn M. Brodie to Dean Brimhall, 14 June 1939, Brimhall Papers, Special Collections, Marriott Library; the above citations are available at "Mormon Quotes: A Resources for All Those Investigating, Questioning and Abandoning the Doctrines and Leadership of the LDS Church," under the subhead "Nazi Germany," at: http://www.ils.unc.edu/~unsworth/mormon/nazi.html)
_____


**Further on Mormons and der Fuhrer, an excerpted synposis of the Nazi-era Mormon Church in Germany's attempts at cooperation and co-existence with the Jew-killing Third Reich, from (of all places) a pro-Mormon website:

"I just posted something on the Recovery board about the LDS Church in Nazi Germany. I found this information on a Swiss website dedicated to the Church in Switzerland mainly, but also the other German-speaking countries. It is a pro-LDS site, not anti.

"If you read German, you can read it yourself:

http://www.hlt.ch [*EDITOR'S NOTE: If this does not take you to the specified information, go to: http://www.hlt-zh.ch/chronik_1931-1940.htm and scroll down to "ab 1934"]

"Click on the title page
"Click on Kirchengeschichte
"Click on Geschichte der Kirche in der Schweiz
"Click on 1900-2000
"Click on 1931-1940
"scroll down to 1934. I can´t get a link to work directly to that page.

"If you don´t read German, I have translated it for you.

"REMEMBER, THIS IS A PRO-LDS WEBSITE - NOT AN ANTI SITE!

"----------------Translation -------------

"1931-1940

"The dark shadows of the Nazi regime in Germany began to grow larger and eventually settled on the [Mormon] Church with its organizations. On January 9, 1934 the Reich leadership forbid any further distribution of the brochure 'Divine Authority' within Reich borders. On May 1, 1934 the Reich youth leadership forbid all scouting organizations, including the Boy Scouts of the Church. In various areas of Germany the dissemination of religious materials was forbidden. On July 11,1935 in the city of Elbing the book 'Articles of Faith' by James E. Talmage was banned – all copies of the book in the city had to be burned.

"Brown Shirts were increasingly attending meetings of the Church in order to find out what doctrines were being preached there. Hymns in which 'Israel' is mentioned were forbidden and could no longer be sung. Church activities were in part seriously hindered or curtailed, and persecution of missionaries increased.

"The Church considers itself an adoptive part of the covenant people of the Lord, a branch grafted to the family tree of the House of Israel. This made it very difficult for the German members to deal with the new situation, resulting in a continual conflict of loyalty between religious conviction on the one hand, and loyalty to the State, as stated in the 12th Article of Faith, on the other.

"Mission president Philemon M. Kelly expressed it in his report for the year 1935 as follows: 'The adjustment to the Jewish Problem is cause for serious concern. The people are cautious in what they say, in order to avoid irritating the authorities.'

"The leaders of the Church tried to maintain good relations with the Reich government. The president of the East German Mission, Alfred C. Rees, accomplished a lot in this respect. On April 14, 1939 an article written by President Rees appeared in the 'Völkischen Beobachter' ('Nationalistic Observer'), the official Nazi newspaper. The article was without a doubt advantageous for the Church at the time, but when considered today, it contains passages which are both shocking and shameful.

"The degree to which the Church was identifying itself more and more with the Nazis went too far even for the Party. When the previously mentioned article by Rees was published as a brochure, with a swastika prominently displayed along with the name of the Church, the brochures had to be recalled, because the Party was against having the Church´s printed materials appear with a swastika. The Party took offense, because someone could have thought that the Party was approving of some American religious sect.

"This at times almost over-eager approach to adjust to the Nazi regime caused the Church in Germany to be criticized by some, certainly not without justification. . . .

"Most of the members tried to adjust to the situation somehow. However, there were LDS members who were ardent members of the National Socialist Party (and not just in Germany and Austria).

"The following comes from a letter from Max Zimmer, which appeared in the the Deseret News on November 24, 1945:

"'Paul Kayser proved to be a true father of the Saints in Alsace. In the first two years of the German occupation he had a difficult time as the branch president in Strassburg, because many of the presiding brethren were 100% Nazis who tried, during their visits to the branch, to preach National Socialism instead of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Saints were admonished, both at home and in church meetings, to pray for the Fuhrer, and to consider him called of God. They said Hitler would prepare the world for the United Order.'

"'These brethren must have said some very stupid things, and the members did not always know what the Church´s actual stand was. Many had the impression, that we as a Church were in favor of National Socialism.

"They tried to reconcile the Nazi salute with the teachings of the Church, and to prove that the Nazi Party was organized according to the way the Church was organized.

"They said that the Fuhrer was like the president of the Church, and we should obey him. The SS was compared with the Melchisedek priesthood, and the SA (brownshirts) with the Aaronic priesthood.

"The Gau leaders were compared with stake presidents, district and neighborhood leaders with home teachers, etc. It was good that Brother Kayser was there. He did not let himself get converted to National Socialism, but rather held to the iron rod and finally was able to get the brethren to leave him alone and let him lead his branch in the right way.'

"Some members were in open opposition to Hitler and his followers. During the year 1941, four young members of the Church were arrested in Hamburg for high treason. They had decided to print and distribute to the public pamphlets with information that they had heard from British radio broadcasts.

"Helmuth Huebner designed pamphlets with titles like 'What happened to General Schoemer, the army commander in Serbia?.' 'Hitler, the Murderer,' and 'The Hitler Youth which we must join.' He and his friends put them in mailboxes, in telephone booths and even posted them on the offical Party bulletin boards. The four of them were tried at the federal court in Berlin. Helmuth Huebner, also known as Helmuth Gudat, was sentenced to death and beheaded by guillotine in the Berlin-Ploetzensee prison. Rudolf Wobbe was sentenced to 10 years, Karl-Heinz Schnibbe to 5 years, and Gerhard Duwer to 4 years in prison. Brother Huebner demonstrasted in these fateful days remarkable courage and wrote in a very moving letter to his family: 'I only have 2 hours left. Then I must appear before my God.'

"Under pressure from the Party, Brother Huebner was excommunicated from the Church (the Huebner case cased the Church in Hamburg serious distress, because Brother Huebner had used the Church-owned office equipment to create and print his pamphlets.) Huebner´s excommunication was rescinded by the First Presidency on January 24, 1948 - he was restored to full fellowship in the Church."

"-----------------End of Translation -----------

"I thought you guys might find this interesting. I will just leave it with no comment at the moment."

("The Church in Nazi Germany," posted by "Jiggs Casey," on "New Order Mormon," 15 August 2001, 11:54 a.m., original emphasis, at: http://forum.newordermormon.org/viewtopic.php?p=187&sid=92b83b81d095b0d0de)
_____


**More, from a website examining the special ties between "Fundamentalist Mormonism" and the doctrines of the Nazis' Third Reich:

"While other Christian sects such as the Jehovah's Witnesses were being exterminated along with Jews, the Mormon Church (with its Aryan theology) enjoyed full participation with the Nazi Third Reich. . . .

"Hitler was 'baptized' by Mormons on September 30, 1993, and 'endowed' on April 27, 1994, in the Jordan River Temple, Utah.

"Eva Anna Paula Braun, born in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, on February 7, 1912, was 'baptized' by Mormons on October 16, 1964, and 'endowed' on February 5, 1965, in the Los Angeles Temple. She had been 'sealed' to her parents some time prior to 1970.

("The Strange Relationship Between [Fundamentalist] Mormonism and the Third Reich," 22 October 2009)
_____


**Here, a detailed and critical article by Gerlinde Kenkel, entitled "Mormons in Nazi-Germany," contains many examples of Mormon sympathy toward and cooperation with the Nazis. Those provided in the following selections from this internet summation are corrected for spelling and grammar, given that the author does not appear to utilize English as a native tongue:

"Hitler comes to power

". . . [O]n the 31st of January, 1933 when [Germany's new parliament was elected, [something] happened that what nobody had counted on: The NSDAP became the strongest party, and had gained the absolute majority.

