Political Identity, Brittney Griffith

    To some, saying "I'm voting for Obama and I'm Mormon," could be equally appalling as, "I'm gay, and I'm Mormon." In the United States there is a group that combines very concrete religious beliefs with political beliefs that are thought to align into a very unique political identity. Not all that are LDS agree with the reigning views that is stereo-typically thought of when the word Mormon comes up. Of course the major focal point of the LDS political culture would be centered in Utah, but does spread throughout the United States and should be rightly called a political identity.
    The causes that create a presence in the United States of a political identity start with the distinct cultural differences in the LDS religion that makes them unique from the societal norms of the United States, at least on the religious aspects of this identity. LDS members, do not drink, do not smoke, they believe in being chaste until marriage, and they believe in modesty; all of these traits make LDS members a peculiar set of people alone without adding the very conservative leaning nature that usually follows the members of the LDS faith. Another cause of this presence is the fact that it is a political ideology that is tied to a religious identity, creating a very strong political ideology. LDS members are taught to bring the gospel into every aspect of their lives, which includes politics.

    That is where Quin Monson's blog post about how democrat Mormon's feel about a Mormon republican candidate(Monson). Professor Monson is showing through his blog that these democratic Mormon's are acknowledging that they are going against the norm. Which isn't wrong, it actually gives proof for the constructivism theory, that people can change and that there is individual choice, although it may be difficult to cross over those challenges to make an individual choice (Samuels). The reason constructivism has backing here is because people that have been LDS are shifting from the norm political ideology of the members. But there is also a reverse, people that are converting are shifting their political and religious beliefs to fit into the LDS political identity as well.
    There is, although, a part that primordialist theory accompanies this political identity, and that is that it specifies that political identities are tied to our relationships with our kin, and that, because of family traditions, even if the tradition has no logical backing, we believe and act upon the things that we believe. I think a big reason the LDS people have a political identity in the United States is because our religious beliefs that merge into our political beliefs are often tied back through many generations of our families. Because this kinship bond can stretch out to more than just he nuclear family. It can reach into our church families, our LDS friends and neighbors too, and this is why the LDS are represented as a group (Samuels).
    In conclusion, I do think there is a distinct LDS political identity i nthe United States, people who are LDS in the United States may differ from what is the LDS political identity, but that is because people can change their political ideologies, it's not bad, it is just different. There is a distinct political identity though because of the strong ties the members have to their church, the way their beliefs about their faith are incorporated into their daily lives, and the strong family ties, has a big effect on their own personal and group political identity.


Sources:
1. MONSON- Utah Data points, August 22, 2012, Quin Monson
2. SAMUELS- Comparative Politics, Copyright 2013, Pearsons Inc. David J. Samuels