It is up to us as members to search out candidates who we feel will lead our country in the right direction. We shouldn’t fight amongst ourselves over which one of these clowns best represents the church — because none of them do. There is an element to all of them that is contrary to the teachings of the church.

I have yet to live in Utah, but it is unsettling for me that any politician (Republican or Democrat) would use the “They don’t like Mormons” tactic to try to elicit votes. I know with the high population of members in Utah it must be difficult to separate church and state, but that separation gives us the freedom to be who we are and not have our religion dictated to us by our government. If there are politicians using a strategy aimed at pooling members together in a voting block please don’t vote for them. If they are LDS-politicians then their integrity must be called into question because they are using their association with the church for political power and we have been asked not to do that. Republican or Democrat don’t vote for these people that use the church to try to gain power.

The article is about them backing off that claim or attack. Come on, give the most pathetic state party in the country a break. Even the one Democrat who wins in the state keeps his distance (though Holland is a Matheson-guy).

This seems inconsistent with much of what you had to say about Huckabee.

Sorry for getting off track.

Does the same apply to Obama and his church?

Thanks for the reminder. I almost forgot to hate Senator Reid today. What kind of Christian am I.

Okay, so maybe not *exactly* like Julia. But the core is the same–what do i care whether someone’s Mormon, Jewish, Catholic, Assembly of God, Baptist, Muslim, atheist, Taoist, or whatever–Pres/VP is a policy job, not a best friend forever.

Let me get this straight: are you ready to condemn Plain as an anti-Mormon because her branch’s website links to another website which features an article critical of the Church? Despite the fact that the church denies it, the SL Trib cannot find anyone to support the claims, and the Utah Dems themselves are backing off? That’s some thin ice you’re skating on.

The attempts by the Dems to link Palin to anti-Mormonism are as ridiculous a smear as those trying to condemn the worst of Mormonism (real and imagined) on Romney during his campaign. Demanding Palin to prove a negative, that she’s not anti-Mormon, or insisting that she has to explain that website you link to seems to be the same tactics used by anti-Mormons who demanded that Romney defend every rumor and allegation against his own church.

I suggest that you take your issue with the Utah Dems if you still insist they are wrong for backing off their claims. I think they’re smart to do so as fast as possible, but that’s just me.

The broader issue remains is that their knee-jerk response to smear Palin for the Utah/Mormon angle is disgusting. Going to the source as you suggest shows NO evidence of anti-mormonism (searching the site for mormon or other variants shows nothing). Do you have any evidence that Gov. Palin has said anything against Mormons? Neither do I.

I hate to break it to you but most churches don’t have favorable opinions of the Mormon Church and say so openly. As you suggest it’s not fair to say all AoG’s are the same and you have nothing to claim that Palin or her particular church are that way.

You claim you want credible sources but you appear to be satisfied with some pretty flimsy allegations and yet demand that a negative be proven.

The Utah Dems clearly saw this as an opportunity to pile on the Palin story last week. They don’t care about the Mormon Church or keeping it out of the fray if they can score some cheap political points.

To me it doesn’t seem to cross the high level of “credible sources” you claim to be interested in.

Can anyone substantiate sltrib Thomas Burr’s claim “But Palin is not a member of the church the Democrats are referencing, that church denies it is anti-Mormon and there’s no evidence of any anti-Mormon rhetoric from its pulpit.”?

All I can find is evidence to the contrary… I’m interested in credible sources and not the everyday political spin.

As stated by others earlier, I would not lump all AoG members in one basket. That being said, I recommend you go to the source (e.g. wasillaag.org, Palin’s own statements, etc.).

After doing just a little research it was easy for me to substantiate Holland’s original claim. Take a look at this link from AG.org… that I found linked from Palins congregation’s site wasillaag.org:

http://enrichmentjournal.ag.org/199901/114_mormonism.cfm

This is from their enrichmentjournal.ag.org (like our LDS Ensign for AoG)

Read some exerts for this and half a dozen other anti-Mormon and rethink your unfounded critique. One exerpt from this article, “By claiming to possess the Aaronic priesthood, this sinister cult rejects the “once for all” atoning death of Jesus Christ.” Come on! “Sinister” I find this language offensive!

BTW… My aunt is AoG and her congregation discusses the “Mormon issue” regularly. I’m shocked at how much time the international AoG organization spends trying to attack another faith.

Holland said, “Will Republicans of the LDS faith vote for Sarah Palin, a devout member of an anti-Mormon denomination?” He didn’t claim that she was anti Mormon, but it’s obvious that AoG teaches many anti-Momon sermons. As such, I find his comments well founded. As an independent this gives me yet another reason to consider Obama as a likely alternative to voting for the flip-flopping-maverick McCain ;0) Thank you David. I think you finally helped tip the scale for me.

Despite the truth about our Presidential choices being plain and easy to comprehend, I don’t think you have much to worry about. It’s been my experience that most members of the LDS faith will just watch the RNC speeches over and over again believing every word.

You should all be dwelling on the hypocrisy of the Utah state Democratic party. But seriously, I always hear them whine how Republicans are always exploiting the church membership to manipulate their unthinking support to the GOP. Usually, since it’s so vocally discouraged by the Church, it’s done with a wink or a nod. I have not seen this but I’m sure it’s happened, and Utah Democrats love to complain about it constantly as if it happens on a regular basis.

However, this was not a wink or a nod but a press release coming from the state party. They jumped on some lies (among the many that have spread in just a week’s attention on Gov Palin) and they ran with it.

Regardless of the truth of her religion (although the Utah Dems had her church wrong, it teachings, and ignored its denials) the party had no qualms trying to scare Mormons into voting for Obama because the GOP VP nom supposedly had ties to some anti-mormon church. Not that she had exhibited any of that herself. They thought they could make her into another Huckabee, but they were wrong.

Pathetic and hypocritical politics. Remember that the next time they complain about Republicans trying to exploit the Mormon vote.

I am troubled about her campaigning on a national ticket with a four-month old baby but we can talk about that later as well as the supposed virtues of a “community organizer” and what a meaningless label that is.

Stick to the subject people!