Arrest made in LDS church fires in South Salt Lake

Salt Lake Tribune ^ | Oct.31, 2010 | Aaron Falk

[Colofornian]

South Salt Lake police Sunday arrested a man in connection with fires that damaged two LDS meetinghouses over the weekend.

Patrick Ehat, 26, of Salt Lake City, was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County jail on suspicion of arson, burglary and criminal mischief, said South Salt Lake police Detective Gary Keller.

“He did take responsibility for the church fires,” Keller said. “We haven’t established a motive at this time. It’s still under investigation. ... We’re just glad we have this person off the street and people can feel safe in their communities.”

South Salt Lake firefighters put out two blazes at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouses Saturday morning. The first fire destroyed a chapel in the building at 3219 S. 300 East about 3:30 a.m.

Damage was reported to exceed $1 million.

Three hours later, firefighters were called to an LDS church at 2702 S. Main. The fire caused minor smoke and water damage to the building.

Keller said Ehat had injuries consistent with climbing through a broken window. Police believe he acted alone.

Ehat’s parents, Stephen and Jeanine Ehat, said they have had limited contact with their son in recent months. They have cooperated with law enforcement in the arson investigation, the couple said in a written statement.

The couple can’t speculate about their son’s motive, but believe “medical professionals will assess his mental health,” they wrote, and are grieved at the damage caused.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused a fire at a vacant South Salt Lake home less than an hour after the second LDS church was set ablaze, police said.

Bishop Matt Parson, of the Miller Ward, the congregation that meets in the building on 300 East, said he does not know Ehat.

A ward directory lists a Pat Ehat as a member.

Sunday services for ward members took place in another meetinghouse, Parson said.

“I know it was challenging for some people because the building has been special to us for so long,” Parson said. “We’ve all shared special experiences there and to have it destroyed that way would be hard for anyone.”

Parson hopes the arrest brings “closure” to the incident.

“It’s nice not having to just wonder who did it,” he said. “We’ll move on. They’ll rebuild or repair [the building] and it will be better than it was before.”

afalk@sltrib.com

[colorcountry]

Look! Over there!

BTW, PD.

Are you trying to claim that excommunications aren’t difficult?

[Paragon Defender]

truth being told about Mormons on the Internet

Surely you don't mean anything posted by the anti-Mormon propaganda gang here. Do you? I see very little "truth" in any of the anti-Mormon posts.

[Paragon Defender]

pretending eh?

Doing a little mind-reading huh?

You have no clue what happened to him and why he came out the way he did. Shame on you.

[T Minus Four]

I see very little "truth" in any of the anti-Mormon posts.

And yet you are unable to point out ONE SINGLE LIE.

Go ahead and post your usual list of links now for our "dear readers"

[T Minus Four]

Actually, we are given several very compelling clues, along with CC’s personal experience and culteral background.

And we are no forbidden to mind-read subjects of threads, just other posters.

[colorcountry]

So if he wasn’t pretending and he honestly believed it all, and lived it well, why did he get excommunicated?

[Paragon Defender]

And yet you are unable to point out ONE SINGLE LIE.

Go ahead and post your usual list of links now for our "dear readers"

One single lie? Puleeze. Anyone sincerely interested would find more wrong with the anti-Mormon posts than you could shake a stick at. I'll not play anti-Mormon games and argue about a single non-issue.

Since you mentioned it, I shall give my post for the lurkers to see. Thanks!

Seekers of truth,

If you peruse the Free Republic religion forums you will notice a pattern. There's an anti-Mormon group of people here that spends a great deal of their time attacking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. They post regurgitated propaganda on an almost daily basis.

They have a misguided obsession. You can witness many different tactics employed that you might find quite interesting. The straw man argument is a big favorite and is frequently preceded by cherry-picking quotes or other material. After the "quotation" the attacker will misrepresent what has been said or what was meant and then attack their own interpretation.Later they will have the audacity to claim they were "only" quoting our own material.  

They will of course insist ad nauseum that they are merely using our sources and are therefore innocent of any deceptive practice. LDS persons have no issue whatsoever having our scriptures or leaders quoted as long as it is presented fairly and accurately. This is rarely (if ever) done.

Another favorite is posting scripture or statements which on their own really present no dilemma. They make something out of nothing while never bringing up a single objection that hasn't been addressed a hundred times before.

You might note a couple of other tactics used to try to antagonize is the use of disrespectful or insulting terms or language and/or pictures. That's a Christlike thing to do right? Yeah I don't think so either. It does speak volumes about them though.

Sometimes they cruise the headlines of the day seeking any story that might be twisted into making the Church look bad. Anything will do, just watch the progression of posts following it and see what I mean.

After reading their posts, I invite you to seek the truth about whatever "issue" they seem to be "revealing" or "exposing". I promise that if you do so with honest intent, the "ahah" moments you will have will be many and frequent. You will start to recognize the tactics employed to cleverly twist and attack and will likely chuckle the more you see. In actuality, there's nothing new here. It's all been addressed many times before.

