Complications with Criminalizing Abortion
In the previous post, I demonstrated the LDS Church’s political neutrality on the debate over the government’s role in regulating and criminalizing abortion, even as the Church emphasizes the sanctity...
View ArticleLDS Church Going Green
Lest one thinks being environmentally-conscious is only a “liberal” idea, the Church recently announced a pilot program where the roofs of new chapels are fitted with solar panels. In announcing the...
View ArticleA Renewed Call for Civility from LDS Church Leadership
During the most recent LDS General Conference, we heard yet another call for civility in our public dialogue. Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles stated, “many in this world are...
View Article“Ground Zero” Mosque
The Eleventh Article of Faith of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints states, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow...
View ArticleThe Church Supports Common Sense Principles of Immigration Reform
Unfortunately, I’m still mired in a ridiculous amount of school work, so this will be a short post. I wanted to highlight the following press release from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day...
View ArticleThe Church’s Political Neutrality
During the last Presidential election season, I wrote the following letter to the editor, which was printed in a prominent newspaper: Lost amid the hype about Mitt Romney’s religion speech and Mike...
View ArticleChurch Counsels Against Enforcement-Only Approach to Immigration Reform
About a year ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints issued a statement affirming principles of a balanced and common-sense approach towards immigration reform. In June 2011, the Church...
View ArticleNo Politics in Church!
Have you ever been in a Church meeting where someone, a speaker in sacrament meeting, or a teacher or student in Sunday School, Priesthood, or Relief Society, makes a blatant political statement?...
View ArticleSage Election-Year Counsel from the First Presidency
Each election year, the Church predictably issues statements affirming its political neutrality, which I find both refreshing and reassuring amid all of the mingling of scripture with the philosophies...
View ArticleThe Church Needs a Two Party System
“I also support what has been said by the Brethren–that it is in the interest of the Church to have a two-party system and not to have one party that is exclusively LDS and the other party exclusively...
View ArticleRace and LDS Religious Identification in the 2012 Election
As some of you may know, I was raised on Chicago’s South Side and attended a multiracial Mormon ward (congregation) for 15 years where many of my leaders and teachers were black. Our ward was also full...
View ArticlePolitics and Mormonism Q&A
I was asked a series of questions about Mormonism and the progressive wing of American politics by a UK periodical. I typically try to separate religion and politics in my essays, but given this...
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The Mormon Who Was Almost President
When Mitt Romney takes the stage in Tampa this week to accept the nomination of the Republican Party, it will be an historic moment for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints....
View ArticlePolitical Neutrality – Church Website
Since we constantly are barraged with questions in regards to the Mormon Church’s stated political positions, this should serve as a reminder: The Church’s mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus...
View ArticleChurch Leaders’ Political Opinions Aren’t Official Doctrine
In past decades, there have been a few General Authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have been outspoken on American politics. Some Church members frequently quote from...
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The Constitution Hangs by a Thread
“You will see the Constitution of the United States almost destroyed. It will hang like a thread as fine as a silk fiber…. I love the Constitution; it was made by the inspiration of God; and it will...
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A Supreme Precedent for Gun Laws
In the aftermath of any mass shooting in the U.S., an all-or-nothing rhetoric about guns typically infects the public discourse regarding what ought to be done to prevent such tragedies in the future....
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Putting the ‘Conserve’ Back Into ‘Conservative’
During my freshman year at BYU, a conservative friend of mine tried to explain to me why recycling, and caring for the environment in general, were scripturally unsound practices. He cited the LDS...
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Stop Subsidizing Walmart: Raise the Minimum Wage
A recent study of Wisconsin’s Medicaid program revealed that Walmart ranked first on state’s list of Medicaid enrollment by employer. In other words, Walmart employees in Wisconsin comprise a plurality...
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The Tyranny of Gross Wealth Inequality
In a 2012 General Conference address, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, expressed concern about “the ever-growing gap...
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