“War and Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives” [Lds Pacifists alive and well]

The Mormon Worker ^ | Feb. 27, 2011

[Colofornian]

“War and Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives”

Claremont Graduate University

March 18-19, 2011

Under the sponsorship of The LDS Council on Mormon Studies and the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame

The program will address the critical issues of war and peace from a variety of Mormon perspectives. Elder Lance Wickman, former member of the First Quorum of Seventy and a Vietnam veteran, will deliver the keynote address on Friday evening, March 18.

Complimentary dinners and lunches will be provided for those who register by March 11.

Register by emailing information to: ldswarpeace@gmail.com. Please include your name, email address, institution or place of residence, and whether you want dinner, lunch, or both.

For directions and updated information go to http://claremontmormonstudies.org/war-and-peace

Program Schedule

(Subject to change)

Friday, March 18

Albrecht Auditorium, Claremont Graduate University, 945 Dartmouth Ave, Claremont, CA

1:00 – 1:15 Welcome

•CGU representative

•Richard Bushman

1:15 – 2:30 Session 1 – The Book of Mormon, I

•F. R. Rick Duran, “Pax Sanctorum: From the Plates, a Pacifist Manifesto”

•Joshua Madson, “A Nonviolent Reading of the Book of Mormon”

•Robert Rees, “Children of Light: How the Nephites Sustained Two Centuries of Peace”

2:45 – 4:00 Session 2 – The Book of Mormon, II

•Morgan Deane, “The Narrow Strip of Wilderness in the Modern Age: Strategic Lessons from the Book of Mormon”

•Graham St. John Stott, “Reading Gaza in the Book of Mormon”

•J. David Pulsipher, “The Ammonite Conundrum”

4:00 – 4:30 Plenary discussion of Sessions 1 & 2

4:45 – 6:00 Session 3 – Doctrine & Covenants 98

•Ron Madson, “Section 98: The Immutable ‘Rejected’ Covenant”

•Gordon Thomasson, “‘Renounce War and Proclaim Peace’: Reflections on Mormon Attempts at Peacemaking”

•Kerry Kartchner, “The Lord’s Promise to Fight Our Battles: A Commentary on D&C 98:33-37”

Friday Evening

Hampton Room, Scripps College, 1030 Columbia Ave, Claremont, CA

6:30 – 7:30 Dinner

8:00 – 9:00 Keynote speaker – Elder Lance B. Wickman, Emeritus General Authority and decorated Army veteran

Saturday, March 19

Balch Auditorium, Scripps College, 1030 Columbia Ave, Claremont, CA

9:00 – 10:15 Session 4 – Historical Perspectives

•Jennifer Lindell, “Fall from Grace: Mormon Millennialism, Native Americans, and Violence”

•Mark Ashurst-McGee, “Zion as a Refuge from the Wars of Nations: Cultural Resource or Impediment?”

•Robert Hellebrand, “General Conference Addresses during Times of War”

10:30 – 11:15 Session 5 – In Defense of Peace

A panel discussion led by Eric Jensen and Kerry Kartchner

11:30 – 12:45 Session 6 – Prominent Voices

•D. Michael Quinn, “Pacifist Counselor in the First Presidency: J. Reuben Clark, 1933-61”

•Boyd Petersen, “‘The Work of Death’: Hugh Nibley and War”

•Loyd Ericson, “Eugene England’s Theology of Peace”

1:00 – 2:45 Lunch

View and discuss film Trouble in Zion

3:00 – 4:15 Session 7 – News from the Front

•Chaplain Kathryn Stucki, “The Physical, Mental and Spiritual Impact of Serving in the Military and in War on Modern Day Mormons”

•Eric Eliason, “Latter-day Saint Views on Current Conflicts: An LDS Chaplain’s Perspective”

•Major Jonathan Petty

4:30 – 5:45 Session 8 – International Perspectives

•Jesse Fulcher, “Nonviolent Responses and Mormon Attitudes: Reasons and Realities”

•Ethan Yorgason, “Negotiating War and Peace in Korea: A Comparison of U.S. Military and Korean Latter-day Saints”

•Chad Ford, “From This Place: International Worldviews of War and Peace at BYU Hawaii”

5:45 – 6:30 Closing plenary discussion, with introductory comments by Kerry Kartchner, Richard Bushman, and Patrick Mason

[Colofornian]

A conference held a few months ago amongsts Mormon pacifists.

