God's 'Moral Imperative': A Voter's Guide

By Stephen Stone, President, RenewAmerica

This installment in our series on Mitt Romney and Mormonism takes a look at the moral imperative God requires of all voters. It's an imperative that has special relevance to those who wish to "do the right thing" this election.

Our analysis should be of particular interest to those who support Romney — a candidate whose liberal-socialistic record, and opportunistic, untruthful rhetoric, make voting for him problematic for moral conservatives this fall, notwithstanding the abhorrent record and rhetoric of Barack Hussein Obama, our nation's Muslim-leaning communist-in-chief.

We address our thoughts especially to Mitt's main political base: active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who stand almost unanimously with Romney in "sustaining and supporting" his pragmatic, immoral mischief, manipulation, and deceit.

We also address evangelical and other Christians who have deep reservations about voting for the "lesser of two evils" this election — in other words, Mitt — whom many consider a virtual stand-in for Obama, due to his hand in the creation of Obamacare, his enabling of pro-abortion policies as governor of Massachusetts (even after proclaiming himself "pro-life"), and his singlehanded imposition of same-sex marriage on his state, opening the door to gay marriage nationwide. (Click here, here, and here.)

As we proceed to discuss "voting as a moral obligation," our premise is that a moral citizen's only concern is to respect and obey the will of God, no matter the issue at hand, or the enticements, rationalizations, or self-serving arguments for doing otherwise.

This biblical premise has as much relevance to politics and civic obligations as any other area of life.

Mormon Leaders Accused of Billion Dollar Gold Theft

Zions Bank

 

 Buying a Stairway to Heaven?

From Moneyteachers.org

By Paul Drockton

The following information is from phone interview conducted with Steve Davis on 6/22/11.

Clyde Davis was tied in with the Rothschilds and the Mormon Church. In fact when a member of the Swiss Rothschild family converted to Mormonism off of a missionary contact, it was Clyde Davis that met him at the airport. That same Rothschild cut a check for $100 million dollars to the Church to pay off a loan from the Rockefellers. The LDS Church apparently bought the Florida Ranch ( a massive property now used for a Church owned cattle ranch) with the expectation of reselling to Walt Disney. When good old Walt (whose wife was apparently Mormon) died instead, the crushing debt almost destroyed the Salt Lake based Church. (Source)

Now the plot thickens.

The Mormon Plan for America and the Rise of Mitt Romney

From Worldview Times

By Ed Decker

Almost 30 Years ago, the late BYU Professor and LDS author Cleon Skousen founded the Freemen Institute [later to be called The National Center for Constitutional Studies]. The name came from the Book of Mormon:

And those who were desirous that Pahoran should remain chief judge over the land took upon them the name of freemen; and thus was the division among them, for the freemen had sworn or covenanted to maintain their rights and the privileges of their religion by a free government. Alma 51: 6-7

Skousen joined forces with Jerry Falwell's Moral Majority on some major political issues late 70s and early 80s and I was prompted to study out both the public and the LDS insider position on government, the constitution. (LDS say it is a divine document from the hand of God)  Using that research, I produced a Study called "The Mormon Plan for America".

Minister Critical of Romney and 'Mormon Cult' Suggests Third-Party Options

Bill Keller of LivePrayer.com Says Christian Voters Should Avoid Mitt Romney Due to His Faith

Bill Keller

From The Christian Post

By Stoyan Zaimov

Christian minister Bill Keller of LivePrayer.com, who has frequently spoken out on the so-called dangers of voting for presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney in this year's general election due to his Mormon faith, suggests that the only real option for Christian voters are third-party candidates.

Keller recently compared the choice of voting for Mitt Romney or for President Barack Obama as "flipping a coin where Satan is on both sides."

Prominent African-American Pastor Calls on Romney to Renounce Historic Mormon Racism

Pastor O'Neal Dozier

A prominent Florida pastor has called on Mitt Romney to renounce Mormon doctrines that are severely prejudicial against the black race.

Reverend O'Neal Dozier sees the offensive, anti-black Mormon doctrines as a ticking time bomb that the Obama campaign will undoubtedly use to rally its base among African-Americans.  He has published an open letter asking Dr. Richard Land, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, to join him in asking Mitt Romney to "renounce historic Mormon racism."

