the fifth Blog

Camille Garrett

Blog 5

                Identifying with the LDS church has a significant impact on your political decisions. This religion changes a person’s perspective on life and therefore how you view politics. There is a distinct LDS political identity in the United States because of a common American heritage and a core set of shared beliefs.

                In class we defined political identity as “any identity that significantly shapes our political decisions” (Hawkins). Being LDS does not mean you have to be either a Democrat or a Republican and many Mormons come from both parties. This would make it appear that there is little unity in LDS political identity. However, even LDS democrats seem to identify with a republican candidate when he is running for president. A recent survey shows that “while 23% of all Utah Democrats view Governor Romney favorably, that proportion goes up to 42% when looking only at Mormon Democrats” (Monson). The fact that Mormons have changed who they favor based on shared beliefs rather than a common political party is proof that there is a common LDS political identity.

There is a distinct LDS political identity in the United States simply because of a common citizenship. The values of an American and a Mormon combined are common and people who are American and LDS stand up for democracy. However, if we were to try to apply these generalizations outside the U.S. they would not hold. Some think LDS people have a common identity because of our emphasis on unity and obedience to those in authority. However, LDS leaders make it a point to say that the church is “neutral in matters of party politics” (Mormon Newsroom). They encourage members to participate and vote, but do not really get involved unless an issue will have significant moral consequences. If LDS members were not citizens of the same country their political identity would vary more.

The knowledge that we all are children of God, that we have agency, and that some things are good and others evil are only a few of the shared beliefs that change how LDS members view government.  A common idea of authority being legitimate only through God’s organization or the consensus of the people also changes their actions.  For many LDS members this follows the idea of primordialism; they have been taught LDS values sense primary and it’s hard to see the world another way. However, the church is vastly growing due to missionary work and many converts choose to change their identity to being LDS. This choice follows the constructivism theory that “identities are malleable and anything can become politicized” (Hawkins). One example of this was the support of Proposition 8, in California, by LDS members (latimes). The definition of a family became politicized because that idea is important to LDS people.  As members learn truth they change how they make collectively binding decisions through politics.

                There is a distinct LDS political identity in the United States first because of shared American values. Those who are LDS also make decisions based on shared beliefs more than a political party’s ideology. This aligns with the constructivism theory because members learn truth and change their political actions accordingly.

               

Works Cited

·         "Political Neutrality." Www.mormonnewsroom.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2012. <http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/official-statement/political-neutrality>.

·         Monson, Quin. "Do LDS Dems like Mitt Romney?" Utah Data Points. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://utahdatapoints.com/>.

·         Hawkins, Kirk. “Class Lecture”, Plsci 150. BYU 10/10