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AIR DATE: February 2, 2012
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Religion has taken a prominent place in the presidential election. Mitt Romney is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The church's members have received tough questions about his faith and the history of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Nevada has a diverse and politically active LDS voter base but how much will those voters' religion influence who they vote for? In a recent Pew poll, 46% of LDS members said they believe a lot of discrimination exists toward them. We talk with local LDS members about what it will take to win their vote in Nevada.
GUESTS
David Campbell, Assoc Prof of Poli Sci, U of Notre Dame
Aaron Anderson, local LDS member and Realtor
Sara Nix, local LDS member
Michael Bennion, local LDS member and graduate student at UNLV
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Then would you agree that this subject is something that the general public should be allowed to know about fully and openly or not. I think it is only fair that people from other faith backgrounds should understand exactly what it means to be an LDS member in order to make a fair assessment of who they vote into office. As far as conspiracy, the LDS history has brought that upon themselves. From The Meadow incident , Prop 8, secret handshakes and backroom deals. It is just the history. You say there are no shadowy agendas here, but the history proves otherwise. You personally may not be involved in them, in fact the majority of the members are not, but that does not in any way prove that they do not exist.
Don't want to say –
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Paulette,
I'd be very interested in studying up on the scriptures that support that idea. Can you give me some references? Thanks!
Aaron Anderson –
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The mere fact that the LDS church has such a vast welfare system of their own speaks volumes to this idea. The LDS believe in safetynets for themselves (e.e. church welfare and programs for provident living). Surely if Mormons need these safetynets, others do as well.
For those who do not have a church welfare system available to them or family that can help, society is surely obligated to provide something. We can debate what they should look like and how the system could best help people gain self-sufficiency, but there has to be something!
Recently Elder Oaks gave an address on Religions Freedom in the United States. He spoke of the need for both religious and secular laws. Though he was speaking primarily of governance, I think his ideas also apply here. We need both secular and religions answers to society's greatest problems. As he pointed out, some citizens will respond to/benefit from one and some from the other. Both are necessary to reach all people in a diverse population.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aCSRbVLQsA
The scriptures are definite in the idea that it is a sin to not help the poor in some way (so many references).
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
Sara –
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A good friend of mine reminded me of a passage in The Book of Mormon (Helaman 6:39). The first thing the Gaddianton Robbers do when they get into government is "turn their backs on the poor." From this it is clear that governmental neglect of the poor is a sign of corruption. As my friend pointed out, from there we might extrapolate that the righteous government that proceeded them must have been reaching out to the poor in some way. We should note that according to this passage, just allowing the poor the freedom to pull themselves up by their own boot straps does not a good government make.
Sara –
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Sorry to enlighten you, but the First Presidency of the LDS Church has met confidentially with virtually every US President during my adult lifetime. Holding those meetings in an LDS temple adds no extra weight to those meetings. If this bothers you, you need to be concerned with the current situation as President Obama has already met with Thomas S. Monson and other Church leaders in confidence. The meetings were covered in the Press, but the content and discussion were strictly confidential. Sitting US Presidents make it a common practice to meet confidentially with most major religious leaders during their tenures.
Lance Spindler –
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Yes, but I believe you have missed my point. To be an active Temple Recommend holder, and I am making the leap and assuming Romney is, he has had to swear that he believes Thomas S. Monson to be the direct mouthpiece of God and in order for him not to sin against God, he must obey what he is told. None of the other acting presidents have had that belief. This is something that needs to be discussed publicly. As far as you assuming that I am not concerned about Obama, you have taken some huge leaps in what does concern me.
Don't want to say –
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We have already seen that Monson has no problem pulling what ever political strings he feels need to be pulled with Prop 8. I fear, and so should most other U.S. citizens, that having Romney as President in reality puts Monson in the driver seat. The question is will Romney's stay true to the American people, or God if he is put in the hot seat from the LDS Church. I am sure that I don't trust all the back room deals that already go on with Church members. I have run into them many times, as I am sure others reading this have. Honestly, I did not get into the conversation until the end of the show, but I wish they would do an entire other show addressing just this.
Don't want to say –
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Thanks, Will. Do I have your endorsment? :)
Sara –
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