Posted by:
schrodingerscat
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Date: January 09, 2021 01:39PM
https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2021/01/09/jana-riess-capitol-we-saw/?fbclid=IwAR2z09nAo15ZRKHd6HrntPte38Z3q9QRCXWT5Mwi_pSPrnNGMCIIOnIKx6Ynot behind pay wall
https://religionnews.com/2021/01/08/at-the-capitol-we-saw-the-best-and-the-worst-of-us-mormonism/Jana Riess
Flunking Sainthood
"At the Capitol, we saw the best and the worst of US Mormonism
The domestic terrorist who dangled from the Senate balcony and occupied Mike Pence's seat is a returned missionary of the LDS Church, to our shame. But Mitt Romney, also a Mormon, showed some of the best qualities our religion is capable of.
The man who “hopped down” into the Senate chambers during Wednesday’s assault on the US Capitol has been identified as Josiah Colt, a former missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to East Idaho News.
Acquaintances of Colt’s are registering shock. A high school girlfriend said on Twitter that she had no idea the Idaho native “grew up and became a terrorist.” A man who knew Colt in high school told KTVB that he was “shocked” and didn’t want people to think his actions represented their hometown.
I do not know whether Colt is a practicing Mormon today, or if he left the Church at some point. He has deleted his social media profiles, so it’s hard to tell. He apologized on Thursday for his role in the armed insurrection, which brought terror to many, disrupted the actions of government, and resulted in at least five deaths.
In his apology, Colt said, “I recognize my actions that have brought shame upon myself, my family, my friends, and my beautiful country. In the moment I thought I was doing the right thing. I realize now that my actions were inappropriate and I beg for forgiveness from America and my home state of Idaho.”
He should have also mentioned that his actions have brought shame upon his church, which will inevitably be criticized for its connection to him.
Colt’s reprehensible involvement was not the only Mormon sighting at the US Capitol on Wednesday. Also pictured in the crowd of Trumpublicans was a man carrying a “standard of liberty” flag, a reference to the character of Captain Moroni from the Book of Mormon.
“In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children,” the flag read.
This is not the first time that Trump supporters have attempted to claim this freedom-loving verse from Alma 46 for their own twisted political purposes. In October, Utah Senator Mike Lee offered a fawning and outrageous comparison of the Book of Mormon hero Captain Moroni to Donald Trump.
“To my Mormon friends, my Latter-day Saint friends, think of him [Trump] as Captain Moroni,” Lee told Arizona fans. He also stated that the president “seeks not the praise of the world,” which could not be further from the truth in describing the self-aggrandizing Trump.
Thank God that Mike Lee and Josiah Colt don’t get to have the last word on what Mormons in America stand for. Thank God we also have Mitt Romney, who showed what people of our faith are capable of.
o to Mitt Romney, I want to say: thank you for being a voice of reason in the Republican Party and the nation. Thank you for standing for values that are supposed to define what it means to be a Latter-day Saint. I may not agree with you on political issues, but you have earned my respect.
And I hope members of the Church will look to your example rather than the example of violence and white male rage on display this week at the US Capitol. We saw two American Mormonisms on offer on Wednesday, charting two very different possible futures. The question ahead is which one we will allow to define us."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/2021 01:44PM by schrodingerscat.