Mormons and Bishop Romney

Joseph Smith, Mormonism's founder, spun a whole saga, spanning about a thousand years of "history," beginning with Eli, a prophet, who led his people out of Jerusalem before the Captivity--he prophesied Jerusalem's doom. He and his son, Nephi, led his people to--the New World! And prophesied the coming of Jesus Christ.

Smith creates a whole alternate history derived from the supposed translation of the golden tablets (by him, with the aid of the angel Moroni). The 'Nephites' depart from the sinners of Israel for the New World (America), but are continually attacked by the descendants and followers of Nephi's evil brothers. The skins of these apostates darken, and they are shown using only stone implements: guess who they are! The tablets, revealed by the angel, were "given back" to him by Smith, after the translation was completed.

This alternate history continues until almost 400 years after Jesus' death and resurrection--his "believers" in the New World receive confirmation of his existence and resurrection-- but later turn wicked, except for Mormon--and Moroni--and all but Moroni are killed in battle. However, the golden tablets survive--to be found over a thousand years later, by Joseph Smith!

Quite a story! Having written a novel of a man's life, who appeared once in an account of a Roman-Greek's visit to Attila's court (I, Zerco, on the website link), I know how such stories can be spun--if you have a good imagination.

Afterwards, Smith, had quite an excitin souri and Illinois (apparently leading rebellions)-- and was killed by a mob as he attempted to escape it, outside his second prison, in Illinois.

Not only did Smith 'translate' untraceable golden tablets, he had continuing revelations, published later. His successor, Brigham Young, cemented Mormons' practice of polygamy (he married about 55 women), but was apparently illiterate. He was also racist: at his instigation, black people were denied priest-hood or sacraments until a Mormon leader abolished the prohibition in 1978, 101 years after Young's death.

Although most Mormons now repudiate Brigham Young's racist teachings and polygamy, Mormonism still is based on an alternative history much like the fiction of Orson Scott Card (a Mormon).

Romney isn't just a believer and large donor: he's a Bishop, possibly equivalent to priest. He's admitted, obliquely, that he baptized dead people, as do other Mormons, one of whom baptized Anne Frank!

Quite aside from his questionable claim that, as a (vulture) financier, he knows how to fix the US economy, do Americans realize the strangeness of Romney's religion?

He's the quintessential one-percenter, figure-head for the corporate/wealthy's coup d'état, and a believer in a fantastic fiction. If elected, he'd mark the takeover of the American Senatorial class, much like Roman Senators' unchallenged dominance in the Western Roman Empire's last century.

And would we all have to become Mormons?