Item Detail
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30312
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1
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5
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English
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British Latter Day Saint Conscientious Objectors in World War I
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Dialogue : A Journal of Mormon Thought
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Winter 2018
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51
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4
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Farmington, UT
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Dialogue Journal
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49-76
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What of the Latter Day Saint movement that claimed to prophetically discern the times and seasons of these latter days and also boldly proclaimed that they were the restoration church? The founding heart of the restoration vision was restoring Jesus Christ to the very centre of our attention: “This is my beloved Son. Hear Him!” In the Book of Mormon, Jesus taught again the Sermon on the Mount in all its uncompromising and radical love of enemies. According to the story told in 4 Nephi, the Nephite people responded to the ministry of Jesus by conversion. With the love of God in their hearts, they lived for two hundred years in a form of peaceful Zion that parallels Acts 2:36–47. There is economic justice, the abolition of classes and “ites,” and the joy of strong families. This time ends with these words: “And they did smite upon the people of Jesus; but the people of Jesus did not smite again.” The founding, original vision of non-violent Zion is in response to the crucified Christ, who taught and practiced the love of enemies.
So how did believers in the Book of Mormon’s message respond to World War I? For Latter Day Saints, conscientious objection (CO) would have been a faithful response to the founding vision of non-violent Zion, notwithstanding their earlier violence in Missouri, Illinois, and Utah.
[from author] -
A Peace Gene Isolated : Joseph Smith III
F. Henry Edwards : Articulator for the Church (Makers of Church Thought Series)
Frederick M. Smith : Saint as Reformer, 1874-1946
The History of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
"When I Think of War I Am Sick at Heart" : Latter Day Saint Nonparticipation in World War I