DezNat



DezNat (shortened from Deseret Nationalism) is a concept introduced in 2018, following the Unite the Right rally, by Logan Smith, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), who is known as "JP Bellum" on Twitter. While the term originated as a Twitter hashtag, collecting upwards of 114,000 original posts, its significance goes beyond social media. DezNat represents a loosely affiliated group of LDS Church members who share common ideals and values, despite the Church's negative stance on the concept. The impact of DezNat can be observed through the actions and behaviors of its followers in their communities.

Contributors to media outlets The Daily Beast and The Daily Utah Chronicle have described DezNat as an extremist alt-right, white nationalist movement,  Similarly, journalists at The Guardian consider the group right-wing with elements of the far-right and eugenics. In contrast, the Salt Lake Tribune described it as "a little bit more ambiguous than that." DezNat participants have typically insisted that their sole purpose is to gather orthodox Latter-day Saints and defend the Church against critics. Correspondingly, they see the term “alt-right” as inaccurate and even defamatory.

Some members of the DezNat community wish to recreate the historical State of Deseret as an independent state operating outside of US jurisdiction. 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. Users of the hashtag say they are not alt-right but are simply unapologetic about their beliefs. 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".

The community has been criticized for 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. Members also use bowie knife imagery as a homage to Brigham Young. Controversially, some within DezNat advocate for violent actions under the pretext of blood atonement for certain sins, a practice the LDS Church leadership has disavowed. 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). Tanner Guzy characterizes DezNat members as boldly embracing their faith in the restored gospel without reservation. JP Bellum clarifies that while DezNat is independent of official LDS Church endorsement, it fosters a community centered on supporting LDS doctrines and its members.

Ayla Stewart and Unite the Right at Charlottesville (2017)
In August 2017, many alt-right groups, including white nationalists and white supremacists alongside individuals accused of supporting a “Deznat ideology”, gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia, “to protest the planned removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.” For the Unite the Right rally, however, due to the violence at the rally, Ayla Stewart was unable to participate, When the church started on August 13, 2017, condemning the racial violence at Charlottesville, Ayla Stewart retweeted it, commenting, “The #LDS church teachings are clear, you cannot be anti-white and a follower of Christ. We are ALL God’s children!” This prompted the Church to amend its statement on August 15th, clarifying that “Church members who promote or pursue a ‘white culture’ or white supremacy agenda are not in harmony with the teachings of the Church.” This underscored the Church's stance against extreme political views and the perceived misalignment with its teachings. Subsequent Timothy Ballard’s books, "Hypothesis" and "American Covenant," reflected a Mormon perspective on White Christian Nationalism, distinct from Deseret Nationalism.

Alaskan government investigation of Matthias Cicotte
In July 2021, investigative journalists at The Guardian identified Matthias Cicotte, an Alaska Assistant Attorney General, as a poster of racist and anti-Semitic Deseret Nationalist content using the Twitter account @JReubenCIark. Following the release of the report, civil rights organizations, including the NAACP, called for the termination of Cicotte from his position and the reopening of his cases. This prompted an investigation from the Alaska Department of Law and Cicotte was removed from his caseload. A Department spokesperson confirmed Cicotte was no longer working for them, stating: "However, although we cannot talk about personnel matters, we do not want the values and policies of the Department of Law to be overshadowed by the conduct of one individual." Shortly thereafter, the deans of J. Reuben Clark Law School, of which both Cicotte and Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor are graduates, released a statement condemning the "venomous and hateful Twitter messages against a variety of vulnerable groups" from the @JReubenCIark account.