White supremacy in genealogy: Mormon philo/antisemitism in their claim to Israelite-identity., part 1

Joseph of Egypt - Michael T. Malm from LDS.org.

An Angel Saves Abraham - Del Parson from LDS.org.

This is part 1 of an 7-part series on philosemitism / antisemitism in Mormonism

Mormonism foundationally used/s genealogy to reify its white-supremacist doctrines which teach that EuroMormons—as the keepers of the keys of the “One True Church,” and descendants of Ephraim’s tribe of Israel—are God’s Chosen Race and People. This is connected to their emphasis on "The Family" and eternal families, their temple work, their justification for settler-colonial Indigenous genocide and land theft, and to their African Salvation Ban.

Front page of Grandma Nancy's "My Forefathers, A Story of Our Race and Our Honorable Parentage"

My Great Grandma compiled a genealogical text in which she traces our ancestry back to Ephraim of the Tribes of Israel, thru to Isaac & Abraham, all the way to Adam. 

Grandma Hale calls the Israelite Tribe of Ephraim “The Priesthood Birthright Tribe,” & writes, “By Divine revelation through patriarchal blessings I (and nearly all Latter-day saints) learned that I am of the tribe of Ephraim.” (Brigham Young has called Joseph Smith “a pure Ephraimite.”)

I was also told in my patriarchal blessing that I am of the tribe of Ephraim.

When she writes “I (and nearly all Latter-day saints)” are Ephraimites she’s referring to the British Israelism, Christian Identity, & Supersessionist beliefs of Mormonism which all teach that the Israelite Tribe of Ephraim migrated to & settled in England. 

Grandma Nancy's “Diagram showing the lineal connection between modern nations of Europe & America & Israel”

In a family tree titled “Diagram showing the lineal connection between modern nations of Europe & America & Israel,” she traces all “Anglo Saxons (English)” back to Ephraim.

She writes, “In each of the countries where…the blood of Israel (Ephraim) settled they became the dominant race, thus Israel became the forefathers of the races of Northern Europe from whom most members of the church trace their descent.” In addition to England, she then lists “United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, S. Africa” & “colonies in possession over the world” as “countries where (Ephraimites) settled.” 

She died in 1949, at beginning of the so-called “postcolonial” period when Northern Europe, wasted by WWII began to lose colonial power so there were far more “colonies in”North European “possession over the world” in her lifetime. (See: “How to Hide an Empire” to learn more about how U.S. colonialism is ongoing.)

Just as Mormonism teaches that Indigenous Peoples lost their birthright to this land by denying God / Jesus (which they teach is evidenced by their skin tones as God cursed their supposed ancestors with “a skin of blackness” for their wickedness)—Mormonism teaches that Jews lost their birthright as God’s Chosen People when they didn’t recognize Jesus as their messiah. (See 2 Nephi 30). 

Mormonism teaches that Mormons have replaced both––Indigenous Peoples as the rightful heirs of this land (ie “birthright”)––and Jews as God’s “Chosen People” & keepers of the "Keys of the Priesthood". This anti/philosemitic erasure & replacement (supersessionism) is the foundational ideological reason Mormons has/had priesthood, polygamy temples, & an obsession with genealogy. (See part 2 for more on this)

​White supremacy is about ancestry
White supremacy is about genealogy
White supremacy is about family

---

White supremacy in genealogy: Some helpful terms and examples for understanding Mormon antisemitism

---

This is part 1.5 of an 8-part series on philosemitism / antisemitism in Mormonism

and how Mormonism foundationally used genealogy to reify its white-supremacist doctrines which teach that EuroMormons—as the keepers of the keys of THE “One True Church,” and descendants of Ephraim’s tribe of Israel—are God’s Chosen Race and People.

Part 2 will be about how this shows up in Mormon temple work, eternal families, & genealogy.

---

White supremacy in genealogy

Part 1 is about how Mormonism foundationally used genealogy to reify its white-supremacist doctrines which teach that Euro-Mormons—as the keepers of the keys of THE “One True Church,” and descendants of Ephraim’s tribe of Israel—are God’s Chosen Race and People.

Part 2 is about how this shows up in Mormon temple work, eternal families, & genealogy.

Part 3 is on the classist, femicidal violences of Mormon doctrine on Eternal Families, Polygyny, and Godhood.

Part 4 shares my personal experience with using genealogy in an anti-racist way.

Part 5 is on the ways antisemitism and anti-Indigeneity overlap in Mormonism 

Part 6  builds on part 5 through a critical analysis of the art and history in the Manti temple and it's grounds.

Part 7 addresses the Baptisms for the Dead that Mormons did for Jews killed in the Holocaust  along with Hitler and other Nazis.

---