Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 20th-century warfare

Last updated

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) have participated in wars throughout the twentieth century, including World Wars I and II. LDS members are encouraged to be active participants in their community, [1] [2] and the church has supported its members serving in the armed forces, both in the United States and in other countries around the world. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

World War I

Participation Latter-day Saints in World War I can be shown by direct member involvement and the effects that the war had on the church as a whole.

Member involvement

Joseph F. Smith was the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during World War I JFS First Presidency 1905 large.jpg
Joseph F. Smith was the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during World War I

Joseph F. Smith was the president of the LDS Church during the time of World War 1. [4] Even though he was an advocate for peace, when the United States entered WWI by declaring war on Germany, Smith supported the cause. He supported patriotism and responsibility, and pertaining to the two he once said, "a good Latter-Day Saint is a good citizen in every way." [4] Smith showed this support by providing Latter-day Saint chaplains for active duty military units. [4] This was the first time that the United States Military allowed the LDS Church to directly select active duty member chaplains, and they have continued to allow this practice to the present day. [4] The first three LDS chaplains selected by the church were Calvin Schwartz Smith, Herbert B. Maw, and B. H. Roberts. Even though there were only three chaplains for the 15,000 LDS members in the war, these men labored diligently to contribute to the war effort by religiously strengthening the LDS soldiers. [6]

Members of the LDS Church also contributed to the war on the homefront. Latter-day Saints along with the rest of the Americans were encouraged by national and local leaders to live more frugally during the war. [6] The United States war effort required a lot of food and supplies for its soldiers, which caused shortages in supplies among Americans. Local LDS leaders began teaching a more thrifty way of living, which taught LDS members how to have what they needed even with the decrease in resources. Latter-Day Saints also practiced controlled conservation of their food and resources in order to contribute to the needs of the U.S. military. Members encouraged food production, used less fuel, purchased war bonds, and contributed supplies to show support for the war and their soldiers. [6]

Effects on the Church

Joseph F. Smith and other church members had many concerns about the entrance of the United States into the war. Smith quickly began organizing the removal of Latter-day Saint missionaries from Europe. [6] He considered evacuation as a necessary step to ensure the safety of the American church missionaries. This was a major set-back in LDS missionary work as LDS missionaries could no longer proselytize in European countries, but the war provided a new way for members to share their beliefs. Within the ranks of the U.S. forces, church members were able to tell fellow soldiers about their religion as well show them that Latter-day Saints did have feelings of national loyalty, as many Americans believed the LDS Church to be against nationalism. [6]

Many LDS soldiers were killed in the conflict overseas, and were greatly mourned along with the other lost American lives. Also causing large casualties during this time was the influenza epidemic in Europe. WWI soldiers lived in close quarters, where germs were rapidly spread. The influenza disease was underestimated at first, but caused the death of hundreds of soldiers on all sides of the war, LDS soldiers included. [6] Throughout World War I, approximately 700 Latter-day Saint soldiers lost their lives from either warfare or disease. [6]

World War II

Involvement of this community during World War II can be categorized in two ways: Church involvement as a whole, and the involvement of individual members. Effects on the church are generally much more broad, but individual members participated in the war effort in their own ways.

Member involvement

Heber J. Grant was the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during World War II Heber J Grant.jpg
Heber J. Grant was the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during World War II

Many members of the church served during World War II as members of the armed forces, and 45 different members served as chaplains during World War II. Many of them received awards for their service and acts during the war, including two who received Silver Stars, four who received Bronze Stars, and one who was awarded a Purple Heart. [7]

Members in countries other than the United States also participated in this conflict in vastly different ways. A particularly noteworthy example is that of Helmuth Hübener, a German youth who opposed the Nazi Regime by writing and distributing pamphlets with anti–National Socialist material. He was later arrested and executed. [8] Other German members of the church were drafted into the army, and some enlisted of their own accord. [9] Many German church members also said that the years of the war were very difficult, but they also said that many of the hardships they experienced strengthened their faith. [9]

Effects on the Church

Members of the LDS Church believe that they have the "duty to preach the gospel" (or in other words, share their beliefs) to the world. [10] [11] As a result of this belief, many members choose to serve full time proselytizing missions in certain areas assigned to them by leaders of the church. As tensions rose in Europe before the start of World War II the United States issued a warning to all citizens living abroad, especially in Germany, to leave Europe for their own protection. [12] This directly affected missionaries for the church as most of them originated from within the States. On August 24, 1939, the church removed any missionaries that were in Europe in order to preserve their safety. [3] In August of the following year, missionaries were evacuated from South-African and Pacific areas and later South America. [13]

