In the 1950s and 60s, the Mormon church faced internal turmoil as a group of intellectuals known as the "Swearing Elders" challenged orthodox doctrines. This clash between free-thinking scholars and conservative leaders like Joseph Fielding Smith led to attempts at excommunication, spy infiltration, and the firing of liberal educators. Amidst this tension, Church President David O. McKay emerged as an unexpected protector of intellectual freedom. The period also saw the church grappling with civil rights issues and racial policies, as public pressure forced leaders to confront their teachings. This tumultuous era set the stage for decades of struggle between faith, scholarship, and authority in Mormonism.
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Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/fired-for-opposing-racism/
Chapters
00:00:00 Intro
00:03:30 Dissenters within the Church education system
00:08:25 The church fired four teachers, two sets of brothers, evolution based stuff,
00:16:30 Survey done in the 1930s
00:25:50 Excerpts from The Charted Course
00:37:00 The Swearing Elders
00:44:44 Joseph Fielding Smith’s anti-evolution book
00:57:55 How the Brethren feel about the Swearing Elders
01:00:00 Sterling McMurrin answering that he did not believe the church
01:11:25 Joseph Fielding Smith worries about what Bennion is doing
01:16:40 Publicly criticizing them
01:21:00 Joseph Fielding wants these men fired
01:26:15 Bennion was terminated from the Church Education System
01:32:55 Address to NAACP
01:36:30 Reading McMurrin’s address
01:41:00 John’s summary of this history
01:54:13 How Mormon revelation works
01:57:00 Civil Rights Movement
02:01:10 The Advisory Report from the NAACP
02:13:23 Reading part of the letter
02:16:30 Parents are saying BYU is becoming too liberal
02:31:00 New mandated BYU Course
02:36:06 Preview for next episode
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