Religions, Vol. 16, Pages 1135: Still Chosen: Latter-day Saint Theology of the Jews in the Post-Holocaust Era

Religions doi: 10.3390/rel16091135

Authors:
Justin R. Bates

The purpose of this research is to examine how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members have responded to anti-Jewish theological tropes, especially in the post-Holocaust era. The thesis of this research is that, while the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not formally canonized any twentieth-century statements on antisemitism, its sacred texts—including the Book of Mormon—along with prophetic teachings and institutional actions before, during, and after World War II, reflect a consistent and distinctive theological perspective on the Jewish people as God’s covenant people with a positive eschatological role in his plan. Unique among its Christian cousins in that era, the Latter-day Saint perspective includes a general rejection of anti-Jewish tropes and—while imperfect—a general pattern of respectful engagement with Jews at both institutional and individual levels. This research is significant in an era of rising antisemitism as it promotes understanding of a religion that has historically maintained, though not perfectly, a more philosemitic approach both institutionally and individually. A deeper understanding of ideas and attitudes that discourage anti-Jewish tropes and combat antisemitism is desperately needed in the modern world.

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Justin R. Bates www.mdpi.com