Comments about ‘My view: We are strong Latter-day Saints, we are Democrats, and we are in harmony with our religion’

Are liberals, or anyone on the left for that matter, welcome in LDS society? I have given up trying to answer that question because thinking about it is so anguishing. I wish the writer the best.

There are many tenants of the LDS faith that fit well with the Democratic Party, same with the Republican Party. What I wish could happen is to take the best of both parties and combine them into a new party. It would be one that about 65% of Americans would join.

What I dislike the most about the Democratic Party is the twisting and lying that take place. Harry Reid's comments about Mitt's taxes, from the Senate floor is the perfect example. I believe Reid was blatantly lying in his comments, all in an effort to retain power. I see many similar things taking place in the Republican Party, though I believe the Dems are most disingenuous nationally.

I believe you would see a landslide win, such as never has been seen, if a candidate would embrace truth and honesty and the true values of the middle of the road and the middle class. The US does not need a military the size that we have, nor does spending billions on the 'war on poverty' done much good. The average American is more about trying to pay their own bills, while caring for their neighbor.

Hello Marxist. One time I voted for a Democratic state senator because I felt the Republicans were takng my vote for granted and I thought we should do more to help the poor -- like my religion teaches. Two months later, the same senator stood up with the ACLU at an anti-abortion rally and announced that his fellow legialators were restricting abortion because of their religion and that was wrong. So I stopped voting Democrat because, as he said, it was wrong for me to vote because of my religion.

Maybe the question are LDS values more in line with socialist values? I heard that Utah was the most socialist state in the US in 1900.

What a wonderful column. I was very moved by it, and completely agree.

Mark, come on. Politicians on both sides of the aisle lie.

"...we believe that it is the Democratic Party that best meets our values: strengthening families, helping the poor reach self-reliance, compassionate immigration policies, being good stewards of the earth, protecting our sacred wondrous lands for future generations and making sure that every American child receives a quality education."

...

"We are strong Latter-day Saints, we are Democrats, and we are in harmony with our religion."

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I'm sorry Crystal, but from what I know of both the Democratic Party platform and the doctrines of the LDS church, the two are not and never will or could be "in harmony".

No reasonable religion, or philosophy in general for that matter, could possibly be in harmony with a party and platform that does so much to condone, if not tacitly encourage, the slaughter of so many unborn and completely innocent children.

You may be a member of both the Democratic Party and LDS church, but in harmony? Never.

Sam Hill
The Democratic party does not condone or encourage the slaughter of unborn children. The Democratic party however does recognize the sad truth that desperate women will attempt to terminate their pregnancies. This has always been true, throughout human history. It was true in the early years of our Church. Prior to Roe v. Wade, thousands of women, desperate to end a pregnancy they knew they could not, for whatever reason, carry to term, were badly injured and sometimes even killed by using unsafe, often unsterile, methods, often performed by charlatans and crooks.
We may prefer that that was not the case. We may wish that pregnancy always took place within the context of a loving, equal, mutually supportive committed marriage. But that is not the case, and never has been.
The LDS church's position is that abortion is a tragedy, and can be a sin, under some circumstances, but that there are occasions where abortion is permitted, and for which it therefore should be legal. One such exception is when the health of the mother is in jeopardy. As President Clinton often said: abortion should be safe, rare, and legal. That's my position, as a Democrat.

And how about gay marriage and abortion on demand? Does Crystal support those elements of the democrat party's position? Does she really think they are compatible with the LDS religion?

The Democratic and Republican parties do not represent the best values of our founder's vision and America. The Democrats leaders and its followers have turned a blind eye to the 50 million abortions that have ocurred in this country since Roe V Wade, and add to that horror by not admitting the fact that 95% of all abortions are done out of convenience. Democrats do not represent the views of compassion and charity they so fondly attribute to their allegiance. It is deceit and power that drives their position. Socialism is not the answer, one they find all too accomodating to their beliefs. Republicans on the other hand talk of peace, but spend billions on a war machine that is Anti-Christ and debases the dignity of our standing in the world and here at home. No thank you. Both parties are patronizing and exist only to deceive and increase power. There are many good people in both parties, but when the real Americans wake up, political parties will dissappear and good government reappear. The battle for the hearts and souls of Americans is being sought through government control and compulsion, hardly a tenant of any christian faith.

I almost stopped reading this letter at "helping the poor reach self-reliance". Really? Which of the programs, food stamps, medicaid, Obama-care helps reach self-reliance? "Give a man a fish, teach a man to fish....." Big difference. The people voting Democrat are not the ones using food stamps or medicaid while their trying to get a leg up. They are the ones who stay there and never learn to fish.

Mark, for the record, Mitt's Pinnochio rating is higher than Obama's. If you don't like misrepresentation and outright lying, then you should be uncomfortable with the Republican Pary.

