Mormons and Jews: Early Mormon Theologies of Israel

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Mormons and Jews
Early Mormon Theologies of Israel
STEVEN EPPERSON
Paperback. 238 Pages. / 1-56085-006-X / $18.95

There were two strains of thought in nineteenth-century Mormonism regarding Jewish people. One was represented by Apostle Orson Hyde's non-proselytizing mission to Jerusalem in 1840, during which he dedicated Palestine to the return of the Jewish diaspora. The other was expressed by Apostle Orson Pratt, who "viewed Jews in almost wholly negative terms" as those who killed Jesus--the sentiment of Christian theologians at the time. These pro- and anti-Semitic views were inherited by later church leaders and affected Mormon-Jewish relations in Utah and elsewhere.

Steven Epperson emphasizes the impact of Joseph Smith's Hebrew tutor, Joshua Seixas, on Mormon impressions of Judaism. He also looks at Jewish identity in the Book of Mormon, and he considers the larger issues of modern Israel and eschatological pluralism. Moshe Davis, a professor of Jewish studies at Hebrew University, calls Epperson's book "a model of scholarship, . . . learning, and interpretation," which itself indicates the current rapport between people of these two faiths.

Steven Epperson received his Ph.D. from Temple University. He is formerly the history curator for the LDS Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City and professor of history at Brigham Young University. This book won an award from the Mormon History Association. He is currently working on independent projects.