A J. Reuben Clark antagonism I have run into a few times on the internet... : r/lds 

https://www.reddit.com/r/lds/comments/qz081e/a_j_reuben_clark_antagonism_i_have_run_into_a_few/

A J. Reuben Clark antagonism I have run into a few times on the internet...

J. Reuben Clark was called as an Apostle and made First President in The Church in 1933.

J. Reuben Clark had served in various government positions, ambassador to Mexico, and was altogether an accomplished individual when he was called to Church leadership in the early 1930s.

The antagonism around Clark is his anti-semitic statements, and his pacifism. Combined with The Church continuing Missionary work in Germany, and Clarks working with German (Nazi) officials to continue Missionary work in Germany until Missionaries were forced to -literally escape Germany/Nazis in 1939. Clark does not look too good in the rear-view mirror. But much of that is explainable, especially in comparison to other religions at the time. Catholics, protestants, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints played along in Germany under Nazi control when in hindsight, the Nazis were -clearly- evil. That in and of itself is an interesting discussion.

One particular antagonism of Clark that I have followed up on is a statement that has been repeated in arguments to me when I have defended or explained the actions of The Church from that time period is this...

"The FBI had secret files which detailed how Nazi agents received the private encouragement of J. Reuben Clark."

It makes it sound almost as if Clark was giving private encouragement or help to hostile foreign nations. It was specific enough that antagonists to The Church had teeth in their criticism, but vague enough and broad enough that it could mean several things.

The source provided by antagonists was Quinn. And Quinn engages in "Quinnspeak" when pressing criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Quinnspeak is Quinn playing fast and loose with truth.

So, I followed-up on the source.

This is the original source, watch how antagonists are lying without actually lying... "It is not surprising that, as of November 1942, US intelligence agents were filling secret reports about Counselor Clark's statements for pacifism and against the war. By January 1943, FBI interrogators also found that pro-Nazis in Utah were claiming his private encouragement." "War and Peace In Our Time" pg. 153.

Clark was a pacifist. I am not a pacifist, so that is hard to defend. But Clark was a pacifist.

And pro-nazi individuals in Utah *claimed* Clarks encouragement. There is no possible way any investigator thought to end the investigation there (in a time of open-war) if the "private encouragement" was anything with any real substance. No way that is where the investigation ended if there was an ounce of substance there. Not in a time of open war. But, per the source, that is where the investigation ended. Pro-Nazi individuals who were residents of Utah *claimed* to have received some sort of encouragement from Clark.

The statement "The FBI had secret files which detailed how Nazi agents received the private encouragement of J. Reuben Clark." Does not match the original source. It is at best a "half truth."

I enjoy the hobby of following-up on sources. I bought Quinns, "Elder Statesman" where Quinn quotes himself (no joke), and engages in hyperbole in times, but it was and is an interesting source on Clark. I also bought, "War and Peace In Our Time" to follow up on Quinns criticism of Clark, and it is an interesting source. Edited by Bushman, who is my spirit animal. Love Bushman