How Michael Flynn goes local to spread Christian nationalism
Michael Flynn, son of a Mormon missionary from a small town in Wyoming, has spent time in all 50 states, talking about how he wants to build an America that “embraces” his religion.
The evangelical Christian is not known for his piety, but he does seem to have a keen interest in history and learning. Now, he is an informal ambassador for the Christian Nationalist political group Liberty University, which supports President-elect Donald Trump and his promise to be a “separation of church and state” president.
Flynn is also a regular guest of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has an established relationship with Trump and his family. He speaks there, as do other Mormon church leaders, on the Sunday morning service about his commitment to church principles.
During the last presidential election, Flynn said he would vote for Hillary Clinton because of her “compassion” toward people who are struggling with poverty. He also has a hard time believing any candidate who doesn’t “love Donald Trump,” he said.
So, why did Flynn begin advocating for Trump? Is he on the payroll of Mormon interests, or is he just a conservative Christian trying to spread the gospel?
The answers to both questions are complicated. But the most important fact is that Michael Flynn has traveled all over the country to talk about his religion.
To a certain group of people, the idea of a Mormon as a conservative Christian is not surprising.
“In a lot of ways, Mormonism is a Christian tradition,” said Jeff Mezger, a professor at the University of Utah who specializes in Mormon history. “I find Mormons who are not Christians to be interesting or intriguing, but I think many will feel differently about Mormonism and it would be an interesting subject to explore.”
But on this issue, the Mormon faith is a