Sam Hill, I am LDS, and it is because of my religious beliefs that I could never become a Republican again. Their economic policies are what the scriptures refer to as "grinding the face of the poor." The LDS scriptures repeatedly promote economic equality. In fact, Joseph Smith's attempts at instituting the law of consecration had as their primary intent "that the poor shall be exalted, in that the rich are made low" (D&C 104:16).

Nowhere in LDS scripture do I see any reference to economic freedom, which among Republicans is much more important than economic equality.

It is always so interesting to read comments from "President dung beetle", "President samhill" and others who think they are now the leader of the church and can tell the rest of us something different from what our actual church leaders have said. Thanks, but I think I'll continue to listen to President Monson and other church leaders who have said that there is good (and presumably bad) in both political parties. I've never heard any actual church leader tell me that Republicans are the party of God. I've sure heard a lot of people who thought they were smarter than their church leaders say it.

There is no mention of the Democratic pro-homosexuality position, pro-abortion position, anti-Israel position, and the party not wanting anything to do with God. Please help me to understand how an LDS person justifies supporting an organization that promotes this type of agenda. These are not little issues. These are issues that the LDS Church has stated will destroy society, see The Family: A Proclamation to the World. As a member of the LDS Church I do not associate or affiliate with organizations that promote these issues.

Kent Deforrest (and others who express this viewpoint, mostly liberal, democratic members of the lds church). I do not doubt the Lord's injunction for ecomomic equality that you so ardently want to have. I too want more people to earn the fruits of economic success for a myriad reasons. However, your methods for achieving it is based on man's approach, not the Lords. Under a government run by God, a lot of things would be different. You want to achieve economic equality through compulsion, something the Lord would never do. His kingdom has nothing to do with compulsion. Satan's approach is the one of compulsion. Men with power are not much different. With men in charge, whether republican, democrat, or autocrat, compulsion will only lead to one result, little or no liberty, no ecoomic growth, and destruction of life and God on a scale that leaves nations destroyed. Look at history to verify these words. Compulsion does not work. Bring about a better world by hastening His kingdom. Using government to do so not only shows ignorance of history, but places government above God. God can do His own work.

I applaud your efforts in bringing your faith to the democratic party. Next time sing "I Believe in Christ." From the party that voted three times against the mention of God in their platform, I wonder how that would be received.

One party claims a religious code of ethics. The same party is at war with poor people, is in favor of individual & corporate greed over feeding hungry children and would increase funding for the war machine.
I've yet to hear how Jesus would justify more funding on building bombs.

I thoroughly enjoy the stereotypes Democrats use against Republicans and their policies, all the while claiming to be the tolerant, inclusive party. That includes the letter writer's inferences that Republicans are not compassionate and don't care for the poor. The reality is that Republicans give more to charity than Democrats (witness the candidates in this election), and have a stated policy that the reckless Federal spending supported by Democrats is cruel to the poor, all of our immediate future, and to our posterity.

To support the Democrat platform, a Mormon and many other Christians would have to pick and choose what parts to pretend don't exist. That's illogical, hypocritical, and dangerous.

Actually, I think there could be a lot of common ground between the parties.

For example:
Abortion. Most Democrats don't believe abortion should be used as a means of birth control. Democrats and Republicans could come together to reduce unwanted pregnancies and strengthen family units.

Unemployment. Democrats also believe it is important for people to support themselves and in the long run people will be happier when they can be self-sufficient and contributors to society. The reality is, however, that there are people who, for a variety of reasons, will need constant assistance. Additionally, there are many jobs which don't pay a living wage. Do we just value people who perform certain kinds of work--those that pay well?

re:banderson
The battle for "agency" is over. Satan lost that battle.
You live in a democracy. You have choices. You can vote and you can choose to obey/not obey laws. But there will always be consequences for the choices you make. You have agency, but you don't have unlimited freedom. As long as Democrats pay taxes for a big military I suppose Republicans will be paying taxes for social welfare programs.

republicans use the abortion card to attack all members of the Democratic Party to justify republican membership in the republican party.

republicans never mention the fact that reagan signed an abortion bill that led to the murder of over 2,000,000 babies.

Demonize the Democrats and adore reagan?

As a Republican who occasionally does vote for Democrats (sometimes the Republican is simply not supportable), I welcome this.

Others have mentioned the church's stance so I won't repeat it. But we might also do well to consider the views of George Washington who thought political parties (of any type) were not good for the nation. Reference his farewell address if you can. It is worthwhile reading for many reasons.

Perhaps as our nation and culture drifts ever farther from truth and goodness, having active LDS on both sides of the political divide will be an advantage. I sincerely hope so.

I think having good, faithful members in both of the principal parties will provide party members with good examples which will lead to more tolerance and love and more openness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Look at Democrat controlled cities. The ones which have been controlled the longest like Chicago and DC have the highest murder rates, the highest drop out rates, the highest teen pregnancy rates, and the highest poverty rates. Everything the Democrats do engenders dependency and despair.