Reverend Dozier, Senior Pastor of The Worldwide Christian Center Church in Pompano Beach, Florida, is also a former professional football player with the Chicago Bears and has been a friend and advisor to President George W. Bush, Governor Jeb Bush and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist.

Reverend Dozier's open letter to Dr. Land follows:

Who Is Mitt Romney?

By Stephen Stone, President of RenewAmerica

As the Republican establishment redoubles its efforts to anoint Mitt Romney the GOP presidential nominee (an outcome likely to ensure a second term for Barack Obama), the need to understand Mitt Romney increases.

What makes Mitt the kind of person he is — ruthlessly opportunistic, dishonest, insincere, willing to say anything for advantage, lacking in conscience, preoccupied with appearance, etc., on the one hand, yet squeaky clean, family-oriented, disciplined, boring, and predictable, on the other?

My new e-book, A Mormon Story, sheds light on the culture that produced Mitt Romney.

The book reveals a value system that ultimately has no absolutes, other than the need to conform to deep-seated, highly-controlling authoritarianism that pervades LDS culture.

That culture emphasizes a Mormon tradition known as "eternal progression" — undoctrinal spiritual evolution in which even God is changing. It also emphasizes the notion that the latest words of governing church leaders trump the Word of God found in the scriptures (including LDS scripture). As a result, Mormons have little incentive to inform themselves about what the scriptures call the "doctrine of Christ" (since they consider that doctrine subject to change); or to rely directly on God to know His will in applying that doctrine to their lives; or to sacrifice their security, comfort, or needs to do what is right, above all else.

In such a system, truth is relative, LDS leaders become the only reliable authority, and individual members are subservient.

Outwardly, as is well known, Mormons appear upright — but that is due largely to intense pressure to conform to the norms of Mormon society, and to uphold the Mormon church's nurtured image of conventionality. Inwardly, Mormons are less independently moral, principled, and informed than they may seem (something LDS scripture quotes God Himself as saying about them). They are trained to be dependent on church authorities to tell them what to think and do, in ways non-Mormons would have difficulty relating to. They behave much like a "cult" — one centered in obedience to powerful, dictatorial leaders.*

As a culture, Mormons therefore tend to lack moral courage — of the sort that would enable them to rise above such social pressure and truly lead out in solving the problems and paradoxes of real life. They are inclined to exemplify not firm leadership, but timidity masquerading as normalcy.

Watch Mitt in the debates. There's fear behind his practiced façade.

Sound intriguing? You bet (as Mormons would say). To read A Mormon Story, click here.

It's time for the culture of Mormonism — its relativistic, authoritarian values and traditions — to receive the kind of scrutiny often reserved for controversial elements of LDS doctrine. Americans deserve to know.

----

*To be fair, I should stress that my characterization of "Mormons" is just broad enough to create a clear picture of the traditions, values, and tendencies that do — in fact — permeate Mormon culture. I don't mean to imply there aren't exceptions among sincere LDS people. Indeed, I counted myself as an exception — before I was excommunicated for "disobeying" church leaders who illegally demanded I abandon my political livelihood. I know several LDS members who have fundamental integrity, and who therefore struggle with the undoctinal demands and contradictions placed on them by LDS culture.

'The Mormon Candidate,' a BBC Documentary

To understand the man, it is necessary to understand his core religious beliefs.  In this documentary, John Sweeney, an award-winning journalist and author currently working as an investigative journalist for the BBC's Panorama series, investigates Mitt Romney, the Mormon candidate.

Romney and the White Horse Prophecy

A close look at the roots of Romney's -- and the Mormon church's -- political ambitions

The White Horse Prophecy foresaw Mormons in politics.  (Credit: iStockphoto/66North/Reuters)

From Salon

By Sally Denton

When Mitt Romney received his patriarchal blessing as a Michigan teenager, he was told that the Lord expected great things from him. All young Mormon men — the “worthy males” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as it is officially known — receive such a blessing as they embark on their requisite journeys as religious missionaries. But at 19 years of age, the youngest son of the most prominent Mormon in American politics — a seventh-generation direct descendant of one of the faith’s founding 12 apostles—Mitt Romney had been singled out as a destined leader.

Mormon 'Manifest Destiny'

By Stephen Stone

President, Renew America

One of the curious things about Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential bid is the near-unanimous support he enjoys among fellow Mormons.

