Comments about ‘LDS Church encourages member involvement in political process’

The Church has spoken out and issued its even-handed and well-reasoned stand on alcohol laws.

Now if we could just get politicians to pay as much attention to the crucial wording, "preserving . . . health and safety" as to the important "freedom of choice" language.

Both are important.

As much as a freedom to drink, the people of Utah deserve the freedom to seek meaningful redress of misuse of that freedom by drunk drivers and their proponents and enablers.

Utah's current dram shop law effectively immunizes much of the "hospitality" industry, insulating from responsibility most brewers, distillers, and distributors. This permits them to freely siphon billions from the economy, while placing the burden for highway carnage they cause, encourage, and enable largely on the backs of widows and orphans.

Reform of Utah's alcohol laws must be fair and comprehensive. We'll be watching to see if politicians are looking out for us, or just for their campaign contributors in the "hospitality" industry.

Boy did I read that right. that the Church is not republican. Now lets spread the word that you can vote for a democrat and still go to the celestrial kingdom.
Maybe now we can throw out all the crupt republicans that have be hiding behind the church and make a real change.

Thomas Jefferson issued his famous letter to the Danbury, Connecticut Baptist minister in which he said a one-way wall exists between the church and state. i.e., the state would never tell the church what its doctrine should be. Coming from Virginia, where the colony of Virginia supported (by taxes) the Church of England, he was opposed to states favoring any one religion.

Clergy should not leave their views on moral issues of the day at the chapel door. There is nothing wrong with their sharing their views on such issues with their congregation.

I had the great honor this last Saturday of going to the Polls with my 19 year old Son and my 18 year old Daughter and all 3 of us Voted.

It was the Hawaii Primary and although the Vote turn out is Real Low, vital issue are decided. Like who is going to be in he General Election. In Hawaii you have to declare party and just vote that party in the Primary, except on Non Partisan Offices like Mayor. The Mayor did not quite get his 50% plus 1, almost. I am all for him I just want to see the Office Go to the General Election.

We have an off year Gov Election.

AS LDS we have the obligation to both Vote and when possible run for public office. When in Office we need to stay true to our Standards an Core Beliefs.

My Main Goal is to see Obama Defeated. He will win Hawaii even some anti abortion people have sold out. However at the end of a very long day Hawaii mostly does not matter.

I was so Proud to be able to Vote with my Kids!!!

if the people are the church that is the way the
church should speak.

I support the Church's statement.

If only all churches would be so unbiased and encourage as the LDS do, instead of telling their members who to vote for.

I am thankful that the church has made such a statement. It is so important for all of us with good family and religious values LDS or not, to take a stand against Hollywood and progressive liberal thinking. If we don't the minority will have the loudest voice. If we don't protect such things as the constitution on what this nation was built, this country will hang by a thread and we are all in for a very scary ride. I can't imagine what things are going to be like if Obama wins. I hope we all have our food storage in order. I am praying everyday that McCain and Palin will win.

The LDS church is not even close to being unbiased, or neutral, for that matter, about how it wants its members to vote. The church, through its teachings, tells its members how to vote. Saying to read the issues, pray about it, and then decide which party best reflects your stance is not a neutral position when coming from the church. Sending out a letter to Calfifornia to be read to members saying, Do whatever you can to protect "traditional marriage" is not neutrality. It is telling people how to vote. Unfortunatly, people then do not get to think for themselves. I've even heard this from my own Mormon family member: You've just got to have faith that what our leaders, meaning church leaders, are telling us is the right thing to do. No thanks. I'd rather think for myself!

A right abused is a right lost ... eventually.

Keeping this in mind, No church including the LDS church should seek to impose its specific rules on everyone including its members by force of law.

Somewhere around the early 1970's or late 1960's the LDS church encouraged and got a law passed in Utah that banned for a while, shopping on Sunday.

This law had no community benefit, it was merely trying to enforce LDS rules on all by force of law.

By its statement, the LDS Church has affirmed its preference for a democracy more-inclusive than a two-party system.

Note the use of the phrase "various parties."

Please don't inject personal bias in favor of a two-party system on to clear statements by the LDS Church to the contrary.

Most of the world's democracies have a proportional, multi-party system.

Rights are for citizens. Churches are entities, not citizens. I will support a church's "right" to free expression when it pays taxes like everybody else.

except the people are not the church. The Church is the Lord's, and the people are trying hard to be like him. The church speaks for the Lord and the people, each of whom has chosen to be involved, follow. It's a wonderful concept.

The pattern of Mormons to vote as a block was one of the things that scared many people about Mitt Romney. Whereas Catholics have the good sense to ignore much of what their leaders direct, the LDS seem to be monolithic in their voting patterns, and it gives the appearance that their leaders have too much power. It is the right of LDS leaders to try to direct their members to vote a certain way, but it doesn't play well with national voters. It be something that will shackle Mormon presidential candidates for a long time, unless the candidate is a democrat.

Elderly LDS will vote for McCaine but the younger ones will vote for Obama and I beleive Obama will win

I hope that people will be able to look at the Bush record and take responsibility for their poor judgment in 2000 and 2004.

If we keep voting for the same people then we need not be surprised about having less money to provide for our families, collapsing bridges, lower declines in abortion, and frivolous quagmire wars.

If you want to be better off, vote for somebody different.

I'm writing in Ron Paul. All those others mean nothing to me... and don't tell me I'm throwing my vote away. Voting for either Obmanation or McBush is throwing my vote away.

I'll vote for who I want. The church doesn't tell me who to vote for. Never has and never will. I know very faithful church members both Democrat and Republican. Once and for all the church does not tell anyone who to vote for. Study the issues and vote your conscience. That is all the church has ever said. Just for the recored I am leaning to Obama.

Encouraging LDS members to support traditional marriage, even in vote form, does not support a political party. There is no encouragement to vote/support a specific party. If they were encouraged to support an amendment to protect "in God we Trust" on currency, would you feel so strongly? It's just not as "hot button" an issue as this one.

And liberal Larry, I don't think accusing Catholics of having good sense in ignoring their leaders is much of a compliment to them. Mormons don't vote as a block (that would require formal organization to support the "block"), but are more unified in purpose than many.

I think Uthanian has a point. This election could be the first in a long time that Utah goes to a Democrat.

My husband and I are 70 years old. We have 4 married children, aged 37 to 48. None of us are going to vote for Obama. How you vote being determined by age, is not a given. None of us live in Utah, all are active in the LDS church, not all born in Utah. We all hope that Mr. McCain is our next president. At least you know what you are getting with him.