L.A. Mormon temple closed after suspicious envelope arrives in mail

[phk]

L.A. Mormon temple closed after suspicious envelope arrives in mail

The FBI is investigating the incident involving a white, powdery substance. Officials said it was unclear if the envelope had anything to do with protests against Prop. 8.

By Tami Abdollah
8:35 PM PST, November 13, 2008

The Mormon temple in Westwood was closed Thursday afternoon after an envelope filled with an unidentified white, powdery substance was delivered to temple employees, Los Angeles police said.

About 3:30 p.m., a hazardous-materials team was sent to the temple at Santa Monica Boulevard and Overland Avenue, said LAPD Officer Karen Smith.

The temple has recently been the site of protests by opponents of Proposition 8, though it is unclear whether the envelope was related to protests over the gay marriage ban, officials said.

"It is unknown who it's from or who it's addressed to, or any of that," Smith said.

Laura Eimiller, a spokeswoman for the FBI's Los Angeles office, said agents were investigating.

A similar letter was received at the Salt Lake City Mormon temple about 3:30 p.m. local time today, said Juan Becerra, a spokesman for the FBI's Salt Lake City office.

"Our hazmat team as well as Salt Lake City Fire Department responded, collected the evidence, and it is now at the lab," he said.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center in Los Angeles issued a statement late Thursday decrying the incident.

"While the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center organized a peaceful demonstration against the involvement of the leadership of the Mormon Church in the deceitful Yes on Prop. 8 campaign, we decry the use or threat of violence. Just as the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community seeks the right to be treated equally under the law, all Americans should have the right to live lives free from fear and violence," the statement said.

Meanwhile, a gay rights activist submitted a formal complaint to the enforcement division of the California Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that the Mormon church failed to report the value of the work, including phone banks, commercials and other services, done to support the Proposition 8 campaign.

Proposition 8, which amends the state Constitution, was approved by voters last week.

Abdollah is a Times staff writer.

tami.abdollah@latimes.com

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I hope this has nothing to do with Prop 8. No better way to trivialize a movement than for its supporters to engage in despicable actions like this.

[Meeker]

The anti-Mormon bigotry by the No on Prop 8 movement has been extremely disgusting, disturbing, and disappointing.

[© tweed]

so long as they are wearing their magic underwear, they should be ok

[Person Man]

so long as they are wearing their magic underwear, they should be ok

so long as they are wearing their magic underwear, they should be ok

[MK]

The no Prop 8 protest seems to getting out of hand.

Whats the Govenator saying?

[Brittain33]

The anti-Mormon bigotry

I'm curious why you'd call it bigotry. It's not based on the Mormon church's beliefs, but on the fact that it operated a powerful, professionally organized, well-financed machine that almost single-handedly passed Prop 8, often by capitalizing on bigotry against gays. Note that they were organized, while God only knows who sent this envelope, but it almost certainly was one person.

So far, all of the practical effects have fallen on gay families, not the funders of this initiative who ran tv ads depicting us as evil.

Certainly if people come to be seen as anti-religion, that is a tactical mistake. However, the LDS church doesn't love publicity. People need to know that if they sh**t all over gay families, thinking it is good politics, there may be a cost to them. NOT in the sense of domestic terrorism or even hoaxes about domestic terrorism, which we all condemn, but in that attention will be called to their actions.

I'm sorry, but I suppose I have a raw nerve for the "serves you right for asking to get married, gays" attitude about one set of bigoted behaviors and the pearl-clutching at the response.

[Meeker]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

[afleitch]

While I would be immensly angry if a gay rights group or individual pulled this stunt, there is a strong possibility that this may have been a stunt by anti-gay groups, individuals to discredit the No on Prop 8 campaign. I am only saying this could be the case as it happened here in something I was involved in.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

The question is whether this is a really stupid gay-marriage supporter or someone, possibly the Mormon church, trying to make gays look bad.

[Lincoln Republican]

In fairness to the Mormon church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, some pertinent facts have to be made clear.

The Church itself considers itself to be apolitical.  They will always encourage members of the church to vote in an election, as part of their democratic responsibilities, but never take a stand on who to vote for and will never endorse any candidates.

On moral issues, such as proposition 8, the church encourages members to support an initiative such as this, as the church opposes same sex marriage.  It is my understanding that the church itself did not directly fund any of the campaign supporting proposition 8,  but only asked members of the church to support the initiative with their time and money.

The difference between political elections and moral issues must be clearly understood.

It must also be clearly understood that the Mormon church was by no means the only church supporting this initiative.  Proposition 8 was as well supported by a coalition of Catholics, evangelicals, black Protestants, orthodox Jews, among others.     

[Verily]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

I have neither seen nor heard anything about protests against "the faith as a whole"; the anti-Mormon bigotry is quite a myth. A very small minority of people have said anything at all against even the Mormon leadership; almost no one has blamed Mormons as a whole. One sensational quote cited on television does not widespread bigotry make.