"Immediately churches and institutions sent their letters to Hitler, and insured him their devotion. . . .

"And the Mormons?

"They were completely excited, because many Mormons saw Hitler as a pioneer for Jesus Christ, a preparer of the millenium, and the united order, and some of them entered into the party, and went even to the SS. . . .

"Quickly the Mormons got used to the new rulers. In contrast to Jehovah witnesses and many other sects which were soon pursued after the assumption of power of Hitler, Mormons experienced a relative rest. Their boy scout's organizations continued to exist, and were one of the last youth organizations who were forbidden in March, 1[9]34.

"Missionaries of the Mormons were able, like their mission presidents, unhindered [in their] travel, and many expressed themselves more than positively about the NSDAP and Hitler.

"According to rumors, [the Mormon Church] became the church of the NSDAP and the imperial security main office (leader was Adolf Eichmann) in two cases protected [it] against verbal attacks of priests. These and similar rumors c[a]me from simple members; who] were surprised about the privileged position of the church. . . .

"Some Mormons from this time told me [with] full pride when I was still an active church member (before my excommunication in 1992); that the Nazis 'stew Sunday' . . . came from the Mormons (as a weakened form of Fast Sunday); and also from the co-operation of the [Mormon] Church with the construction of genealogical places [for] the Nazi party.

"Missionaries were used to train the German national team in basketball, so that the German team had with it better chances with the Olympic Games in 1936. In addition [according to] one of my sources, Roy Welker’s [German mission president] legion of young missionaries also practiced basketball diplomacy in Hitler’s Germany. . . .

"When [LDS] missionaries played a series of exhibitions against several German army teams in the mid-1930s, Reich sports officials asked the Mormons to help prepare the German team. Not only did they eagerly undertake that assignment, but records of the German-Austrian mission indicate that four missionaries 'officiated' the games (Scharff s 1970, 86).

"A subsequent conversation with one of those missionaries reveals that the young Mormons served as official scorers for the Olympic basketball games (Merrill 2001, 1).

"In early 1936, only one month after American Jewish groups led a well-publicized but unsuccessful drive for an American boycott of the Hitler Olympics, the Mormon church-owned 'Salt Lake City' daily newspaper, the 'Deseret News,' ran a six-column picture of the German team giving the Hitler salute.

"When the Welkers returned home in 1937, one of Roy’s first official duties was [to give] an address to the semi-annual LDS General Conference, a two-day faith-promoting convocation in Salt Lake City. The recently-replaced mission president said: 'Nazi dislike of Jews and hatred of communism are at the root of most propaganda against that nation.'

"In Germany, Herr Hitler . . . sought the services of the [Mormon] Elders to teach basketball to the team he hoped would achieve a Nordic victory at the Olympic Games to be held this year in Berlin. (Bennon 1936, 1, 6). . . .

"In 1937 the leading editor of the (Völkische Beobachter" ('National Observer') asked the mission president of the West German mission, Alfred C. Rees, at that time, if he would like to write an article about the history of the Mormons. This article appeared in the mentioned newspaper on the 14th of April, 1937, and was reprinted later than as pamphlet, and was distributed by missionaris (till the Word War II was started in September 1939).

"Two years before, the German . . . magazine, “DER STERN” reported about the travelings of US-Senator Reed Smoot (also a member of the LDS [Church]), and described him as a 'good friend of the German people.' . . .

"Most Mormons behaved like most Germans: See nothing that happened around me. There were Mormons who converted from the Judaism. There were cases where these members were betrayed by their fanatic brothers and sisters to the Gestapo or the SS. . . .

"Some Nazi emigrates to Utah

"Germany had lost the World War II. Four victorious powers determined . . . the destiny of Germany which had been to blame for Germany itself. Germany lay like a helpless patient on the ground. The victorious powers made German residents look at the concentration camps in their nearness, and they saw many crimes which were committed in the name of the German nation.

"Now many [who] had believed in the ideology of the Nazis had the choice: to admit to having been wrong, or to deny everything [in being] involved in any form in it.

"The Germans who were valid as unloaded received a "Persilschein" (a de-Nazification certificate. 'Persil' was the name of a detergent, . . . thus [making it] clear that the owner of the passport was 'whitewashed').

"Many Mormons in the Nazi party . . . received such a document . . . . This happened everywhere in Germany, in all churches and political organizations.

"[Those] who had such a 'Persilschein,' could open a business, had no occupational ban, and could even leave or emigrate from Germany.

"Some . . . Mormons . . . every now and then even [those who had been] in the SS . . . emigrated thus [to] the USA. . . . The following case is an example of many [German] Mormons . . . [who] found in Utah a new native country. Nevertheless, . . . in this case . . . the man [involved] was excommunicated because he wanted to stick to the polygamy, and died a violent death.

"I found this [on] a internet page about the history of Utah:

“'. . . [John] Singer was born to German immigrants. Singer's father, Hans, was part of the Nazi movement, and as Hitler and the Nazi movement rose in power, he moved his family back to Dresden in 1932. '

"Singer's mother's religious preference was Mormon; therefore, his childhood was filled with conflict because his father forbade his mother to practice or teach her religious beliefs. . . .

"'Singer and his brother Harold were part of the Hitler Youth. Singer's father was drafted in 1940 and, before leaving, enrolled his sons in a school run by the Schutz Staffeln (SS).. . . .

"'His parents divorced in 1945 and Singer emigrated to the United States. . . .

"'John Singer was buried in the Marion cemetery on 22 January 1979.' [see "John Singer," by Kelsey Weinriter, "Utah History Encyclopedia," at: http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/s/SINGER,JOHN.html]


"Singer was a member of the SS. What did the SS [do] in Hitler's Germany?

"Here [is] a quote from 'Wikipedia':

"The Schutzstaffel('Protection Squadron'), abbreviated SS--or Runic "SS" (Runic)--was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. The SS grew from a small paramilitary unit to a powerful force that served as the Führer's 'Praetorian Guard,' the Nazi Party's 'Shield Squadron' and a force that, fielding almost a million men (both on the front lines and as political police), managed to exert as much political influence in the Third Reich as the Wehrmacht,Germany's regular armed forces.

"Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS, under Heinrich Himmler's command, was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Nazis during World War II, and most of the particularly egregious ones.

" . . . According to the Nuremberg Trials, as well as countless war crimes investigations and trials conducted over the past sixty years, the SS was responsible for the vast majority of war crimes perpetrated under the Nazi regime; in particular, it was the primary organization which carried out the Holocaust.

"'As part of its race-centric functions, the SS oversaw the isolation and displacement of Jews from the populations of the conquered territories, seizing their assets and transporting them to concentration camps and ghettos where they would be used as slave labor (pending extermination) or immediately killed.'

"The SS was a criminal organization [whose members] were sentenced in the Nüremberg trials . . . rightly because of genocide and other war crimes.

"And thus could settled in Utah as a Mormon.

"Neither the state government controlled by Mormons, nor the Mormon church [was] concerned . . . that Singer was a member of the SS. Only when he wanted to live polygamy and had other problems with state and church power, did they intervene: [Singer was] excommunicated and an attempted arrest was made on [him]. Because he opposed, he was shot.

"By the way, even Helmuth Zander, the branch president of Helmuth Hübener, emigrated to Utah (1952), and he was scared that the B´nai B´rith [would find] him, kidnap him [and take him] to Israel. He worked 19 years of his . . . life in Salt Lake City for the [Mormon] church . . .

"These are only two of several cases where Mormons which were also in the NSDAP, yes, even in the SS, found a new native country in Utah under the wings of the Mormon church."