He won the Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Wyoming, and Hawaii primaries in large part because Mormons form influential voting blocs in those states.

Among Mormons in Utah — headquarters of the LDS church — he's expected to draw somewhere near 90 percent of the Mormon vote in Utah's June primary, as he did earlier in neighboring Nevada and Arizona.

Mormons have been the core base of Mitt's campaign from the outset, backing him not just with their enthusiastic votes, but their activism — as avid donors, volunteers, grassroots organizers, and online defenders. It's a rare Mormon who doesn't want to see Mitt elected president.

Mormon Blogger: 'The Chameleon-Like Qualities of Mitt Romney’s Conservatism'

By Gary Glenn

Connor Boyack of Lehi, Utah -- well-known religion and politics blogger , Brigham Young University graduate, active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and self-described former Mitt Romney supporter -- nails Romney's "chameleon-like qualities" on a broad array of issues, up to and including Romney's personal responsibility for the executive order that actually implemented so-called homosexual "marriage" in Massachusetts:

"Governor Romney took it upon himself -- absent any authority or legal mandate -- to order town clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to homosexual couples, making Massachusetts the first state in the country to allow them. For all his subsequent grandstanding -- criticizing the Court, participating in pro-traditional marriage rallies, and endorsing changes to the U.S. Constitution to require marriage be between a man and a woman -- Romney was either ignorant in regards to his duties as governor, or duplicitous in his actions. Being bound in no way (and having no authority) to issue such an executive order prior to legislative action, the first homosexual marriages -- and no doubt the impetus for other states to follow suit -- occurred due to Mitt Romney’s actions alone."

Many of these issues were discussed by multiple critics during the 2008 presidential election cycle, but Connor's critiques -- to the extent they become broadly known -- are something new: he threatens to dramatically multiply the damage to Romney's credibility precisely because, as a practicing member of the LDS Church, Connor is immune to Romney apologists' knee-jerk weapon of first (or at least eventual) resort: the false characterization of any and all criticism of Romney's public policy record as motivated by religious "bigotry."


Gary Glenn is a long-time conservative and pro-family activist who co-authored and helped lead the successful ballot campaign to enact Michigan's Marriage Protection Amendment.

Cardinal George: Mormons, Catholics Must Defend Religious Liberty

From Catholic World News

Speaking before a crowd of 12,000 at Brigham Young University, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago delivered an address on “Catholics and Latter-day Saints: Partners in the Defense of Religious Freedom.”

“I'm personally grateful that after 180 years of living mostly apart from one another, Catholics and Latter-day Saints have come to see one another as trustworthy partners in the defense of shared moral principles,” said the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, citing the defense of marriage and family life, conscience protection of health-care professionals, and anti-pornography and anti-poverty.

Lamenting the “quasi-fascist tactics” and “thuggery” against supporters of traditional marriage, Cardinal George emphasized that religious freedom includes “the right to exercise influence in the public square.”

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Cardinal tells BYU: We must work together for religious liberty (Salt Lake Tribune)
• Cardinal: Catholics, Mormons must defend religious freedom together (CNS)

US Catholic Bishops Offer Support to Mormons Targeted for Defending Marriage, Backing California's Proposition 8

The US Catholic bishops have offered their "prayerful support and steadfast solidarity" to the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints in the face of attacks on the church and its members for working to pass California's Proposition 8, which bans same-sex marriage.

The support was offered in a November 21 letter from Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, chairman of the bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage, to Thomas S. Monson, president of the Mormon Church. The letter follows.

Dear President Monson,

On behalf of the members of the Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, I am writing to express prayerful support and steadfast solidarity with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in view of recent events.

We have watched with great distress in recent weeks as some members of society have reacted intemperately, and sometimes even violently, to the decision of the voters in support of Proposition 8 in California. We have been especially troubled by the reports of explicit and direct targeting of your church personnel and facilities as the objects of hostility and abuse. We pray that prudence and healing may prevail.

The members of the Committee offer you our profound gratitude for your role in the broad alliance of faith communities and other people of good will who joined together to protect marriage, while at the same time, witnessing to the honor and respect due to every human person created in the image and likeness of God.

Fraternally yours in Christ,

Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz
Archbishop of Louisville

Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee for the Defense of Marriage