Man attempts to burn down LA temple

I hate to continue the recent spate of Mormon-related posts, but it’s important to share this news:

Police are looking for a man caught on tape trying to set fire to the Los Angeles Temple Church of Latter-Day Saints church.

The man walked onto the church property, located at 10777 Santa Monica Boulevard in West Los Angeles, around 10:30 a.m. on Many 17.

He had combustible material inside a backpack and thermo cup, according to police.

The man wasn’t able to get inside the locked church doors, but three hours later, a suspicious fire broke out in a garden on the church property.

Police described the suspect as Middle Eastern or of Asian Indian decent and in his late 20’s. He was last seen wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans.

I sure hope that this was not a reaction to the LDS Church’s involvement in Proposition 8 (and we currently have no reason to suspect that it is). But whatever the would-be arson’s motive was, it was a bad one.

The Los Angeles temple would not have been the first temple destroyed by fire. An arson burned down the Nauvoo temple in 1848. And in 2003, the Apia Samoa temple was also destroyed by fire, though no foul play was involved. The Logan temple nearly joined this list, when in 1917 a fire damaged much of its southeast stairway.

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About Jon Adams

I have my bachelors in sociology and political science, having recently graduated from Utah State University. I co-founded SHAFT, but have also been active in the College Democrats and the Religious Studies Club. I was born in Utah to a loving LDS family. I left Mormonism in high school after discovering some disconcerting facts about its history. Like many ex-Mormons, I am now an agnostic atheist. I am amenable to being wrong, however. So should you disagree with me about religion (or anything, really), please challenge me. I welcome and enjoy a respectful debate. I love life, and am thankful for those things and people that make life worth loving: my family, my friends, my dogs, German rock, etc. Contact: jon.earl.adams@gmail.com

2 thoughts on “Man attempts to burn down LA temple

  1. I know it shouldn’t strike me as funny, but three hours? What, was this guy planning on jimmying the locks with his Subway rewards card? My favorite part of the story is that he decided to set their plants on fire. That’s like the worst consolation prize ever.

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