("About Mormons in Nazi Germany," posted by "Witch of Hope," on "The Ex-Mormon Forums: Think, Question, Research, Discuss, Recover," 6 April 2010, at: http://www.exmormonforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=3078&sid=25ea132e1791f86214c45dbe9f309228)


The paper cited above concludes with this summation by its author (also corrected for spelling and grammar):

"My investigations have proved [that there was] no opposition [to the Nazis from the] Mormon side, [with the] exceptions [that] took place place in the time of 1933-1945, like the Hubener group.

"Mormons in Germany . . . held, like most other churches [silent], rather . . . than oppose [the Nazis]. [Mormons were] quiet instead of saying something. [Mormons] often cheered . . . Hitler and . . . his party, and saw him [as] the 'fulfillment' of (Mormon) prophecies.

"And when the war came to an end, German Nazis who were also Mormons found in the USA--above all, in Utah--a new native country; whether with or without the knowledge and cooperation of the official church [still] isn't clear.

"And Hitler was baptized several times in the [Mormon[ temple.

". . . [M]any Mormons were and [are] rather anti-communist and rather fascistic, [in] my subjective opinion . . . .

"The [Mormon] church today tries to be quiet about this dark chapter of their German church history. In addition . . . they excommunicated Helmuth Hubener then, because of the bad publicity, took this back . . . .

"I have a many problems [with how] the [Mormon] church writes about this time: play down, edge out and cover up facts instead of naming [its] own failures and pulling consequences for the future from it.

"But I think this will be [an] impossibility for the LDS leaders . . . . They are only one of many churches and NOT the 'true church'!"

(For the entire paper in read-only pdf format, see: http://files.homepagemodules.de/b25663/f13t3031p3133469n1.pdf)
_____


**Additionally, Professor Christine E. King of Staffordshire University wrote of German LDS support of the Third Reich, both before and during World War II:

“'German Mormons were encouraged to bear arms for their country and to pray for her victory.' The [Mormon] church said they were fighting, not British and American Mormon brethren, but government representatives. 'Such a distinction, although transparent, served to salve the moral and religious doubts of German Mormons.'

"When Hitler seized power, the Mormon policy of wholehearted support continued. 'The Nazis met no resistance or evidence of criticism from the Mormon church,' wrote Dr. King. Mormon stress on racial purity and patriotism served the church well, and to many Mormons, 'The links between their faith and the politics of the Third Reich were clear.'

"When several Mormons dared to defy Hitler, they received no backing from Mormon officials. 'The church was patriotic and loyal and decried any attack on the Nazi government.' The church even excommunicated one dissident posthumously after the Nazis had executed him."

("Why Didn't The Mormons Resist the Nazis?," posted by "Greek Olive," at: http://malaysia.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100702002401AActX5S)
_____


**Finally, one observer's description of the Mormon Church's sorry track record on Nazism in Germany:

"Faced with reports of violence toward Jews in Nazi Germany, 'the Mormon Church did almost nothing,' says 'The Salt Lake Tribune.' Some Mormons, along with members of other churches, 'were entranced by Hitler and his message of racial purity, and there were those who thought they were obeying their church’s teaching to honor state leaders.'

"During the Holocaust the German sector of the Mormons 'did what most of the churches did; the leaders went along,' said Professor Franklin Littell of Temple University, Philadelphia.

"Douglas Tobler, professor of history at Brigham Young University, wants to examine 'the church’s failure to take an institutional stand against Nazism,' the paper said.

"Interestingly, the 'Tribune' observed that historian John S. Conway, of the University of British Columbia, Canada, said that the only religious organization that absolutely refused to follow the Nazis was Jehovah’s Witnesses. He added that for this more than half were sent to concentration camps.

"It is true that Mormons in the United States and Britain fought against Nazism. But not so in Germany itself. The book 'The Nazi State and the New Religions,' by historian Christine King, vice-chancellor of Staffordshire University in England, reports:

“'Mormons joined the armed services and there were six hundred Mormons in the German army by 1940. . . . Mormons continued to stress the "parallel goals" of Mormonism and National Socialism. Some Mormon leaders began to instruct their congregations in elements of National Socialism, conducting prayers for the Führer, speaking of him as "divinely called." There are only two reported cases of Mormons offering resistance to the Nazis.'"

("Resolved Question: Why Did the Mormons and Nazis Get On So Well?," at: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080602215955AAMElPH)

******


There you have it, from the annals of its own history.

Welcome, brothers and sisters, to Mormonism: The One and Only True Nazi Church on the Face of the Earth (otherwise known as the Restored Goebbels of Jesus Christ).


But wait! Leave it to Latter-day Liars for the Lord to attempt a soft-sell spin of history in a frantic effort to downplay, rationalize and deny the historical reality of overt, Church-backed German Mormon sympathy and support for the Nazis during the rise and reign of the Third Reich.

To add insult the injury, they sickeningly claim that the alleged righteous behavior of German Mormons during the Hitler era has actually led to advancing the work of the Lord on Hitler's turf.

Reading this is hard to stomach but here we go:

"In the 1930s the Nazis rose to power in Germany, and for a time, the Mormons in Germany remained cautious, but still participated in the civic life of Germany.

"Mormon missionaries were even asked to help coach German basketball players in preparation for the 1936 Olympics to be held in Germany. More unfortunately, the Nazis seized Mormon genealogical records to help them determine who had Jewish ancestry.

"Mormonism teaches that God deserves our highest loyalty, but also encourages its members to be active in their communities and to seek to do good in them. A few Mormons joined the Nazi party, though the vast majority did not, and the few Mormons who did join were only low ranking officers.

"A few rumors have circulated that Mormons colluded with the Nazis or that the Nazis based their youth programs on the Mormon youth programs. None of these is true, but because Mormons tried to be good citizens, the Mormon Church was the only 'foreign' church allowed to continue meeting regularly and publicly during the Third Reich. With 12,000 Mormons living under Nazi rule, it was inevitable that there should be problems, but over all the Mormons’ reactions to the Nazis paralleled that of most other groups.

"By the mid 1930s more and more freedoms were taken away, and the Mormons and the Church leadership in America became more alarmed. The Church’s youth programs and children’s programs were suspended by the Government, and Mormon youth were required to join the Hitler Youth. All references to Zion and Israel, which occur frequently in Mormon scriptures and hymns, were banned. Most Mormons had their homes searched, and any book that mentioned Israel was confiscated.

"In 1937 President Heber J. Grant, the Prophet and President of the Mormon Church, visited Germany. He reassured the Mormons that they should remain in Germany and build up the Church there. He promised them safety if they lived righteously.

"Because of missionary success, Germany was divided into two missions during this visit, West Germany and East Germany, headquartered in Frankfurt and Berlin respectively. He also told the members that they would have to learn to be independent, and that they would have to bear much of the responsibility for the missionary work.

"In August of 1939, only one week before Hitler invaded Poland, all 150 foreign missionaries were withdrawn from Germany, and the members took over all the work. Joseph Fielding Smith, an Apostle and future President of the Church, prophesied that all Mormon missionaries would escape Poland and Czechoslovakia without injury and that the war would not start until they were all out. The last Mormon missionaries left Eastern Europe on August 31, 1939. Hitler’s army invaded Poland the very next day.

"There are many stories of miraculous escapes and rescues as the Mormon missionaries fled from the oncoming Nazi Army.

"During World War II, only the Lutheran, Catholic, and Mormon Churches were allowed to remain open, although meetings of the Mormon Church were watched by SS officers, and the Gestapo routinely interrogated all Mormon leaders.

"In desperation, the Mormons in Germany quoted the Twelfth Article of Faith, which says that Mormons seek to be loyal citizens. Tens of thousands of Mormons were drawn into this conflict on every side of the war. The Church was affected worldwide, but the Prophet, Heber J. Grant, counseled the members to help one another in enduring the conflict and to stick together. Mormons in Germany for the most part remained safe, though some died as soldiers in the war.