As for the LDS leadership, it is frankly juvenile to think anything other than that it was a coordinated strategy on the part of the church including the highest leaders of the faith. Done behind closed doors, of course, and in enough secrecy that they can't be easily found to have coordinated the whole thing--and any investigation can be conveniently prevented by further accusations of anti-Mormon bigotry, plus the illogical special status granted to religious institutions in this country. The Mormon church is one of the best at this sort of disgusting dealing; only Scientology of religions of size is better (although the Southern Baptists are at least comparable in organization). I don't think you disbelieve that the LDS leadership planned and coordinated the anti-gay marriage campaign with the wealthiest members of the church, but this is worth getting out there.

In any case, "suspicious white powder" is kind of ridiculous.Since 2002, it always turns out to be baby powder or salt or something innocuous put there to make a news splash, not any serious attack on anyone. (Afleitch also raises a point to be skeptical on: White powder has become such a cliche that it is more likely to be used as a staged attack than as a real one.)

[Brittain33]

The Church itself considers itself to be apolitical. 

For legal purposes, it does. The facts on the ground are someone different.  

It is a well-organized entity with a political bent. I can compare it only to the Catholic Church in that regard, and even that is not as effective on a national level because of the divisions among dioceses. It is one of the few churches that can mandate a tithe and effectively collect it.

The LDS church sees same-sex marriage as a way to build bridges to evangelical Republicans and overcome the religious divisions that have kept them at arm's length.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Yes, and neither does the NAACP. Like the NAACP, the LDS church is a non-partisan organization with no political allegiances that does nothing to support one party or encourage its members to support that party. (Unlike the NAACP, though, the LDS church also has the power to cite divine prophecy and religious authority to instruct people to support a given party and its positions. A power they never use or even allude to, naturally, because that would violate their tax-exempt status.)

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The LDS church coordinated this effort at a high level and has been doing so since the Hawaii referendum 10 years ago. The church is not just a spiritual congregation, it is an ordered community comparable to a chasidic Jewish community or an insular Catholic parish several decades ago. When they give instructions, it carries more weight than a moral lesson from the pulpit. It is much harder to sit it out than it would be for someone who belonged to a different congregation. You can't compare the LDS church easily to other religious organizations.

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None of those groups was able to organize and mobilize its parishioners as effectively and thoroughly, or to mobilize their money. I don't know if any of them could, really.

[Meeker]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

I have neither seen nor heard anything about protests against "the faith as a whole"; the anti-Mormon bigotry is quite a myth. A very small minority of people have said anything at all against even the Mormon leadership; almost no one has blamed Mormons as a whole. One sensational quote cited on television does not widespread bigotry make.

Umm... no. I was at a No on Prop 8 rally in Seattle yesterday, and there were dozens of signs that things to the effect of "LDS stop the hate", "I only want one gay marriage" or other things to that effect. The anti-Mormon attitude is also prevalent on many of the liberal blogs, and has spawned such videos as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_4A1RbA-o

Add that on to the protests at temples that we've seen across the country, and there is clearly a targeted anger at the Mormon faith. To claim otherwise simply isn't being factual.

[Verily]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

I have neither seen nor heard anything about protests against "the faith as a whole"; the anti-Mormon bigotry is quite a myth. A very small minority of people have said anything at all against even the Mormon leadership; almost no one has blamed Mormons as a whole. One sensational quote cited on television does not widespread bigotry make.

Umm... no. I was at a No on Prop 8 rally in Seattle yesterday, and there were dozens of signs that things to the effect of "LDS stop the hate", "I only want one gay marriage" or other things to that effect. The anti-Mormon attitude is also prevalent on many of the liberal blogs, and has spawned such videos as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_4A1RbA-o

Add that on to the protests at temples that we've seen across the country, and there is clearly a targeted anger at the Mormon faith. To claim otherwise simply isn't being factual.

I fail to see the anti-Mormon message in any of what you posted, in the advertisement because there were numerous cases reported of that actually happening (well, not really, but ads exaggerate by their nature), and in "LDS stop the hate" because that's not an anti-Mormon message. But okay.

The ad is dumb and a poor campaigning strategy, but it's not bigoted. There were cases during the campaign of anti-Prop 8 people taking Mormon missionaries to court over using their positions as official advocates of Mormonism to campaign for Prop 8.

[Meeker]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

I have neither seen nor heard anything about protests against "the faith as a whole"; the anti-Mormon bigotry is quite a myth. A very small minority of people have said anything at all against even the Mormon leadership; almost no one has blamed Mormons as a whole. One sensational quote cited on television does not widespread bigotry make.

