The Bundys Are Stuck in Mormonism's Past

Of all the armed militants who have occupied a federal building on a wildlife reserve in Oregon since last weekend, two are perhaps the most recognizable. One is Ammon Bundy, the group’s spokesman and son of Nevada rancher and self-described patriot Cliven Bundy, who has repeatedly claimed that God has aided his resistance to federal taxes and land use regulations. The other is the guard who identified himself as “Captain Moroni” to journalists. It has been widely reported that the original Captain Moroni is a prominent character in the Book of Mormon, a righteous military leader who defied his own corrupt government when it neglected to protect individual liberty.