Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
History and Religion
Reflecting on the Past

Reflecting on the Past

Last updated on: September 29, 2026 at 4:17 pm by Dan Peterson

0 Comments

Reflecting on the Past 2026-09-29T16:17:21-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A view of the township of Grand Blanc, Michigan, where last year’s massacre occurred. (Wikimedia Commons public domain photograph)

With his kind permission, I share here something that Jaxon Washburn posted yesterday (Monday) on his Facebook page:

One year ago today, Thomas Jacob Sanford—an Evangelical Christian extremist with longstanding vitriol and collective hatred against the Latter-day Saint community—intentionally attacked an LDS congregation in Grand Blanc, Michigan in one of the deadliest incidents of anti-Mormon violence in the modern era.

At approximately 10:25 am, just as the LDS ward was settling into their sacrament/communion service, Sanford deliberately rammed his pickup truck—bearing American flags, carrying gasoline accelerants, and filled with heavy weaponry and makeshift explosive devices—into the side of the meetinghouse. Above the crash site hung a standard message featured in many LDS meetinghouses, “Visitors Welcome.”

Thinking that the crash was accidental, multiple members of the congregation rushed towards him so as to dispense what they thought might be lifesaving aid. Sanford immediately began to open fire on them, launching into a planned massacre that lasted a total of 3 minutes and 43 seconds between the time of the first emergency call and when he was ultimately incapacitated by law enforcement.

Having described Mormons in terms of the “antichrist”, Sanford proceeded to fire on innocent Latter-day Saint men, women, and children alike, killing 4—including a former bishop, two veterans, and a mother—with several others injured between bullets, shrapnel, and smoke inhalation caused by Sanford deliberately lighting the church building ablaze.

Within minutes, law enforcement officers had rapidly arrived to the scene and successfully dispatched the attacker, saving countless lives in the process. The survivors and surrounding community were left shellshocked and grieving at the tragic loss of life and mindless violence that had descended upon a place of worship meant for peace, reconciliation, and Christian values.

In the weeks to come, close to a million dollars would be raised for the deceased and other victims and their families. Perhaps most strikingly, the Latter-day Saint community rallied in an act of remarkable charity on behalf of the Sanford family—themselves left without a father, a husband, and stunned by grief. Close to $400k poured in to support them in their time of mourning, recognizing that they were also victims of Thomas Sanford’s hateful actions.

A year later today, ground has been officially broken in preparation of a new meetinghouse in restoration of the old. The lives of many were altered by what happened, but for many, the restorative and healing promises made possible through Jesus Christ’s ministry, atoning sacrifice, and resurrection assure them that this is not the end.

Those killed and negatively impacted, Sanford included, will one day be restored to their loved ones, be filled with Christ’s redeeming love, and be healed of all the trauma enacted on that day.

Forgiveness will triumph over hatred. That is the way of Christ.

We remember the victims and their families, the first responders and aid workers, and the outpouring of support and love from across the country.

Mormons and ex-Mormons, Christians and Muslims, and people of many other faiths or no religion at all poured out their hearts in response to the tragedy.

Bigotry should never be dismissed as innocent.

Entire communities should never be collectively blamed for the sins of a few.

To follow Christ is to mourn with those who mourn, forgive those who persecute or spread hatred towards you, and to love others as Jesus did.

May the memory of all those lost be a blessing.

May we all reconsider the real risks of religious prejudice and the harmful consequences it can lead to against vulnerable communities.

May Sanford be forgiven and returned to the embrace of his Savior, who died for these very sins, in the world to come.

Today we remember Grand Blanc.

The pond at the former farm of John and Jane Benbow (2009 photograph by Kenneth May)

We were out the door early this morning. We drove for several hours to what Latter-day Saints typically call the “John Benbow Farm” or, more adequately and more justly, the “John and Jane Benbow Farm,” but which is most properly called the “Hill Farm.” It’s near the village of Castle Frome in Herefordshire. John and Jane Benbow are among the most prominent converts in the early history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England, and Hill Farm is one of the great places in that history. We filmed beside the famous pond where Elder Wilford Woodruff — one of the greatest missionaries of this dispensation, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and ultimately the fourth president of the Church — baptized many of his Herefordshire converts. Unfortunately, the pond was empty today, coming as we did at the end of an exceptionally dry English summer. I’ve never before seen it completely without water. But it’s still a remarkable site.

We had lunch at the Seven Stars in Ledbury, Herefordshire, which (by the way) is somewhat more than four hundred years old. My wife and I have visited Ledbury several times before when accompany tours with Peter Fagg (who is again with us on this trip as our British guide and our driver and our historical expert and interviewee; we’re fond of the town for its venerable Tudor-style timber-framed buildings and its association with poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and John Masefield.

We next drove to the Herefordshire Beacon, for filming at its summit. It is importantly associated with the 1840 apostolic mission to England.

We finished up the evening shooting both inside and outside the modest but historically significant Gadfield Elm Chapel, which was once the only Latter-day Saint chapel in the world and which is the oldest Latter-day Saint meetinghouse still in existence. Certainly nothing in Utah — which the Saints didn’t reach until several years later — is older. Only the Kirtland Temple predates it, but the Kirtland Temple is, well, a temple. (For more about the Gadfield Elm Chapel, see here.)

We’ve spent much of the day and are spending tonight near the English border with Wales. Meanwhile, jet lag continues to work its magic. Please be impressed even if I’m minimally coherent here, in these entries that I’m posting late in the local evening.

Posted from Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, England

History and Religion

Travel and Religion

Previous Post

September 28, 2026

"Out of small things proceedeth that which is great"

Next Post

September 30, 2026 Of Pottery and People

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Sutherland's lecture sounds interesting. He seems to restate the Washington consensus that trade brings peace ..."

B. Wilson

Learning more about a region of ..."

"In a meeting today, I learned another important reason why accurate (or at least as ..."

the PROBLEM

From Serbia’s “White City,” Belgrade

"I've been watching a lot of video interviews of NDErs and researchers. I think in ..."

brotheroflogan

Accounts of Premortality?

"PL: "Let's hope he doesn't have your address..."I have to frankly confess that a few ..."

DanielPeterson

From Serbia’s “White City,” Belgrade

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which book of the Bible ends with the word 'Amen'?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Romans Philippians Revelation Jude