"One incident in Munich (München), however, caused a great stir.

"Helmuth Hübener was born on January 8, 1925, in Hamburg. His grandparents and parents had been members of the Mormon Church. He was raised in the Church and was a Boy Scout, until the Nazis disbanded it and forced every young person to join the Hitler Youth. He hated the Hitler Youth, but was forced to attend.

"In the late 1930s, he was appalled by the treatment of the Jews, even among members of the Church who, for fear of their lives, barred people of Jewish descent from attending Church services. This appalled him, and he openly opposed such behavior.

"Hübener finished middle school in 1941 and started his apprenticeship at the Hamburg Sozialbehörde. While there, some friends introduced him to radio, and he began listening to the BBC. An incredibly bright and capable boy, Hübener and two friends from Church, Rudolf Wobbe and Karl-Heinz Schnibbe, listened to the BBC and began translating the broadcasts and composing anti-Nazi leaflets. The leaflets specifically attacked Hitler, Goebbel, and other high ranking officials. They attacked the war and pointed out the brainwashing effects of the Hitler Youth. They went through Hamburg at night delivering the pamphlets into mail boxes, pinning them on walls or leaving them in public places. Altogether they printed 60 different pamphlets attacking the Nazis.

"In February 1942, while only 17 years old, he was arrested by the Gestapo while translating his pamphlets into French to give to prisoners of war. On August 11, 1942, he was tried before the Volksgerichtshof in Berlin. He was beheaded on October 27 at Ploetzensee prison, the youngest person ever tried and executed by the Nazis. Schnibbe and Wobbe were arrested and imprisoned.

"Hübener’s family and even the arresting officer had begged for mercy, but the court ruled that Hübener had proven himself to be as intelligent as an adult and capable of much harm.

"Today in Hamburg a youth center and street are named after him. Wobbe and Schnibbe were eventually freed from the prison camps by the Allied soldiers. Schnibbe is still alive and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, though he spent many difficult years as a prisoner in Russia.

"The members of Hübener’s congregation in Hamburg feared for their own lives, as the Gestapo investigated them all.

"In an effort to save their lives, the local Bishop excommunicated Hübener and disavowed his actions. This spared the lives of the members; however, since Church policy says that no member can be excommunicated without being present, the ruling was overturned after Hübener’s death.

"While it might be easy to criticize the actions of the members of his congregation for lacking bravery in standing up with the brave Hübener, it is important to remember that they had families and children to protect. It would have been noble to stand up to the atrocities occurring, but they can hardly be blamed for seeking to save their families.

"Today, Hübener is honored as one of the greatest Mormons in Germany history, honored by Mormons and non-Mormons alike. Books and documentaries have been made about his life and numerous things have been named in his honor.

"Other Mormons in Germany faced difficulties, too. One Mormon officer, Walter Krause, refused to execute prisoners of war, an act he viewed as murder. Faced with military discipline, a friendly senior officer who respected Krause helped him get reassigned to be the company chef, a demotion. He accepted.

"45 Million peopled died in World War II worldwide, but miraculously, only 600 of the more than 12,000 German Mormons died, and virtually all of those casualties came during the bombing of Hamburg by Allied planes in 1943.

"However, more than 600 joined the Church during the war and so the Mormon Church actually grew in Germany during World War II. Heber J. Grant’s prophesy had come true."

("Mormonism in Germany," filed under "European Saints, Special Topics," by "admin," 8 July 2008, at: http://historyofmormonism.com/40/mormonism-in-germany)

Gag.

Welcome, once more, to the concentration camp of Mormonism--what excommunicated Mormon historian D. Michael Quinn called "The Auschwitz of the Mind"--where its loyal guards specialize in mass extermination of the truth.

(D. Micahel Quinn, “On Being a Mormon Historian (And Its Aftermath),” in George D. Smith, ed., "Faithful History: Essays on Writing Mormon History" [Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 1992], pp. 91-95).
_____


To lay to rest the rationalizing. revisionist LDS myth that German Mormons in the World War II era were strongly opposed to the Nazi regime, review the following (kindly provided/cited by RfM poster "atheist&happy" in a previous thread):

"In November, 1938, the Nazis unleashed their most brutal attack on the Jews up to that time. In response to American criticism in the aftermath of Kristallnacht, the 'Völkischer Beobachter' published an article entitled, 'The State within a State: An American Parallel to the Jewish Question in Germany.'

"The column, addressed to 'fair–minded Americans,' compared Nazi treatment of the Jews to the official handling of the “Mormon question' in Missouri and Illinois during thenineteenth century. Both Mormons and the Jews, the writer claimed, were enemies of mankind.

"The article outraged Alfred Rees who was the president of the newly formed East German mission. Rees, who believed that his purpose was to work with government officials, had been making contacts with influential Nazi organizations since he arrived in Berlin.

"As early as November, 1937, he had established a relationship with 'a certain influential agency,' most likely the Propaganda Ministry. At the time, Rees believed that he had struck a 'secret deal' with the Ministry in which the press would refrain from publishing unfavorable articles about the Latter–day Saints.

"In return, Rees agreed to write 'positive' articles about Germany for the American press. Although Rees believed that he had bested the Propaganda Ministry, he did not realize that Goebbel’s Ministry had been making quid pro quo agreements with other denominations in exchange for favorable public relations abroad. Furthermore, on 19 April 1939 Rees published an article on Mormonism inthe 'Völkischer Beobachter.'

"Rees, in his article entitled, 'In the Land of the Mormons,' favorably compared Mormonism and Nazism and emphasized doctrinal similarities. He also suggested that common experience gave Mormonism a unique understanding of the 'new Germany,' especially its grievancesresulting from World War I. Rees asserted 'to a student of Mormonism, recent developments in Germany present a most impressive study.' He mentioned J. Reuben Clark, no doubt, reminding the Nazis of Clark’s Efforts to relieve the financial situation in Germany as president of the Foreign Bondholders’ Association.

"Rees concluded that Mormons exhibited the 'application of the German ideal: Community welfare before personal welfare,' an allusion to Point 24 of the Nazi Party program of putting 'common interests before self–interest.'

"Rees believed that the article would help the Mormon cause in Germany and even had it published in pamphlet form for missionaryuse. Douglas Wood of the West German mission, however, opposedthe article and objected to Rees’ 'friendly relationship' with the Nazis. Wood refused to distribute the tract in the West German mission arguing that it linked Mormonism too closely to National Socialism. Ultimately, it was Nazis who restricted distribution of the tract becausethe swastika on the front cover implied Party sanction of an American denomination.

"While Rees intended to spread the Mormon message and to provide safety for the 8,000–9,000 Mormons living in the East German mission, he underestimated the ruthlessness of the Nazis and overestimated his ability to deal with them. Rees, rather than help the
Mormon cause with the publication of his article in the 'Völkischer Beobachter,' unwittingly tied his religion to the pagan cult of National Socialism."
_____


According to an article by Newell G. Bringhusrt, "Fawn Brodie and Her Quest for Independence," similar letters may have been written all over Germany:

"His [Rees'] article, 'In the Land of the Mormons,' was published in the NaziParty's propaganda sheet, the 'Volkischer Beobachter.' Brodie, made aware of this controversial development by family members close to the scene, was further distressed to learn that 'Rees has encouraged all of the missionaries to write [similar] articles for the local [German] newspapers. "and her comment on LD$ anti-Semitism:

"She also attributed Latter-day Saint evasiveness to 'the latent anti-Semitism which exists in every area as provincial as Utah and which is not Dispelled by the Church doctrine that we are all of the 'blood of Israel.'"

