COLUMN: Would you vote for this Mormon?
to gather the opinions of the nation on whether or not we could “vote Mormon” for president.
Happily, after casting my own vote, I discovered that 91 percent of those polled said yes.
This was encouraging news for me. With the elections forthcoming and the high possibility of Mitt Romney being chosen as the Republican candidate, it’s good to see that the nation, or at least the 64,000-plus people polled, aren’t so much worried about religion as they are about putting a good man in the White House.
Not that Mr. Romney is the perfect choice. It’s foolish to say things like that before he is even nominated. But if he turns about to be at some point in the future, I am hopeful he won’t have to “overcome his religion,” at least not as much as expected, to make it into office.
There are still those that are worried about a Mormon being in the White House. I find this concept to be a little entertaining. It is curious to me. Have we ever been worried there is a Catholic or Protestant running the country? Why are we suddenly so worried about the Mormons?
My first thought was that there may be a few misnomers out there about LDS people. Theses are the things like “Mormons have horns” or “Mormons have tons of wives.” While these exaggerations are startling, and completely untrue, I find it hard to believe these are the real problems people have with a Mormon being in office.
The other major complaints I hear about LDS people is they are pushing, always trying to share their religion with others and very unwilling to date or marry outside their church. Their religion infiltrates all aspects of their lives. It is their center and a source of inspiration and support from which they pull to make important decisions.
Now I think we’re getting somewhere. If you’re not a Mormon, that could sound kind of scary, having a religion that you don’t practice or understand influencing many decisions that could affect you.
From here out, let me try and put you at ease by explaining a few basic Mormonisms. If you are not interested, and just plain don’t think a Mormon should be anywhere near the White House – even if they are just passing by in a tour bus – stop reading. But if you are curious as to what one Mormon thinks about this subject, by all means, continue reading.
First of all, Mormons believe firmly in the gift of agency. Whether or not they agree with the choices individuals make, they believe it is their right and privilege to make those choices for themselves. In fact, it’s more than a right; it is a gift from God. Mormons don’t play around with people’s agency. It is a scared thing. Therefore, those of you fearing that a Mormon president will be “gung ho” about outlawing anything contrary to their beliefs can relax a little. While I’m sure a Mormon president would never support things like drugs or tube tops, you can be sure he will not be on a vendetta to eliminate such things.
Second, Mormons believe in respecting and supporting the role of government in the lives of their members. Mormons are always encouraged to vote, although they are never instructed as who or what to vote for by their leaders. Both government and religion have their place in society and each deserve their own due respect. From a young age, children raised in the LDS Church are taught to respect laws and those designated to uphold and enforce them.
The last thing to consider is that the LDS Church members are concerned about the people. All the programs, teachings and commandments practiced in the church are put in place to support and sustain the members of the church and anyone else willing to accept assistance from the church. The church is not trying to be boastful or overpowering. They really just want to help.
Now you may be thinking, “Hey! I have met my fair share of Mormons and they are not all like that. They are not always self-sacrificing and always respectful.” And you are probably right. Like all people on the planet, Mormons are not perfect and they will be the first ones to tell you that. They screw up – some screw up big time, but that has nothing to do with them being a Mormon, and everything to do with them being human.
While it may seem important to some when electing a president to ask what religion he is, I find it much more relevant and far more important to ask “what kind of man is he?” Is he the kind of man I can support, even if he makes the occasional mistake?
If there ever comes the opportunity to decide whether or not to elect a Mormon president, whether we agree with Mormonism or not, I hope we take time to ask the important questions and make the right decision.
Mikaylie Kartchner is a senior majoring in print journalism. Comments can be sent to mikayliek@cc.usu.edu.