The latest twist in the anti-Mormon propaganda machine is to actually go to the links provided, but then they cherry pick what they want, then quote and straw man attack that. Clever. It almost appears that they are helping you, the seeker of truth out by doing some footwork for you. Not so much. Don't be insulted, look for yourself. It's not the haystack they want you to think.

Here's a few links to get your started from a different viewpoint. I have found that the vast majority of the "issues" brought up can be found and addressed at http://www.fairlds.org/ but here's more:

http://scriptures.lds.org/
http://www.lds.org
http://www.fairlds.org/
http://www.mormonapologetics.org/
http://www.mormonwiki.com/Main_Page
http://www.lightplanet.com/response/index.html
http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDS_Intro.shtml
http://www.answeringantimormons.com/index.htm
http://promormon.blogspot.com/

Now you will likely notice the "you never address our points" posts pop up as usual. All after providing the answers just as you have here.

Sometimes it is claimed that these sites present a needle in a haystack. Far from it. But if you give up before you try you won't know will you?

Will you wear blinders too? Seek truth. Find out for yourself. Want to chat with someone on any topic? A few of these sites provide just that. So do your homework sincere seeker of truth. Listen and read from both "sides". Make up your own mind.

I witness to you of these truths and wish you the best, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

[Paragon Defender]

So if he wasn’t pretending and he honestly believed it all, and lived it well, why did he get excommunicated?

People fall away. It happens. It is sad. We have free will. Perhaps you have heard of it? It doesn't mean the Church isn't true.

[colorcountry]

Mormon Excommunication

[T Minus Four]

One single lie? Puleeze. Anyone sincerely interested would find more wrong with the anti-Mormon posts than you could shake a stick at. I'll not play anti-Mormon games and argue about a single non-issue.

But I believe this is all a game to you. You're just not a very good player.

[colorcountry]

Oh so he wasn’t pretending, he “fell away.”

Are you mind reading PD? ;)

(this is too easy)

[greyfoxx39]

[SZonian]

"You might note a couple of other tactics used to try to antagonize is the use of disrespectful or insulting terms or language and/or pictures."

Uh huh, sure. Anti's and any who question mormonsim accused of being accessories to murder and arson? Compared to Gadianton robbers? Compared to pigs? Being Atherosclorotic? Sociopaths? Behaving like swine? Being dishonest? Yammering mocking demons? Spewers of hate? Vermin? Twisted thinkers? Slanderers? Liars?

No antagonizing, no disrespect or insulting going on here is there? And each time a mormon poster is called on their comment, silence. No admission of responsibility. Nothing.

"That's a Christlike thing to do right?"

"Yeah I don't think so either."

"It does speak volumes about them though."

Yes, yes it does.

Btw, thanks for giving me another in a long list of opportunities to post these.

Here are some ex-mormon sites for perusing...

irr.org

exmormonsforjesus

4mormon/ex-mormon

exmormon

mormoncurtain

As for your screed claiming that there is misrepresentation, twisting, etc., prove it. Calling people liars is quite easy, having the spine to prove your slanderous accusations/allegations is another.

For the "lurkers", by all means, "DO read this stuff" (mormonism) and then sit with your pastor, preacher, etc. and discuss what you have read with them and have them show you the "Truth".

I, and a few others on this board have escaped mormonism. If you can find where we have been "misrepresenting", "twisting" or "lying" our experiences, just ask one of us and we'll gladly answer your questions.

[T Minus Four]

People fall away are seen entering Christian* bookstores. It happens. It is sad.

Fixed it for you.

*Not to be confused with LDS bookstores.

[Colofornian]

Oh so he wasn’t pretending, he “fell away.” Are you mind reading PD? ;) (this is too easy)

ROTFL!!!

CC...you just haven't taken the Non Apologetic course offerings available to Mormon apologists...One course offering "Mind Reading for Me but not for Thee!" :)

[Colofornian]

Also interesting is the speculation that Ehat may have RECENTLY been ex-communicated from LDS...

Yes, thanks for that extra detail.

[Godzilla]

Seekers of truth,

[Tennessee Nana]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The mormon owned Deseret News doesnt mention that the arsonist is a mormon ...

South Salt Lake police arrest man in arson of 2 LDS chapels

Nearly $400,000 in damages

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700077747/South-Salt-Lake-police-arrest-man-in-arson-of-2-LDS-chapels.html?s_cid=rss-30

From the comments for the DNews article

astrobeet | 10:24 a.m. Nov. 1, 2010
Logan, Utah

I knew the suspect. We did serve in the same LDS mission at the same time. And was a very good missionary! This is very sad to see as I would never imagine that he would be capable of something like this.

[Paragon Defender]

Oh so he wasn’t pretending, he “fell away.”

Are you mind reading PD? ;)

(this is too easy)

---

aaah so what I say is mind reading but for you it’s not?

the point is, we don’t know.

(this is too easy)

[Elsie]

Waiting for the apologies from lds members on FR who called those who are not lds - arsons, murderers, progressives, liars............with regard to this fire.

INDEED!

MY reputation has been impugned!