Mormon Leaders and The FBI's Push For White Christian Nationalism | Interview w/ Matt Harris Ph.D.

Newsletter: https://benjaminpark.kit.com/e8e78e2331

What happens when Mormon history collides with white Christian nationalism? In this long-form breakdown, we trace the idea from America’s founding debates to its modern resurgence—and then drill into how Latter-day Saints fit (sometimes awkwardly) inside that coalition. We set the stage with scholarship on the Founders, move to recent research on the rise of white Christian nationalism, and then sit down with historian Matthew L. Harris to unpack his new article on Ezra Taft Benson, W. Cleon Skousen, and their outreach to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

You’ll learn why surveys find significant LDS resonance with Christian nationalist ideas, how mid-century anti-communism fused with a sacred Constitution narrative, and what newly surfaced FBI files reveal about the Benson–Skousen–Hoover triangle. Plus: programming notes about the channel’s weekly series and a live Q&A mentioned in the episode.

Resources:
Matthew Harris, “Saving the Constitution With White Christian Nationalism: Ezra Taft Benson, W. Cleon Skousen, and Their Attempt to Solicit the Help of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover”: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/artic...

Nicholas Shrum, “Mormon-American Nationalism and the Religiopolitical Art of Jon McNaughton”: https://scholarlypublishingcollective...

Nicholas Shrum, “Materializing Faith and Politics: The Unseen Power of the NCCS Pocket Constitution in American Religion”: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/artic...

Benjamin Park, “The Unlikely Alliance of Mormonism and Christian Nationalism”: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/...

Pat Kahnke, “Culture Faith, and Politics” channel:    / @culturefaithandpolitics  

My interview with Pat Kahnke on Mormonism and Christian Nationalism:    • “The Unlikely Alliance Between Mormonism a...  

Dialogue podcast interview on Mormonism and Christian nationalism with Benjamin Park and Nicholas Shrum: https://www.dialoguejournal.com/diabl...


Books:
The Founding Fathers and the Place of Religion in America: https://amzn.to/4oIL2Nt

Was America Founded as a Christian Nation? Revised Edition: A Historical Introduction: https://amzn.to/431dhim

The Gospel of J. Edgar Hoover: How the FBI Aided and Abetted the Rise of White Christian Nationalism: https://amzn.to/4qAejM7

Preparing for War: The Extremist History of White Christian Nationalism—and What Comes Next: https://amzn.to/4oNOGWK

Watchman on the Tower: Ezra Taft Benson and the Making of the Mormon Right: https://amzn.to/3WqKkIS

Second-Class Saints: Black Mormons and the Struggle for Racial Equality: https://amzn.to/48OKVLR

American Zion: https://amzn.to/4j8Ms16
Kingdom of Nauvoo: https://amzn.to/4cmigxw


Video Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:08 Why Dialogue
02:02 Game Plan
02:57 Channel Plug
03:55 Founders Debate
05:00 Secular Government
06:09 Modern Rise
07:21 Dominionism
08:15 LDS Context
09:24 Coalition Shift
10:24 Key Figures
11:24 More Figures
12:14 Shrum Articles
13:11 McNaughton Art
14:02 Harris Intro
15:10 FOIA Reveal
16:20 Define WCN
17:39 Gendered Lens
18:41 Why Hoover
19:01 Hoover Bio
20:01 LDS Links
21:06 Who Shapes
22:24 Arm’s Length
23:35 JBS Fallout
24:25 Reed & FBI
28:05 Inside Files
29:46 1978 Context
30:31 Today’s Tension
32:24 JWHA Pitch
34:07 Closing

#MormonHistory #ChristianNationalism #LDS #AmericanReligion


About This Channel:
Welcome to the channel! I’m Dr. Benjamin Park—historian, author, professor, and unapologetic history geek. If you're tired of hearing that everything is unprecedented or nothing like this has ever happened before, you're in the right place. This channel dives into the complex (and fascinating) intersections of American religion, politics, and culture. I bring history out of the ivory tower and into real-world conversations—making it relevant, accessible, and even a little fun. Expect weekly deep dives, quick takes on current events, book recommendations, and sharp insights from the past to help us understand our present. From Mormon history to the abolitionist movement and beyond, let’s unpack how we got here—and where we might be going. Subscribe and geek out with me on the power of the past.

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