“Latter-day Saint activity in Nazi Germany during the late 1930s further alienated her. Brodie's reaction had a familial aspect, due in part to her immediate family's 'quasi-German heritage.' Thomas E. McKay had served two Church missions in Germany: the first during the 1890s and the second just before World War I, when still unmarried and in his mid-thirties, he was called as president of the Swiss-German mission. Indeed, it was during his second mission in Germany that he met his future wife, Fawn Brimhall. She had been vacationing in Europe and had stopped off in Germany to visit her missionary brother Dean, who then introduced his sister to Thomas McKay. In the late 1930s, Brodie's younger brother, Thomas B. McKay, was also called as a missionary to Germany, and shortly thereafter the Church dispatched her father to Switzerland to serve first as president of the Swiss-German mission and then as president of the Swiss-Austrian mission. The elder McKay's jurisdiction eventually came to include Church affairs not only in Germany but elsewhere on the continent.

"Fawn Brodie, therefore, had more than a passing interest in pre-war Nazi Germany. The Church's position there had become increasingly precarious as Nazi officials placed more and more restrictions on Church activities. Alfred C. Rees, mission president for eastern Germany, attempted to ease the situation by currying favor with Nazi officials. In early 1939 he wrote an article describing those features within Mormonism he thought would appeal to Germans. His article, 'In the Land of the Mormons,' was published in the Nazi Party's propaganda sheet, the 'Volkischer Beobachter.' Brodie, made aware of this controversial development by family members close to the scene, was further distressed to learn that 'Rees has encouraged all of the missionaries to write [similar] articles for the local [German] newspapers.' In a 14 June 1939 letter to Dean Brimhall, Fawn commented on the semi-official Church position vis-a-vis the general German situation: 'If the Deseret News is careful not to offend Germany, and I gather from your statements that it is falling over backwards on the attempt, it is my guess that first of all the Church is afraid of complete banishment.'

"Brodie continued in this same letter to comment on the critical situation of German-Jewish refugees as Nazi persecution intensified during the late 1930s. The Church, she complained, did not confront this issue editorially in the Deseret News and thus appeared oblivious to its moral dimensions. Although Brodie was also sensitive to the difficulty of the Mormon position, noting that 'the Church [in Germany] can ill afford persecution at this moment.' she also attributed Latter-day Saint evasiveness to the latent anti-Semitism which exists in every area as provincial as Utah and which is not dispelled by the Church doctrine that we are all of the "blood of Israel.'" She ended the letter with a touch of ironic sarcasm: 'I can just hear the good brethren . . . at home saying —"'of course the persecution of the Jews is terrible but God moves in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform."'

"On this issue Brodie once again reflected her own ambivalence. On the one hand, she was very aware of the Church's quandary in Nazi Germany--difficulties that directly involved her immediate family. But, at the same time, she was indignant at what she perceived as Latter-day Saint indifference to the German persecution of the Jews--an issue that assumed particular relevance by virtue of her marriage to Bernard."

(Steve Carter, "The Rise of the Nazi Dictatorship and Its Relationship with the Mormon Church in Germany, 1933-1939," in "International Journal of Mormon Studies," Volume 3, Spring 2010, at: http://www.ijmsonline.org/index.php/IJMS/article/viewFile/50/120 ; Alfred C. Rees, “In The Land of the Mormons,” translation of illustrated article originally published in "Völkischer Beobachter," Berlin, Germany, 14 April 1939, also at Carter: http://www.ijmsonline.org/index.php/IJMS/article/viewFile/50/120 ; and Newell G. Bringhurst, "Fawn Brodie and Her Quest for Independence," at: http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V22N02_81.pdf)

*****

(Part 2 follows in this thread)



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2012 09:54PM by steve benson.

Options: ReplyQuote
Posted by: steve benson ( )
Date: September 10, 2012 09:12PM

PART 2

In another thread, RfM poster “ad42” requested information regarding Mormon Church sympathies and cooperation with the Nazis before and during World War II, saying that such information would be “very interesting”

(“Re: Never Heard of It,” posted by “ad42,” on “Recovery from Mormonism” bulletin board, 30 July 2012, at: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,584741,584747#msg-58474


An examination of LDS Church history the LDS apologists would prefer remain hidden reveals strong Mormon endorsement (through its own publications) of Hitler and the Nazis

**Below are examples of the LDS-owned "Church News" and "Deseret News," etc., going on record endorsing the "inspired" Adolf Hitler on the Word of Wisdom; anti-Jewish genealogical research; the Nazi straight-arm salute and organization; plus several LDS Church member compliments of der Fuherer.
_____


--Glowing Nazi-era LDS Church news articles and publications trumpeting the "positives" of Hitler and Nazism;

--Enthusiastic endorsements of Hitler from Mormon missionaries and members alike;

--LDS mission president orders that Mormons refrain from criticizing the Nazis; and

--Modern-day mealy-mouth Mormon rationlizations for LDS compliance and cooperation with the Nazis.

Together, they speak disgustingly for themselves:

"Dec 9,1933 - [Less than a year after Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany,] 'Church News' article 'Mormonism in The New Germany,' enthusiastically emphasizes parallels 'between the LDS Church and some of the ideas and policies of the National Socialists.' First, Nazis have introduced 'Fast Sunday.' Second, 'it is a very well known fact that Hitler observes a form of living which Mormons term the Word of Wisdom. Finally, due to the importance given to the racial question by Nazis and the almost necessity of proving that one's grandmother was not a Jewess, there no longer is resistance against genealogical research by German Mormons who now have received letters of encouragement complimenting them for their patriotism.'

"Jan 25,1936 - 'Church News' Section photograph of LDS basketball team in Germany giving 'Sieg Heil' salute of Nazi Party."

("Great Moments in Mormon History," at: http://www.i4m.com/think/history/mormon_history.htm ; to view the actual photograph as it appeared in the Mormon-owned "Deseret News," see: "The 'Deseret News' - Jan 25, 1936," scrolling to p. 17, at: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Aul-kAQHnToC&dat=19360125&printsec=frontpage
_____


Below are stunning and disturbing excerpts from the LDS Church News" article authored by Dale Clark, "Mormonism in the New Germany":

"The rise of the Hitler movement in Germany caused a great many to fear that religious activity and missionary work would meet with disastrous opposition. Since the National Socialist party have come to power a few sects have been prohibited or restricted, but activities in the 'Mormon' church have been carried on about the same as before. As a matter of fact, a number of interesting parallels can be seen between the church and some of the ideas and policies of the National Socialists.

"A friend of the church in Danzig tells of how a number of his Nazi friends were trying to high-pressure him into getting on the band wagon under the Swastika. Their trump card to show the originality and political genius of the Hitler party was the brilliant method they have undertaken to put over the charity drive for this winter. To them it was phenomenal; to the friend, however, it was just another application of the effective method that has been in use in the 'Mormon' church for decades. The Nazis have introduced 'Fast Sunday.'

"On the first Sunday of October two missionaries, having had nothing to eat for a day, rushed down to their regular eating place in high expectation for the unusually juicy 'Wiener Schnitzel' they expected to get. What they got was a little bowl of cold gruel with a little dumpling. This was German Fast day. On this day a meal consisting of a one bowl portion is all that is to be eaten and the price of a meal is expected to be donated to the winter charity fund. It is a well organized campaign. It is designed not only to alleviate the acute poverty, but it has the important purpose of developing that spirit of sacrifice that is so being stressed in the new Germany, and also of creating more of a feeling of unity and brotherhood through voluntary mutual help. Someone in each apartment is delegated to collect the money and turn it over to the authorities.

"There is another noticeable trend in the 'Mormon' direction. It is a very well known fact that Hitler observes a form of living which 'Mormons' term the 'Word of Wisdom.' He will not take alcohol, does not smoke, and is very strict about his diet, insisting on plain and wholesome foods, largely vegetarian.

