Blog 5: Political Identity

     “I’m voting for Obama and I’m a Mormon.”  What?  Mormons don’t vote for Obama.  Aren’t they all voting for Romney?  Although there is a distinct LDS political identity in the United States, it is limited to moral issues and underlying values.  Mormons are not obligated to vote in any particular way or to share political views.  The LDS church does not take a stance on politics.  Joseph Smith explained this well when he said, “I teach them correct principles and they govern themselves” (Smith).  Members are free to choose their views on politics, but their personal beliefs may influence their decisions.  The political identities of Mormons are influenced, but not determined by the LDS doctrine.

     Even though the LDS church is politically neutral, the presence of a distinct LDS political identity is evident.  For example, LDS doctrine emphasizes a principle-centered life.  Members value principles such as integrity, hard work, diligence, honesty, and loyalty.  Furthermore, they would want their political leader to have those underlying principles in their character.  This desire may affect their political votes.  Currently, there is a continuous debate about the definition of marriage.  LDS members believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.  They may feel strongly enough about this moral issue that they become involved in the debates.  In this case, their LDS beliefs have caused them to become politically active.  The principles and moral stances taught in the LDS church influence the way members politically engage themselves.

     The LDS political identity is partly primordialist.  “Identity becomes politicized as a result of deep emotional and/or psychological attachments individuals feel toward members of a broader community” (Samuels 153).  LDS doctrine defines the characters of most of its members.  The members deeply care about their religion and are greatly impacted by a broader community such as their ward or stake.  They feel a “sense of their place in the world” and do not want to lose that sense of belonging (Samuels 153).  However, people’s views change.  They may no longer feel a need to actively vote according to their beliefs or according to the way the people around them are voting.  Because LDS members can and do change their beliefs, their political identity is mostly constructivist. 

     LDS members’ political identity is mostly constructivist because members can choose to allow their beliefs to influence their political actions or not.  The stronger they believe, the more likely they are to vote for a candidate that has the values encompassed in LDS doctrine.  If the LDS member’s beliefs are not as strong, their political identity will not be closely associated with the LDS political identity.  Other factors may be more important to them than principles and moral stances.  Essentially, people choose whether they want to identify with the LDS doctrines in politics or not.  The church does not require the members to think in a similar way in regards to politics.

     LDS beliefs can influence the members’ political identities because they care deeply about their religion.  Principles are at the core of the LDS religion.  In politics, however, there is much more to take into account than just core values.  Issues such as international policies, taxes, debt, and education often take priority over principles.  LDS doctrine does not take a stance on any of these issues.  The church only asks for their members to be law-abiding citizens (“Mormons…”).  So, even if someone is a Mormon, he/she is free to vote according to his/her individual views about the candidate’s policies and values.  The distinct LDS political identity is limited to principles and moral issues.  Even then, it is the choice of the member to identify with LDS doctrine or not.

Works Cited

“Mormons are Politically Diverse.”  Mormontopics.org.  Web.  11 October 2012.

Samuels, David J.  Comparative Politics.  Pearson Education, Inc.  Print.  11 October 2012.

Smith, Joseph.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 11 October 2012.