Donald Trump and Captain Moroni

Is Donald Trump[BIO] some kind of Captain Moroni[BIO] figure?

No. At least, not as recognized by the Church.

But why do some people think he is?

Probably because Captain Moroni was a military leader[1] who was angry at government corruption[2] and led his countrymen in defense of freedom.[3] Some people think Donald Trump has similar qualities,[4] and they have supported the comparison.[5]

Did Utah Senator Mike Lee[BIO] say that Trump was like Captain Moroni?

Yes. In a 2020 Trump campaign rally,[6] Lee pointed to Trump and said,[7] “To my Mormon friends, my Latter-day Saint friends, think of him as Captain Moroni. He seeks not power, but to pull it down; he seeks not the praise of the world or of the fake news, but he seeks the well being and peace of the American people."[8]

Did Senator Lee receive backlash?

Yes. Many Church members disagreed.[9] Some suggested a comparison of Trump to King Noah[BIO][10] or Amalickiah[BIO][11] would be more appropriate. Others were more upset with the act of using scriptures or religion to score political points.[12]

Did Senator Lee apologize or backpedal?

Sort of. He mostly clarified.[13]

What about the Captain Moroni cosplayer at the U.S. Capitol riots?

On January 6, 2021, Nathan Wayne Entrekin[BIO] entered the Capitol Building dressed as Captain Moroni.[14] He carried a cloth flag with the same words Moroni wrote on his Title of Liberty.[15] In an interview that day,[16] Entrekin explained he was “here for freedom”[17] and drew parallels to the story of Moroni.[18] Entrekin was arrested on July 15, 2021, on two misdemeanor charges for his participation in the riot at the Capitol.[19]

So did the story of Captain Moroni contribute to the Capitol riots?

Perhaps, in some small way.[20] There were only two publicly identified Latter-day Saints involved in the events at the Capitol.[21]

