ROMNEY’S MORMONISM: OFF-LIMITS FOR DISCUSSION?

ROMNEY’S MORMONISM: OFF-LIMITS FOR DISCUSSION?

By Avraham Azrieli, author of The Mormon Candidate – A Novel*

As candidate for the presidency, Gov. Mitt Romney has consistently declined to discuss his lifelong involvement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (colloquially called the Mormon Church) except to say that it has played a central role in his personal life and his impressive success as a businessman and a politician. His coyness, coupled with the Mormon Church’s traditional secrecy as to its temple rituals and financial activities, has intensified public interest. This conflict is certain to heat up as the elections approach, and perhaps worsen should he become president. Is Romney correct that his Mormonism belongs in a private sphere, or are voters entitled to details of his religious commitments and beliefs?

No Religious Test for Office:

American separation of church and state, and the resulting live-and-let-live religious co-existence, are inherent to our civility and national success. The Mormon Church, despite its early history of violent confrontations and lingering polygamous sub-denominations, has evolved successfully into a rich and powerful organization. Its temples tower over major cities, its charitable operations spring into action during natural disasters, and its members participate prominently in American business and political life. While Romney is the first Mormon to be nominated by a major party for President, other Mormons have served honorably in top cabinet and legislative positions, including Harry Reid as the current Majority Leader in the Senate.

In fact, having most recently elected an African-American president, U.S. voters’ pluralism needs no further proof. The constitution unequivocally states that religious affiliation shall not be a test for government service. The White House has been occupied by Anglicans, Unitarians, and Protestants of various denominations, as well as by a Catholic and a Quaker. There is no legal or moral barrier to preclude the presidency from a Mormon candidate or, for that matter, a Seventh-day Adventist, a Scientologist, or a Jehovah’s Witness.

Eligibility, therefore, is not the issue. This is about the voters’ right to know vs. the candidate’s right to privacy. More specifically, are Romney’s religious positions and his ecclesiastical priesthood jobs legitimate subjects for voters’ inquiry and consideration?

Is Romney Different?

There are two elements that arguably differentiate Romney from past candidates. The first has to do with the nature of his role within the Mormon Church hierarchy, the second with his level of adherence to specific theological beliefs that conflict with basic American values.

Romney’s Ecclesiastical Positions:

Romney is the first presidential candidate in U.S. history to have served in senior church positions, rising to “Stake President” – the leader in charge of all church affairs in the Boston region – a position equivalent to a Catholic archbishop.

In every major religion, unlike the rank-and-file church members, archbishop-level prelates reach these positions after decades of wholehearted commitment to church theology, conformity, and missionary success. Unlike corporate jobs, such deep spiritual and emotional commitments do not vanish with retirement. Ecclesiastical seniority represents a lifelong pledge of total devotion to the church and embrace of every tenet of its theological dogma.

There are, therefore, a few relevant questions voters may ask: Is Romney still holding a high priesthood position in the Mormon Church hierarchy? What is the nature of his ongoing commitments and the scope of his apostolic roles? How would he act when the interests of his church conflict with the interests of his country? Is he still bound by any vows that hinder his freedom of action in the highest office in the land?

Romney’s Theological Positions:

By their nature, senior-level priestly positions are earned through an equally high level of personal conformity. An archbishop-level leader must have proven his personal adherence to the theological tenets of the church, which in Mormonism include several elements that directly contradict mainstream American values. Here are a few examples:

Total Obedience:  The president of the Mormon Church at any given time is called the “Prophet, Seer, and Revelator.” Mormon theology decrees that he is God’s high priest and speaks for God on all matters. From an early age, Mormons recite daily the doctrine of “living prophets” and take repeated vows of obedience, because the Lord speaks through the current president of the church.

Women’s Subservience:  Mormonism is paternal. Men are promoted to become priests and saints, and are the masters of their domains. Women, on the other hand, are inferior to men, must serve their husbands in childbirth and homemaking, and are discouraged from pursuing academic and professional aspirations. And in the afterlife, a woman’s soul may only pass through to the Mormon equivalent of heaven if her husband so chooses, depending on how well she served him on Earth. If admitted, she will be allowed to continue to serve him, together with other heavenly wives awaiting each Mormon man in the afterlife.

Racial Inferiority:  Dark skin in Mormon theology is considered the “Mark of Cain,” hereditary of Satan, and a punishment dispensed by God to evil souls. In 1978, after years of civil rights litigation in the U.S. and the expulsion of Mormon missionaries from various foreign countries, the Mormon Church officially removed all racial exclusions. But the Mormon racist scriptural components were never removed or denounced, and have remained integral parts of the sacred texts that are held to be of true divine origin.