"As a specimen of physical endurance Hitler can easily take his place along side the athletes who are usually taken as classic examples. His 14-year struggle which brought him the power in Germany put him to a terrific physical strain. Besides the great responsibility there has been trials and conflict, and campaigning so strenuous that it has required the attention night and day, many times making it necessary for him to travel great distances by auto or plane, catching up on his sleep underway to fit him for the multitudes who would gather to hear him wherever he had time to stop.

"A lady who was at several dinners that Dr. Joseph Goebbels, the conquerer of Berlin attended told me that the rich assortment of liquors on hand were never there for his benefit. It was always necessary to serve him non-alcoholic drinks.

"These two colorful leaders of the new Germany, in their gigantic struggle for political supremacy have needed capable bodies and clear brains and have trained like athletes. Their very popularity is making intemperance more unpopular. The fact that they are worshiped may be one big reason for a growing dislike for smoking and drinking in Germany today.

"Posters from youth organizations fighting the use of tobacco have actually appeared on the street. This same movement has even extended itself to the use of cosmetics and its effectiveness may be seen by the fact that a woman recently told me that the slump in the cosmetic business was the cause of her losing her job.

"Many of those who felt the greatest anxiety about being able to carry on their religious activities are finding that at least one branch of their church work has received its greatest boon since Germany’s adoption of Hitlerism. It was always difficult for Genealogical workers to get into the archives of the recognized church to trace back family records. When the pastor learned of the intention access to the records was often denied. Now, due to the importance given to the racial question, and the almost necessity of proving that one’s grandmother was not a Jewess, the old record books have been dusted off and stand ready and waiting for use. No questions are asked. In fact, some of the Saints instead of being refused by the pastors now have received letters of encouragement complimenting them for their patriotism.

"All genealogical workers who are interesting in tracing back family history in Germany should take advantage of the present unusual opportunity."

("'The 'Deseret News' - Dec 9, 1933," at: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Aul-kAQHnToC&dat=19331209&printsec=frontpage, pp. 19 & 21 in Google, pp. 3 & 7 in the "Church Section" of the "Deseret News")
_____

Below is a telling and inconvenient chronology for Mormons who claim they really didn't know what a bad guy Hitler was in the early years of his chancellorship--a timeline from 1933 of Hitlers' "accomplishments" before the "Mormonism and the New Germany" was even published:

"January 30, 1933 - Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany a nation with a Jewish population of 566,000.

"February 22, 1933 - 40,000 SA and SS men are sworn in as auxiliary police.

"February 27, 1933 - Nazis burn Reichstag building to create crisis atmosphere.

"February 28, 1933 - Emergency powers granted to Hitler as a result of the Reichstag fire.

"March 22, 1933 - Nazis open Dachau concentration camp near Munich, to be followed by Buchenwald near Weimar in central Germany, Sachsenhausen near Berlin in northern Germany, and Ravensbrück for women.

"March 24, 1933 - German Parliament passes Enabling Act giving Hitler dictatorial powers."

"April 1, 1933 - Nazis stage boycott of Jewish shops and businesses.

"April 11, 1933 - Nazis issue a Decree defining a non-Aryan as 'anyone descended from non-Aryan, especially Jewish, parents or grandparents. One parent or grandparent classifies the descendant as non-Aryan . . . especially if one parent or grandparent was of the Jewish faith.'

"April 26, 1933 - The Gestapo is born, created by Hermann Göring in the German state of Prussia.

"May 10, 1933 - Burning of books in Berlin and throughout Germany.

"July 14, 1933 - Nazi Party is declared the only legal party in Germany; Also, Nazis pass Law to strip Jewish immigrants from Poland of their German citizenship.

"In July - Nazis pass law allowing for forced sterilization of those found by a Hereditary Health Court to have genetic defects.

"In September - Nazis establish Reich Chamber of Culture, then exclude Jews from the Arts.

"September 29, 1933 - Nazis prohibit Jews from owning land.
"October 4, 1933 - Jews are prohibited from being newspaper editors.

"November 24, 1933 - Nazis pass a Law against Habitual and Dangerous Criminals, which allows beggars, the homeless, alcoholics and the unemployed to be sent to concentration camps."

("The History Place: Holocaust Timeline," at: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.html; 
see also: "The History Place: Rise of Adolf Hitler'," at: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/index.html)
_____


Was this general blind-eye Mormon submission to and sympathy for "Hitler, the Man and the Goals" an uncharacteristic coincidence, an inexpicable fluke of history?

Hardly, given that a sizeable number of German (and other) Mormons expressed open, unabashed support for the Third Riech's master-racer.

Read on:

"Hitler and the [Latter-day] Saints

"For Latter-day Saints, survival in Nazi Germany took a variety of twists and turns. The missionaries were allowed to teach the gospel up until they were withdrawn in 1939 at the beginning of the war in Europe.

"In fact, during the Hitler regime the Church received some favorable press. After some discussion with American governmental leaders, missionaries were allowed to purchase registered deutsche marks, which they received at a better exchange rate. At the same time, though, missionary work was limited, some tracts could not be distributed because of their comments about Zion and Jews, some songs about Zion could not be sung in meetings, and the Church youth program was essentially eliminated since all young Germans were required to be part of Hitler Youth. Because they had both successes and failures with Nazis, the missionaries’ views of Hitler and the National Socialist party were both positive and negative.

"Missionaries’ Positive Views of Hitler

"Elmer Stettler, the son of Swiss immigrants to Logan, Utah, who served a mission in Germany during the 1930s, summarized some of the positive views that missionaries had of Hitler.

"He recalled: 'When we came home [from our missions], we loved the German people. We didn’t see anything wrong with what they were doing. We liked Hitler. We would just eat up articles where some of his news people were showing how the pioneers were organized into groups. They were tying our LDS history into kicking the Germans out of their colonies in Africa. We used it for material to disseminate the gospel.' . . .

"Other LDS Americans were impressed by Hitler and his ability to speak and motivate people. Wendell C. Irvine wrote in an article in the [official Mormon Church magazine] 'Improvement Era' that despite all of Hitler’s weaknesses, 'the greatest thing that could be said of him, however, might well be inscribed on his tombstone, ‘Adolf Hitler Orator.’“[. . .

"Sanford Bingham, a missionary at the same time as my father, felt the same way. After listening to one of Hitler’s speeches after Germany took over Austria, Bingham concluded, 'I’m afraid if I stayed here a few more years I would become completely Nazified myself.' . . .

"John M. Russon, who was also on a mission in Germany, recalled the positive press that the Church received during the Hitler regime. He explained, 'So we missionaries didn’t have all that harsh a feeling toward Hitler except, of course, for the dictatorship, which was opposed to our basic principie of free agency.' . . .

"Roy Welker and his wife, Elizabeth, were especially persuaded by Hitler because he seemed to like the Church. Roy Welker recalled in an oral history interview, 'My personal opinion was that Hitler was very much impressed with the LDS faith and Church and its practices.' . . . He recalled that when he went to Germany in 1934 Hitler was just coming to power and that he and his wife didn’t know what would happen.

"He added: 'As things unfolded, we saw ourselves more favorably situated than we had anticipated and we were happily surprised. Then when Mother [Roy’s wife, Elizabeth] got in with this national women’s organization and was indirectly associated with Hitler, it was a great relief to us. . . . Things went along well; we didn’t have any trouble to speak of.' . . .

"In an article published in the 'Improvement Era' in 1936, Welker answered the question, 'How fares the Church in Germany?' He explained that the missionaries were 'disinterested in politics, but tremendously interested in life and life’s happiness' and were 'ceaselessly carry[ing] the message of cheer and hope to everyone who is willing in the least measure to listen.'. . . When the Welkers returned from their mission, Elizabeth Welker spoke occasionally about her experiences. Her comment was, 'You may hate Hitler, but you have to acknowledge he is doing things.'

