Five Major Mistakes That Latter-day Saints Make With Politics.

I generally avoid politics on my blog. Talk with me in person, however, and it is a totally different story. I have opinions for days. But I feel the need to address a massive 5-part issue within our culture, and that is how we as Latter-day Saints approach politics. This post will probably upset people. So, take a deep breath, center yourself, and read this for what it is: a non-partisan critique of our cultural tendencies and the danger of how we approach politics as Latter-day Saints.

1st. We reverse the place of politics with God.

The first mistake we make is actually breaking the first commandment where God declared that we should have no other gods before Him. Far too often as members of The Church, we become so engrossed in our political parties that we fail to be Christians first but rather become Libertarian/Liberal/Progressive/Conservative Latter-day Saints. Here is a little secret we often forget: God is not a Progressive, Liberal, Conservative, or Libertarian, He is not a Republican nor a Democrat. Our lives should be lived in such a manner that the first thing that people know about us is that we are Latter-day Saints, our political affiliation coming after. For more on this topic see an entire in-depth breakdown in the article, Jesus is not a Republican or a Democrat, so stop trying to make Him one!

2nd. We try to make God fit into our politics.

When the Church asks us to do something that goes against our political ideology rather than making sure our politics are aligned with God; far too often, we try to align our God with our politics. For example, last year the Church came out in support of medical marijuana, but at the same time, they asked members in Utah to vote against question two, which was a medical marijuana bill that they felt, went too far. Many Latter-day Saints took issue with the Church’s statement; they complained that the Church had “no right to legislate morality” or like the secular, they complained about “Separation of Church and State!” They had convinced themselves that their political ideology was infallible. When Christ, the Lawgiver and King of this Land, told His followers (through His Prophet and official organization of the Church) to do something against their ideology, they were faced with the reality that either God was wrong/the Church was going rogue, or their political ideology was wrong. Sadly, most chose the first and voted with their ideology rather than their God, and question two passed.

People who try to fit God into their political ideology often forget that God is the sovereign of the Universe. He has ‘legislated morality’ for millennia and will continue in His unchanging nature. Our political philosophy becomes a false god to us when we follow it rather than the Lord and His prophets.

3rd. We forget that The Church has a history of asking members to vote a certain way

Historically, The Church has told members how to vote on a variety of topics. For example, during the repeal of prohibition the Prophet at the time, Heber J Grant, told the Saints to vote against it. Not only did they disregard President Grant, but Utah also cast the deciding vote that ended prohibition. President Grant lamented that some members sang “We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet” seemed to add the words, “provided he keeps his mouth shut politically.”

Sadly, history has shown that when it comes to politics, members of the church have a lackluster track record. Even looking around today, many members still struggle with God directing us through His prophet on how we should act. Think of how many people have issues with The Church’s stances on accepting refugees, decrying communism, standing against elective abortion, voting against same-sex marriage, being in favor of prohibition, being against recreational marijuana, and in favor of right to work; just to name a few.

We would be wise to follow the example of my neighbors. They have been a huge medical marijuana advocate for years, as their daughter suffers from severe seizures. When the church came out against the proposition to legalize medical marijuana, they were heartbroken. But they told their family and friends that they were voting against it now, they said they had faith that the Lord would provide for them. The faith of this family is humbling. They had every earthly reason to justify not following the prophet, but instead, they followed. Truly they understood the council of Harold B. Lee, “You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory”

4th. We misunderstand agency.

Because Satan could not destroy agency the next best thing for him to do would be to distort it. He has done that rather effectively when it comes to politics. The most repeated line I hear from members complaining about The Church’s stances (either the policy or their expectation of members conformity) is “what about agency!”

This murmur about taking away agency is based off a misunderstanding that if we criminalize sin, then we are taking away agency, or in other words; in order for agency to exist sin must be legalized. This notion is a flat out lie from Satan! God, the lawgiver at a universal level, has criminalized sin. Criminalizing sin at a local level is no more taking away agency than God did by declaring the issue a sin at the universal level.

Furthermore, the notion that we must enable others to sin or we take away their agency is a farce. Who would support giving guns to gang members with the argument that otherwise we would be taking away their ability to murder? The idea just sounds ridiculous. Agency is the ability to either attempt to sin or to choose the right. You don’t need cigarettes in your house to use your agency to not smoke! For an entire breakdown of this topic see, Abortion, Agency, and two lies Latter-day Saints are believing.

5th. We forget that it is a test of loyalty to God over party.

President Hinckley related the following when it comes to loyalty to God over party:

This is His work. He established it. He has revealed its doctrine. He has outlined its practices. He created its government. It is His work and His kingdom, and He has said, “They who are not for me are against me” (2 Ne. 10:16).

In 1933 there was a movement in the United States to overturn the law which prohibited commerce in alcoholic beverages. When it came to a vote, Utah was the deciding state.

I was on a mission, working in London, England, when I read the newspaper headlines that screamed, “Utah Kills Prohibition.”

President Heber J. Grant, then President of this Church, had pleaded with our people against voting to nullify Prohibition. It broke his heart when so many members of the Church in this state disregarded his counsel.

On this occasion, I am not going to talk about the good or bad of Prohibition but rather of uncompromising loyalty to the Church.

How grateful, my brethren, I feel, how profoundly grateful for the tremendous faith of so many Latter-day Saints who, when facing a major decision on which the Church has taken a stand, align themselves with that position. And I am especially grateful to be able to say that among those who are loyal are men and women of achievement, of accomplishment, of education, of influence, of strength—highly intelligent and capable individuals.

Each of us has to face the matter—either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing.

Thank you, my dear brethren, you men of great strength and great fidelity and great faith and great loyalty.

Gordon B. Hinckley, “Loyalty”, April 2003.

Some when they read this story will balk at the notion of conformity to following the prophet, but it is important that our loyalty is first to God and that we follow when the prophet speaks. In April 2003, Elder Holland taught about this (read his whole talk if you can), “In such basic matters of faith, prophets do not apologize for requesting unity, indeed conformity, in the eloquent sense that the Prophet Joseph Smith used that latter word. In any case, as Elder Neal Maxwell once said to me in a hallway conversation, ‘There didn’t seem to be any problem with conformity the day the Red Sea opened.'”

Conclusion.

Ultimately what it comes down to is that our philosophies need an adjustment. We, with our limited understanding, cannot be so arrogant as to assume that we know better than God. If we follow and are loyal, we lay up treasures in heaven. We need to recognize that God is the sovereign lawgiver and that when He speaks–the debate is over. If we do not follow, we put not only ourselves but also future generations in peril. Let us approach our covenants with God with more zeal than we approach our politics.

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