Canon Dan Webster of the Diocese of Maryland has written an essay on the passing of the “Mormon Moment” and the theology of a “restored” America for the On Faith section of the website of The Washington Post.
It is called “Election 2012: Mormon moment, or last gasp coalition,” and says, in part:It is called “Election 2012: Mormon moment, or last gasp coalition,” and says, in part:
The basic tenet of the Mormon faith is that Joseph Smith, the church’s founder, was given the job by God to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ since his followers had become apostates since the first century of the Christian era. The restored gospel is the main mission of the LDS Church.
A super-PAC funded by several wealthy Mormons not surprisingly chose the name, “Restore Our Future.” Large contributors reportedly included members of the Marriott family and two executives of Nu-Skin, a Utah-based company selling dietary supplements and skin care products. Nu-Skin is the former employer of Rep. Jason Chafetz, R-Utah, now representing the Congressional district where the company is headquartered.
And it should be no surprise that another high profile Mormon, Glen Beck, dubbed his Lincoln Memorial speaking event in 2010, “Restoring Honor.” So it makes sense that any Mormon believer will see his—and it is his–duty to not only restore the gospel of Jesus Christ, but restore this country to some former glory it enjoyed in their version of history. You see, Mormons also believe the U.S. Constitution is a divinely inspired document, taking the idea of American exceptionalism to a whole new level.