Confessions of a Mormon Democrat

I meant to incorporate this idea into my last post but it ended up not quite fitting where I wanted it to. So here we go.

(LDS is an acronym for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as "Mormons")

LDS Democrats.

We're a rare breed. Utah valley, as I stated before, is a very conservative place. And of course there's nothing wrong with that. What is wrong is the perception that people in Utah are Republican because they're Mormon. And if they're Mormon, they must be Republican. And if they're Democrats, they must not be Mormon. And if somehow they are a Mormon Democrat, they must not really be an active Mormon, or they do not have a clear understanding of Church doctrine.

Now, I am not accusing everyone of thinking this. In fact, most people I know are really level-headed. But maybe we all need to check ourselves: do we carry around our biases and stereotypes without knowing it or admitting it?

I know I did. Years before I left the Republican party, I saw the Democratic party as the "less righteous" party (I regret this! Please don't judge me), though I never would have admitted it to myself. Their agenda always seemed to me to be "enemy territory" and "bad ideas that will threaten Christian values."

Until, you know. I started actually reading their agenda. It never hurts to get informed from credible sources.

For those who do not know the official political standpoint of the LDS Church, I'm here to tell you there really isn't one. The Church tells all of its members to be politically active, vote responsibly, and vote for the person whose policies will help us live the doctrines and teachings of the Church. The Church never tells its members specifically who to vote for.

Many LDS people equate that with voting for a Republican platform. There's nothing wrong with that. The Republican platform embraces a lot of the values that the LDS people hold very dear.

Plenty of LDS individuals choose the Democratic platform. Some people may think that this political view is contrary to the teachings of the Church, but I completely disagree.  I chose the platform that will allow me, personally, to more closely live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is to love my neighbor and care for those who are in need. I agree with the way Democrats want to care for the poor, allow refugees to enter the country, keep borders open to immigrants, fight for equal rights, represent the underrepresented, and protect the environment, among other things.

And I can get into specifics here and dive deep into some deliciously controversial topics but Imma save that for later posts. Don't worry. I'll get to it. :)

The main point I want to make here is that we should never question someone's character because of their political opinions. I've had my character and religious devotion called out a few times (mostly by strangers on Facebook. They're quite delightful). I've been accused of "not following the prophet" because I happen to agree with socialist programs in government (which is a notion I believe to be *completely* false but if I get into why I'll get way off topic). I've read comments from people who think "all Democrats are socialists and all socialists are evil" or "Mormon Democrats aren't real Mormons because [reason 1, reason 2, reason 3]" or "Democrats are hypocrites" or "Democrats hate Christians/want to annihilate religious freedom."

I've seen it on the flip side, too.

"Republicans are greedy and they always tread down the poor." "Republicans are hateful." "Republicans are just a bunch of rich white guys who aren't in touch with reality." "Republicans are self-righteous."

Why are we pulling character into this? Why are we pulling religious devotion and righteousness into this? Why are we making these very broad and serious accusations of these people that we don't even know?

I would also like to mention that LDS Church leaders have recently reminded us that, "The Lord looketh not on the political party."

We are not our politics.

Yes, our morals and values influence our political opinions. How we think politically certainly makes up part of who we are. But good grief I certainly don't fit into the unfair Democrat stereotype (at least I hope not), and a lot of my Republican friends and family don't fit into the nasty stereotypes that I have heard. It bothers me that some people think that way.  Our politics are not our religion. They're not our character. A lot of us side with the party and policies that we truly think will make a positive difference. There are good people in both parties who are drowned out by the people screaming on social media about how the "opposing" side is the spawn of Satan.

Don't let the bias and the stereotypes get in your head. Challenge these perceptions.

And maybe we can all just get along and get some important work done. :)