One of the session speakers was D. Michael Quinn, an ex-BYU History Prof. Quinn talked about his book on Lds First President J. Reuben Clark (First President is one of the three highest ranking in the Lds church hierarchy).

Quinn's talk was entitled “Pacifist Counselor in the First Presidency: J. Reuben Clark, 1933-61” (Clark was in that role all throughout WWII and the Korean War)

If you look at a description of Quinn's book on Clark (see J. Reuben Clark: The Church Years), you'll see this excerpt:

Quinn includes and invaluable chapter entitled, "Those Who Take the Sword" which explores the evolution of Clark's pacifism and ideas concerning war. It is a great chapter on the broader subject of Mormon pacifism which is a little explored aspect of Mormonism. Clark who looked on pluralism with disdain convinced the church to reimburse Quaker conscientious objector camps which sheltered Mormon pacifists during the second World War. The chapter does a great job tracking Clark's evolving views on war, peace, isolationism, and the idea of just war. Well chosen quotes from Clark's Mormon General Conference decrying the use of atomic bombs to murder the quarter million "men, women, and children, and cripples" in Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Clark served as a chairman for the oldest pacifist organization in the U.S., Americans For Peace. Clark was in the position of spokesman for the church and a touching expression of his loyalty and subservience to the prophet and the office of the president is manifested through his official pronouncements in favor of supporting military service, which the church supported, but to which Clark at this point was unalterably opposed.

[Colofornian]

For you non-Mormons allow me to interpret some of the terms: "From the Plates" (linked to Duran's session) = a reference to the supposed up to 234-pound gold plates that Joseph Smith hauled back, at one pointing running with them "at the top of his speed"...see How Heavy Were Those Gold Plates? for details.

Joshua Madson did a session called “A Nonviolent Reading of the Book of Mormon”...This is an absolutely hilarious "interpretation" of the Book of Mormon! If you've read any part of the Book of Mormon, it's a myth-book of wars upon wars where they're slaughtering each other to the last man!

For example, in the book of Alma in almost every chapter are accounts of perpetual wars and implausible battles. And it's the longest book in the BoM at 60-some chapters. What's funny in the Book of Alma is that when you look at Alma 30:2 it says there was "continual peace" that finally broke out 74 B.C. Then fast-forward to Alma 35:13, where it's two years later, and war was issued. "Continual peace" was two years???? :)

Also, I'd like to know what "weapons of peace" they had back then (Alma 24:19)! Joseph Smith's writing is such that he starts off Alma, in 1:1, saying "having warred a good warfare"... Hmmm...

In the book of Ether, after a character named Coriantumr started second-guessing whether having two million of his people killed by swords (boy, that's a lot of sword blood-letting), he cut off a character's head by the name of Shiz (Ether 15:30). The NEXT verse says what happened to Shiz AFTER his head was cut off: ...AFTER he had smitten off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised upon his hands and fell;
and AFTER that he had struggled for breath, he died.

Hmmm...No head...still was able to raise himself up on his hands...then was struggling for breath...

O-Kayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

[Colofornian]

Session 3 covered the Mormons' Doctrine & Covenants 98

I'm really not sure about lessons about "peace" and pacifism in D&C 98. What I got out of D&C 98 was Joseph Smith's lessons in math!
"...if your enemy shall smite you the second time, and you revile not against your enemy, and bear it patiently, your reward shall be an hundred-fold. And again, if she shall smite you the third time, and ye bear it patiently, your reward shall be doubled unto you four-fold." (D&C 98:25-26)

What? "Doubled unto us four-fold?" I thought the second-smite reward was already 100-fold...and now Joe says it'll be doubled for a third smite...well, not exactly "doubled" but "doubled...four-fold."

OKay.....

