Abstract
The Book of Mormon was produced during a time of intense social animus towards Freemasonry. It is not surprising, then that the distrust and demonization of Freemasonry in the 1820’s is expressed in more general terms within the pages of the Book of Mormon. Indeed, significant portions of the book are dedicated proclaiming the social ills caused by flourishing “secret combinations.”This focus on secret combinations has had a significant impact on LDS political discourse beginning at the start of the Cold War. LDS researching W. Cleon Skousen, as well as then Church Apostle Ezra Taft Benson, played a significant role in promoting the idea of Communist conspiracy operated by modern secret combinations. Their influence was felt both inside and outside the church.Today, the legacy of both Skousen and Benson continues to have a deep and personal impact upon certain LDS individuals, including media personality Glenn Beck, and the communities or sub-cultures in which these individuals operate. Skousen’s nephew, Joel, is held up by many – both LDS and non-LDS -- as an expert on all things conspiracy. Additionally, author Jack Monnet has written several books and articles placing modern conspiracy theories squarely within an LDS context.This paper will examine how the Book of Mormon and its repudiation of “secret combinations” influences modern LDS political thought generally, as well the specific adoption of a conspiratorial worldview by a segment today’s American Latter-day Saints.
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