Umm... no. I was at a No on Prop 8 rally in Seattle yesterday, and there were dozens of signs that things to the effect of "LDS stop the hate", "I only want one gay marriage" or other things to that effect. The anti-Mormon attitude is also prevalent on many of the liberal blogs, and has spawned such videos as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_4A1RbA-o

Add that on to the protests at temples that we've seen across the country, and there is clearly a targeted anger at the Mormon faith. To claim otherwise simply isn't being factual.

I fail to see the anti-Mormon message in any of what you posted, in the advertisement because there were numerous cases reported of that actually happening, and in "LDS stop the hate" because that's not an anti-Mormon message. But okay.

Please provide me with a source that indicates that Mormons actually broke into someones home and took their marriage license.

I don't understand how you can't see how mocking a faith and targeting the masses who follow it even if they did nothing to actively support the proposition and even if they oppose the proposition is bigoted. That's like protesting French businesses in America because of a policy that the French government supported.

[Verily]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

I have neither seen nor heard anything about protests against "the faith as a whole"; the anti-Mormon bigotry is quite a myth. A very small minority of people have said anything at all against even the Mormon leadership; almost no one has blamed Mormons as a whole. One sensational quote cited on television does not widespread bigotry make.

Umm... no. I was at a No on Prop 8 rally in Seattle yesterday, and there were dozens of signs that things to the effect of "LDS stop the hate", "I only want one gay marriage" or other things to that effect. The anti-Mormon attitude is also prevalent on many of the liberal blogs, and has spawned such videos as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_4A1RbA-o

Add that on to the protests at temples that we've seen across the country, and there is clearly a targeted anger at the Mormon faith. To claim otherwise simply isn't being factual.

I fail to see the anti-Mormon message in any of what you posted, in the advertisement because there were numerous cases reported of that actually happening, and in "LDS stop the hate" because that's not an anti-Mormon message. But okay.

Please provide me with a source that indicates that Mormons actually broke into someones home and took their marriage license.

I don't understand how you can't see how mocking a faith and targeting the masses who follow it even if they did nothing to actively support the proposition and even if they oppose the proposition is bigoted. That's like protesting French businesses in America because of a policy that the French government supported.

I clarified my post; there were Mormon missionaries actively campaigning for Prop 8 (and they got in legal trouble for it). So, while the advertisement is an exaggeration (i.e., no one broke into homes and destroyed marriage licenses), it's not false in the sense that any political advertising is false (i.e., there was active campaigning by representatives of the LDS church on the church's behalf).

[Meeker]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

I have neither seen nor heard anything about protests against "the faith as a whole"; the anti-Mormon bigotry is quite a myth. A very small minority of people have said anything at all against even the Mormon leadership; almost no one has blamed Mormons as a whole. One sensational quote cited on television does not widespread bigotry make.

Umm... no. I was at a No on Prop 8 rally in Seattle yesterday, and there were dozens of signs that things to the effect of "LDS stop the hate", "I only want one gay marriage" or other things to that effect. The anti-Mormon attitude is also prevalent on many of the liberal blogs, and has spawned such videos as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_4A1RbA-o

Add that on to the protests at temples that we've seen across the country, and there is clearly a targeted anger at the Mormon faith. To claim otherwise simply isn't being factual.

I fail to see the anti-Mormon message in any of what you posted, in the advertisement because there were numerous cases reported of that actually happening, and in "LDS stop the hate" because that's not an anti-Mormon message. But okay.

Please provide me with a source that indicates that Mormons actually broke into someones home and took their marriage license.

I don't understand how you can't see how mocking a faith and targeting the masses who follow it even if they did nothing to actively support the proposition and even if they oppose the proposition is bigoted. That's like protesting French businesses in America because of a policy that the French government supported.

I clarified my post; there were Mormon missionaries actively campaigning for Prop 8 (and they got in legal trouble for it). So, while the advertisement is an exaggeration (i.e., no one broke into homes and destroyed marriage licenses), it's not false in the sense that any political advertising is false (i.e., there was active campaigning by representatives of the LDS church on the church's behalf).

While it's bad that that occurred, it's still taking the actions of a small minority and directing the anger about it towards an entire faith. Mission leaders also have significant authority as to what they direct the missionaries to do (some even give away prizes or rewards to missionaries who can convert the most), and this very well could be a case of a mission leader or two undertaking misguided actions.

[Verily]

The actions of the leadership of the Mormon church were certainly rather nasty. However, the protests against the faith as a whole (and specifically the protesting of temples) is completely uncalled for. To think that the LDS is some sort of homogeneous group that is entirely supportive of what the Utah leadership did is extremely short-sighted. There are many in the LDS that are not supportive of what happened. And protesting any sort of house of religion when people are going to worship is just a low tactic, IMO.

The proper response to the actions of the LDS leadership would be to specifically protest the headquarters of the church and the leaders of the church. To attack and blame the faith as a whole is, in my opinion, bigoted.

