Happy Independence Day to everyone! I’m about to go celebrate by parasailing over the Maui coast, but I thought I’d link to a few things I’ve written on Mormonism and the Fourth of July:

• Over at Religion and Politics, I wrote about the fraught relationship between the LDS Church and the American government, as seen through their celebration of the holiday. (Link)
• As one evidence of that dynamic, here is Parley Pratt “declaring independence over again” after Joseph Smith’s death. (Link)
• While writing for Peculiar People, I wrote about the cultural origins of Mormonism’s modern-day uber patriotism. (Link)

May your holiday be filled with ambiguity and tension!