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.

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.

I am invariably amused when I am asked, either with horror or with confusion, "how can you be a Mormon Democrat?" My answer is, "how could I not be"? 

I was raised listening to Rush Limbaugh on talk radio.  I graduated from BYU.  I voted straight Republican - telling myself I was voting for the best, without actually doing any research.

I am a wife, a mother, an environmentalist, a vegetarian, and a Democrat. And I’m a Mormon.

I believe that we as a society have a responsibility to care for our fellow man. While I believe that everyone should provide for themselves as best as possible, I understand that there are those among us that cannot. I believe that quality healthcare is a right that should be afforded to all men, not just those who have money. I believe that this right is included in the “unalienable” right our Founding Fathers declared we all have to Life.

I believe that every person who seeks a better life should be able to have that opportunity to find it. During my time as a missionary in Mexico I came to understand people a little better. I realized that everyone just wants what is best for ourselves and our families. I feel that as a country and as a society we have the obligation to help those people make a better life for themselves by making it easier for them to find that opportunity, not harder.

I believe in families and that they are central to the success of society. As a society, we have the moral obligation to encourage quality family time. It is absurd to me that the party who is supposed to have “family values” is so adamantly against providing guaranteed time to new mothers and new fathers with their children, especially right after birth. We need to support legislation that promotes families, no matter the makeup of those families, if we want to make both current and future generations strong. These beliefs are rooted in my Mormon faith and in the values I was taught as a child by very loving parents. Much like Harry Reid, I am a Democrat because of these beliefs, not in spite of them.

(the following is a guest post from Dr. Sue Brady)

As a Mormon woman Democrat I believe in the following:

• Minimum wages and progressive taxation (higher rates for higher income brackets)
• Support for a broader range of social services
• Stronger involvement in anti-discrimination laws and environmental regulations