I have neither seen nor heard anything about protests against "the faith as a whole"; the anti-Mormon bigotry is quite a myth. A very small minority of people have said anything at all against even the Mormon leadership; almost no one has blamed Mormons as a whole. One sensational quote cited on television does not widespread bigotry make.

Umm... no. I was at a No on Prop 8 rally in Seattle yesterday, and there were dozens of signs that things to the effect of "LDS stop the hate", "I only want one gay marriage" or other things to that effect. The anti-Mormon attitude is also prevalent on many of the liberal blogs, and has spawned such videos as this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv_4A1RbA-o

Add that on to the protests at temples that we've seen across the country, and there is clearly a targeted anger at the Mormon faith. To claim otherwise simply isn't being factual.

I fail to see the anti-Mormon message in any of what you posted, in the advertisement because there were numerous cases reported of that actually happening, and in "LDS stop the hate" because that's not an anti-Mormon message. But okay.

Please provide me with a source that indicates that Mormons actually broke into someones home and took their marriage license.

I don't understand how you can't see how mocking a faith and targeting the masses who follow it even if they did nothing to actively support the proposition and even if they oppose the proposition is bigoted. That's like protesting French businesses in America because of a policy that the French government supported.

I clarified my post; there were Mormon missionaries actively campaigning for Prop 8 (and they got in legal trouble for it). So, while the advertisement is an exaggeration (i.e., no one broke into homes and destroyed marriage licenses), it's not false in the sense that any political advertising is false (i.e., there was active campaigning by representatives of the LDS church on the church's behalf).

While it's bad that that occurred, it's still taking the actions of a small minority and directing the anger about it towards an entire faith. Mission leaders also have significant authority as to what they direct the missionaries to do (some even give away prizes or rewards to missionaries who can convert the most), and this very well could be a case of a mission leader or two undertaking misguided actions.

I didn't say it wasn't stupid. It's just not bigotry. Ultimately, the organized LDS church was using its resources on the campaign. Insofar as missionaries are official representatives of the LDS church, they are reasonable targets for mockery and/or campaigning if the desire is to mock or campaign against the organized church's campaigns. That's not an effective strategy, and it's definitely off-putting to a lot of people (including me), but it's not the same as declaring that all Mormons deserve to die, or something equivalently bigoted. It's just using an ad hominem attack (except the "hominem" is the Mormon church rather than a person).

FTR, I don't think the French fry renaming and whatnot was bigotry either, just stupidity. Although the metaphor isn't all that strong anyway.

[Lief 🗽]

The Mormon Church should lose its tax exempt status.

[Lincoln Republican]

The Mormon Church should lose its tax exempt status.

Why, because members of the church put their own time and money behind propositiion 8, along with Catholics, evangelicals, black Protestants, orthodox Jews, etc.?

Because the Mormon church took a stand on a moral issue along with Catholics, evangelicals, black Protestants, orthodox Jews, etc?

Because the Mormon church encouraged its' members to get involved in an issue that fundamentally changes the sacred institution of marriage, along with Catholics, evangelicals, black Protestants, orthodox Jews, etc?

You cannot change tax exempt status of religious institutions because those religious institutions take a stand on a moral issue.

If you support the notion that the Mormon church should lose it's tax exempt status because it took a stand on a moral issue, than you have to support as well that Catholics, evangelicals , black Protestants, orthodox Jews, etc, must as well lose their tax exempt status.

How can I make this clear......

The Mormon church did not put up any of their own funds in backing this initiative.  They encouraged their members to support  this initiative with their own time and with their own money.  

Wow, how sinister can they get, those bad, bad Mormons.  Imagine the audacity of the Mormon church encouraging their members to get involved in a moral issue. 

Lose it's tax exempt status, oh please.

[Lincoln Republican]

And I might add to my previous comments, that Muslims in California backed proposition 8, on the advice of their mosques and because of their traditional values.

Therefore, it would appear that Muslims took the same approach as the Mormons, in other words, their church, or in the case of the Muslims, their mosques, encouraged Muslims to back proposition 8.

Therefore, by extension, you would have to support Muslims losing their tax exempt status as well, because of their participation in opposing proposition 8.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

And I might add to my previous comments, that Muslims in California backed proposition 8, on the advice of their mosques and because of their traditional values.

Therefore, it would appear that Muslims took the same approach as the Mormons, in other words, their church, or in the case of the Muslims, their mosques, encouraged Muslims to back proposition 8.

Therefore, by extension, you would have to support Muslims losing their tax exempt status as well, because of their participation in opposing proposition 8.

Yes, I would be in favor of that.

[Governor PiT]

Those sickos. I am glad I voted for prop 8. I used to live within walking distance of that Temple.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

The anti-Mormon bigotry by the No on Prop 8 movement has been extremely disgusting, disturbing, and disappointing.

Agreed.