One of the most insidious aspects of today’s political hostility is its potential to cause rifts in marriages, families, friendships, and long-standing relationships within many kinds of once-close communities.
But what is striking is how relatively resilient many religious communities are proving to be when it comes to withstanding these political tensions as a whole.
To be sure, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, like other religious groups, are not immune to these tensions. To get a better understanding of how Latter-day Saints are weathering America’s political storms, the Deseret News spoke with members who support both major party candidates and some who are still undecided.
Political differences are an asset
There is new evidence that these political differences are not simply weaknesses, but can also be unexpected strengths. Rebecca Glaser, a professor at the University of Arkansas who has spent 15 years in Little Rock studying the role of diverse faith groups in fostering civil society, reports in a forthcoming book from Temple University Press on how community engagement “strengthens its members, its houses of worship, and its communities.”
Contrary to what one might expect, the Latter-day Saint scholar says, when there is “more ideological diversity” within faith communities, “those congregations have greater warmth and a greater sense of political efficacy” — that is, they feel they can make a difference.
Glaser said the ongoing, warm relationships in faith communities “force people to see each other as human beings.”
“If we find ourselves worshipping alongside people with whom we disagree politically, we have to resolve that dissonance,” she explains. “When there’s homogeneity, we don’t have to work as hard to overcome those barriers.”
Serving Together and Drawing Closer Hearts
Glaser has also observed in his years of community-based research that congregations who have truly gotten to know one another by serving together are particularly resistant to political hostility.
“When we have to serve together in our (Latter-day Saint) Primary presidency, when our children are in Young Women together, when we’re making pancakes together for our ward Memorial Day breakfast, when we deliver meals to the sick, we get to know each other as real people,” she said. “When we’re working and serving together, it’s hard to demonize each other.”
Mark McSwain, who has served in a variety of roles in Latter-day Saint congregations, recalled serving in callings alongside staunch Democrats. “I’m a very conservative Republican,” he said.
But the focus was never “whether he’s a Democrat or a Republican,” he said, “because we’re talking about the Lord’s work. There’s no room for quibbling about politics when we’re seeking revelation to bless people’s lives.”
Riley Duke told me about a time when her Latter-day Saint ward neighbor, Wally Goddard, a retired family studies professor, invited her to dinner with his young family. Goddard and Duke disagreed about the presidential election, but “the conversation never came up,” Duke said.
Congregation size matters when it comes to fostering these relationships: Glaser’s data shows that congregations with 250 or fewer people are more likely to have politically diverse congregations, because it’s hard to get to know people in a large congregation where you don’t know each other’s names.
Goddard called today’s political climate cynical. “It’s common to dismiss those who disagree with us with partisan hand gestures,” he said. “If the devil is allowed to continue widening our national divisions, our democracy is in grave danger.”
Fighting instead of solving problems
The intense polarization makes it hard for either side to find practical solutions, said James Reese, a visiting professor of art education at Brigham Young University, something he’s experienced firsthand with the wife of an immigrant who described his family’s frustration over the lack of a more streamlined path to naturalization.
Reese is disheartened to see Congress move forward with bills that support restrictions at the border, but rather than accommodating those who qualify and want to come, each side has leaned to one extreme, either being overly strict or being humane, creating more problems without providing additional resources to help.
“People get so focused on this big nebulous war that the actual productive fights to improve our communities get completely forgotten in the fray,” says Utah-based artist Esther Hiilani Kandari. “The fixation on this big evil war keeps people from coming to the table because they think it would mean compromising their values.”
“My faith teaches me to approach controversial issues with compassion and curiosity,” she said, noting that in American politics “there are fierce accusations on both sides.”
McSwain also worries about the real-world implications of the constant struggle over basic problem-solving abilities: “Councils are part of what makes the world and the church great,” he said, explaining that he has repeatedly witnessed clearer understanding emerge in church councils as men and women pool their best ideas.
“If our leaders only debate in Washington, they lose their ability to receive revelation.”
