In our ward the ward newsletter message rotates among the various organizations. I recently got called as the Sunday School President in our ward (I was the 1st Counselor and the President moved out...) and this past month was the Sunday School's turn. I thought I'd post what I wrote up...
We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man… (D&C 134:1)
The official position of the Church on political neutrality states that the Church does not “attempt to direct its members as to which candidate or party they should give their votes to.” Usually we focus on that part of the statement and neglect that another part of the statement says that the Church “encourage[s] its members to play a role as responsible citizens in their communities, including becoming informed about issues and voting in elections.”[1]
Many of the members of the Church have taken it a step beyond simply being informed and voting and have run for and attained political office at a various levels of government. For example, there are 16 Latter-day Saints in the United States Congress of both political parties. While not all of us have the inclination to pursue public office, we should all be “responsible citizens” and take the time to be informed about and be involved in government to the level that we’re able.
With the current economic situation, it is easy to want to place blame, to complain. I often catch myself complaining about some issue or another but Elder Maxwell stated, “Murmuring can also be noisy enough that it drowns out the various spiritual signals to us, signals which tell us in some cases to quit soaking ourselves indulgently in the hot tubs of self-pity!... Besides, brothers and sisters, if we were not carrying so much else, our crosses would be much lighter.”[2]
It is easy to sit on the sidelines and comment on what is going on, especially if that commentary is negative. It is much more difficult to get involved and be a part of a positive solution. Instead of complaining we should ensure that our words and deeds are “filled with faith and hope and charity, the three great Christian imperatives so desperately needed in the world today.”[3]
President Hinckley’s widely published book was titled “Standing for Something” not “Standing against Something”. We should ensure that our involvement with political issues should be done in a positive and respectful manner. We should build up, not tear down. We should encourage, not discourage. We should be for something, we shouldn’t be against something. We should be shining examples of what a Latter-day Saint is.
I bring this all up because this month Primary Elections will be held in Utah. Stand for something. Cast an informed vote.
[1] http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/public-issues/political-neutrality
[2] Neal A. Maxwell, “‘Murmur Not’,” Ensign, Nov 1989, 82
[3] Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Tongue of Angels,” Ensign, May 2007, 16–18
