"I mean under the guise of religious freedom, anybody can do anything," Johnson said. "Back to Mormonism. Why shouldn't somebody be able to shoot somebody else because their freedom of religion says that God has spoken to them and that they can shoot somebody dead?"
Johnson concluded by saying he saw "religious freedom, as a category, of being a black hole."
The comments garnered considerable attention on social media, including from U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who said they were "troubling" if they were true, taking issue with his characterization as religious freedom, protected in the Bill of Rights, as a "black hole."
The Johnson campaign released a statement from the candidate, explaining that the comments were "an admittedly imprecise reference to the violence that accompanied the Mormons' early history in the 1800s — violence that was prompted by the persecution of the Mormons themselves by both the federal government and others."
Johnson said he regretted any offense to anyone from his remarks.