I know, it sounds almost sacrilegious, but there was a Trump-sponsored prayer rally in Washington, DC on Sunday. It was called Rededicate 250, part of Trump’s Freedom 250 initiative. The official site for the event billed it as “a national Jubilee of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.” After reading several media articles about the event, it looks like a government-sponsored celebration of White Christian Nationalism. Followers proudly endorse “spiritual warfare” against … well, people like you and me, for example (we don’t fit in their narrow “Christian” category). The event seems like a fusion of Evangelical Christianity, a phony version of US history, and Trump worship.
Here are a few media stories of interest:
- From the Atlantic: “The Most Interesting Part of Trump’s Prayer Rally: it wasn’t the speakers onstage.” The article focuses on those who attended, who could be described as zealous conservative Christians or as Christian crazies, depending on your point of view.
- At the Daily Beast: “Trump Humiliated as Citizens Fail to Flock to His Free Event.” Rows of empty seats at the event, held at the Washington Mall. Trump, of course, did not attend, but a video was shown of Trump reading 2 Chronicles 7:14, a passage popular with the White Christian Nationalist crowd.
- At USA Today: “Rededicate 250 focus on Evangelical Christians is un-American.” Subtitle: “More than half of Americans support the separation of church and state. Yet Trump is spending your tax dollars on ‘Rededicate 250’ to push one version of religion as the only government-favored faith.”
- At the Deseret News: “5 things that happened at Rededicate 250.” The article whitewashes the event, making it sound like an afternoon Christian potluck in the park. Nothing in the article alerts Mormon readers to the idea that Mormons are not invited to the Christian picnic.
There are so many things wrong with this event, in particular the dangerous mingling of church and state. But I won’t dwell on that. I’m just going to think about the Mormon angle.
First, note that LDS leadership has had nothing to do with Rededicate 250. There were apparently no Mormon speakers, official or otherwise. (Although the Atlantic article notes several self-styled Christian “apostles” at the event.) There was zero coverage of the event that I could find at the LDS Newsroom, which mostly features stories on LDS temples and on President Oaks. I don’t know if any LDS speakers were invited but declined to attend.
Second, this seems like the kind of event the average Mormon in the pews would read about and say, “Oh, that’s nice. Yes, let’s pray for America.” MAGA Mormons think they are part of the team. But MAGA Christians and White Christian Nationalists think Mormons are not Christian. It’s a strange arrangement.
So what do you make of this event? Is it a harmless “Trump prayer rally”? Where do Mormons fit into this picture, and (different question) where do Mormons *think* they fit in? LDS leaders seem quite happy to avoid participating or even commenting on this sort of event. How are LDS politicians who hold national office (that would be Senators and Representatives) navigating all of this performative Trumpy Christianity?
Wheat & Tares 
The stuff that hit my Facebook feed focused on the pastor who insisted that God had raised Trump up for the specific purpose of building the ballroom in the White House, the absence of which has apparently been offending God for 200 years. Mormon connection? Well, he made Dallin Oaks look thoroughly prophetic by comparison.
Funny that they are celebrating the Declaration of Independence by violating the constitution. But then they do not know the meaning of irony.
Should this remind me of the cozy relationships between the Italian Mafia and the Roman Catholic Church? I fear that a (non-Italian) criminal cabal has taken over our republic, and I hope our citizenry will use the upcoming elections to restore our American values and rule of law.
As to the white national Christian movement messing with our government I quote Sinclair Lewis:
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.”
And I guess most MAGA Mormons will be shocked when they learn that they, too, are in the cross-hairs of these folks.
I don’t worry that much about White Christian Nationalists targeting Mormons. I’m not saying that they particularly like Mormons, but I think they are more concerned about the White and Nationalist parts of their movement than the Christian part. So long as Mormons are predominantly White and willing to support their conservative agenda, Mormons will be welcome, regardless of our theological quirks. And so long as Mormons are supporting their agenda, the religion will self-select to be even more White and Nationalist.
I’m just curious why MAGA supporters are reading W&T, thus the downvotes.
???
“Every nation has the government it deserves,” the French writer and diplomat Joseph de Maistre declared in 1811. Since the primary function of government is to make laws, it follows that every nation has the laws it deserves.
The words of de Maistre are no less true today than they were in 1811. The reason we have a government that is running amok is because the great mass of the public has become lazy and indolent. Indeed, the masses have rejected self-sufficiency and self-reliance and instead, have devoted their lives to seeking immediate gratification.
This so-called rally personifies this maxim to a tee.
I like this kind of stuff happening between now and Nov. I’m hoping they keep it up and that the sane people remember. I want Hegseth invoking God. I want Trump claiming he’s a Bible-loving guy. In my wildest dreams that Jan 6 Captain Moroni guy reappears.
JCS, you’ve quoted that phrase “Every nation has the government it deserves” many times before on W&T and the more I think about it, I think it’s a pretty awful take.
The wealthy and powerful have ways of moving the machinery behind the scenes. The trees might vote for the axe but only when the axe sufficiently disguises itself as a fellow tree. Are we really going to blame voters for being gullible and lazy when the technocrats can spend infinitely more on exploiting our psychology than we can spend on educating ourselves? Yeah, of course we all have irrational primate brains. I still believe that all people, regardless of nation, deserve a government that will take care of them and our whole interconnected planet.
The people of Russia deserve better than Putin and his oligarchs.
The people of Israel deserve better than the genocidal rampage of Netanyahu.
The people of the USA deserve better than the narcissistic chaos of Trump.
Even though I don’t have much use for Corporate Mormonism anymore, I still believe we are all part of “something” much bigger than ourselves; whether that be intelligent design or whatever. Even though I’ve pretty much dismissed Corporate Religion per se – I’ve never lost the feeling/belief that there can be remarkable goodness in the World; as well as overwhelming evil.
Personally, I don’t lose one ounce of sleep over White Christian Nationalism (H*ll, I’ll take THAT over the absolute lunacy – unrestricted/boundaryless – nature of the Uber Left. ) In large part, I’m kinda/sorta glad to see the differences between the two sides becoming ever more crystal clear; and harder for anyone to ignore. Yes, I’m know that threat and survival will make for some strange bedfellows; but, so be it.