Idaho Governor Butch Otter Condemns Vandalism Of Three LDS Chapels In Chubbuck

On November 10th, 2013, Idaho Governor Butch Otter issued a statement condemning the vandalism of three chapels of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which was first reported to police around 6:45 A.M. on Thursday November 7th. The chapels were tagged with graffiti which included anti-LDS statements, vulgar language, numerous drawings of male and female genitalia, and a depiction of the devil.

Governor Otter's complete statement:

"Defiling or defacing houses of worship — of any faith or denomination — is an attack not just on religious beliefs or even our law, but also on our culture and our values. It disturbs the sanctuaries of our spiritual well-being. These are not merely the acts of misguided individuals. They speak to a more fundamental disregard for sacred places, social order and the freedoms that generations of Americans have sacrificed to protect."

Some screenshots of the vandalism from a KPVI Channel 6 news video are published below:

Chubbuck Police Chief Randy Severe believes the same suspect or suspects were involved in all three incidents, and said that the perps will likely face felony charges since damages are greater than $1000. Chief Severe says the vandalism could be considered a possible hate crime since a religious building was targeted, but added it's too early in the investigation to make that decision. No leads have been uncovered as of this post. President Dave Penrod, Stake President of the Pocatello North Stake, said they are working with a restoration company and plan to have the vandalism removed as soon as possible. Another LDS spokesman, Larry Fisher, said the graffiti was similar to that left on two LDS chapels in Pocatello in May 2012.

Since Governor Otter is Roman Catholic, he cannot be credibly accused of favoritism towards the LDS Church. Governor Otter would undoubtedly condemn acts of vandalism targeting any church in the state if it was obvious the church was being targeted because of its theology, as is the case here. Those who would like to thank Gov. Otter for taking such a firm stand against vandalism and anti-religious bigotry can visit this page and send him a message.

LDS Chapel In Santaquin, Utah Heavily Damaged By Vandalism And Fire; Two Teenagers Arrested, Damage Estimated At $2 Million

A stake center of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 200 East 100 South in Santaquin, Utah was heavily damaged from vandalism and fire on December 15th, 2011. Arson is suspected; damage is estimated at $2 million. The stake center was built in the 1940s and was one of the oldest churches in Santaquin; part of the building was recently renovated. Since this was first posted, two teenagers, 17 and 16 years old respectively, have been arrested and are being investigated for burglary, theft, and arson. KSTU Channel 13 also picked up the story, and an updated KSL Channel 5 news video is now embedded below:



Police say the vandals entered through an open window, started trashing the kitchen, then unsuccessfully attempted to start two or three fires before successfully igniting a trash pile. Damage was concentrated in the south wing of the chapel, where there are several classrooms, the Relief Society room, and the bishop's office. Authorities downplay the possibility of a hate crime, saying the church had not received any recent threats. The three wards which use the chapel have been temporarily displaced.

Adding insult to injury was the fact that the local church was preparing to host a community fundraiser for a local man, Scott LeBaron, who is suffering from fourth stage pancreatic cancer. The fundraiser was to include a silent auction, but many of the items to be auctioned were also reported to be destroyed in the fire. Nevertheless, the fundraiser was moved to the new Santaquin stake center on Main Street.

One local resident posted a comment to the KSL story which added some insight:

Jolynn191978 posted December 15th around 2:00 P.M:
I live down the street from there and know more details. The kids who did this came in through an open window, dumped a lot of food from the fundraiser all over the kitchen (and ate what they wanted), then started mini fires in the hall before running. Most of the damage is smoke related. No items from the fundraiser were destroyed -- just food.

And another commenter speculated that it may have been the same group of teenagers who recently vandalized another building in Santaquin:

Jana Janssen posted December 15th around 7:00 P.M:
I own a public building that was vandalized by young teenagers just down the street a week ago.. When I tried to file a complaint with the police they laughed in my face that kids will be kids.. Maybe this will get their attention and maybe could of been prevented had they taken the vandalism of my building seriously!..

Four Teenagers Vandalize And Set Fires In LDS Pleasant Grove Utah West Stake Center; Damage Mostly Cosmetic

Four teenagers who were primarily out to get some cheap thrills vandalized a chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 56 South 1300 West (also known as S. Proctor Lane) in Pleasant Grove, Utah, but they've been caught and now will find those "cheap thrills" to be more expensive than they originally thought. According to the Meetinghouse Locator, the chapel is the home of the Pleasant Grove First, Fourth, and Sixth Wards; it also serves as the stake center for the Pleasant Grove Utah West Stake.

For readers who are unfamiliar, chapels designated as stake centers are generally larger than ordinary chapels to accommodate the overflow attendant to the biannual stake conferences, when members from all the stake's congregations hold a combined service at the stake center.

Three boys and one girl between 13 and 14 years old, who were not publicly identified, got into the chapel between 4 and 5 p.m on Friday October 22nd, 2010. They went through the church throwing items, overturning and breaking tables, and set several fires. They also blew a fire extinguisher down a hallway, and the dust from the fire extinguisher set off the smoke alarm in the building. The smoke alarm sounded and lights flashed, which alerted neighbors who in turn called police. One of the neighbors recognized the teens, who were apprehended shortly thereafter. Charges are pending.

No damage estimate has been provided, but the damage is mostly cosmetic. The chapel should be available for full use within a week at the most; with an accelerated cleanup, it could be restored to service this Sunday.

Five LDS Chapels In South Jordan And Riverton, Utah Targeted With Anti-Mormon Vandalism; Rocks With Hate Messages Thrown Through Doors, Damage Minor

Five chapels belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the southern end of the Salt Lake Valley were targeted with anti-Mormon vandalism during the overnight hours between 10 P.M. on October 10th and 6:00 A.M. on October 11th, 2009, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. KSTU Channel 13 also published a story; video embedded below:

 

Three of the chapels are located in South Jordan, at 11038 S. Braidwood Drive, 11685 S. Kestrel Rise Road, and at 10115 South Yorkshire Drive. The other two are located in Riverton, at a location near 4510 West and 11800 South, and another location near 12200 South and 3200 West. The type of vandalism at each location was similar; a single rock thrown at the glass entry doors. Each rock had an anti-Mormon message attached, stating "Stop spreading your lies, pagans". The double-paned, tempered glass was broken in only one of the churches. In the others, the rock broke through only the first pane of glass and landed outside the buildings.

Police are considering the possibility of a hate crime, but say they must apprehend the perpetrator and determine the motive before proceeding in that direction. An Ex-Mormon Conference is currently taking place in Salt Lake, but they are not considered particularly suspect.

Considering the targeted chapels were grouped rather closely together, the perpetrator most likely lives in the area. Most likely it's an unstable, disgruntled individual who had a recent dispute with a church member or has an axe to grind against the Church.