Elizabeth Smart Prepares To Return To Her LDS Mission In France Now That Her Kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, Was Convicted By A Federal Jury In Utah

Elizabeth Smart announced her readiness to return to her mission in France for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the December 10th, 2010 conviction of her kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, on charges of interstate kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The jury of seven men and five women rejected Mitchell's insanity defense and returned their verdict after a mere five hours deliberation, although a couple of jurors said the decision was not easy. Seven of the jurors are members of the LDS Church.

After prosecutors, defense attorneys and jurors exited the court, Elizabeth Smart, who took no questions, issued this statement:

"First of all, I'd like to say thank you to everyone who had put so much work into my case. Today is a wonderful day and I'm so thrilled to be here and I'm so thrilled with the verdict," Smart said. "But not only that, I'm so thrilled to stand before the people of America today and give hope to other victims who have not spoken out about what's happened to them. I hope that not only is this an example that justice can be served in America, but that is it possible to move on after something terrible has happened and that we can speak out and we will be heard. Once again thank you so much. I am excited to go back to France and continue my mission. Thank you to everyone for everyone's praise and support."

She has an estimated six months left on that mission. KSL news video of the Smart family reaction embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Elizabeth Smart was praised by the prosecution team for her extraordinary courage and determination. U.S. Attorney for Utah Carlie Christensen, who called the prosecution "an exceptional effort by an extraordinary trial team", said that the story began and ended with Elizabeth Smart. ..."She was willing and able to recall the horrific details of a nine-month captivity and recount those events to a jury with amazing candor and clarity. The importance of her testimony to the successful outcome of this case cannot be overstated", noted Christensen. Jurors also said it was the compelling testimony from a strong and poised Elizabeth Smart that had some of the biggest impact on them.

As for Brian David Mitchell, he could face up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 25th, 2011; he will remain incarcerated in the Salt Lake County Jail during the interim. The sentencing date was deliberately selected to accommodate Elizabeth Smart so she can be present; her mission will be finished by then.

Those who are interested in more details regarding the entire case can visit the following dedicated media portals to various stories:

-- KSL Channel 5 media portal
-- Salt Lake Tribune media portal
-- KSTU Channel 13 media portal
-- Previous posts on this blog from September 30th, 2009 and from November 9th, 2010.

By Her Appearance At The Utah Trial Of Kidnapper Brian David Mitchell, Elizabeth Smart Magnifies The Value Of Her LDS Mission Call

On November 9th, 2010, CNN's Belief blog published a good article entitled, "Elizabeth Smart's other journey". It focuses much less on the trial of her former kidnapper, Brian David Mitchell, and more upon the full-time mission she's serving in Paris, France. Elizabeth Smart was temporarily excused from her mission to return to the United States and give testimony in the trial; she will return to her mission at the trial's conclusion. Some pictures of Elizabeth Smart on her mission available HERE.

Testimony by Elizabeth Smart on November 8th reveals the full horror of her ordeal (the Salt Lake Tribune has published a complete transcript HERE, and her Nov. 9 testimony is being documented HERE). She testified about the kitchen window through which Mitchell entered the Smart home, a window left open to air the cooking smell out of the house. She spoke of how she awoke to the feel of Mitchell's cold knife to her throat, and his threats to kill her if she didn't follow his instructions. She further related how, for the next six weeks, Mitchell tethered her by her ankle to a stationary cable strung between two trees, just as if she was a dog. He forced to her to smoke and drink, and raped her daily.

Elizabeth Smart's mother, Lois, testified on how Brian Mitchell first came into their lives. She encountered Mitchell in the fall of 2001 outside a downtown Salt Lake City shopping mall, apparently down on his luck. Lois Smart said she gave Mitchell $5 after talking with him, as well as her husband’s name and phone number to contact about doing odd jobs at their home. For some reason, Lois' kids, who normally never urged their mother to give money to the less fortunate, urged her to do so in this case. Mitchell phoned the family and was later hired to do odd jobs around the house; he did not appear bizarre or paranoid.

