The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has issued an updated statement condemning pro-white and white supremacy groups that believe the church 'is neutral toward or in support' of their views following the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.
In the wake of the clashes on Saturday, the LDS church, commonly known as the Mormons, initially released a more neutral statement on Sunday, though it quoted the church's late president, Gordon B. Hinckley, who condemned racism of any kind, saying: 'No man who makes disparaging remarks concerning those of another race can consider himself a true disciple of Christ. Nor can he consider himself to be in harmony with the teachings of the Church of Christ.'
But yesterday, the church issued a stronger, updated release, reported by the Daily Herald, which read: 'It has been called to our attention that there are some among the various pro-white and white supremacy communities who assert that the Church is neutral toward or in support of their views. Nothing could be further from the truth. In the New Testament, Jesus said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Matthew 22:37-39). The Book of Mormon teaches "all are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33).
'White supremacist attitudes are morally wrong and sinful, and we condemn them. Church members who promote or pursue a "white culture" or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.'
The amended Mormon statement came as Donald Trump infuriated US politicians including Republicans by again reverting to criticism of 'both sides' in the Charlottesville violence, in which a 'Unite the Right' rally ended with one woman who was an anti-racist campaigner, Heather Heyer, dead.
Last night Trump, who on Monday condemned racism and white supremacy after notably failing to do so over the weekend, came up with a new term: 'the alt-left'. He added: 'I'm not putting anybody on a moral plane. You had a group on one side and group on the other and they came at each other with clubs – there is another side, you can call them the left, that came violently attacking the other group.'
Trump went on to say: 'You had people that were very fine people on both sides...Not all those people were neo-Nazis, not all those people were white supremacists.'
Last night Russell Moore wrote 'Amen' as he retweeted a Gospel Coalition message which read: 'Christians should look at white nationalism movement and condemn it—full stop. No, "But on the other hand."'
Amen. https://t.co/PDSyeJiWaz
— Russell Moore (@drmoore) August 15, 2017
