The Mormon Thing

By Alan Caruba

Article VI, U.S. Constitution: “…No religious test shall ever been required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”

First things first—I know very little about the Mormon faith system and, frankly, I don’t care. I may or may not have friends who are Mormon, but since I don’t ask and don’t select my friends on the basis of their religion, I don’t know if they are or not.

The simple fact is that virtually any religion you can name has aspects that seem odd to those not born into it, cause others to drop out of it, and provide rich material for those who mock of all religion. I personally feel more secure around people who have a religion—any religion—than around those who have none, but that’s just me.

So when the media, as usual, seized upon some obscure Texas pastor’s comments about the Mormon Church as a “cult” after he introduced the hapless Gov. Rick Perry at some event, the whole Mormon thing raised its ugly head again as various members of the chatteratti and various ink-stained wretches tried to raise the issue of Mitt Romney’s religion. It is also Jon Huntsman’s religion.

The question, generally stated, is whether Romney could be a good President as a Mormon? It is an idiotic question, the kind that was raised back in the 1960s when John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, ran for office. For my part, I would take Romney any day over the present occupant of the Oval Office who claims to have been a parishioner and close friend of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, a racist and America-basher of the first order.

For deep dish conservatives concerned about Mormons serving in the White House, Stephen M. Studdert, a former Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan, recalled that he “truly admired the Latter-day Saints. His administration included more members of the Church than any other American president ever.”

Among those close to Reagan during his eight years as the greatest president of the modern era was Richard Wirthlin, his chief strategist. Terrel Bell served as Reagan’s Secretary of Education, Angela Buchanan was Secretary of the Treasury, and Rex Lee was Solicitor General.

Reagan’s White House included Jon Huntsman, Jr., currently a former governor of Utah and a candidate for the GOP nomination. The national security advisor to Presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush, Brent Scowcroft, is now an elder statesman. Suffice to say there were many others. No one recalls that any those Mormons served with anything other than dedication and patriotism.

Still scared of Mormons? Sen. Bob Bennett of Utah was first elected to the Senate in 1992. John Doolittle formerly represented California’s 4th Congressional District. Jeff Flake represents Arizona’s 6th District. Mike Crapo is a Senator from Idaho. A former Senator from Utah, Jake Garn, has previously been an astronaut. Anyone caring enough to check will find many other Mormons who have honorably served in Congress.

One of the most respected members of the Senate is Orrin Hatch of Utah, a Republican. Indeed, all the Congress critters named to this point have been Republicans, but the Senate Majority Leader, Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat, is also a Mormon.

You can even go back to Eisenhower’s administration and find that Ezra Taft Bensen served as Ike’s Secretary of Agriculture for both terms.

History buffs will tell you that Leroy Eldridge Cleaver who, after a past that included thirteen years as a guest of the California penitentiary system for narcotics possession and assault, became the face in the 1960s of the Black Power movement. After renouncing the movement, Cleaver joined the Church of the Latter-day saints in the 1970s. And, yes, God does work in marvelous ways.

All of this is to say that, despite the misgivings of some Texas pastor and others, Mormons have an admirable record of serving their nation and doubtless, if elected, former Gov. Mitt Romney will do so as well.

© Alan Caruba, 2011

Tags: Mormons, US-Congress, US-Constitution

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Comment by Gene Swank on October 11, 2011 at 10:14pm: Mormans still believe in multiple wives and that they can marry 12 year old girls even when there 60. The book of morman is not a religous book and was not quoted from Jesus. Anyone who knows there bible knows that it states Jesus will not return to earth until he comes for his chosen ones, his believers. It also states that their is no place in heaven for liars. If you read and teach a book that is all a complete lie then you are decieved and decieving others which is not the road to heaven.

Comment by Donald Mack Flippin on October 11, 2011 at 10:13pm: Ron,

Thanks, Leatherneck, didn't know that. Knew it was large though.

Charlie Co, 3rd Tank Bn, 3rd MarDiv, FMF

Alpha Co. 1st Tank Bn. 1st Mar Div.

Semper Fi!

Comment by Gail Cohen on October 11, 2011 at 10:03pm: In the nineteenth century Mormons wanted to cut out a theocracy in the West but the Federal Government put the kabosh on that one. They believe Jesus became a god - that we become gods and live on other planets -- it is strange and I believe a fairy story concocted by Joseph Smith and others..but they have good family values and as long as they are not in to forcing people to believe their way not too disturbed if they are in government - they are a cult but an American cult. Islam on the other hand has its own foreign legal system and I do not trust most Muslims to be in government - they will want to change our system - of course the progressive have already done a log of damage...whether they are atheistic or not

Comment by Donald Mack Flippin on October 11, 2011 at 9:18pm: Mr. Caruba,

"Some obscure Texas pastor?" Really???

The largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. is the Baptist denomination. The

largest association of Baptists is the Southern Baptist Convention. If not the largest,

then one of the largest churches in the Southern Baptist Convention is the First

Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. The pastor of that church is NOT an obscure

individual. I strongly suspect that he is better known than you are. Therefore, if we

get really crosswise, it it YOU who are the obscure individual.

And, yes, I am a Baptist, I am not a member of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, and

I have never attended services in that particular church. However and all other things

notwithstanding, I WILL (definitely and absolutely) vote for Romney in the general

election, IF he should win the Republican nomination. I much prefer a Mormon (be

he a cult member or not) to the infantile Marxist that we presently have in office, AND

I strongly suspect that most of the members of the First Baptist Church of Dallas

(including the pastor) feel the same way.

HOWEVER, I will not vote for Romney in the primaries, and my vote will not be cast

against him because he is a Mormon (be he a cult member or not). I will not vote

for Romney in the primaries, BECAUSE HE IS A RINO. Yes sir! It is THAT cult

that he DOES belong to that will preclude him from getting my vote when we do

our voting for the Republican candidate for POTUS in the great state of Texas.

By the bye, sir, how many Rinos were close confidants of Renaldo Magnus??

Huh?

Semper Fi!

Comment by Marion Algier on October 11, 2011 at 7:27pm: I agree Alan, great article. I am not a Mormon and don't have a dog in the hunt so to speak, but this should be a non-issue; especially after Obama and Rev Wright.

Comment by Donna Moskowitz on October 11, 2011 at 7:23pm: It is impossible to be a democrat and be a Christian - so much for Harry Reid. There are no more Christian doctrine believing people than the Latter Day Saints. They serve their families, God, the community and the country without question. They give not only of themselves but also with their goods. The difference the Pseudo Christians like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, etc., etc., is that the Latter Saints do not talk about what charity they perform, but those mentioned above do little else but talk. Actions speak louder than words. Next time anyone hears Harry Reid spout off about his deep faith in God, think again. You cannot write laws that allow the killing of innocent babies in the womb and be a Christian. You cannot support Gay marriage and be a Christian. You cannot vote to elect people who believe killing innocent babies is okay to office and vote to keep them there and be a Christian. It ain't happening. As for Mitt Romney, he is too plastic for me and comes of as insincere but I am willing to listen. My uncertainty of Mitt has nothing to do with his religious beliefs, just like Obama's incompetence, antisemitism and anti-Americanism has nothing at all to do with the color of his skin.

Comment by Tom Garcia on October 11, 2011 at 7:00pm: In response to Janet Barnes: Janet I don't know you and if you are on this forum you are probably a great American. But every time I read an article written by a so called "Former Mormon" I just about throw up. I grew up in the church and remained active until my 30's. I went much further in the church than the man who wrote the article you link to. I also served in the Navy for 22 years. I took an oath as an officer to defend, support and bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution. Nothing I ever did or swore to as a practicing Mormon would have been a priority over that oath. Much of that article is pure hogwash. I no longer attend the church for personal reasons, but certainly not because they are planning to take over the country. Politics are not discussed in the church and the church never endorses. Unlike the Pastor Jeffress.

Comment by James William Olmes Rogers on October 11, 2011 at 6:44pm: A person's religious convictions give me no pause ~~ they are as welcome to theirs as I trust mine are to me..... What I do ask for in a politician is an unconditional embrace of our Constitution and a total commitment to it's protection and defense!

Remember, no member of an organized religion can prove God exists ~~ and no atheist can prove God does not exist.....

Also remember ~~ Islam is NOT a religion!!!

Comment by Deb in Texas on October 11, 2011 at 6:41pm: I think the fears of a Mormon becoming president stems from that at one time people believed that the Mormon's wanted to rule the country and convert it to Mormonism, just like we are seeing Sharia come into play world-wide. Now before people start beating up on me this has been a very real fear. They also wanted a good portion of the country to call their own which included most of the Western 1/3 which took in Cali, Ut, Ari, NM, Tex, and probably Or. We did a study on "cults" when we lived in Mesa. The LDS church was included in the study and this was truly a fear.

I have some really dear friends who are LDS. We raised our kids to believe that Jesus, and ONLY Jesus was the way to God and we didn't need a middle man such as Mr. Smith to help get us there. We found while living in Mesa they had their click that was hard to penetrate, and it wasn't always easy to get a job if you weren't Mormon, but to this day my daughter has a childhood friend who is still very dear to her and they have the utmost respect for each other. I find Mormon's to be ethical, clean, reliable and very self-confident.

Just to add after reading the replies, to not vote for the candidate we are given will be a vote FOR Obama and will guarantee his win. RINO or not, Obama is the worse and is taking us down exponentially.

Comment by Tom Garcia on October 11, 2011 at 6:41pm: Well written my friend. The basic definition of a "Cult" applies to all religion. The pastor should be ashamed of himself. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." I'm sure today he would say that applies to religion as well.

By the way, I have endorsed a different candidate for president, but this kind of attack makes me sick. Thanks for the article.