In the backdrop of our nation’s capital, Mitt Romney solemnly takes the oath of office to be the next president of the United States. With great passion and fortitude, he swears to defend our constitution — the bedrock of democracy. This picture makes a third of Mormons quite uneasy according to a recent poll released last week by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life. And perhaps they should be.
While Mitt Romney takes the early lead in the selection process of who will become the Republican nominee on the ballot this fall for president, questions are swirling on trying to define a man that is well-known in politics, but not well-known in his beliefs. Religion can define a man for it can sway his thinking, provide a foundation for his world-view, and cement his character. Though a U.S. President is considered an executive and overseer of our nation, he is also in some ways a spiritual leader. He is looked upon as the one who embarks hope, instills peace, and registers confidence during times of uncertainty or a national crisis. The name of God is invoked regularly into his speeches while encouraging fellow citizens to remember our nation in their prayers.
If Romney becomes the next U.S. president, I’m confident that he will continue to invoke and lead prayers in the name of God, but it’s a god that I’m unfamiliar with.
Mormonism can be considered a cult in the true definition of the word, but living out west in an area where 25% of the population is Mormon and a large LDS temple sits prominently by the freeway, I consider the Mormon religion more of a cult-ure. It’s a lifestyle. It’s more of a society where its members are encouraged regularly to remain loyal to their religion, to endure to the end, to choose the right, to remember their hard-working pioneer ancestry, and that each person has the divine potential to eternally progress and be like Heavenly Father. As far as the specifics are concerned on what Mormons believe, they remain incongruous, defensive and in Mitt Romney’s case, evasive. The reason for this is that Mormon faith is largely based on feelings, not so much on doctrine. Every Sunday, Mormons gather together and offer their testimonies that basically state that the restored latter-days church is the true church, that Joseph Smith is a true prophet, and they have the right gospel. Their testimony is their strength that comes from “whisperings” of the holy ghost.
Mormons are also regularly told that anybody that tells them that the teachings of Mormonism is wrong are considered agents of Satan, labeled as anti-Mormon, and to be avoided at all costs.
If religious truth is based primarily on feelings over doctrine, and anything negative about the Mormon faith be considered from the devil, then a cornered Mormon can’t help but be evasive, feeling persecuted or misunderstood. It’s all part of their culture.
I can appreciate the frustration that many in the press have over the religious beliefs of Mitt Romney and his lack of definition and answers. It’s the same frustration that I feel when attempting to share truths of the Bible with my Mormon friends. By understanding their culture, I understand the person. And I think the same thing could be said about Mitt Romney.
