Thunder from the Right: Ezra Taft Benson in Mormonism and Politics
Matthew L. Harris
Abstract
The essays in this volume probe Ezra Taft Benson’s remarkable, though controversial, career as a religious leader in the Mormon Church, political figure in the Eisenhower administration, and anti-communist leader in American presidential politics. Each essay is written by an experienced scholar of Mormon history and is informed by archival material previously underutilized or unavailable to researchers. The essays explain why Latter-day Saints loved Benson--and why they found him polarizing. An underlying theme is that Ezra Taft Benson’s intense patriotism and fierce ultraconservatism made him ... More
The essays in this volume probe Ezra Taft Benson’s remarkable, though controversial, career as a religious leader in the Mormon Church, political figure in the Eisenhower administration, and anti-communist leader in American presidential politics. Each essay is written by an experienced scholar of Mormon history and is informed by archival material previously underutilized or unavailable to researchers. The essays explain why Latter-day Saints loved Benson--and why they found him polarizing. An underlying theme is that Ezra Taft Benson’s intense patriotism and fierce ultraconservatism made him a controversial figure within the Mormon community.
Keywords:
Mormonism,
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,
David O. McKay,
Religion,
Cold War,
Book of Mormon,
socialism,
liberalism,
communism
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2019 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780252042256 |
| Published to Illinois Scholarship Online: September 2019 |
DOI:10.5622/illinois/9780252042256.001.0001 |
