The Mormon military experience 1838 to the Cold War / Sherman L. Fleek, and Robert C. Freeman.

Author/creator Fleek, Sherman L. author.
Other author Freeman, Robert C., 1959- author.
Format Book
PublicationLawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, [2023]
Copyright Date 2023
Description357 pages ; 24 cm.
Subjects

SeriesStudies in civil-military relations
Studies in civil-military relations. ^A1422502
Abstract The Mormon military experience is unique in American history. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is the only denomination to field military units for its own support and purpose rather than national interests, an effort which began in Missouri in 1838 and lasted through the Spanish American War of 1898. From World War I onward, however, the military exceptionalism of the LDS Church faded and Mormon soldiers came to serve national interests as loyal citizens alongside their fellow Americans. The Mormon Military Experience: 1838 to the Cold War is the first book to present a historical overview of the Mormon military experience. Sherman Fleek and Robert Freeman tell this unique story of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has experienced war and military service and their teachings concerning participation in armed conflict. The Mormon military experience is unique in American history. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is the only denomination to field military units for its own support and purpose rather than national interests, an effort which began in Missouri in 1838 and lasted through the Spanish American War of 1898. From World War I onward, however, the military exceptionalism of the LDS Church faded and Mormon soldiers came to serve national interests as loyal citizens alongside their fellow Americans. The Mormon Military Experience: 1838 to the Cold War is the first book to present a historical overview of the Mormon military experience. Sherman Fleek and Robert Freeman tell this unique story of how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has experienced war and military service and their teachings concerning participation in armed conflict. While LDS leaders adapted church practices and policies to support national objectives at times, there were also occasions when Mormon militia units defied state and federal military forces, sometimes to the point of open combat. No other American denomination has done this. This is a story about changing loyalties: as the LDS Church transformed from a personalist religious movement on the edge of society to a mainstay of American religious and political life, Mormons have moved from battling the US military to serving with distinction within it.--Book cover flaps (front and back).
Bibliography noteIncludes bibliographical references and index.
Issued in other formOnline version: Fleek, Sherman L. Mormon military experience Lawrence, Kansas : University Press of Kansas, 2023 9780700634330
Genre/formHistory.
Genre/formMilitary history.
LCCN 2022043606
ISBN9780700634323
ISBN0700634320
ISBN(ebook)