Beyond Us vs. Them
Despite all this, it was a revelation for many to see how thoughtful, kind-hearted people can disagree on so many important issues. Speech therapist Nathan Richardson said that after witnessing fellow Latter-day Saints reach vastly different conclusions about politics, he went home and taught his children, “They’re all wise, covenant-keeping Saints, but they all take different positions on these issues.”
“In most news headlines, there isn’t necessarily a position that is clearly stated once and for all,” Richardson said.
Regarding his friends who support the former president, Reiss said he has come to the conclusion that “isn’t it great that we can still be friends even if we don’t agree on certain things?”
No one agrees on every element, he said: “We just don’t agree on the issues, and that’s OK.”
“That’s part of the beauty of having a community,” Reese said, including both the faith community and the university community. “Multiple perspectives can create a broader perspective and a stronger community.”
This stands in stark contrast to the message we increasingly see among some students, which is essentially, “If I don’t agree with you, I don’t like you or respect you.”
He believes young people get it from “all the political propaganda” and are left feeling “either for me or against me.”
There are other institutional norms that help resist and balance these extremes in our faith, such as the norm of respecting apolitical issues in our Sunday meetings and leaders issuing regular letters from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints beginning June 1, 2023, stating:
“Some principles that are consistent with the gospel may be found within various political parties, and party members should seek out the candidates who best embody those principles.”
“Members should carefully study candidates and vote for those who have demonstrated integrity, compassion and service to others, regardless of party. Simply casting a vote or voting based on ‘tradition’ without carefully studying the candidates and their positions on important issues is a threat to democracy and goes against the stated standards.”
Moving away from divisive interactions
When there are big differences in political views, not all fellow believers are willing to talk openly about them. “Trump-related conversations seem really difficult,” says author Nathaniel Givens, “even among friends who share the same faith. It’s sad.”
“I now avoid any online political discussions,” Darin Crump said.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult to discuss this honestly without getting emotional,” the man continued. “That is why I will respectfully decline.”
How you speak still matters
Michael Taylor, a civil engineer from northern Utah, expressed concern about not being able to find a candidate with “better statesmanship and civility.”
Regardless of who you vote for, Latter-day Saints tend to agree on this point.
“There are times when you have to stick to your ideology and there are times when you have to broker compromises,” Taylor continued. “I think it takes wisdom to know that difference.”
Noting that senators and representatives have been booed and harassed on airplanes and in public, McSwain said, “We have become so used to ridiculing people in respected positions” that he “forgets that a government built around these positions is a great one.”
“I don’t always agree with Mitt Romney on politics, but I know he’s a good man.”
To those who claim that politicians are “all con men,” the man counters: “No, they’re not all con men. They just have different opinions than us.”
Distinguishing between politics and salvation
“I’ve never put my morality, my identity or my religion over politics,” Walker Wright, a Washington, D.C.-based analyst, said when asked to explain how he differs from other believers who have more fully embraced culture war rhetoric.
“I don’t consider politics my religion,” he added. “It’s not the ultimate way to show whether you’re a good or bad person.”
“Many of us look at our faith through the lens of politics,” Crump said, which means “we’re doing the opposite.” By “looking at politics through the lens of our faith,” he said, “we can prioritize our sacred identity over all other identities that we have.”
“We may identify as Republicans or Democrats, Utah Jazz or Phoenix Suns fans, but all of that should be subordinate to our fundamental identity as children of a loving Heavenly Father who wants us to come home and who provided a Savior to make that happen.”
Lots of hope and joy
Givens is saddened by American politics because he sees how happy and at peace people are feeling. “Christianity teaches us that the war is over, so any fighting doesn’t really matter, because we know how the story ends.”
“Of course, we want what’s best for our country. We want just leadership, but it’s not an existential thing. Salvation is not contingent on winning an election.”
To be sure, “the stakes are real,” declared Givens, author of Into the Headwinds: Why Faith Has Always Been Hard—And Still Is.” “This isn’t about secession; the only thing that matters is the kingdom of God. But I know there will ultimately be a happy ending.”
“We’re not denying the darkness” or the fact that we’re in the “dark part of the story,” he said, but even though we’re “fully aware” of what’s wrong, “whatever happens, we have hope that ultimately, things will turn out the way they are.”
