Mormons have complex relationship with America

Whenever Americans celebrate flag-waving holidays, some Mormons may outdo their neighbors in fireworks and fanfare to express their outsized patriotism. Love of the U.S.A., they believe, stretches beyond appreciation and gratitude. It is theological, prescribed in holy writ.

When it comes to asserting American exceptionalism, Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah) recently said, “Mormons sort of have an extra chromosome.”

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney repeatedly lauds the crucial role this country has to play in human history. “I am one of those who believes America is destined to remain as it has been since the birth of the republic,” Romney wrote in his book No Apology: The Case for American Greatness, “the brightest hope of the world.”