In his journal for October 16, 1925, James E. Talmage reported on a lecture by the British Israel Federation Congress. Note that he was very critical of “British Israelism”:
Attended
morning class with the brethren and then was present at the meetings of the
Federation. The Westminster district was crowded with people during the early
afternoon, all waiting to welcome the Prince of Wales back to England after his
long tour of visits to South America and South Africa. I had but a few steps to
take from Central Hall to the street along which the procession was to pass,
and I had a good view of the Prince, with his father King George, also the Duke
of York, Prince Henry, all riding in one carriage drawn by four prancing
steeds. In spite of the heavy downpour of rain many thousands of people were
massed along the streets in the Westminster district. I attended the afternoon
and evening meeting of the Federation. As to the work of this organization, I
incorporate here a letter prepared for transmission to the First Presidency of
the Church:
President
Heber J. Grant and Counselors
Salt
Lake City, Utah
Dear
Brethren:
In
the afternoon of Wednesday, October 14th, your cablegram arrived
reading as follows:
“Suggest
advisability of your attending personally British Israel Federation Congress
now in session at London.—Grant”
I
left at the first available train and next morning was present at the opening
of the Federation proceedings for the day.
I was present at all the sessions of Thursday and Friday, three each
day. Before entering the meeting I reported my presence to the General
Secretary, showing him your cablegram and making known to him just who I was
and am. I was treated with marked consideration; and at the general meetings
was given a place on the platform, with 21 other “ministers,” and, among these
I was one of four whose collars were fastened in the front, the others being
sartorially “gentlemen of the cloth.”
I
was surprised in observing the positiveness, amounting to radicalism, with
which the organization proclaims its views. Assuming from your cabled
instructions that you desire some account of the Federation and its
distinguishing activities, I respectfully submit the following brief report.
- “The British-Israel-World Federation”
has been particularly active in the British Isles, and to some extent in
the several Dominions overseas, during the last seven years.
- It holds that the British Nation is the
Israel of the Old Testament, the designation “Israel” being used in its
distinctive sense as apart from “Judah.”
- The distinction between Israel and Judah
is emphasized to such an extent as to make it appear that the Jews are
opponents if not enemies to the cause.
- The Federation claims to have
demonstrated an unbroken line of descent from David, King of Israel, to
David the present Prince of Wales.
- Great stress is laid upon the Scripture
“For thus saith the Lord: David shall never want a man to sit upon the
throne of the House of Israel” (Jeremiah 33:17). In several addresses
delivered at the London Conference this Scripture was quoted, enlarged upon
and exploited, as the sure word that the present Royal House of Britain
shall never be overthrown, and this nation shall never change from a
monarchial to a republican form of government.
- The present Prince of Wales, whose
pr[a]enomen is given as Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick
DAVID, is regarded as the Prince of Promise in a distinctive sense. The
hymn most frequently sung in the course of the London meetings was that
entitled “God Bless the Prince of Wales.”
- The City of Jerusalem was glowingly
described as rebuilt and glorified, and specifically as the capital of the
British Nation, or Israel.
- The mandate now held by Great Britain
over Palestine is taken to be a direct fulfillment of Isaiah 49: 8 – 12.
- The name “Britain” is claimed to date
back to the time of Abraham, it being a modified form of the Hebrew “Brit”
meaning “covenant:” and the British people are held to be distinctively
the covenant nation.
- It is unreservedly declared that the
British people are the Ten Tribes, otherwise known as the Lost Tribes, of
Israel.
- The cross in the Union Jack, or British
Flag, is taken to be very significant, it being the only flag in use among
the nations displaying the Cross of the Christ.
- The imminence of the second coming of
Christ is stressed with great force; and it is held that at His coming the present Royal
House of Britain will be the ruling power among the nations, and that this
House will hand over the reins of government to the King of kings and Lord
of lords.
The
foregoing are a few of the outstanding claims of the British-Israel-World
Federation. Extravagant though some of these claims are, they are provocative
of thought. We know that there is much of the blood of Israel among the
Anglo-Saxon people; and perhaps it is not too much to say these peoples are of
the House of Israel. (James E. Talmage, Journal, October 16, 1925)
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