Mormon Church leaders encourage civility as Trump, Harris mobilize religious voters

Dallin H. Oaks, the chief counselor and likely successor to 100-year-old Church President Russell M. Nelson, encouraged worshipers at the faith’s biannual general conference to avoid conflict and be doers of peace in their communities one month before the November 5 election.

The devil is the father of conflict, which can stir up anger and block important policy changes, he told 18,000 church members in Salt Lake City and thousands more watching live.

“As we pursue our preferred policies in public actions, let us enjoy his blessings using the language and methods of peacemakers,” said Oaks, the second-highest leader of the faith widely known as the Church Mormon.

Religious leaders strive to remain politically neutral. But they sometimes give general advice on how members should approach key elections. About 7 million of the faith’s 17 million members worldwide live in the United States, most in the battleground states of Arizona and Nevada, as well as Utah and Idaho, a country solidly red.

Latter-day Saints have been a reliable Republican voting bloc for decades, but many have half-heartedly embraced Donald Trump since he first ran for the White House.

Some church members say the former president’s demeaning rhetoric toward women, immigrants and refugees conflicts with their core values ​​of humility, honesty and compassion. Others have expressed concern about his felony convictions and attempts to undermine the 2020 presidential election.

Vice President Kamala Harris is hoping to capitalize on her opponent’s failure to block the Latter-day Saint vote. His campaign formalized its outreach efforts last month and enlisted prominent members of the faith to convince residents in battleground Arizona, a state with nearly 450,000 church members, that Trump is not not in accordance with the teachings of the Church.

Trump also rallied influential church members at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to help him convince influential voters that he would better protect their religious freedoms.

Harris is unlikely to come close to winning a majority among Latter-day Saints. But by preventing Trump from making big margins among a key demographic, she could tip the scales in Arizona and Nevada, home to more than 180,000 Latter-day Saints.

One of Harris’ biggest challenges is making her abortion policies palatable to members of a religion that has long opposed the procedure, with few exceptions.

It’s a sticking point for Marilou Idos, a conference attendee from Herriman, Utah, who said she’s not a fan of Trump’s brash style but is considering voting for him because that he opposed expanding access to abortion. She also appreciates Trump’s support for Israel.

“He’s the lesser of two evils,” Idos, 70, said. “The fundamental things we believe in, Trump approves of. Abortion is kind of the main thing, and freedom of religion.

The religion is also known for its belief in eternal families, close-knit congregations, and prohibitions against alcohol, coffee, gambling, and same-sex relationships.

Sammy Price, 38, of Las Vegas, said he was leaning toward voting for Harris because he thinks the nation needs her unifying rhetoric.

“Trump, he insults people, he makes them feel bad about who they are, and that’s not something I think I can stand,” he said.

Undecided voters Jenna Winkel, 22, and her husband, Ben Winkel, 24, said just before the conference that they hoped church leaders would avoid discussing politics.

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The Draper, Utah, couple said there is room for diverse political views under the Latter-day Saint umbrella. While Jenna said her religion doesn’t really influence her politics, Ben said his does, but he wants to do more of his own research.

“The important thing about any general conference message is that it is general and then we are asked to take them, study them and apply them to our own lives, and perhaps to our politics” , Jenna said. “People will take what they need and apply it to their lives. »