Global InformationDezNat information
#DezNat (shortened from Deseret Nation) is a Twitter hashtag that was created in 2018 by Logan Smith, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who goes by "JP Bellum" on Twitter.[1] It refers to a loosely affiliated group of LDS Church members who use the hashtag. The Church neither endorses nor denounces the hashtag and it is unclear how many followers or adherents of the DezNat concept exist.[2]
Contributors to media outlets The Daily Beast and The Daily Utah Chronicle have described DezNat as an extremist alt-right, white nationalist movement,[3][4][5] while journalists at The Guardian consider the group right-wing with elements of the alt-right, white nationalism,[6] and eugenics.[7]
Some members of the DezNat community wish to recreate the historical State of Deseret, which the LDS Church declared in the 1840s to cover modern-day Utah and parts of adjacent states, as well as the secession of a theocratic Mormon state. Some DezNat commentators have suggested this should be a white ethnostate. Some have also used neo-Nazi and far-right accelerationist imagery.[6]
Users of the hashtag say they are not alt-right but are simply unapologetic about their beliefs.[4][8] DezNat supporters have no formal organization but they share a common ideology.[5] Smith says the hashtag recognizes faithful LDS Church members as "a unique people and should be united spiritually, morally, economically, and politically behind Christ, the prophet, and the church" adding that DezNat "is the idea that devout members ought to work together to support the church, its doctrines, and each other, on social media and in their communities to further build the Kingdom of God".[3][9]
The community has been criticised as promoting bigotry and harassment against members of the LGBT community, non-Mormons and ex-Mormons, feminists, abortion advocates, and pornographic film actors. Some have criticized the Mormon blog By Common Consent for being too politically progressive.[3] Members also use bowie knife imagery as a homage to Brigham Young and the concept of blood atonement for certain sins,[3] a practice the LDS Church leadership has disavowed.[10] According to the feminist writer Mary Ann Clements, DezNat proponents regard themselves as being in line with the actions of former church presidents, therefore not supporting polygamy today but referencing it regarding the past (e.g., by portraying Young as a polygamous "chad" or powerful alpha male).[11]
- ^ Paras, Julian (29 September 2021). "ICCU employee no longer works at local branch after being connected to controversial twitter thread". KPVI. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
- ^ exposedeznat (2021-05-22). "The Official Guide To DezNat | Deseret Nationalism | DezNat Exposed". Retrieved 2024-04-26.
- ^ a b c d Hitt, Tarpley (24 January 2019). "The Cult of #DezNat: Alt-Right Mormons Targeting Porn and the LGBTQ Community". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ a b Reeser, Andrew (30 January 2019). "'Deseret Nation': Alt-right Mormon militants or truth defenders?". ABC4 Utah. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ a b Reese, Isaac (10 September 2019). "Reese: The LDS Church has a White Nationalist Problem". The Daily Utah Chronicle. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
- ^ a b "Revealed: assistant attorney general in Alaska posted racist and antisemitic tweets". The Guardian. 21 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ Wilson, Jason (September 4, 2023). "Revealed: US pro-birth conference's links to far-right eugenicists". The Guardian.
- ^ Clements, Mary (3 February 2021). "'Mormon Land': A deeper look at #DezNat tweeters — who they are, what they want, and why people should, or should not, fear them". Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- ^ "What is #DezNat?". Twitter. 2018-10-26. Archived from the original on 2019-01-24.
- ^ McConkie, Bruce R. (1978-10-18). "Letter to Thomas B. McAfee". SHIELDS Research.
- ^ Mormon Land: A deeper look at #DezNat tweeters | Episode 167, SoundCloud.