Race

In my previous post, a couple of readers posted some comments about me marrying a Mexican, and whether or not this would cause a problem for the FLDS.

I want to comment - "I" am the one who is Mexican, half anyway.

My father served a mission for the LDS Church in Mexico. Even though he was your typical English-born American, he spoke Spanish fluently and preferred to speak Spanish in our home. My mother was born in Mexico, but immigrated (legally) with her family when she was a little girl.

My wife Martha is of Irish and Japanese descent. My wife Temple is of German origins. I always joke that, together, they are the Axis Powers.

It is ironic that the issue of race came up, because a (non-Mormon) friend of mine sent me the following:

"'Mormon polygamists are great haters. They hate the United States Government, they hate the Black race, they hate the Jews. They hate gentiles. They hate apostates. Hate unifies the group. The Mormon fundamentalist prophets use hate the same way Hitler used the Jews as an object of hate to unify Germany.' http://www.polygamyversuscommonsense.com/id33.htm

"I mean really! That has got to be one of the most ignoramus blanket statements I have seen! And to add fearmongering by the injection of Hitler's name?? Good grief, Moroni!I can see more and more what an uphill battle you have had just to practice what you believe. I'm shaking my head in disbelief, and disgust, at some who populate the human race. Ugh."

And my reply was:

Wow, that statement was a bit of an overstatement. Lol

But to tell you the truth, Mormon polygamists are not really that diverse of a group. With several exceptions, I have met many who do hate black people, Jews, and the government. You can guess, with me being half Mexican, the kinds of things I have had to deal with.

So yeah, there are some who are like that, but then there are some that are really good people. Like any social group, there are good and bad. There are a couple of groups in Mexico that are all Mexican. But one of the things that I like about our little community is our diversity. There are many of us who are of Mexican descent, and Martha’s family is of Japanese descent, and we have a family that is Polynesian from New Zealand. Probably the most diverse sub-group in the Mormon polygamy world.


I was born and raised in Utah, but I spent my formative years in Casa Grande, Arizona - about a two hour drive from the border, as well as a town whose population was almost half-latino. I never experienced racial prejudice until I moved to Utah and began associating with Mormon fundamentalists.

I remember some people treated me somewhat offishly, and then one girl asked me, "So growing up in Arizona, did you live around alot of Mexicans?"

I answered that I did.

"How could you stand that?" she asked.

I shrugged. "It didn't bug me, because I'm Mexican."

The look on her face - priceless.

So I realize that my skin is probably just a shade too dark for the FLDS. I have always said that you can tell everything you want about me from my full name:

Moroni - I am Mormon

Lopez - I am Mexican

Jessop - I am a Mormon fundamentalist

I am proud of all three.