LDS Militiaman Coleman Barney Now Indicted By Federal Grand Jury For Murder Conspiracy In Alaska, Could Face Life Imprisonment

On January 23rd, 2012, a federal grand jury in Anchorage, Alaska returned a superseding indictment of Alaska Peacemaker Militia members Schaeffer Cox, Coleman Barney, and Lonnie Vernon for murder conspiracy in what has become known as the 241 case. Barney was previously identified as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, assigned to the Eielson Ward in North Pole, Alaska. All three individuals pleaded not guilty, and the trial, originally scheduled to begin on February 6th, has now been pushed forward to May 7th. The Anchorage Daily News has two stories on the two-day hearing; Day One and Day Two.

-- Read the complete 24-page indictment HERE. The murder conspiracy charges are reflected in Counts 12-16 of the new indictment. Count 12 is the heavy count that could bring life imprisonment.

To briefly recap this increasingly complex case, Cox, Barney, Vernon and two others were arrested in March 2011 following a joint state-federal investigation into Cox's activities. Investigators allege Cox had swayed his followers to help him avoid prosecution in other matters, and had convinced them to participate in kidnapping and killing of government officials -- state troopers, a judge, U.S. Marshals, TSA officials, and personnel with the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security -- as retaliation in the event any of them attempted to apprehend Cox. The plan was dubbed the "241 Plan", meaning for every militia member taken out, two cops would be taken out. Plans allegedly included staging armed patrols in public places and acquiring and making illegal weapons.

Much of the federal case revolves around two informants expected to testify for the government. Gerald Olson is the "dirty" informant in the case, having made three felony charges go away in exchange for his cooperation. Despite defrauding numerous customers, he ended up pleading guilty only to second-degree theft, and got probation. In contrast, William Fulton, who formerly owned Drop Zone Security, is the "clean" informant, facing no charges, but who suddenly disappeared from view after the initial arrests of the Schaeffer Cox crew in March 2011. The credibility of both informants has been already challenged by the defense lawyers; in fact, the parallel state case against the three was abandoned by state prosecutors on October 17th, 2011 when Alaska Superior Court Judge David Stewart ruled that more than 100 hours of audio and video surveillance could not be used as evidence in the state's case. Under Alaska state law, which offers greater privacy protections than the U.S. Constitution, the judge ruled the warrantless recordings unconstitutional.

Coleman Barney has steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout his ordeal, which now stretches into the tenth month. During this time, Barney's repeated requests for bail have been denied, cutting him off from his family, congregation, and community. Numerous members of his ward have written supportive letters attesting to Barney's sound character and patriotism. The LDS Church customarily does not take action against the membership of someone in this situation unless or until they're found guilty in a court of law.

It is apparent that the ringleader, Schaeffer Cox, shot off his mouth a bit too loudly about his dissatisfaction with government, and the feds have decided to come down hard on him and his cohorts to administer an object lesson to anyone who dissents in this country. This indictment is the third handed down during this sequence, which implies that the feds are haphazardly flinging as much poo at the walls as they can in hopes that enough of it will stick to get a conviction.

For more background on this case:

-- Anchorage Daily News portal to past stories HERE.

-- Fairbanks Daily News-Miner portal to past stories partially available via this story.

-- Read all Alaska Pride posts on this case HERE.

Jon Huntsman Drops Out Of Presidential Race, Endorses Mitt Romney; Some Supporters Migrating To The Ron Paul Camp

Despite registering an impressive third place finish with 17 percent of the vote in the New Hampshire Republican primary, Jon Huntsman Jr. dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination on January 16th, 2012. Furthermore, Huntsman also endorsed Mitt Romney, characterizing him as the man best equipped to defeat Barack Obama in the fall. In his statement to supporters, Huntsman added that he will continue to fight for a tax code that unleashes opportunity rather than stifles it; an energy policy that ends our addiction to foreign oil; congressional term limits; education reform that prepares kids for the 21st Century; and financial reform that protects taxpayers from future bailouts.

