Are LDS welcome in top levels of national GOP?

Pignanelli: "You Mormons are an abomination!" shouted a group of Pentecostals at me while attending their conference here in Utah in the early 1980s. (As a custodian for the Newspaper Agency Corporation during my college days, I cleaned the outside windows on Main Street every Sunday morning — guaranteeing exposure to the truly bizarre.) Never one to back down from an argument, I responded with equal vigor to the tourists. Well armed with important elements of LDS doctrine and personal knowledge of the Bible, this nonmember waged a 45-minute shouting match on the sidewalk of the once busy thoroughfare. Only when the evangelicals discovered that I was Catholic did they throw their arms up in disgust and walk away (apparently a papist defending the restoration of the gospel was too much for them). This is when I learned that hostility for Latter-day Saints did not end in the 19th century.

Animosity by hard-line Christian faiths (Methodists, Presbyterians and Southern Baptists) against Mormons is increasing. The kindest insult these denominations consistently dish out is that Mormons are not Christians. Many of their spokesmen lump LDS with the weird Moonies, new age mystics and pagans. Their Web sites and libraries contain numerous tracts and treatises that disparage LDS doctrine and question their commitment to family values. In fact, organizers of the National Day of Prayer will not allow Mormons to participate.

This antagonism is more than just a theological quarrel. At least 40 percent of Republican delegates are conservative Christians, a united voting bloc with little tolerance for Mormons. Powerful right-wing groups such as Focus on the Family (which claims Mormons do not consume soda pop or chocolate) dedicate tremendous resources to influence elections and federal legislation. This evangelical base will actively oppose Mormons seeking political office (many are gearing up to stop Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney). Although on occasion a Mormon will be appointed to serve in a high-profile position, a thick stained-glass ceiling prevents LDS Republicans from obtaining congressional leadership or the presidency.

Conversely, national Democrats have a tradition of ambivalence toward the religious preference of their Mormon colleagues. Former President Jimmy Carter declared that Mormons were Christians and any fellow Southern Baptists who thought otherwise were "Pharisees." Prior to his defeat by Orrin Hatch, Utah Sen. Frank Moss was elected by fellow Democrats to the powerful role of majority whip and eventually would have been leader. Current Minority Leader Harry Reid is well-liked among most Democratic factions, and his LDS faith is considered an asset. As the Democratic Party moves toward the center, it will again become a comfortable place for Mormons.