Thread by @FalunJimmy

today I'd like to go down a relatively small rabbit hole about the Salt Lake City Temple in Utah. there's a lot to say, but I'm gonna stay focused on the 1962 temple bombing, or as I call it, my favorite small-scale conspiracy theory of all time

11/14/62, a bomb goes off at Temple Square (a city bloc w/ several LDS church buildings, see first photo). the damage was relatively minor, and it took the watchmen 30 minutes to figure out what got damaged.

11 windows were broken/blown out, damage to doors, fixtures, plaster, and "one of the temple’s famous doorknobs had been sent flying into the building, puncturing a hole in a wall"

"Initial investigations concluded that the damage was most likely done with a plastic explosive. The Church gave permission for FBI Agents and experts from Dugway Proving Ground to examine the damaged area."

"There was a concern that the explosive used may have been sold to the public as surplus property. Investigators guessed that the culprit had scaled the wall or hidden on the square at closing time, because the wall’s gates were locked at the time of the explosion."

so, who bombed the SLC temple?

well, they found graffiti near the site of the blast. "This consisted of the words “Viva Castro” inscribed on the wall just opposite where the bomb went off"

"Castro and communism had been discussed during the general conference, held the month prior to the bombing. During that conference the perceived dangers of communism were discussed by a few speakers, with Elder Benson speaking at length on Castro, Cuba, and communism."

"In his personal life Elder Benson was a strong supporter of the anti-communist John Birch Society, even writing to FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in support of the society and condemning their mutual friend President Dwight D. Eisenhower."

"Benson’s son Reed had become coordinator of Utah’s chapter of the John Birch Society just weeks prior to the attack on the temple. Because of this some, had started to wonder about the relationship between the Church and the John Birch Society"

"As a result the First Presidency of the Church released a statement, which read in part: “We deplore the presumption of some politicians, especially officers, co-ordinators and members of the John Birch Society..."

"who undertake to align the Church or its leadership with their political views.” This statement was released in January 1963, less than two months after the bombing.

"Did the political activism of the Benson family, which was often over the pulpit, convince the bomber that the Church and the JBS were conspiring together?"

the bombing was never solved there were no further reports on the investigation.

what do you think? was it Communist Cubans doing the only covert bombing attack they ever executed in the US, and then leaving graffiti reading "Viva Castro"? despite there being essentially no Cubans in Utah and absolutely no reason to give a shit what Utahns think about them?

or was it John Birchers, who infested the LDS church, and had ties to church leadership?

draw your own conclusion!

one final note: "As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints prepared for General Conference in October of 1965, northern Utah was on high alert."

"Rumors moved through the area that busloads of Black rioters from California and elsewhere were on their way to storm Temple Square."

"There were also reports of missing bombs from Hill Air Force Base, Black men buying up all of the guns in local sporting goods stores and even that Martin Luther King, Jr. planned to stay at the Hotel Utah during the riots."

"But the conference came and went, and no rioters appeared. It was later discovered that the rumor was started by members of the John Birch Society"

nothing new under the sun

Elder Benson served in Eisenhower's administration, but wrote to Hoover about how he believed Eisenhower was a communist stooge

Benson pissed off Eisenhower because "Just after taking office in 1953, the Utahn became the first member of the new Cabinet to create controversy by attacking government farm subsidies — worrying aloud that they were too socialistic, which upset many farmers Congress."

the FBI, which of course spied on Benson and Eisenhower, said in their file that "the president is a little 'teed off' with Secretary of Agriculture Benson" because he "has not been successful in quieting the farmers, cattlemen, dairymen and Capitol Hill."

"Hoover sent messages of encouragement when Benson was sick and when his stepmother died. He wrote a note of thanks for Benson's service when he left the Cabinet. He also once invited Benson's son, Reed, apply to become an FBI agent."

Reed being the likely SLC bomber, lol

"I realize that only in the next life will we fully appreciate all you have done to preserve freedom in this country," Benson wrote to Hoover. "I am most grateful for your exposure of the communist conspiracy and for the wonderful organization you have established in the FBI."

"Reed Benson said his father tried to persuade the State Department, for example, to rethink its support of Fidel Castro in Cuba after Agriculture attachés warned Benson that supporting him could lead that country to communism."

motive, opportunity, and means ;)

the FBI then advised Hoover to serve Benson,

"Calling the society "probably the most publicized right-wing extremist group in the country," they recommended keeping Benson away from Hoover — including lying, if necessary, to say that Hoover was unavailable to talk to Benson."

if there's one admirable trait in J. Edgar, it's that he was a catty bitch who loved to turn on his friends, hahahahah

another far-right figure in Mormonism, W. Cleon Skousen, was so cool because he told everyone he was Hoover's right-hand man. in reality, "FBI memos have described his work at the Bureau as mainly clerical and administrative". he wrote some insane books, too

Skousen wrote two hilarious books that I read when I was little: the Naked Communist and the Naked Capitalist. the first is basically like, if the Protocols of the Elders of Zion were just for the Reds, and the Naked Capitalist is just trying to redpill you on the Jews

Skousen was close to but not allowed in the American Security Council since he was a clown. remember, that's how these things work. you're the tool, you're not in the club.

Skousen was a big influence on these guys, which is just a less-crazy version of the sovereign citizen and Posse Comitatus stuff

more on those guys in the coming weeks and months. in the meantime, that's my thread on the 1962 SLC Temple bombing

thanks, god bless

also, full disclosure, I'm like 8th cousins with Ezra Taft Benson, but that's like the level of related every British person is to the Queen, so w/e