The decision was triggered by distinct signs that Huntsman's performance in New Hampshire was a fluke. Polls indicate Huntsman was back down in single-digit territory in South Carolina, finishing either fifth or sixth, and despite pouring at least $2 million of his own money into the race, found his campaign increasingly cash-strapped, unable to buy television time or pay for direct mailings to reach voters in South Carolina. An official endorsement by South Carolina's largest newspaper, The State, was not enough to change his mind. Since The State also gave Romney honorable mention in their endorsement, it's possible they may switch their support to Romney.

The decision came as a surprise to Huntsman's top adviser in New Hampshire, Peter Spaulding, who learned the news in a telephone call from a reporter. Spaulding has no regrets about working for Huntsman, saying "I expected him to do better, but you know, it is as it is. He's still a young man and has a lot of future ahead of him". The Daily Mail's Toby Harnden covered part of Huntsman's campaign and said that Huntsman always seemed to be less than the sum of his parts. He noted that Huntsman never overcame the central paradox of his candidacy: while declaring himself to be a Reagan conservative, he marketed himself as a moderate and took every opportunity to bemoan the state of the Republican party, even questioning its sanity. Newt Gingrich hailed Huntsman's decision, saying that "we are one step closer to a bold Reagan conservative winning the GOP nomination", while Mitt Romney said “I salute Jon Huntsman and his wife Mary Kaye. Jon ran a spirited campaign based on unity not division, and love of country. I appreciate his friendship and support.” KSL news video below:

Does Huntsman's drop from GOP race help Romney? | ksl.com

The New York Times believes that Huntsman's withdrawal will help Romney pick up more support among moderate Republicans, but is unlikely to help him with conservatives. However, the conservatives are split between Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and to a certain degree, Ron Paul, although Paul also has support from libertarians and independents.

Mormon Republican Reaction: Not all LDS Republicans will migrate to Mitt Romney. Comments posted to the Salt Lake Tribune story indicate many are showing a renewed interest in Ron Paul. In fact, a Facebook group, Latter-day Saints for Ron Paul, has formed to mobilize additional LDS support for him. On January 12th, 2012, leading libertarian LDS blogger Connor Boyack wrote "I believe that a sincere review of our doctrine and history in the LDS Church would lead an individual to support not Mitt Romney, a fellow Mormon, but the only candidate who has consistently shown a commitment to upholding the Constitution and defending individual liberty: Ron Paul".

I seriously doubt that Romney would choose Huntsman as a running mate; two Mormons on the ticket would provide too much grist for the propaganda mills of anti-Mormons as well as some evangelicals and conspiracy theorists. But Huntsman may end up on the short list for Secretary of State in a Romney Administration; thanks to his service as ambassador to China, few people are more qualified for that post than Huntsman. But the involvement of two members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who expressed their Mormonism in slightly different ways may have helped erode suspicion of a Mormon presidency to the point that Romney can actually get elected. While Romney was portrayed as a more active Mormon than Huntsman, the LDS Church scrupulously avoided any hint of communicating that Romney might be more worthy than Huntsman.

Excommunicated Ex-Mormon Dawn Forsythe Defends LDS Church And Mitt Romney Against Bogus Charges Of Racism Aired In Attack Video

Currently making the rounds is an attack ad on video which claims that Mitt Romney and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is racist. Over dramatic music, you can hear the narrator say things like, "Mitt Romney was part of an official racist organization until he was 31 years old." The video goes on to point out that "it wasn't until 1978 that the Mormon Church allowed blacks to participate fully." The attack video talks about the LDS faith, but is aimed at Romney. In a clip from an interview a few years ago Romney says, "I'm proud of my faith, and it’s the faith of my fathers." That is followed by the narrator saying, "The faith of his father is a racist faith." The video is embedded below, although it might not stay up much longer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RckqB2u9r3k