But this is where Elizabeth Smart's ordeal and her participation in the judicial aftermath adds value to her mission. Under normal circumstances, her mission would pass uneventfully, impacting only those in her immediate circle and the investigators with whom she would come in contact. But because Elizabeth Smart's ordeal has received international publicity, thousands if not millions who otherwise wouldn't hear of the LDS Church have learned of it in greater detail. While many will quickly dismiss it and turn back to other interests, a considerable number will follow up. Some will even request information from the Church, allowing other missionaries the opportunity to preach the restored Gospel to them. And some of them will join the Church.

By virtue of her ordeal, Elizabeth Smart may ultimately bring far more people to Christ than she could have without it. This is an example of how our Heavenly Father can transform a negative into a positive. It's proof that Satan cannot win.

And what of Brian David Mitchell? His behavior during the trial, punctuated by random outbursts of shouting and singing causing his removal from the courtroom, clearly indicates his insanity; his defense counsel contends Mitchell was insane when he kidnapped Elizabeth Smart. Mitchell showed early signs of psychosis as a teenager; his grandfather was civilly committed to Utah State Hospital with paranoid schizophrenia and his father, while never diagnosed with a mental illness, wrote a 900-page manuscript as spokesman for the infinite god or goddess. More about Mitchell's road to insanity is published HERE. Did Mitchell ever really have a chance to live a normal life? One interesting metaphysical question: Is it possible that Brian David Mitchell, prior to coming to Earth, deliberately chose the disability of insanity as his life's challenge to advance faster in mortality in the same fashion as DeLynn purportedly chose the disability of cystic fibrosis, as documented in this account?

Of course, while Mitchell's insanity may diminish his responsibility, it does not diminish the danger he poses to society. The challenge here is to strike an effective balance between removing him from society, but treating him in a way that acknowledges his diminished responsibility.

Former Utah Kidnap Victim Elizabeth Smart Prepares To Deploy On An LDS Mission To Paris, France

Update November 9th, 2010: Elizabeth Smart gives testimony at the trial of Brian David Mitchell; updated post HERE.

Remember Elizabeth Smart? She's that young lady from Utah who got kidnapped by Brian David Mitchell who wanted to make her his "plural wife". Read about that ordeal in Wikipedia.

Well, apparently the Lord wanted to make up for that horrific experience. So the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called her to fulfill a full-time 18-month proselyting mission. And they're not sending her just anywhere; she's going to Paris. That's Paris, France, by the way.

Cake duty.

Well, not exactly. She's not going there to sightsee, although she'll undoubtedly have some opportunities when P-day comes up. She's going there to preach the Gospel, although with an imaginative and innovative mission president in charge, she could easily preach the Gospel outside the Louvre, the Tuileries, or even the Palace of Versailles. Watch this extended report from KSL Channel 5; you can toggle between the Main Story Video and several interviews with her:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Elizabeth Smart is not exactly flying blind into this adventure. She has visited France several times as a tourist, but recognizes it will be very different as a missionary. Along with the work, Elizabeth says she has a powerful message to share. She says it was her faith in God that helped her navigate through the unexpected twists and turns in her own life. She is scheduled to report to the Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo on November 10th.

But before she goes to France, she's got some unfinished business. Elizabeth Smart will be testifying at the competency hearing of Brian David Mitchell, being held to determine is Mitchell is mentally and psychological capable to stand trial. Smart is expected to testify that Mitchell was motivated in his crime by sex rather than religion. Mitchell was found incompetent to stand trial on state charges. This is his first federal competency hearing. Elizabeth Smart will testify on October 1st. Update: Elizabeth Smart did testify; more details available HERE.

As of the end of 2008, the LDS Church officially reports 34,906 members in France, organized into 113 congregations. But alas, there is no LDS temple in France, although nearly all surrounding European countries have one, some within easy driving distance. Sacre bleu!