In politics and in government there is an essential tension between individual freedom and governmental regulation. Many Mormons presume that freedom is more important than regulation. “After all,” they say, “doesn’t the story of the War in Heaven make it clear that the Father and the Son support freedom while Lucifer is the advocate for control?” Actually, the answer to that question is, “No.” That is a common misreading of the story.

The LDS Church's new website regarding religious freedom provides excellent guidance on becoming a positive influence in civics, politics, and culture. The site includes explanations of the rights we currently enjoy and advice on what you can do to help protect those right, as well as how to work with those you disagree with to advance public policy.

Intro: A recent op-ed in the Deseret News praising Trump’s family values prompted us to go to the archives (start pg 19, “Mormonism in the New Germany,” 9 December 1933) to see what a DesNews puff piece about a Trump presidency might be like. The following is satire.

A Parallel in American History
In the 1800 United States presidential election, there was a tie in the electoral votes between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr. At the time, each member of the Electoral College cast two votes for president, the candidate with the most votes becoming president and the runner up vice president. Given that both Jefferson and Burr received 73 electoral votes each, the tied election then became the responsibility of the House of Representative to decide. However, after 35 ballots in that body to try to settle the election, the two candidates remained tied and the election undecided.

Meet our newest voice, Anneke Garcia. We are happy to say she will be joining us throughout the season with a new perspective on headlines in the news. Anneke is an instructional designer currently based in Salt Lake City and a mom of two boys.  

The blogosphere and podcast fields have been saturated with content. Everyday we are bombarded with opinions and talking heads from every aspect of the political sphere. For LDS liberals there have been very few voices to listen to. About a year ago the LDS Dems caucus brought to us a father and son duo each week with the intent of showing the world that you can be Mormon,  be a liberal, be strong in your faith, and make a difference for the better in this world. 

I am a proud LDS Democrat because I believe we must renounce war, and proclaim peace. We must honor and respect ALL of God’s children, regardless of their origin, ethnicity or religion. We must honor and cherish Mother Earth, and respect the air, the water, and the mountains. We must build bridges, not walls. We must share the goodness of the Gospel with our actions more than our words.

On one occasion after a Sunday precinct walk in Reno on behalf of then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, I was enjoying some Pollo Loco and was deep in thought. Normally on Sunday, I would be at church, I thought to myself. As if reading my mind, then-National Association of Letter Carriers President Bill Young looked at me and said, “Brother, you’re doing the Lord’s work!”

When deciding how to vote we evaluate politicians based on a list of personal priorities. In this post I share with you my list of priorities and I hope you will share yours with me.