Jews and Mormons: Two Houses of Israel By Frank J. Johnson, Rabbi William J. Leffler Ktav Publishing (Hoboken, New Jersey), 2000. Hardback: 206 pages. ISBN: 0-88125-689-7 Suggested retail price: $24.95 (US)
Reviewed by: Jeff Needle

Johnson and Leffler were, according to the preface, roommates at Dartmouth College in the late 1940's and early 1950's. They maintained a correspondence after graduation, and decided finally to reflect some of their discussions in this intensely interesting book. Johnson is a High Priest is the Mormon church, and thus comes to the discussion from a rather orthodox point of view. Leffler, on the other hand, is a Reformed Rabbi, arguably one of the most liberal branches of Judiasm.

The first eight chapters alternate between the two writers; the ninth is a summary chapter titled "Areas of Misunderstanding and Discussion."

It must be seen first that this book is amazingly accessible. The subject matter is such that it could easily get bogged down in arcane discussions of belief and practice. Instead, the presentations are cogent and convincing, each man reflecting his point of view with respect, but with conviction.

Rabbi Leffler

Rabbi Leffler captures the essence of the Jewish/Mormon dialogue in what I considered a key observation:

As the reader will see in Mr. Johnson's chapters, he frequently presents a dichotomy of right or wrong, true or false. Mormonism tends to view the world in this fashion. There are few gray areas; very little ambivalence. It is an either/or approach to life's questions and situations. In sharp contrast, Judaism's approach is both/and. We tend to see nuances, options, alternatives in many of life's challenges. As a result, Judaism may well encompass conflicting views on the same subject without feeling a need to accept one and negate the other. (3)

He enlarges later:

there is no formalized set of beliefs that all Jews will or must hold and must affirm in some public way in order to be Jewish. However, the lack of defined belief does not mean that there are no central Jewish religious ideas. There are myriads. Rather it means that conformity of belief is not a part of Judaism or of being a Jew. Thus if one were to ask, 'What do Jews believe about such-and-such?', there would be no single anser, no dogma, accepted by all Jews. (43)

Rabbi Leffler's explication of Judaism is just plain excellent, no other word will do. As a Jew, I especially appreciated his broad understanding of the wide range of Jewish belief and practice.

As a Jewish convert to Christianity, however, he did make me squirm a bit. He is unequivocal in his rejection of the idea of an individual converting to any other system of religion and still considering himself a Jew, as I do. In speaking of the instances wherein a person can be excluded from the Jewish community:

This is the situation with any group or person that declares that one can be Jewish and at the same time hold a belief in Jesus as the Messiah, a doctrine central to Christianity and totally rejected by Judaism. To many Christians, this parameter is confusing because, as we have pointed out, Judaism does not require theological conformity or agreement to be a Jew. Nonetheless the affirmation of the core belief of another religion is beyond the parameter. (139)

Mr. Johnson

Johnson, the Mormon High Priest, likewise presents his faith in a way totally familiar to most LDS. His reading of the history and the doctrine are standard stuff, but will likely be found very interesting by Jewish readers who may pick up this book. (Note that Ktav Publishing House is a Jewish concern, assuring that this book will likely find its way into the hands of many who would never step into an LDS bookstore.)

Unlike Rabbi Leffler, I thought that Johnson made a few missteps, at least one very regrettable. Perhaps my Jewish sensibilities are too sharp to have missed this, but I also note that Leffler, in a chapter preceding Johnson's missteps, warns there reader that some of what Johnson has to say may be "offensive" to some Jews. Sadly, I have to agree.