Christian Satanism: A fundamental tenet of the Mormon Church is that all others are Gentiles and that all other churches, including Roman Catholic and Protestant Christianity, are false churches created by Satan. This belief goes all the way back to the First Vision in the 1830s’, when the founder of Mormonism, Joseph Smith, was visited by God and Jesus in upstate New York and was told to establish the one true church. The first and holiest scripture published by Smith, The Book of Mormon, repeatedly describes mainstream Christianity as the “great whore” of Satan.

These four examples of Mormon theology stand in direct conflict with mainstream American values: Total obedience negates the cherished personal freedom our nation was born to protect, female subservience is offensive to the long-fought-for gender equality, skin color no longer serves as a measure of a person’s humanity except by bigots lurking in the darkest corners of our society, and invoking Satan in reference to other peoples’ faiths is something we usually hear from Teheran or Afghanistan.

It is possible that some Mormons no longer embrace these beliefs. In fairness, all religions carry with them theological elements that have become anachronistic or odd. But all too often, strict orthodoxy is perpetuated by church leaders, who spend years studying, teaching, and enforcing old dogmas. For that reason, it would be hard to imagine JFK winning a presidential election had he been a Roman Catholic archbishop, rather than the casual congregant who publicly disagreed with his church on social issues. The question is, where does Gov. Romney stand?

Conclusion:

As a contender for the White House, Mitt Romney owes voters a full and honest disclosure of his religious beliefs and commitments to the Mormon Church. He admitted as much in his 2007 speech Faith in America:

"Given our grand tradition of religious tolerance and liberty, some wonder whether there are any questions regarding an aspiring candidate's religion that are appropriate. I believe there are. And I will answer them today.”

But his speech, while eloquent, inspiring, and truly heartwarming, answered none of the pertinent questions with any specificity of facts.

American voters – especially those who are inclined to support Romney – are entitled to know whether or not he believes that women are subservient creatures, that blacks are inferior souls, or that, other than his fellow Mormons, all Christians are Satan worshippers. Most crucially, Romney should clarify if he still believes that God speaks through the president of the Mormon Church, who must be obeyed totally and blindly on all matters – even by the president of the United States.

By answering these questions openly, Gov. Romney would clear away the cloud of assiduous secrecy and put an end to persistent concerns. American voters would reward his honesty with appreciation and confidence as they prepare to select the nation’s next leader.

* Avraham Azrieli, a graduate of Columbia Law School in NYC, is the author of THE MORMON CANDIDATE – A Novel, a new political thriller based on extensive research of the Mormon Church. For interested readers, a bibliography of primary sources appears at the end of the novel.

“A fast-paced political thriller that will have you wanting to turn the page until the very end … thoroughly entertaining! Weaving well-researched details of Mormon history and rituals with political intrigue, fast action and well-rounded characters, THE MORMON CANDIATE … will leave readers wanting more.” Goodreads.

“Many twists and turns … engaging and exciting … intertwining fact and fiction ... action-packed … the characters which simply jump off the page … great book for anyone who loves fast paced political thrillers. I highly recommend it!” Dad of Divas.

“Born in Provo, Utah, a fifth generation Mormon … I loved reading this book, found it very true to Mormon practices. I couldn't put it down.” Pinecrest.

“Fast-paced political thriller that will have you wanting to turn the page until the very end. Ben Teller, a freelance photojournalist comes up on a motorcycle accident during a veteran's ride, but soon Ben discovers that there is much more to this accident than meets the eye. The book takes readers past politics and into the world of the Mormon Church. It is an eye-opening discovery of just what the church is about and why they choose to stay so secretive.” Book Review Bin.

“Even the most biased reader will cheer for this protagonist who seeks the truth. Through well-researched efforts and a comprehensive supporting bibliography, Azrieli presents the shadowy world of politics, religion, and suspense with enough plot twists to be captivating. Very well written and draws in the reader from the beginning … recommended reading, especially for an escape (but not too far) from current events.” Gather.com.

“While many political thrillers tend to rehash the same clichés, this book goes beyond a typical political thriller to provide the reader with a new angle on the privileged few who consider themselves the best … to serve the people in the office of the president. THE MORMON CANDIATE is well written, and more importantly, well researched to present a realistic picture of the Mormon Church. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves political thrillers, but also to those who just love to read a good story.” Book Review Bin.

THE MORMON CANDIDATE – A Novel by Avraham Azrieli – is available from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and everywhere books are sold. (Paperback: $14.99, E-book: $2.99)

Amazon.com link:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Mormon-Candidate-Novel-ebook/dp/B007NZG90A/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1345560487&sr=1-2

Barnes & Nobel link:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mormon-candidate-avraham-azrieli/1109719361?ean=9781475194517

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