As conflict increased and the US officially entered the war, the church made official statements encouraging its members to serve their country in the armed forces. [5]


Related Research Articles

The history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has three main periods, described generally as:

  1. the early history during the lifetime of Joseph Smith, which is in common with most Latter Day Saint movement churches;
  2. the "pioneer era" under the leadership of Brigham Young and his 19th-century successors;
  3. the modern era beginning in the early 20th century as the practice of polygamy was discontinued and many members sought reintegration into U.S. society.
<span class="mw-page-title-main">B. H. Roberts</span> American Mormon politician (1857–1933)

Brigham Henry Roberts was a historian, politician, and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He edited the seven-volume History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and independently wrote the six-volume Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Roberts also wrote Studies of the Book of Mormon—published posthumously—which discussed the validity of the Book of Mormon as an ancient record. Roberts was denied a seat as a member of United States Congress because of his practice of polygamy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missionary Training Center</span> Religious training centers operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Missionary Training Centers (MTC) are centers devoted to training missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The flagship MTC is located in Provo, Utah, adjacent to the campus of Brigham Young University (BYU), a private university owned and operated by the church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mormon cinema</span> Films with themes surrounding Mormonism

Mormon cinema usually refers to films with themes relevant to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The term has also been used to refer to films that do not necessarily reflect Mormon themes but have been made by Mormon filmmakers. Films within the realm of Mormon cinema may be distinguished from institutional films produced by the LDS Church, such as Legacy and Testaments, which are made for instructional or proselyting purposes and are non-commercial. Mormon cinema is produced mainly for the purposes of entertainment and potential financial success.

This is a timeline of major events in Mormonism in the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Korea</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was unofficially established in South Korea as early as World War II due to religious influence by LDS servicemen; however, Korean people did not begin to get baptized until the missionary efforts of LDS servicemen during the Korean War. Kim Ho Jik was the first Korean person to be baptized in the LDS Church on July 29, 1951 in New York. Two of his children were of the first four Korean people baptized in Korea on August 3, 1952. LDS Church presence and missionary work was officially established on April 20, 1956 with the arrival of two missionaries: Don G. Powell and Richard L. Detton. The Korean Mission opened on July 8, 1962 with Gail E. Carr as the first president of the mission. Successful missionary work led to the growth of the LDS Church in the 1960s and 1970s leading to the organization of the first stake in Korea in 1973 and the dedication of the first temple in Seoul on December 14, 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campinas Brazil Temple</span>

The Campinas Brazil Temple, in Campinas, São Paulo, is the 111th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span>

The basic beliefs and traditions of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a cultural impact that distinguishes church members, practices and activities. The culture is geographically concentrated in the Mormon Corridor in the United States, and is present to a lesser extent in many places of the world where Latter-day Saints live.

Sexuality has a role within the theology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In its standards for sexual behavior called the law of chastity, top LDS leaders bar all premarital sex, all homosexual sexual activity, the viewing of pornography, masturbation, overtly sexual kissing, sexual dancing, and sexual touch outside of a heterosexual marriage. LDS Leaders teach that gender is defined in premortal life, and that part of the purpose of mortal life is for men and women to be sealed together in heterosexual marriages, progress eternally after death as gods together, and produce spiritual children in the afterlife. The church states that sexual relations within the framework of monogamous opposite-sex marriage are healthy, necessary, and approved by God. The LDS denomination of Mormonism places great emphasis on the sexual behavior of Mormon adherents, as a commitment to follow the law of chastity is required for baptism, adherence is required to receive a temple recommend, and is part of the temple endowment ceremony covenants devout participants promise by oath to keep.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was introduced to Ghana, West Africa, in 1962. It was officially organized in 1978, following announcement of the revelation on priesthood. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 101,924 members in 353 congregations in Ghana, making it the second largest body of LDS Church members in Africa, behind Nigeria. In 2021, Ghana ranked as having the third most LDS Church members per capita in Africa, behind Cape Verde and Sierra Leone.

Richard Olsen Cowan is a historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a former professor in the Church History Department of Brigham Young University (BYU). He was one of the longest-serving BYU faculty and the longest-serving member of the Church History Department ever.

