DEZNATS makes mainstream Australian news article
Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2021 2:23 am
A place to love and accept the people who think about and live Mormonism on their own terms.
https://tranzatec.net/
We've discussed Deseret White Nationalists before. I understand that many of them are now going underground due to public exposure when they have been embedded into important public and private organizations. They will probably still appear at pro-Trump and Sons of the Utah Pioneers meetings.The conduct of so-called “Deseret nationalists” or “DezNats” has raised questions about how the Mormon Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) is responding to the movement, whose members direct harassment at other Mormons, including those working in church-sponsored institutions such as Brigham Young University (BYU).
Some who identify as DezNats take extreme right positions on gender, sexuality, and race. Others describing themselves as Deseret nationalists have advocated for a Mormon-ruled, separatist white ethnostate, located in the Great Basin area briefly claimed by the LDS church in the mid-19th century.
If the church really wanted to stop the violent rhetoric and actions, they would call out deznat directly. It is not enough to talk obliquely about these issues because this group sees themselves as defending the church. The actions from the past would indicate that anything goes when defending the church. They may even think that the leaders are only saying these things to avoid public sanction without really meaning them. Maybe the deznats would be right.In response to questions about DezNats, and the church’s willingness to disown them, Douglas Anderson, the church’s media spokesman, wrote in an email that the group was “not affiliated with or endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Anderson added that “in recent months, church leaders have spoken directly on such issues as condemning the recent violence in Washington DC and lawless behavior, the evils of racism … and peacefully accepting the results of political elections”.
Anderson’s statement concluded that “anything that encourages or incites violence is contrary to the recent instruction given by church leaders”.
The Church has no problem calling other groups out by name - they could go after DezNat too if they really wanted. The fact that they haven't tells me they don't really want to.blazerb wrote: ↑Wed Aug 11, 2021 8:36 amIf the church really wanted to stop the violent rhetoric and actions, they would call out deznat directly. It is not enough to talk obliquely about these issues because this group sees themselves as defending the church. The actions from the past would indicate that anything goes when defending the church. They may even think that the leaders are only saying these things to avoid public sanction without really meaning them. Maybe the deznats would be right.In response to questions about DezNats, and the church’s willingness to disown them, Douglas Anderson, the church’s media spokesman, wrote in an email that the group was “not affiliated with or endorsed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
Anderson added that “in recent months, church leaders have spoken directly on such issues as condemning the recent violence in Washington DC and lawless behavior, the evils of racism … and peacefully accepting the results of political elections”.
Anderson’s statement concluded that “anything that encourages or incites violence is contrary to the recent instruction given by church leaders”.
Excellent point. They may see anything less as empty words, like never fully telling Ezra Taft Benson to stop, thus leading to the Deseret White Nationalist movement today.