The video has drawn sharp condemnation from a number of sources. The other Mormon candidate, Jon Huntsman Jr, condemned the ad and called for YouTube to pull it because of the misleading Huntsman tagline at the end. Huntsman spokesman Tim Miller speculated that it was produced by a Ron Paul supporter. Even the Utah Democratic Party, which has no political reason to defend Romney, spoke out in protest. State party chairman Jim Dabakis characterized the video as political pornography, explaining "We were made aware of a video today [Jan. 13] and we believe that it disturbed not only Democrats, but fair-minded people everywhere." He further characterized it as anti-Mormon discrimination. But the origin of the video has not yet been established. There has been no comment from the Romney camp.

But even more importantly, the video attracted condemnation from an unlikely source; an excommunicated ex-Mormon. Dawn Forsythe, who was an LDS member from 1971 until she was excommunicated in 1973 for apostasy after expressing public disagreement with the ban against conferring Priesthood upon Black men, pointedly explained that the Mormons changed their old racial discrimination as did many other social institutions, and noted that despite being excommunicated, she still admires the Mormon tenets that attracted her to the Church in the first place; namely, service to others, humanitarian aid, good citizenship, and a strong family life. She maintains that although she would not consider voting for Romney, Mormonism should not be a disqualifier for presidential candidates, and only uninformed voters would vote against him because of his religion.

Dawn Forsythe is to be commended for her integrity and fair-mindedness. It's obvious that she has long since come to terms with her excommunication, and it's proof that ex-Mormons do NOT necessarily become anti-Mormons. I would encourage any LDS member reading this post to visit her blog and post a brief comment expressing appreciation for her defense of the truth. The better we treat ex-Mormons, the less likely they are to become anti-Mormons.

Pew Forum On Religion Releases Survey On Mormons In America: LDS Church Pleased, Prominent LDS Bloggers Question Findings

On January 12th, 2012, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the results of a survey entitled "Mormons In America", but a number of prominent bloggers who make up the LDS Bloggernacle are questioning some of the findings. In contrast, the LDS Church sent an official statement to KSL Channel 5 expressing its satisfaction with the outcome. Church spokesman Cody Craynor wrote:

"As the Church and its members are increasingly the focus of media attention, we're eager to participate in conversations that help the public get to know us better.

"Even though the recent Pew study did not survey any of the Church's 8 million members who live outside the U.S., it highlights some important aspects regarding who we are and what we believe. For example, the study found that Church members subscribe to traditional Christian beliefs, have high moral standards, are overwhelmingly satisfied with their lives and communities, are active in serving others and have a profound dedication to family.

"These results reflect the Church's message that a deep commitment to the teachings of Jesus Christ brings lasting happiness."

According to the Topline, 1,019 individuals who identified as Mormon and living in the United States were interviewed between October 25th - November 16th, 2011. Of those interviewed, 99 percent identified as members of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with the remainder split among other restorationist denominations such as the Community of Christ and unspecified other Mormon sects. Page 76 of the full report reveals that 88 percent of respondents are White (non-Hispanic), 7 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Other, and 1 percent Black (non-Hispanic). Page 74 shows that 44 percent of respondents live in Utah. All information on methodology begins on Page 67 of the full report.

Topics covered included the leading presidential candidates, general social trends, perception of attitudes towards Mormons, and finally, Mormons' own religious practices. The mass media will already be focusing upon points one and three; rather than duplicate their efforts, I prefer to focus on points two and four. From the social trends category comes these noteworthy highlights:

-- Homosexuality: 65 percent of respondents say homosexuality should be discouraged by society.
-- Immigration: Almost evenly split; 45 percent of respondents say immigrants today strengthen our country because of their hard work and talents, but 41 percent say immigrants today are a burden on our country because they take our jobs, housing and health care.
-- Abortion: 74 percent say abortion is morally wrong.
-- Divorce: 46 percent say it's not a moral issue, while 25 percent say it's morally wrong.
-- Polygamy: 86 percent say it's morally wrong.
-- Sex between unmarried adults (fornication): 79 percent say it's morally wrong.

