Vol. 11, No. 1, 1994

Articles on Mormonism

Brigham Young, the second Prophet of the Mormon Church, is the subject of the cover story of this issue of the Watchman Expositor. Young's outspoken drive, and determination, did more to change the direction of Mormon doctrine than any single LDS leader who followed him. Famous in his own time, Brigham Young is a household name to this day. He is undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters of the wild West to leave his mark on 19th century Americana.

Under Young's direction, the church established its present headquarters in Salt Lake City, grew from 34,600 members to 115,000 (over 300% increase) and instituted in the American frontier West a pioneer spirit of self-sufficiency that is still associated with modern Mormons.

Through Young's leadership, polygamy (which had been practiced mostly in secret under Joseph Smith) was openly preached and practiced. "Plural wives" became a virtual trademark of early Utah Mormonism. Stopping polygamy took a "declaration," published explanations, and countless excommunications by Prophet Wilford Woodruff and Young's other successors. To this day, Mormon fundamentalist "break-off" groups continue to practice polygamy and other doctrines dating back to Young's administration.

Young also introduced and strongly proclaimed the controversial "Adam God" doctrine. This doctrine was so important that Young stripped the seniority of one apostle, Orson Pratt, who opposed it. While Pratt maintained his office, he had lost his seniority largely over this issue. He also lost a certain opportunity to be Prophet himself (see Dialogue, Vol. 13, No. 2 p. 40).

One of the most controversial and frightening teachings introduced by Brigham Young was the doctrine of individual blood atonement. According to Young, for certain sins the blood of Christ would not atone. Instead, one's own blood must be shed for remission of sin. Some historians believe that this doctrine can be directly linked to the famous Mountain Meadows Massacre, when Mormon leader John D. Lee led a band of Mormon men and Indians to attack a wagon train of settlers passing through Utah (Mountain Meadows Massacre, by Juanita Brooks).

The church has consistently attempted to distance itself from anyone who acted on Young's "blood atonement" sermons. While Mormons have denied Young's personal involvement in the slaughter, his sermons were unmistakably clear. Even to this day, scores of murders by Mormon fundamentalist splinter groups can be likened to these infamous sermons.

After the death of Joseph Smith in June of 1844, the Mormons found themselves in a quandary. They were faced with continued harassment from their neighbors in Western Illinois while at the same time several important LDS leaders were vying for Smith's mantle with conflicting and contradicting claims (Divergent Paths of the Restoration, 4th ed. by Steven L. Shields pp. 31-238).

Out of this conflict Brigham Young emerged. He convinced a majority of the Saints remaining in Nauvoo that he was to be the second LDS Prophet. Shortly thereafter, he led the church to move to the Rocky Mountains and resettle in the Great Salt Lake basin. There Young rebaptized his followers and began in ernest his reign as Prophet/President, territorial Governor and frontier statesman (Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol. 3, Reformation (LDS) of 1856-1857; The Temple Lot Case pp. 340-41).

Young's Seniority: A Fatal Flaw

Brigham Young based much of his claim to authority on the fact that he had the most seniority of the twelve apostles. This argument (or revelation) helped solidify Young's claim to leadership but forever crippled the Church's future administration. By default, Young's system mandated an aged President/Prophet. Never again could anyone serve so long as leader or be so "young." In fact, this system meant that it would be virtually impossible for any Prophet to take office until well past retirement age.

Nowhere can this flaw be more clearly seen than by contrasting Brigham Young's contribution to Mormonism with the leadership of the feeble and mentally impaired Ezra Taft Benson.

Young's 30 year reign as prophet was marked by strong and decisive leadership and by important (albeit short-lived) changes in theology and practice. President Benson, the current Prophet of the Mormon church, assumed office at the age of 86. He was already frail and in poor health, a shell of the man who had once served as US Secretary of Agriculture under President Dwight Eisenhower.

Critics of the church have speculated that Benson, now 94, was not capable of meaningful leadership. In 1989 Watchman Fellowship staff were present when Benson displayed obvious difficulty completing sentences during his sermon at the rededication ceremonies of the Carthage jail. Now, according to his own grandson, Benson's mental capacity is far worse.

