Hard lessons for LDS Church from Romney's presidential campaign
Extremists denounced Romney's campaign as a Mormon plot to take over the country. Some Evangelicals feared that a Mormon in the White House would draw more converts to his faith.
Mormon practices were picked apart, even ones that had been abandoned long ago such as polygamy. Romney tried to focus on politics, but was often asked about sacred Mormon undergarments.
"It is prejudice," said Richard Bushman, an emeritus professor at Columbia University, who is a leading historian and devout Mormon. "Underlying all these questions is that these beliefs are basically crazy so you've got to explain them to us."
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints anticipated some of the backlash and tried to get ahead of it. Well before the former Massachusetts governor officially announced his candidacy, Mormon officials started traveling the country, speaking with reporters and editorial writers about the LDS church and its political neutrality.
The goal was to protect the church. But nonpartisanship handicapped the denomination when it needed a vigorous defense.
"I'm not questioning the policy of neutrality. That's not in any doubt," said Michael Otterson, the church's media relations director. "But I think the very reality is that we've had to be very careful about choosing our words and not appearing to either be supporting or not supporting a particular candidate."
Before Romney ran, Mormons thought they were generally accepted in the mainstream, especially after their previous success in the world spotlight: the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.
Yet, in November, half of respondents to an Associated Press-Yahoo poll said they had some problems supporting a Mormon presidential candidate. Among white evangelicals, more than half expressed reservations about backing a Latter-day Saint.
"I was surprised at the level of intensity and sometimes flat out animosity," said Lowell C. Brown, a Los Angeles attorney who is Mormon. "I had no idea. I'm in my 50s, I've been a Mormon all my life, I've lived in L.A. for 25 years, and it floored me."
Many Christians said they were raising legitimate theological concerns, not Mormon-bashing.
The news service of the Southern Baptist Convention, which considers the LDS church a cult, ran a six-part series through December explaining why they don't consider Mormonism to be Christian. (They also profiled a distant Romney relative who is Protestant and manages a Southern Baptist-affiliated bookstore in Salt Lake.)
In just one example of the practices that set Mormons apart, LDS church founder Joseph Smith revised and in his view corrected parts of the Bible.
Recent comments
It is not religious intolerance to vote based upon the character of...
Andy | Feb. 12, 2008 at 3:10 p.m.
Religious and political criticism is a perfectly legitimate form of...
Aaron Shafovaloff | Feb. 12, 2008 at 12:02 p.m.
While Romney's dropping out was disappointing to those of us who...
Threat! | Feb. 12, 2008 at 7:34 a.m.
- 'Mates: Millsap deserves big payday 5:22 p.m.
- Millsap offer: $10.3M up front 4:59 p.m.
- Questions about osteoarthritis 4:43 p.m.
- Logan canal breaks; people missing 3:58 p.m.
- Man's body found 3:47 p.m.
- 'Love advocates' plan 'kiss-in' 3:46 p.m.
- Many-splendored container garden 3:29 p.m.
- California's $26B deficit 3:25 p.m.
- Eat your squash and blossoms 3:21 p.m.
- Searchers shovel seeking giant worm 3:18 p.m.
- Jazz brass debate Millsap match
- LDS seminary principal arrested
- 2 men cited on LDS plaza
- Jazz finances not quite so bleak
- Logan canal breaks; people missing
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Utahns among Texans' investors
- Cash for Clunkers to get rolling soon
- HBO defends U. logo use in 'Love'
- Jazz rookies quiet Thunder youngsters
- LDS seminary principal arrested
322 - Jazz brass debate Millsap match
191 - 2 men cited on LDS plaza
162 - Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
141 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
140 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
124 - Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
99 - Fairness of BCS debated
83 - Letters: Single-payer system best
76 - Services bids farewell to Jackson
70
Here's BYU's press release on Jonathan Tavernari's big game for the...
The Church is just so true. Can't these people see that?
Have all the homosexuals with overt hate agendas moved west?
Yes, I can honestly say i've never violated the trust of parents that put...
Rather than an easement why don't we respect the property rights of others...
You've blamed the girl You've blamed pornography. Why don't you put the...
Questions to ask: 1) Crunch time, can feed the ball to Millsap in the post...
To force the issue and then make a huge thing out of a little confromtation....
The problem with a lot of homosexuals kissing in public is that it makes...
"I'm sorry, but heroes should be at minimum a good family man, and I'm not...
Hey, my family is full of love and would like to use your back yard for our...