And from the religious practices category come these highlights on how Mormons believe in Church doctrine and participate in Church activities:

-- Attending church: 77 percent say they attend services at least once weekly.
-- Activity: 67 percent define themselves as Very Active.
-- The Book of Mormon: 91 percent say the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets and TRANSLATED by Joseph Smith, while 8 percent say the Book of Mormon was WRITTEN by Joseph Smith (all caps in the original)
-- Jesus Christ: 98 percent say He rose from the dead.
-- Godhead: 94 percent believe the Father and the Son to be physically separate beings.
-- President of the Church: 94 percent believe that the president of the LDS Church is a prophet of God.
-- Temple Activity: 95 percent believe that families can be bound together eternally in Temple ceremonies, but only 65 percent of respondents hold a temple recommend.
-- Women in the Priesthood: 87 percent say that women who are dedicated members of the LDS Church should not be ordained to the priesthood.
-- Food Storage: 82 percent keep an emergency food supply, but only 60 percent have at least three months' supply on hand.
-- Missionary Service: Only 27 percent report having served a full-time proselyting mission. Of those, 92 percent said it helped them grow their faith, and 80 percent said it helped prepare them for employment success.
-- Personal Prayer: 83 percent report praying at least once per day; 64 percent more than once.
-- Tithing: 79 percent of respondents pay tithing.
-- Spouse/Partner: Of those identifying as being married or cohabiting, 85 percent said their partner is also a Mormon, while 6 percent said their partner was from a nonspecified Protestant denomination.
-- Is Mormonism Christian: 97 percent say Yes.

The survey has generated considerable discussion on the Bloggernacle, with analysis and discussion posted on Juvenile Instructor, on By Common Consent (HERE and HERE), and on Mormon Metaphysics. Several question the finding that 77 percent of Mormons in America attend church every week, because most who care about such things find that the actual rate of attendance is nowhere near this high. Likewise, the finding that 79 percent of Mormons pay tithing is also considered high when the Church itself estimates that it's around 50 percent. It's possible these high figures were skewed by the large number of Utah Mormons who responded; in Utah, there is more cultural and social pressure for Mormons to be active since they comprise a much higher percentage of the overall population. Some of the questions were not considered sufficiently nuanced; for example, what's the difference between Very Active and Active?

In the final analysis, the survey provides a good snapshot on the attitudes and actions of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints in America.

Fire At Los Angeles LDS Temple Complex Destroys Mission President's Residence; Temple Itself Undamaged, Arson Not Immediately Suspected

A fire on the grounds of the Los Angeles Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints early on January 10th, 2012 destroyed a mission president's residence leaving only a charred skeleton standing, but inflicted only minor damage upon the temple president's residence which is still under construction, and did not affect the temple building itself. An excellent photo of the damaged structure is available via the Los Angeles Times, while the Westwood-Century City Patch provides the most comprehensive story.

The blaze was first reported around 1:01 A.M. on January 10th. A total of 48 firefighters ultimately responded, and the fire was effectively doused by 1:27 A.M. The 4,000-square-foot building, which was intended to house the Los Angeles LDS mission president and serve as an administrative welcome center for visitors, was in the wood framing stage. No damage estimate is yet available.

Two short videos provide additional perspective. The first one shows the fire in reference to the location of the temple itself, and indicates that the temple was never threatened:



The second video focuses exclusively on the burning building. Flames were estimated to have been 30 feet high:



The temeple's director of public affairs, Matthew Ball, says arson is not suspected because the temple had not received any threats, and on-site security guards detected no intruders. The temple property is patrolled around the clock. Nevertheless, a Los Angeles Fire Department House of Worship Task Force, part of the department's counter-terrorism unit, was dispatched to the scene for an arson investigation, because that is their standard response for any fire at any religious site. No connection with the recent spate of car fires is suspected since a suspect has been arrested and the outbreak of fires ceased thereafter.