Trump - Will the Church speak out?

[drumdude]

Dan C Peterson has written several dozen words on his blog that can be construed as vaguely critical of Trump.

If that isn’t Mormonism taking the moral high ground, I don’t know what is. They’ll probably build a monument to it someday. It’s incredibly stunning and brave.

[Moksha]

Dan C Peterson has written several dozen words on his blog that can be construed as vaguely critical of Trump.

If that isn’t Mormonism taking the moral high ground, I don’t know what is. They’ll probably build a monument to it someday. It’s incredibly stunning and brave.

Dr. Peterson is hamstrung by donors who worship the ground Trump stands on. If Trump is true to form, those donors will be erased from LDS history and DCP will get his statue on a pedestal.

[drumdude]

Dan C Peterson has written several dozen words on his blog that can be construed as vaguely critical of Trump.

If that isn’t Mormonism taking the moral high ground, I don’t know what is. They’ll probably build a monument to it someday. It’s incredibly stunning and brave.

Dr. Peterson is hamstrung by donors who worship the ground Trump stands on. If Trump is true to form, those donors will be erased from LDS history and DCP will get his statue on a pedestal.

I have a hard time believing Mormons and their church would value money over morality.

[Moksha]

I have a hard time believing Mormons and their church would value money over morality.

More has been said about eradicating Mormon crickets than opposition to Trump.

[sock puppet]

10 June 2011 - SALT LAKE CITY Official Statement

Immigration: Church Issues New Statement

* * *
What to do with the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants now residing in various states within the United States is the biggest challenge in the immigration debate. The bedrock moral issue for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is how we treat each other as children of God.

The history of mass expulsion or mistreatment of individuals or families is cause for concern especially where race, culture, or religion are involved. This should give pause to any policy that contemplates targeting any on group, particularly if that group comes mostly from one heritage.

As those on all sides of the immigration debate in the United States have noted, this issue is one that must ultimately be resolved by the federal government.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned that any state legislation that only contains enforcement provisions is likely to fall short of the high moral standard of treating each other as children of God.

The Church supports an approach where undocumented immigrants are allowed to square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship.

In furtherance of needed immigration reform in the United States, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports a balanced and civil approach to a challenging problem, fully consistent with its tradition of compassion, its reverence for family, and its commitment to law.

[sock puppet]

January 21, 2025, the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington

“In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,” said Budde, who was looking directly at Trump. “There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families. Some who fear for their lives.”

She added: "They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues."

Trump's response when asked if he liked the prayer service, he “didn’t think it was a good service, no” and said they “could do much better.” “She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way,” Trump said. “She was nasty in tone, and not compelling or smart.”

"Apostles" Gary Stevenson and Gerrit Gong, both in Washington for inauguration festivities, smiled, glad-handed and said nothing about the moral implications of Trump's mass extradition plans.

[Moksha]

"Apostles" Gary Stevenson and Gerrit Gong, both in Washington for inauguration festivities, smiled, glad-handed and said nothing about the moral implications of Trump's mass extradition plans.

The Church is in a predicament on this issue. As card-carrying Conservatives, they too would like to rid the Jell-O Belt of this Lamanite invasion, but they are concerned about how this would look to its Hispanic members, plus they realize that the Church and Utah benefit from undocumented labor. How would Elder Gary Stevenson run his factory without these people? Would food services in the Salt Lake Temple be run entirely by missionaries?

[Everybody Wang Chung]

[Hound of Heaven]

The church can't legally support political parties I didn't think -- not that that would stop them if they really wanted to or should stop a prophet of God.

Can we come to an understanding that perhaps attending the inauguration for either party isn't the best way to show support? Is it acceptable for the OP to feel upset about the Mormons attending Trump's inauguration while showing no concern for the apostles attending Obama's and other Democratic presidents' inaugurations? I apologize for not being fully aligned on many of the issues discussed here, but I believe that facts hold significant importance.

[sock puppet]

The church can't legally support political parties I didn't think -- not that that would stop them if they really wanted to or should stop a prophet of God.

Can we come to an understanding that perhaps attending the inauguration for either party isn't the best way to show support? Is it acceptable for the OP to feel upset about the Mormons attending Trump's inauguration while showing no concern for the apostles attending Obama's and other Democratic presidents' inaugurations? I apologize for not being fully aligned on many of the issues discussed here, but I believe that facts hold significant importance.

At the time of Obama's inauguration, which of his touted policies and objectives were an anathema to Church teachings?

As of 1.20.2025 (Trump's second inauguration, attended by "Apostes" Stevenson and Gong with no condemnations of any policies), Trump had emphasized mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, contrary to the LDS Church's official statement of June 10, 2011, including

The bedrock moral issue for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is how we treat each other as children of God.

The history of mass expulsion or mistreatment of individuals or families is cause for concern especially where race, culture, or religion are involved. This should give pause to any policy that contemplates targeting any on group, particularly if that group comes mostly from one heritage. * * *

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is concerned that any state legislation that only contains enforcement provisions is likely to fall short of the high moral standard of treating each other as children of God.

The Church supports an approach where undocumented immigrants are allowed to square themselves with the law and continue to work without this necessarily leading to citizenship.

In furtherance of needed immigration reform in the United States, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints supports a balanced and civil approach to a challenging problem, fully consistent with its tradition of compassion, its reverence for family, and its commitment to law.

Stevenson's and Gong's attendance at the inauguration is troubling, but their silence is even more so. Particularly given the contrast of such silence to the moral courage exhibited by the Right Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the Episcopal bishop of Washington, at the prayer breakfast on Jan 21, 2025, telling Trump: “In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now,... They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals. They pay taxes and are good neighbors. They are faithful members of our churches and mosques, synagogues." But hey, Stevenson and Gong did pose for pictures in the Capitol Rotunda with big, cheesy grins.