GOP candidate is drawing a varied Christian response

With a Mormon candidate having a good chance to garner enough electoral votes to earn the GOP nomination, we at Mormonism Research Ministry are starting to get used to the question, “Should (or Could) a Christian vote for a Mormon presidential candidate?”

In March, Bill McKeever posted an article on our website talking about this very issue. (See http://www.mrm.org/vote)  We also produced a short video, using the article as our script. (See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Gte7A23RE) Without saying “yes” or “no” to the question, Bill discussed the issues that a Christian voter needs to consider when determining whether or not to vote for a Mormon candidate. For example, he explained how those of us in Utah would never be able to vote if voting for Mormons was inherently wrong. After all, most candidates for public office in this state are Latter-day Saints.

While voting is an important right, there are many things to consider in determining the right candidate for such an important office as president. We must consider the candidates’ world views as well as how determining how they will handle topics that are important to us (i.e. abortion, finances, health care, foreign policy, etc.). While there are no perfect candidates, we must determine who would be the person most likely to lead the people in a way that aligns with a biblical perspective.

There are, Bill said, three possibilities if a person decided not to vote for the Mormon candidate: Abstain from voting, write in another candidate, or vote for the incumbent. We encourage Christians to pray on their knees for God’s will in this coming election. However, because MRM is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we’re not allowed to tell people how to vote.

There are typically two responses to our position. One side says that we are not being forceful enough because they feel that  it’s mortally wrong to ever vote for a Mormon candidate, regardless of the choices.  (I wonder, What if a candidate is secular humanist? Shouldn’t that be an automatic disqualifier too?) One responder to the video even took us to task, accusing us of being in cahoots with the LDS Church, exclaiming that “this is a sneaky mormon video pretending to be a christian (sic) made video but yet a mormon made video!!! mormons are evil !!!!!” Another side feels that because we run a ministry showing how Mormonism is not Christianity, we are somehow automatically opposed to any LDS candidate.  As one man told us recently as a public meeting held at a church, our opposition to Mormonism may cause what he felt was a good candidate from winning the election.

This is not an easy issue, and no matter where we try to land, we’re bound  to get criticized. Pray for us at MRM as we have opportunities to not be political but rather deal with the Mormon issue that is now a current topic and being discussed in many different places.

Blacks and the LDS Church

Before June 8, 1978, LDS males with black skin were not allowed to obtain the priesthood necessary to qualify for the Celestial Kingdom, a place where Mormons believe people will be able to progress to godhood. The very best they could hope for before this time was the bottom level of the Celestial Kingdom, where they could be servants for those on the top level.

After the First Presidency received a revelation from God, this changed. Today those with African ancestry can receive the priesthood. However, there was no repudiation of the belief that blacks were not as valiant in premortality, which was the cause for their "mark."

The issue came to the forefront at the end of February 2012 when a religion professor from BYU gave a two-hour interview with the Washington Post, verifying the racist nature of this belief. When the church heard about it, they released a speculation disagreeing with the church religion professor and saying that this was only "speculation." However, as I have demonstrated in the following two videos, this is not the case. I realize that the two videos (one 8 minutes, the other 10) contains many, many quotes from LDS leaders and teachers. This was done on purpose. But if you can invest 20 minutes, you will clearly see how this teaching was not just mere opinion, speculation, or folklore. It was really taught. This cannot be denied. Or, at least, it shouldn't be denied.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2Ed4Ox6m1U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCOEXVAhexo

Letter to the 820-AM Station Manager

The other day we received an email from the station manager at KUTR-820 AM, the Christian talk radio station in Utah. He had received the following letter that he wanted to share with us:

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: 

I absolutely love your radio station here in Utah.  I especially enjoy listening to Dr. David Jeremiah.  Many of your preachers are so inspiring and uplifting.  I have ordered many materials from Dr. Jeremiah and have had some of them sent to a prison in Texas.  

However, I am so disappointed in the "Viewpoint on Mormonism" show.  They say that they discuss the Mormon religion with respect and gentleness but they don't.  The only thing they do is spend their entire time downgrading and humiliating the beliefs of the Mormon people. Those people have the right to believe what they want.  Their teachings are sacred to them and no one should purposely broadcast what they think their faults are.