President Benson's Grandson

Steve Benson, 39, was also upset by the church's attempts to keep his grandfather's true condition from church members. He cited photo ops, which were described as "carefully staged photo sessions aimed at depicting an alert church leader, specifically one at his last birthday showing the prophet seated in a suit before a desk piled with well-wishers' cards and letters." All designed to make it appear that President Benson is still at the helm (Ibid.).

Benson, 39, is a Pulitzer prizewinning political cartoonist for the Arizona Republic whose work is syndicated in 200 newspapers nationwide. He said, "I believe the church strives mightily to perpetuate the myth, the fable, the fantasy that President Benson, if not operating on all cylinders, at least is functioning effectively enough, even with just a nod of his head, to be regarded by the saints as a living, functioning prophet" (Ibid.).

Benson said that his grandfather, whom he has seen struggle with encroaching senility during much of his seven-year administration, said "virtually nothing" the last time he saw him. Benson said, "He looked at me almost quizzically, as if he were examining me." On previous visits the aged prophet could manage at least a word or two (Salt Lake Tribune, 10 July 1993 p. E 1).

The policy of replacing the prophet at death by the senior apostle has created what the Salt Lake Tribune called a "strict apostolic succession [which has] fostered a gerontocracy." The Tribune article noted that "The four presidents before Benson averaged 88 years of age at death, and three were enfeebled for significant portions of their ministries." Steve Benson suggested that the present policy, which requires that the Prophet serve for life with no possibility of retirement, is "a system that obviously isn't working" (Ibid., pp. E 1,3).

When church spokesman Don LeFevre was asked to comment, he stated that the current system would require a revelation from "the Lord to his prophet" to change (Ibid.). LeFevre apparently did not see the logical fallacy in his proposed solution. Benson's inability to personally guide the church can only be solved if Benson personally guides the church in a new direction.

LeFevre also said that the Prophet's "counselors review major church decisions with the prophet at his home, where he must be tended around the clock. The younger Benson said the notion that the president's two counselors, Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson, could review anything with his grandfather is nonsense" (Ogden Standard Examiner, 13 July 1993, p. 4 B).

Steve Benson's claims that his grandfather is not mentally able to lead the church has been confirmed by recent documents that have been discovered. The Salt Lake Tribune reported:

"Two certificates of authority filed in May 1989 gave absolute control over the Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to counselors Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson. It is the first time since the corporation was founded 70 years ago that anyone other than the church president has obtained total authority over Utah's most powerful corporation." (15 August 1993 p. C 1).

President Benson did not even personally sign the documents that surrendered his legal control of the corporation. According to the Tribune, a signature machine was used to place Benson's name on the document. This procedure was described as legal but, "certainly out of the norm," by Fran Fish, notary public administrator for Utah's Department of Commerce (Ibid.).

In response to this development Steve Benson said "My grandfather has become a storefront mannequin while the business of the store is conducted behind closed doors" (Ibid.). About two months later Steve Benson and his wife Mary Ann resigned from the church. Steve Benson cited the recent excommunications of outspoken feminists and scholars as reason for his decision to leave (see Watchman Expositor, Vol. 10 no. 9 p. 23). He said, "I could not, in good conscience, be in an organization that was destroying the spirituality of the very souls of its members. [I left] because of the current atmosphere of fear, intolerance and intimidation in the dark period of the church we're groping through now" (Salt Lake Tribune, 11 October 1993 p. D-1).

The focus on Benson's mental health comes at the same time the church is cracking down on vocal liberals and dissidents. The nine million member Mormon Church finds itself at the brink of what may become a serious leadership crisis.

The church's current controversy may be brought more clearly in focus when seen in the context of the leadership of Brigham Young. From their second Prophet, one of the most powerful leaders in US religious history, to their 13th Prophet, described by his own grandson as a "storefront mannequin," today's Mormonism can only be understood in light of the triumphs and errors of Brigham Young.