God Told Him To Do It

Utah: The defense gave its opening statement Monday in the Elizabeth Smart kidnapping trial.

According to his attorney, Parker Douglas, Brian David Mitchell, who stands accused of the traumatic nine-month abduction, believed that God was giving him direct commands – and ordering him to give up his children for adoption, to take multiple wives and to take Smart, who was 14 at the time, as his wife.

For his part, Mitchell was once again escorted out of the courtroom for singing hymns. He entered singing "For the Wisdom and the Love."

Read More: Brian David Mitchell

Mitchell and his wife Wanda Barzee were excommunicated from the LDS Church in January 2003 "for activity promoting bizarre teachings and lifestyle far afield from the principles and doctrines of the Church".