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Footnotes

BIODonald Trump
Donald J. Trump (June 14, 1946–present) was born in Queens, New York, and was the 45th president of the United States of America from 2017 to 2021. He is a real estate developer, businessman, and author of business books. He is known for his reality TV shows, hotels, golf courses, and the Miss Universe Pageant. He was married to Ivana Zelníčková (1977–1993) and Marla Maples (1993–1999) and is currently married to Melania Knauss (2005–present).
BIOCaptain Moroni
A chief captain of the Nephite armies in the Book of Mormon. His military career is detailed in the book of Alma (Alma 43–63). He is described in the text as an especially righteous and courageous military leader (Alma 48:11–18).
BIOMike Lee
Mike Lee (1971–present) is a United States Senator for the State of Utah. Born in Mesa, Arizona, Lee grew up in Utah and Virginia, where his father, Rex E. Lee, served as J. Reuben Clark Law School's first dean and then, as solicitor general to the United States government. Lee graduated from Clark Law School. After clerking for Judges Dee Benson and Samuel Alito, he became a law associate at Sidley Austin LLP. He was elected to the United States Senate in 2011. Lee identifies as a strict constitutionalist Republican.
BIOKing Noah
King Noah (circa 100 BC) was a wicked monarch who succeeded Zeniff and was succeeded by Limhi. He had deposed righteous priests and replaced them with false priests while ruling over his kingdom. He is noted for having burned the prophet Abinadi at the stake. After a Lamanite attack, he and his followers abandoned their families and fled into the wilderness. Eventually, his followers turned on him, and he was burned to death.
BIOAmalickiah
Amalickiah (died in about 66 BC) was the leader of a group of Nephites who attempted a revolt to establish Amalickiah as their king. The revolt failed, and Amalickiah and the dissenters fled to the Lamanites. Amalickiah conspired with Lehonti, a Lamanite military leader, but then poisoned him and assumed command over the Lamanite armies. He then had the Lamanite king murdered, became king, and married the king's wife. He was killed during the ensuing war with the Nephites by Teancum.
BIONathan Wayne Entrekin
Nathan Wayne Entrekin is a Latter-day Saint and a Donald Trump supporter. He was present at the January 6, 2020 Capitol Riots dressed as Captain Moroni. He was subsequently arrested for trespassing and disorderly conduct in July of 2021. Entrekin is from Cottonwood, Arizona.
[1]↩︎
Moroni was the chief captain of the Nephites around 100 BC. Though he was only 25 years old when he was appointed, Moroni "took all the command, and the government of their wars." (Alma 43:16-17)
[2]↩︎
For example, Alma 59:13 states:
13. And it came to pass that Moroni was angry with the government, because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country.
Most famously, Moroni wrote an angry letter to Pahoran, the chief Nephite governor. In it, Moroni threatens violent insurrection against the Nephite government for corruption, slothfulness, and failing to protect the freedoms of its people.
[3]↩︎
In the war chapters of Alma, the Nephite-Lamanite conflict was often framed by Nephite historians as being about liberty. Captain Moroni appealed to liberty to inspire his soldiers in war and to rally Nephites to his Title of Liberty (Alma 46:12):
12. And it came to pass that he rent his coat; and he took a piece thereof, and wrote upon it—In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children—and he fastened it upon the end of a pole.
[4]↩︎
Some saw these qualities of Captain Moroni in Donald Trump:
- As President, Trump was the Commander-in-Chief of the United States Military from 2016–2020.
- In response to stay-at-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump made a rhetorical appeal to freedom in a series of tweets. "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!," one read.
- Trump characterized his campaign as anti-corruption. He promised to "drain the swamp" and made frequent claims about governmental fraud.
[5]↩︎
The comparison of Trump and Moroni was popularized by Senator Mike Lee.
Christopher Cunningham wrote in Public Square Magazine, "But for those many other Saints who have embraced the president, the comparison seems apt. As righteous as Captain Moroni was, he was also impetuous and at times ill-tempered. But he ultimately got the job done, just as they believe Trump has." Supporters for the comparison shared their reactions online.
[6]↩︎
The rally was held in Gilbert, Arizona, on October 28 as part of a larger campaign to win the swing state in the 2020 presidential election. Samantha Zager, a press secretary for the Trump campaign, was convinced Trump and Latter-day Saint voters would agree on "religious liberties, pro-life issues, human trafficking, and more."
- AR reports on ML comparing DT and CM.
- ML headlines at DT rally to woo LDS voters in AZ.
[7]↩︎
Lee said his comments were given impromptu after being called up to speak by President Trump. In addition to his comparison of Trump to Captain Moroni, Lee made callouts to Catholics, Protestants, and Evangelicals.
- FOX 13 reports ML comparing DT and CM at a campaign rally for DT.
- ML posts on Facebook about his impromptu remarks at a DT campaign rally.
[8]↩︎
Lee is adapting scripture here. The scripture (from Alma 60:36) he is referencing reads:
36. Behold, I am Moroni, your chief captain. I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country.
This scriptural allusion was noted by The Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins, who described Lee's comment as "modifying a verse of LDS scripture to include the words 'fake news.'" Coppins added, "I've gotta say, 'I seek not for power but to pull it down' may be the single Book of Mormon quote that's least relatable to Donald Trump."
- MKC points out and denounces the scriptural reference in ML's comparison of DT and CM.
[9]↩︎
Media coverage characterized the response to Lee's comment as "backlash," "pushback," and "condemnation."
One high-profile dissenter was former presidential candidate Evan McMullin, who tweeted:
I can't believe Mike Lee is now comparing Trump to a righteous leader from the Book of Mormon. What a disgrace. Mike knows that Trump is a threat to the republic, but chooses to enable him anyway because doing so serves his personal ambitions in Washington. Utahns deserve better.
[10]↩︎