David F. Boone is an American professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University (BYU). He largely specializes in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Southern and Southwestern United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia</span> Religious denomination in Australia

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Australia began with the arrival of seventeen-year-old missionary William James Barratt in 1840. The LDS Church's first baptism in Australia was in 1842 when Barratt baptised Robert Beauchamp, who would later become an Australian mission president. However, official missionary work did not begin until John Murdock, who became the first official mission president in Australia, and Charles Wandell established a mission in Sydney, Australia, on 31 October 1851. The colonies of New Zealand and Tasmania were added to the Australian Mission in 1854, creating the Australasian Mission. In 1898, however, the Australasian Mission was divided into the New Zealand Mission and the Australian Mission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan</span> Church in Japan

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Japan in 1901 when the church's first missionaries arrived on August 12. Among them was Heber J. Grant, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and later became the church's 7th president. Horace S. Ensign, Louis A. Kelsch, and Alma O. Taylor accompanied Grant. The LDS Church's first baptism in Japan was on March 8, 1902, when Grant baptized Hajime Nakazawa, a former Kannushi. The Book of Mormon was translated three times. The first translation, which took over six years, was completed by Taylor in 1909. It was then recommended that the Book of Mormon be translated into bunshō, a more elegant literary style, which was done by Chōkō Ikuta in 1909, shortly before it was published and distributed. The third translation in 1957 was done by Tatsui Sato. In 1995, the Book of Mormon was translated again into a more colloquial style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scotland</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Netherlands</span> Presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Netherlands

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first brought to the Netherlands in 1841, with the first congregation officially established in 1862 in Amsterdam. A mission to the Netherlands was organized in 1864, and the Dutch translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1890. Membership grew in the 20th century despite challenges posed by World War I, the Great Depression, and the German invasion of the Netherlands during World War II; approximately 14,000 people were baptized into the Church during its first 100 years in the Netherlands. The Dutch government officially recognized the Church in 1955. The Netherlands Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in 1961, becoming the first stake established on the European continent. The Hague Netherlands Temple was completed in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span> Overview of and topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Elias S. Kimball was the first Mormon U.S. Army chaplain and first in any branch of the United States military. He served in the Spanish–American War with the Second Army Corps Volunteer Engineer Regiment after an appointment to the rank of captain by U.S. President William McKinley around June 19, 1898. He was also a businessperson with his older brother, J. Golden Kimball. He was a member of the Utah Territorial legislature 1888–1889 and Logan, Utah city council 1883–1884. He was a president of the Southern States Mission after his brother J. Golden Kimball, and was named a Seventy by Joseph F. Smith in 1884 and 1894.

This is a timeline of LGBT Mormon history in the 1980s, part of a series of timelines consisting of events, publications, and speeches about LGBTQ+ individuals, topics around sexual orientation and gender minorities, and the community of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although the historical record is often scarce, evidence points to queer individuals having existed in the Mormon community since its beginnings. However, top LDS leaders only started regularly addressing queer topics in public in the late 1950s. Since 1970, the LDS Church has had at least one official publication or speech from a high-ranking leader referencing LGBT topics every year, and a greater number of LGBT Mormon and former Mormon individuals have received media coverage.

References

  1. ↑ "First Presidency Letter on Utah Precinct Caucus Meetings". Mormon Newsroom. 10 March 2010. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  2. ↑ "Preparing Children for Their Community Roles". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 2018-11-09.
  3. 1 2 "Chapter Forty: The Saints during World War II". Archived from the original on 2018-04-05. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Kenneth, Alford (2013). Joseph F. Smith and the First World War: Eventual Support and Latter-day Saint Chaplains. BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book.
  5. 1 2 "Military and the Church - The Encyclopedia of Mormonism". eom.byu.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mangum, James I. “The Influence of the First World War on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.” Brigham Young University, 2007.
  7. ↑ Richard, Maher (1975). For God and Country: Mormon Chaplains During World War II (Thesis). Brigham Young University.
  8. ↑ Dewey, Richard Lloyd (2003). Hübener vs. Hitler. Provo Utah: Academic Research Foundation. pp. 153–238. ISBN   0-929753-13-5.
  9. 1 2 Hansen, Lynn M, and Faith D Hansen. “Surviving by Faith: German Latter-Day Saints and World War II.” BYU Studies Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 2, 2012.
  10. ↑ "Called to Serve - new-era". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  11. ↑ "Lesson 9: Sharing the Gospel". ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Retrieved 2018-11-10.
  12. ↑ L., Anderson, Jeffery (1991). "Mormons and Germany, 1914-1933". search.lib.byu.edu. Retrieved 2018-11-10.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ↑ F., Boone Sr., David (1981). The Worldwide Evacuation of Latter-Day Saint Missionaries at the Beginning of World War II (Thesis). Brigham Young University.{{cite thesis}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.