"She praised his work with the youth and his attempts to make them a 'superior race.' She explained that the only problem he had with Jews was that they seemed to hold so much of the world’s wealth. She concluded that the Nazis’ views of Jews 'may be wrong, but they are certainly sincere,' adding that whatever the Germans did to the Jews, they did not lynch them as 'America does the Negro.' . . .

"P. M. Kelly, the mission president in the Swiss-German Mission, also reported about the Jewish situation in Germany when he returned from his mission. After pointing out racial problems in the United States and the extreme poverty amidst great wealth, Kelly said that the Americans should not be too hard on the Germans. He was not saying that the Germans were 'free from guilt. What he did was to try to see Germany from the Germans’ point view.' . . .

"Some missionaries talked about the positive things that Hitler had done for Germany. Kelly explained that Hitler united a splintered country with 32 political parties after World War I with the slogan 'one government, one people, one leader.' . . .

"Two missionaries from Provo wrote to their hometown paper appealing for 'a more tolerant view' of Germany and praising the German people: 'They are doing a masterful piece of impregnable building, due to the unity of purpose.' . . .

"Sanford Bingham elaborated on the same point. He wrote in his journal on 30 March 1936, '[Hitler] has really done a lot for this country.' He added in his oral history: 'That was the attitude that most of the missionaries, I think, had after they’d been there a while and got used to the restrictions. [They] thought, "My, everything is cleaned up. The streets are clean. There are no streetwomen walking the streets. Everyone is busy."' It seemed that everyone was employed, but he did not notice that 'most people were working, of course, to build up, to rearm Germany.' There seemed to be a lot of enthusiasm among the people, although it was sometimes 'artificial.' . . .

"Usually the positive comments about Hitler involved what many missionaries saw as similarities between Hitlers plans and Church programs. Missionaries reasoned about why the Church was allowed to continue in Germany and came up with a variety of responses. According to Sanford Bingham, 'The missionaries had the impression that we were a favored church in Germany . . . because . . . the missionaries had conversed with Hitler and . . . that his buddy in the First World War was LDS. Those stories were being told all over the mission.' . . .

"Bingham recalled having to tract by himself shortly after arriving on his mission. He recorded in his journal on 9 January 1936 that he met a lady who seemed to be able to understand his German. 'I told her of Joseph Smith, about the Word of Wisdom, and that missionaries had visited Hitler.' Bingham added, 'This was all supposition on my part. I had no proof.' . . .

"The missionaries believed that elements of Church practices started appearing in the Nazi government shortly after Church tracts were confiscated. . . . Others said that the top German officials had received copies of the Book of Mormon and other Church documents. Missionaries believed that Hitler had read the Book of Mormon. . . . Articles in Church magazines and newspapers noted, 'A number of interesting parallels can be seen between the church and some of the ideas and policies of the National Socialists.' . . .

"The similarities between Mormons and Hitler ranged from views of the family, the importance of marriage, the strength of the educational system, the courage of the Mormon pioneers, the sense of the Word of Wisdom, the wisdom of a fast day to help the poor, the value of youth programs and the need to do genealogy. . . . A summary of the arguments for a fast day and genealogy show the pattern.

"Roy Welker recalled in an oral history interview: ‘Tve felt that this fast day that he established--that’s what it amounted to in the contributions for aiding the poor and so forth--he borrowed from the Church. Mrs. Welker felt that way, too, as she traveled with his ladies.' . . .

"Dale Clark published an article in the 'Deseret News' that referred to the fast day as 'a well organized campaign . . . designed not only to alleviate the acute poverty, but [to] develop that spirit of sacrifice that is so being stressed in the new Germany and also of creating more of a feeling of unity and brotherhood through voluntary mutual help.' . . .

"An article in the 'Millennial Star' also compared the Church’s fast day to the German plan. The article concluded: 'It is indeed singular that a comparison of the details of the two systems of organized fasting shows them to be so nearly identical. Perhaps that part of the message of the Restored Gospel may have been directly or indirectly the inspiration and the model for the new scheme adopted by the German Government—perhaps not. But evident, at least, is the fact that consciously or unconsciously, the people of the world are discovering that the Lord’s way is best. The leaven of the Gospel is spreading.' . . .

"Missionaries described the fast day. Fred Duersch Sr. recalled, 'The first of every month [Hitler] instigated the one-pot meal, that is one pot with everything cooked together. Everybody got the same thing. The Hitler Youth would go around with their cans and people would donate ten Pfenning in those cans. . . .

"Duersch and another missionary Walter Jaggi were not sure that the money actually went to help the poor, though. According to Duersch, 'It was reported that every month they collected enough to build another warship.' . . . Jaggi added that the differences between the cost of the one-pot meal and a regular meal 'went to support the poor supposedly, but again a lot of it went to support the build up of the army.' . . .

"With Hitler’s attempts to create a superior race, Church members for the first time were encouraged in their genealogy work in Germany. Roy Welker recalled in October 1934 that he went to the University of Berlin to discuss genealogy work. The professor invited the mission president along with other Church leaders to join a genealogical! society and then 'paid high tribute to the Mormons, stating that they understood the work of genealogy better than any people they knew and that their purpose for seeking it is high and worthy.' . . .

"According to an article by James M. Kirkham in the 'Church News,' 'Mr. Hitler, through government agencies, is helping the Germans find their ancestors.' Kirkham pointed out that 'to prove that he is a pure blood German for at least four generations or back until 1800 is the desire of each resident.' As a result, more resources were available to do genealogy. . . .
"With this new emphasis, records were opened up for the first time and members were encouraged rather than discouraged to use them. Some even received letters from pastors complimenting the Saints for their patriotism. . . .

"Roy Welker recalled his pleasant surprise when Church members were asked to do a radio broadcast on genealogy in 1935. 'We were shocked with the announcement of such an opportunity having taken it for granted that since the government regulates the radio any opportunity for us of its use was out of the question. We are in happy anticipation of an opportunity.' . . .

"Missionaries and Germany Overall

"For the most part the missionaries had very little contact with the German government. As early as 1933 missionaries were cautioned not to speak or write of politics. . . . Elder John A. Widtsoe asked the missionaries not to be discouraged about missionary work, saying, 'This troubled time is a time to share the gospel.' . . .

"This policy continued according to President Welker. . . . A letter circulated to the presidents of the East and West German and Swiss—Austrian Missions explained that the German-speaking paper Der Stern 'should be confined to discussions and explanations of a purely religious character.'

"In 1938 Richard R. Lyman, then president of the European missions, reported in general conference that the missionaries lived by the twelfth article of faith ['We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law'], adding: 'They refrain from discussing government or governmental policies and they are all instructed positively not to participate in the politics of the countries where they labor. They are sent forth to give purpose to living, to improve the condition of the present and to inspire in the hearts of the people hope for the future.'

"My father tried to follow that advice. After giving a brief account of one of Hitler’s speeches in a letter to his parents, my father added, 'But enough of politics as I imagine that you now know more about it than I do. I don’t have much time to worry about the whole affair.'

--Conclusion

"The American missionaries’ views of Hitler varied during the 1930s. Ralph Sanford Kelly wrote in his journal in 1933 that he saw Hitler drive by and then commented, 'I had seen Germany’s god.' . . .

"But Sanford Bingham wrote in his journal after attending a lecture in Basel, Switzerland, that 'the speaker’s main point was probably the fact that National Socialism is forcing the people to worship Hitler instead of God.' Bingham recorded, 'It was just a lot of bunk to me.' He added in the oral history interview, 'You see, at that time I thought that s really an exaggeration that Hitler was forcing the people to believe that he’s a god.' . . .]

"With a more complete picture of history, we can see that those who thought negatively of Hitler were probably right. Yet for those missionaries who grew to love the German people and wanted to share the gospel with them, tolerating Hitler seemed the best course of action at that time."