King Noah was unrighteous and a poor leader. Social media rebuttals to Lee found parallels to Trump, like a poster created by Jaxon Washburn, recirculated by Christian Anderson on Twitter, transcribed:
Donald Trump = King Noah Whoredoms? ✓ Whoredoms? ✓ Narcissism? ✓ Narcissism ✓ Authoritarian? ✓ Authoritarian? ✓ Above rule of law? ✓ Above rule of law? ✓ Sycophant yes-men? ✓ Sycophant yes-men? ✓ Big Wall? ✓ Big Tower? ✓
[11]↩︎
Comparing Trump to Amalickiah made for an appealing online rebuttal, as Captain Moroni and Amalickiah were opposing generals in the Nephite-Lamanite wars around 100 BC.
In response to Mike Lee's comparison of Trump and Moroni, one op-ed writer cited Amalickiah's flattering behavior, then wrote:
What flattering words has Trump said to you, Senator Lee, that has caused you to drop the Title of Liberty and proclaim him your king?
- TC criticizes ML's comparison of DT and CM, instead compares to A.
- SN disagrees with ML's comparison of DT and CM, instead compares DT to A.
[12]↩︎
For example:
- Richard Ostler and Julie Lefgren both considered using scripture in politics to be "manipulation."
- Kristine Haglund said "drawing very close parallels with scripture leads to bad scripture-reading and bad analysis of the present."
- Peggy Fletcher Stack hosted a discussion on her Facebook page of the "appropriateness" of "using LDS scriptures this way."
[13]↩︎
Senator Lee walked a line between apologizing, explaining himself, and not retracting his point.
Lee explained that he didn’t see Trump as a prophet or a religious leader to be revered. He emphasized that faithful Latter-day Saints can make different judgments on supporting Trump. Lee said multiple times that his comments at the rally were awkward and he did not mean to offend.
Lee concludes:
Maybe the comparison I made was more distracting or offensive to you than helpful. That was not my intent. I do my best to say what I think in open and forthright ways at all times. I hope you will respect my right to do my best at that, even when my words come across in ways that offend you.
- On Facebook, Mike Lee explains and defends his comparison of Donald Trump and Captain Moroni.
[14]↩︎
Arizonan Nathan Wayne Entrekin entered, left, and reentered the Capitol on January 6 alongside other participants. Entrekin's identity and activities that day were established by FBI Special Agent Trevor Culbert using "a review of public databases and open source intelligence (OSINT)" and an interview with Entrekin conducted on February 2, 2021.
[15]↩︎
Nathan Wayne Entrekin appeared in news coverage of the event with an unfurled Title of Liberty prop, with the scriptural words written on it in English.
- SH spots MDACMATCR in CNN coverage.
[16]↩︎
The interview is posted on the YouTube channel "Mother American Night." The channel was created the day before the riot and only has two videos, each about the events at the Capitol.
- NWE is interviewed on why he is dressed as CM.
[17]↩︎
Over the course of the interview, the Entrekin said:
"I’m here for freedom, you’re here for freedom. . . . I’m here to represent that, the Mormon element. . . . I’m here for freedom and peace, and liberty and love and happiness.”
- NWE is interviewed on why he is dressed as CM.
- FBI agent TC prepares an affidavit for Judge RMM, outlining NWE's Capitol riot activities.
[18]↩︎
Nathan Wayne Entrekin used the story of the king-men and the freemen and describes Captain Moroni as "the William Wallace of the Book of Mormon" (William Wallace of Braveheart fame was a chief leader in the First War of Scottish Independence).
He also claimed the existence of "a lot of infiltrators in our nation, in our Capitol, in our churches. I think Mitt Romney might be one of those people that have sold out to the system." This comment recalls Moroni's fight against traitors and corruption.
- NWE is interviewed on why he is dressed as CM.
[19]↩︎
The charges were the following:
- Violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1752(a)(1), which is to "knowingly enter or remain in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority to do"
- Violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1752(a)(2), which is to "knowingly, and with intent to impede or disrupt the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions, engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct in, or within such proximity to, any restricted building or grounds when, or so that, such conduct, in fact, impedes or disrupts the orderly conduct of Government business or official functions; or attempts or conspires to do so."
[20]↩︎
Some on social media traced the appearance of Nathan Wayne Entrekin (dressed as Captain Moroni) at the Capitol to Mike Lee's use of the story of Captain Moroni.
Utah politician Jim Dabakis tweeted:
Reassuring to see Captain Moroni, listening no doubt to Mike lee, saving the constitution, along with the rest of the thugs at the Capitol.
Mormon historian Barbara James Brown tweeted:
Look there’s “Captain Moroni” with his Title of Liberty, ⁦@SenMikeLee⁩. You helped inspire this, ⁦@SenMikeLee⁩. Take a good look at your followers
- JD links NWE's appearance to ML's comparison of DT and CM.
- BJB connects NWE to ML.
[21]↩︎
As of Entrekin's arrest on July 15, 2021, he and Josiah Colt were the only two publicly identified Latter-day Saints at the riot. Colt's membership status is unknown, but according to his LinkedIn, he served a two-year mission for the Church.
[22]↩︎
According to the reporting of José Ignacio Castañeda Perez for Arizona Republic, Jennifer Wheeler reiterated these parts of the Church's stance on political neutrality:
The Church's mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, not to elect politicians . . . . The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is neutral in matters of party politics.
- José Ignacio Castañeda Perez reports on a written statement from Church media specialist Jennifer Wheeler about Church political neutrality.
[23]↩︎
The Salt Lake Tribune reports:
On the day that the mob stormed the Capitol — a siege that included a banner copying the “Title of Liberty” used by the Book of Mormon’s Captain Moroni — a church spokesperson pointed to a sermon at October’s General Conference by Dallin H. Oaks, first counselor to President Russell M. Nelson, in which he stated that the church would oppose any post-election unrest.
Nine days later, the Church released an official statement condemning "violence and lawless behavior, including the recent violence in Washington, D.C."
- Peggy Fletcher Stack reports the Church's condemnation of unrest at the Capitol.
- First Presidency condemns violence in response to Capitol riots.