LDS Church and Utah Lobbying

[moksha]

Former Sen. Steve Urquhart, R-St. George, last month wrote a long Facebook ...Urquhart assailed what he called “secretive,” “puppet-string” lobbying by the church.

He said such lobbying was used first to fight gay-rights bills that he pushed, and later to enact them.
Urquhart complained that the Mormon church “is seemingly incapable of finding the front door and walking through it. It doesn’t bother lobbying rank-and-file members or going on record in committee meetings like other political participants do; instead, it whispers to a few members of Republican leadership, and things magically happen.”

http://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/201 ... on-church/

[Give It Time]

This whole article was very enlightening for me. You know how the church has stated many times in letters read over the pulpit that it doesn't get involved in politics? I've actually believed that. I have believed that the way the church has been involved in politics has been in the way it tells us to think. That any leaders who've gotten involved in things like Prop 8 were essentially doing it on their own.

I don't see how the church can say it doesn't get involved in politics, yet have an actual lobbyist. One guess as to which lobby is the most powerful in this state.

Utah has been rock bottom for a very long time in the rankings of states that are fair to women. There is a lot of uncomfortable foot shuffling and most people think/know it's because of the church. If the church has an actual lobbyist and most of the lawmakers are LDS, then I don't see how they can say otherwise. The former LDS lobbyist is now in charge of reviewing proposed laws. I don't know whether to laugh at how obviously ridiculous this is or to cry.

The statement about seeming incapable of finding the front door and walking through it struck home to me. This is the very analogy I've used to describe my dislike of my ex using my ward members to stalk me. They don't deny it's going on, either. Just this last week, at an RS activity, I was third degreed by a sister of whom I've become suspicious. When her questions reached a certain level of privacy, I shut her down with my usual privacy disclaimer and stated this very thing. She just nodded her head and said, "uh-huh". So, this behavior is a thing, in this church. It's an actual thing.

[Jeffret]

This whole article was very enlightening for me. You know how the church has stated many times in letters read over the pulpit that it doesn't get involved in politics? I've actually believed that. I have believed that the way the church has been involved in politics has been in the way it tells us to think. That any leaders who've gotten involved in things like Prop 8 were essentially doing it on their own.

The Church has long been deeply involved in politics. They created the Proclamation on the Family to have a referenceable position against LGBT people and issues. When the members initially treated it with disinterest they sent the GAs out all over to harp on its importance. They were deeply involved in politics by the time they created the PotF.

Their efforts against gay marriage is one of the most documented of their forays into politics. They're still at it today. Prop 8 was passed on the backs of Mormons -- without their time and money it never would have happened. Mormons don't do anything without official priesthood direction and the Prop 8 direction came from the top down. (Oddly I never saw anything tying it directly to Monson, but you can be sure he approved.) They had learned from earlier efforts, particularly The Knight Initiative in 2000, to hid their efforts. They tried in 2008 for Prop 8 but too many people were watching for it and getting the information out. They lied about their involvement and were fined by the state of California for not filing correct documentation of their involvement. Mormongate — The Church’s Cover-up of its Prop 8 Funding.

They had done much the same thing when I lived in San Diego leading up to the Knight Initiative in 2000. My wife and I were called into the bishop's office, along with a few other couples, for a private meeting for the bishop to encourage us to donate money to the political campaign and to dedicate time, canvassing, and votes. (We didn't, though others did.)

The Church's primary concern in their campaign for their twisted version of religious freedom is that they be able to continue to be involved in politics.

The Church has lots of involvement in politics in many ways. The way the control the strings in the Utah legislature is full of examples.

[Give It Time]

*Sigh*

You know that deeply ingrained tendency people--especially Mormon people--have of burying their heads in the sand? That's me and this issue.

Thanks for the link and info, Jeffret. I did read, but felt my sentiments in this topic applied to the whole thread.

[Hagoth]

To use the vernacular of the LDS leadership's behind doors meetings, the Utah political system is church-broke.

[document]

The local stake became heavily involved in censorship of books in our local high school. It came about from a single book, a single section, where a lonely teenage boy admits that he masturbates to comfort himself while depressed. The only problem was that the high school teacher who selected the book was a dedicated Christian and an amazing English teacher (nationally recognized). The smear campaign that came out of the church people was awful. But, in the end, the teacher was well respected and everyone (including many Mormons) knew this guy was looking out for the best of the children.

Years later my LDS friends call it overblown and that the LDS church was "not involved". But, the stake president coming to priesthood and RS in each ward and telling people to get involved IS being involved. Deploying a letter writing campaign in the halls of the church during church time by the leader of the stake is complete involvement.

Did I mention this guy was well respected and loved in the community? The local paper ran a front page story with his picture in the local library holding up the book that started it. The local leadership never mentioned it was THIS guy. It almost INSTANTLY flipped the people of the stake who either attended that high school or had children who attended that high school. This teacher was amazing. It split much of the stake into two camps, those who were in the one high school (and knew the teacher) and those in the other high school (who didn't know the teacher). There were verbal arguments in the halls of church. I remember one teacher in our priesthood meeting getting up and arguing with the stake president.

It was divisive and hurtful. I knew three people who went inactive over the whole thing. Many people in the community grew a distaste for Mormons. One coworker still refers to Mormons as "thugs". His opinion is entirely based on this one event.

The teacher retired in disgust. He was pushing 70 and pretty much said that he was too old this garbage. So many people were upset further that a great teacher who planned to teach well into his 70s retired and robbed a few years of kids to take his classes. I had him for mythology, he was one of the finest teachers I have ever had and genuinely cared and loved his students.

When religion and politics mixes, it never ends well. It just makes bad situations.

[Jeffret]

What was the book, document?