(Jessie L. Embry, "Deliverer or Oppressor: Missionaries’ Views of Hitler during the 1930s," in "Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: Europe," under "3. Deliverer or Oppressor: Missionaries’ Views of Hitler during the 1930s," Brigham Young University, at: http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/regional-studies-latter-day-saint-church-history-europe/3-deliverer-or-oppressor-missionari)
_____


"[T]hose who thought negatively of Hitler were probably right"?

Wow. That's courageously sticking your neck out for the truth, you forthright Mormons, you.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2012 09:54PM by steve benson.

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Posted by: Lenina ( )
Date: August 21, 2013 10:44PM

Any explanation why Brother Huebner was excommunicated after being beheaded by guillotine? Can a person be posthumously excommunicated? This is all of course momentarily looking past the fact that excommunicating him was a dreadful misstep on TSCC's part since Huebner's "crimes" were in standing up for truth & right.

My main question is why excommunicate someone (whether right or wrong) AFTER death? Solely to appease the SS?

TSCC: misleading well-meaning sheeple since day 1.

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Posted by: baura ( )
Date: February 06, 2013 11:25PM

I love it!

The Church publishes a pamphlet with a swastika on it and it is
withdrawn because the Nazis are offended by being compared to
Mormons.

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Posted by: forbiddencokedrinker ( )
Date: February 07, 2013 12:58AM

There are some things even Nazi Storm Troopers don't deserve.

BTW, grew up with a really old guy in our stake who worked in one of the camps as a clerk. The church would never let him be baptized, but all his children and grandchildren were. I think he did time at the Hague after the war was over, and there are some conversions the PR people will just not let happen.

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Posted by: Leah ( )
Date: August 21, 2013 10:28PM

I do believe the Hitler salute and the Mormon "arm to the square" are only an inch or so apart.

Of course, it is forbidden to give the Hitler salute in Germany.
The Germans seem to have learned, the Mormons did not.

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Posted by: flecher ( )
Date: August 21, 2013 10:40PM

Hitler is a regular in the Mormon Temple font.If all his baptisms were counted as separate members, he would represent 18% of German membership. He is his own Stake President His celestial mansion, "der Eagle's Rest", is near Kolob.

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Posted by: anon21 ( )
Date: August 22, 2013 02:35PM

Butdon't all the patriachal blessings start with your genealogy and line to the 12 tribes of Israel? How did they handle that?

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Posted by: steve benson ( )
Date: August 22, 2013 03:19PM

. . . and an anti-Black bigot.

A review of D. Michael Quinn's biography, "Elder Statesman: A Biography of J. Reuben Clark" (Salt Lake City, Utah: Signature Books, 2002), offers this brutal assessment of the man, accurately described as Clark's "seamier side":

"As a Jew, I found his [Clark's] views utterly contemptible: 'There was one group . . . for whom Reuben expressed lifelong dislike and distrust–the Jewish people. In a 1942 letter to Herbert Hoover, he said the Jews 'are brilliant, they are able, they are unscrupulous, and they are cruel.’ Part of this explanation for his anti-Semitism was personal and part political. He expressed contempt for ‘the foul sewage of Europe’ in his 1898 valedictory, yet Mormons had traditionally gotten along very well with the small population of Jews in Utah” (p. 325). He never passed up an opportunity to express his contempt for Jews. After serving more than 10 years in the First Presidency, he wrote, 'I long ago ceased reading his [Walter Lippmann's] stuff, because he veers like a weather-vane, but I am sure always true when the wind blows from Jew-ward' (p. 328).

"In February 1941, the 'New York Times' reported that Berlin’s Nazi Party newspaper referred to the necessity of 'eliminating all Jews.' This was an echo of the LDS newspaper’s headline in 1938, 'Death for 700,000 Jews Threatened: Semites Must Get Out or Die, Nazis Declare.' Even this stark Utah report gave less than one-tenth of Adolf Hitler’s goal of killing every Jew in Europe. During the balance of 1941 and increasingly thereafter, newspapers in every major American city reported specific examples of the mass execution of Jews throughout Nazi-controlled Europe. In apparent response to such reports, LDS author N. L. Nelson wrote a book against Hitler in the early months of 1941 and referred to the Nazi 'butchery' of the Jews:

"'In his June reply to Nelson’s manuscript, Reuben defended Hitler and added, “There is nothing in their history which indicates that the Jewish race have [sic] either free-agency or liberty. ‘Law and order’ are not facts for the Jews”' (p. 335).

"Clark’s attitudes toward Blacks was equally reprehensible. Along with others of his time, he opposed intermarriage and supported the common practice of segregating blood supplies in hospitals to ensure that no white person would be infused with blood from a Black person, and thus either invalidate his priesthood or disqualify him from future priesthood. But as time progressed, so did his attitude toward Blacks. As the Church extended its missionary efforts into South America and determining blood lines became more difficult, he came to something of an accommodation in the case of some Brazilians, even 'wondering whether we could not work out a plan, while not conferring the priesthood as such upon them, we could give them opportunity to participate in the work certainly of the Aaronic Priesthood grades. (p. 354).'

"His vision of an enlarged priesthood exceeded that of Brigham Young’s. He saw a time when Blacks would hold full priesthood privileges (and not necessarily subject to Young’s prediction that this would not happen until every worthy white male received the priesthood).

"No such growth is seen in his attitude toward Jews. He remained a steadfast anti-semite until his death. And in the case of Blacks and other racial minorities, Clark argued for the civil rights of such folk, without also arguing their spiritual equality. Quinn ends this chapter in much the same way he ends other chapters. But in this case, I was disturbed: 'J. Reuben Clark was clearly a product of the 19th century. He alternately accepted and resisted the 20th century’s changing views of race and ethnicity. But supreme to him were the majesty of the law, the principle of justice for all humanity, and the expansiveness of the latter-day gospel' (p. 360).

"Given Clark’s refusal to condemn the attempted extermination of the Jews by Nazi Germany, it seems that his view of 'justice for all humanity' was somewhat constricted. I would have appreciated this exception being noted in Quinn’s too-broad, in my view, statement."

http://signaturebooks.com/2010/06/reviews-elder-statesman-a-biography-of-j-reuben-clark/


As Germany rose to a position of regained strength prior to World War II (after its disastrous defeat in World War I as the war's instigating aggressor, whereupon it was punished severely by the Treaty of Versailles), it did not help matters that Clark--a former Undersecretary of State in the Calvin Coolidge administration and a high-ranking General Authority--was such a virulent anti-Semite. Clark eventually passed along some notorious anti-Jewish propaganda to my grandfather, Ezra Taft Benson (see repost of RFM contributor "baura," at: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php2,420695,421669#msg-421669; for a history of Mormon German support of Hitler and the Nazis, see: http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,632848)


More on Clark's Anti-Black prejudice:

"Utah's racial discrimination did not occur by happenstance nor did it continue into modern times by accident. It was promoted by the highest leaders of the state's dominant church. As late as 1941, Counselor J. Reuben Clark used the word [rhymes with 'trigger'] in his First Presidency office diary."

"In 1953, a First Presidency secretary informed a white Mormon that '[t]he L.D.S. Hospital here in Salt Lake City has a blood bank which does not contain any colored blood.' According to presidency counselor J. Reuben Clark, this policy of segregating African-American blood from the blood donated by so-called 'white people' was intended 'to protect the purity of the blood streams of the people of this Church.'"

http://www.affirmation.org/against_marriage_equality/prelude.shtml
_____


So, BYU names its law school after him.

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Posted by: valkyriequeen ( )
Date: February 17, 2017 09:43AM

Helmuth Huebner was IMO, was one of the bravest young men I have ever heard of. I hadn't heard of him before reading "Moroni and the Swastika". TSCC were and still are the biggest bunch of cowards and kiss-ups that I've had the displeasure of knowing. Even we Valkyries weren't that cruel or cowardly as the Nazi's or the church.

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