Our country is based on freedom of religion and I certainly do not think that this show is supportive of that Constitutional right.  In fact, it is not Christ-like and in my mind constitutes a hate crime.  It irritates me to hear these two men judge and demean the beliefs of the Mormons.  The Mormons do a lot of good in the world and are taught to be loving and law abiding citizens.  Who on earth would want to spend their time, money and energy on bringing down people?

Once in a while, one of the other preachers will make a subtle or slight comment about the Mormon religion but not anything as contradictory to the example of Christ as these two men do.  I would love to make a contribution to the station to support it but not as long as that program is on the air.  I totally support all of the other preachers that I listen to on this station but turn it off as soon as that program comes on.  I think it is a crying shame to think that they put themselves above the Mormons when they are trying to bring them down.  You will never hear a program from the Mormon people that sits and condemns people for their belief.

Your friend in Christ

(Name deleted)


The manager, Russ East, wrote this excellent response back (everything in original, including the highlighting):


Dear (Name deleted),
 
Thank you for your email. Ideally, I would like to talk with you over lunch in light of your email, but in lieu of that possibility I would like to preface our time together with the following points.
 
1. In your email I don't read any specifics that would back up your claim.
 
2. As Christians, we have a responsibility to and a Constitutional right to share our beliefs on the airwaves that would educate people as to what Mormonism teaches. Bill McKeever always backs up his claims with quotations from Mormon sources. On what basis are you saying that if I or a broadcaster determines something inaccurate, that we are not right in airing it. I don't understand your reasoning. Jesus announced to the public his disdain for the teachings of the Pharisees in the Gospels. 
 
3. Only 10% at best of our programming (such as Viewpoint on Mormonism) deals with the specific pertinent issues that many people in Utah are dealing with in this state. Such as, determining if Mormonism is accurate and whether it is the one true church as it claims. Viewpoint on Mormonism is an excellent ministry that is helping Mormons understand their need for the Jesus of the Bible, not the brother of Lucifer or an imaginary Jesus. 
 
4. 1 Nephi 14:9-10 in the Book of Mormon states: 
 

 9 And it came to pass that he said unto me: Look, and behold that great and abominable church, which is the mother of abominations, whose founder is the ^adevil.

 10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save ^atwo churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the ^bother is the church of the^cdevil; wherefore, ^dwhoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the ^ewhore of all the earth.

Terri, Viewpoint on Mormonism will point out that The Book of Mormon clearly teaches that if I am not a member of the LDS church that I am a part of the chuch of the devil, the mother of abominations, and the whore of all the earth.  I will not sit back and allow that because it is false.

5. Although your offer for a financial contribution is appreciated, making mention of it in the context of your email below lessens my respect for your gift. Because it hinges on Truth Broadcasting in essence accepting your funds in exchange for us dropping Viewpoint on Mormonism, it lowers your gift to more of a bribe than a gift. 
 
I do hope that you will contact Bill directly, or write back with some specifics as to where you think he has misrepresented your beliefs. I do care about you and pray you will realize the gravity of knowing if your sin has been forgiven and if you can state as assuredly as that you are a resident of Utah...that you have eternal life.
 
In closing, I write these things above in love, with sincerity.
 
Russ East
Station Manager
KUTR-AM 820

I think Russ is exactly right, that this potential "gift" coming with strings is nothing more than bribery. Bill and I do our very best during this 15-minute daily broadcast (aired twice a day) to be as respectful as we can, realizing that we're airing in the capitol of the Mormon religion. Of course, not everyone likes our message, but we say what we do with gentleness and respect. . I thought Russ laid out an excellent foundation for answering this person, who on the surface appears to be an Evangelical Christian who regularly listens to Christian radio. I bet she would be shocked to know that Bill and I attended David Jeremiah's church for many years. In fact, I served for many years as the Bible department head of the high school located on the very campus of Jeremiah's church! 

But that's not the kicker. Imagine our surprise when we did a quick search on Facebook and discovered that the name used in signing the original letter did not own the email address from where this post originated. Instead, the lady who wrote this (with a completely different name) is a known Mormon who regularly contributes on sites defending Mormonism. Is this not a shady way to disagree?


If you would like to hear past broadcasts for yourself, visit http://www.mrm.org/podcast