I'll mention the one that really caught my attention. The first appendix to the book is the full text of Orson Hyde's dedicatory prayer in Jerusalem in 1841. Johnson, in observing this notable visit and dedication, states:

Mormons see the gathering of the Jews to the State of Israel primarily as a political event rather than a spiritual one, but many Latter-day Saints follow events there with particular interest. Orson Hyde's dedicatory prayer in Jerusalem in 1841, petitioning the Lord for the return of 'Judah's scattered remnants' to the land of Palestine, makes Mormons the first Zionists, well ahead of the Jewish political Zionists of the late nineteenth century. (162)

Let's begin with a look at Talmage's Articles of Faith, and his understanding of the gathering of Israel:

Book of Mormon Prophecies: The gathering of Israel claimed the attention of many prophets whose teachings are recorded in the Book of Mormon, and not a little direct revelation concerning the subject is preserved within the pages of that volume. We have noted Lehi's discourse in the valley of Lemuel, in which that patriarch-prophet compared the house of Israel to an olive-tree, the branches of which were to be broken off and scattered; now we may add his prediction regarding the subsequent grafting-in of the branches. He taught that, "after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had received the fulness of the Gospel, the natural branches of the olive-tree, or the remnants of the house of Israel, should be grafted in, or come to a knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer. (James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1981], 301)

And further:

Among the most comprehensive predictions regarding the restoration of the Jews is this utterance of Nephi: "Wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered among all nations; yea, and also Babylon shall be destroyed; wherefore, the Jews shall be scattered by other nations. And after they have been scattered, and the Lord God hath scourged them by other nations for the space of many generations, yea, even down from generation to generation until they shall be persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind�and when that day shall come that they shall believe in Christ, and worship the Father in his name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and look not forward any more for another Messiah, then, at that time, the day will come that it must needs be expedient that they should believe these things. And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men. (Talmage, 302)

I find it a bit difficult to understand Johnson's feeling that Mormons are "the first Zionists." And I think real Zionist's would object to this characterization. The prayer of Orson Hyde says much on this matter:

Grant, therefore, O Lord, in the name of Thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ, to remove the barrenness and sterility of this land, and let springs of living water break forth to water its thirsty soil. Let the vine and olive produce in their strength, and the figtree bloom and flourish. Let the land become abundantly fruitful when possessed by its rightful heirs; let it again flow with plenty to feed the returning prodigals who come home with a spirit of grace and supplication upon it; let the clouds distil virtue and richness, and let the fields smile with plenty. Let the and the greatly and upon the mountains and the hills; and let Thy great kindness conquer and subdue the unbelief of Thy people. Do Thou take from them their stony heart, and give them a heart of flesh; and may the Sun of Thy favor dispel the cold mists of darkness which have beclouded their atmosphere. Incline them to gather in upon this land according to Thy word. Let them come like clouds and like doves to their windows. Let the large ships of the nations bring them from the distant isles; and let kings become their nursing fathers, and queens with motherly fondness wipe the tear of sorrow from their eyes. (Quoted in: N. B. Lundwall, Temples of the Most High [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1993], 256-7)

For Mormons, as with most Christians, the regathering of Israel, the return to Palestine, has significant spiritual import, and it is inextricably linked to the acknowledgment of the Messiahship of Jesus Christ. To link this hope with authentic Zionism seems a bit much.

In another place, Johnson offers a footnote (page 161) that was just plain puzzling:

In passing, one cannot help noting how interesting it is that Maimonides's Thirteen Principles of Faith, mentioned by Rabbi Leffler in chapter 3, has a counterpart in Mormonism's Thirteen Articles of Faith.

Quite apart from the fact that the original "Articles of Faith" were fourteen in number, not thirteen, I wondered just what Johnson was getting at, other than the similarity in number. Yes, a minor point, but it did puzzle me.

In one place, the question of the authorship of the chapter was a bit curious. Chapter 7, ostensibly written by Rabbi Leffler, makes the following statement:

Unfortunately Christians seldom recognize this problem, as Mr. Johnson has at times found in presenting his Mormonism to Rabbi Leffler. (132)

With both gentlemen spoken of in the third person (and this is the only place in the book where this occurs), I wondered just who wrote this paragraph.

Ending this lengthy review, I must in the end heartily recommend this fine volume to any who want to understand the potential for dialogue between Jews and Mormons. Mormons will enjoy it as it offers a concise, yet complete and sympathetic understanding of contemporary Judaism. And Jews will enjoy the energetic debate and the introductory understanding of Mormonism that this book offers.

-- 
Jeffrey Needle
E-mail: jeff.needle@general.com