[utherdoul]

well they might get rewards in heaven but here on Earth I’m not sure that any faith could withstand being “smited” three times. Well plenty of real estate for the victor I suppose. Especially if they bear it “patiently”.

[Colofornian]

I have a book by Mormon author George W. Givens. It's entitled 500 More Little-Known Facts in Mormon History (2004, Bonneville Books, Springville, Utah).

On p. 229, Givens writes this peace about Conscientious Objection in 1919 in Mormon History: "The question of conscientious objection and Mormonism did not become an issue until the beginning of World War I due to a misunderstanding as to where the Church stood on pacifism. There were a total of 3,700 conscientious objectors (C.O.s) during that war, a number of them Latter-day Saints. Like others, the Saints were given an option of going to prison or performing 'alternative service' such as firefighting or counseling mental patients in hospitals. The issue became predominant when Fort Douglas became a prison in 1919 for the C.O.s who refused the alternative service. The policy of the [Mormon] Church is still not totally understood in spite of its clarification that we believe in being subject to our secular governments but may choose C.O. status as a matter of personal belief."

[Colofornian]

In light of the reality that one of Romney's top three leaders the first 13 years of his life was a devout pacifist who was "unalterably opposed" to "official pronouncements in favor of supporting military service" (see post 1 for source)...and that Romney avoided military service...as has his five sons...

...Has Romney's positions on pacifism and military service been carefully vetted?

[Utah Binger]

Quinn taking the sword...Again?

[SkyDancer]

“A Nonviolent Reading of the Book of Mormon”..

It'd be funny if it wasn't so pathetic. That's all the BOM is full of is murder and mayhem; like trying to read "Macbeth" and leave out all the nasty stuff.

[Zakeet]

A conference held a few months ago amongsts Mormon pacifists.

If the people [of Missouri] come on us to molest us, we will establish our religion by the sword. We will trample down our enemies and make it one gore of blood from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. I will be to this generation a second Mohammed, whose motto in treating for peace was ‘the Quran or the Sword.’ So shall it eventually be with us – Joseph Smith or the Sword – Joseph Smith's Declaration of War in Missouri, October 14, 1838, History of the Church, Vol. 3, p. 167.

The idea of "Mormon Pacifists" is a hoot.

In his History of Utah, the noted historian Hubert Bancroft, records the Missouri Mormon War of 1838, the Illinois Mormon Wars of 1944 and 1847, and the Utah Mormon War of 1857. In each instance, the U.S. Army and/or National Guard was commissioned to stop the Saints from slaughtering each other and/or their Gentile neighbors.

Bancroft also chronicles six Mormon Civil Wars. The Walker War (1853-4) and Black Hawk War (1865-72) were two in a series of eight named Mormon / Indian wars that lasted decades and were among some of the most violent and longest running American Indian conflicts in U.S. history. About 400 Shoshones were killed at the Bear River Massacre, the worst slaughter if Indians in US history (compare to the 153 Indians killed at Wounded Knee). This incident was provoked by and in some sense led by the Saints.

And who can forget the Danites a.k.a. Avenging Angels a.k.a. Mormon Militia, the Saints equivalent of the Klu Klux Klan, who murdered hundreds (some say thousands) in Missouri, Illinois, and Utah -- and beat and castrated thousands more. Or Porter Rockwell (shown above), the worst murderer in US history, who is credited with 200 killings not including the three dozen or US soldiers who perished at Fort Bridger as a consequence of his ambush of their supply caravans.

And then there was the Mountain Meadows Massacre where approximately 120 Gentiles were murdered and 18 children were kidnapped so that the Saints could feast on the 1,000 (or so) head of cattle the settlers were herding to Southern California. This incident remains the worst robbery-murder in US history.

In fact, with the exception of Islam, a powerful argument can be made that the Saints have been the most violent cult in history. The claim that they were pacifist in the manner of, say, Quakers or Mennonites, is about as ridiculous as their assertion that they are Christian.

[KevinDavis]

Never mind that groups like Jehovah’s Witness and some other religious groups refuses to fight for this country.

