I can hear the agnostic’s keyboards chomping away already. One thing about this presidential election I think everybody agrees on is that no matter who wins America will still be divided. I know there is a strong Mormon community in Shasta County and I grew up, a non-Mormon, in Salt Lake City so I feel I am qualified to at least venture an opinion.
The Mormon Church I grew up with in the ’50s is not the same church today. That can be said about the country and the rest of the nation as well. But as the Mormon church has evolved it has become stronger and remains united, yes there are dissenters but that was why the church evolved. I remember everything in SLC revolved around the church, scouts, sports, dances, but the church never forbid non-members participation. I remember going to the Saturday dances at the local stake center where us teenagers had a safe atmosphere to mingle and unlike other parts of the country we danced to our music. The Mormons have always recognized youth, building rec centers and sports complexes.
This is not about forcing a religion on people but doing what some of the candidates say about uniting being cordial, something they are not doing.
Immigration has been a big issue. Mormons go on a mission to every country on Earth to ask people to join the church, Mitt Romney went to France, my own brother went to Finland. Other countries would not be isolated from a Mormon president.
Utah makes the top, or close to it, in surveys on healthcare, happiness, education, etc.
Gay marriages are preformed in Utah which does have gay politicians.
Utah unanimously passed “Charlee’s Law” to allow cannabis oil. Representative Gage Froerer said “The state of Utah is willing to trust the parents of this state in making decisions they feel are right for their children’s health”.
The knock most want to bring up is Romney’s 47% of Americans are already taken care of in regards to the poor. The church has been taking care of the 47% for 150 years with church farms, church food pantries and housing. Utah’s Housing First has been touted all over the nation, including Redding, as the cure for homelessness. The state offers help for the homeless while other states and cities want to give out bus tickets to somewhere else.
As far as patriotic no group is more patriotic about America than Mormons, even if they sometimes disagree with the federal government.
The liberals constantly tout social programs for the poor and want to tax the rich to pay for it. The Mormon church has asked it’s members to tithe 10% of their earnings for over 150 years. Everybody is asked to tithe but the bulk of the tithing comes from the rich. If one doesn’t tithe nothing happens to them. If one doesn’t pay taxes they go to jail.
Do I paint a rosy picture? Yes, but that has been my personal experience and not from googling. Did I leave anything out that was bad for the church? Yes, but I am sure the google experts will point them out but it will be nothing I didn’t know already. I worked for the state of Utah and my brother was in state law enforcement so there is nothing that can be googled that I don.t know.
A new LDS Temple was built in Fort Collins to serve Mormons in northern Colorado and Wyoming. The church has already been vandalized a few times.
Will Americans accept a Mormon president? I think the question should be is does America need a Mormon president? Yes.
Bruce Vojtecky, (aka Cheyenne in A News Cafe.com’s comment section)
Cheyenne, Wyoming