[KevinDavis]

Meanwhile almost 10 years ago a bunch of Muslims (who pose a greater threat than Mormons) did this:

[Colofornian]

Here on Memorial Day, he or she has chosen to call our patriotism into question by insinuating that somehow this private organization not affiliated with the Church, is representative of all Mormons. I hope some of you might join me in condemning such false tactics...

Except that if you were in agreement with me in contending vs. these Pacifists, you would actually agree with me on many/most of my crits of them, would you not?

Instead, you join cause with them by critiquing me because apparently what you both have in common "first" is your Mormon identity.

Where's your critique of this group on this thread? Did I miss that?

...insinuating that somehow this private organization not affiliated with the Church, is representative of all Mormons.

We used to have a now-zotted Mormon by the initials of "P.D." who probably hundreds of times referenced five "private" Mormon organizations in his links. (I don't seem to recall you giving hundreds of disclaimers in response that PD was linking to private organizations not affilitated with the Church...that those five private organizations were not "representative of all Mormons."...Translation: When a Mormon does it, it's A-OK. When a non-Mormon references a Mormon organization, that's cause for anti-Mormon accusations!)

Maybe you Mormon FREEPERS should have a holy huddle to get all on the same page here.

[Colofornian]

Never mind that groups like Jehovah’s Witness and some other religious groups refuses to fight for this country.

Maybe you should read posts #1, #5, #6 again...many of the 3700 WWI Conscientious objectors were Mormons. (Isn't that "refusing to fight?")

Anyway...glad you mentioned the JWs...Mormonism is a cult just like they are.

[ansel12]

Utah has an extremely low enlistment rate, and Romney himself comes from a disastrous family background when it comes to “patriotism”.

[KevinDavis]

To me they are not.. They are just like any group that has the right to worship as they please..

I think you are acting like more like a Muslim than a Christian..

[Colofornian]

They are just like any group that has the right to worship as they please..I think you are acting like more like a Muslim than a Christian..

Except that you seem to define "right to worship as they please" more like "religions should be left alone."

But what happens, Kevin, when groups like Muslims start defining ALL Christians as "infidels" and Mormons define ALL Christian sects as "apostates." Doesn't that mean, then, that Muslims and Mormons are "leaving alone" other religions according to this absolute commandment/absolute of yours?

And what? You don't critique Mormons for labeling all Christian sects as "apostate?" -- Even tho that runs against the tenor of your belief system?

Can you spell two-faced? Hypocritical?

[Colofornian]

Let's see: You linked to a private organization not affiliated with the Mormon church -- The Mormon Battalion Association...and then you went on to accuse me of some umbrage of having the gall to "insinuat[e]...that somehow this private organization" [the org I referenced] -- one "not affiliated with the Church," is somehow "representative of all Mormons?"

Really?

Why is your Mormon Battalion Asso. more "representative" of the church than the org I referenced?

Why are YOU able to insinuate such things, but it's a "no-no" for me to reference the group I did as "Mormon?"

What's so special about the "private" org links YOU post?

Can you say two-faced? Hypocritical?

[Elsie]

Complimentary dinners and lunches will be provided for those who register by March 11.

A Happy Meal® or a Big Mac combo®.

(Joan B. Kroc of McDonald's, Inc.)

[Elsie]

If you've read any part of the Book of Mormon, it's a myth-book of wars upon wars where they're slaughtering each other to the last man!

---

 

MORMON

Chapter 6

The Nephites gather to the land of Cumorah for the final battles—Mormon hides the sacred records in the hill Cumorah—The Lamanites are victorious, and the Nephite nation is destroyed—Hundreds of thousands are slain with the sword. About A.D. 385.

1 And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites.

2 And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle.

3 And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired. 

4 And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites.

5 And *when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah.

6 And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni.

7 And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.

8 And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers.

9 And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.

10 And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.

11And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me.

12 And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.

13 And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.

14 And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.

15 And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth.

16 And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried:

17 O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

18 Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.

19 O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!

20 But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.

21 And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.

22 O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy.

---

 

 

Mormon 8:2
And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.