This letter is written to all Evangelical Trump supporters. It is specifically written to those supporters who feel a reticence, a tugging at the heart against supporting a known womanizer. I believe a great many good, honest Christian men and women feel a genuine sense of disgust about voting for Donald Trump, but are trying to soldier on. If that is you, I ask you to consider the following...
I was recently reminded that 54 million Evangelical voters stayed home in 2012 and didn’t vote. 54 million Christians turned up their nose to a good, decent, Mormon candidate, thereby allowing Barack Obama to stay in office.
Today, many of those same Christians are surprised and offended that Utah is turning up its nose to Donald Trump. There is no evidence that Romney was racist, that he ever refused to pay small business owners, was ever unfaithful to his wife, or was ever inappropriate with a single woman in his entire life. There is a lot of evidence that Romney is a better businessman that Trump, more charitable than Trump, a better husband than Trump, a better father than Trump, and a whole lot more Christ-like and God-fearing than Trump.
The same pastors and ministers who told you not to vote for Romney for the horrible sin of being Mormon are now telling you it’s okay to hold your nose and vote for a known adulterer and womanizer. These are the same leaders who have taught full lessons in your churches about why the Mormons are bad/wrong/evil. These are the same leaders whose livelihoods depend on your donations.
Did you know that Mormon Bishops don’t depend on our donations for their livelihood? Our local leaders are called Bishops and they have normal jobs. They volunteer their time for 5 year terms, keeping their jobs at the same time. They are married with children and don’t make a dime for their service. They aren’t wholly responsible for weekly instruction, either, rather we members ourselves take turns giving sermons, or “talks”, each week, and teach the sunday school classes to the adults, youth, and children.
Did you know that we don’t have classes teaching us why you guys are bad/wrong/evil in our church? Your leaders tell you that the Mormons believe in prophets and continuing revelation, and that there is no modern revelation. If there is no modern revelation, then how do your pastors know God wants you to vote for Trump? They deny the very ability to receive such guidance.
If even for a moment you have wondered at the inconsistency of someone telling you not to vote for Romney one year and then four years later demand that you vote for Trump, then please read on.
As your sincere brother in Christ, I invite you to have a change of heart. I don’t believe the Lord is happy with how Evangelical Christians have been taught to think of Mormons. We Mormons don’t bear ill well towards you, and we don’t deserve yours. Most of us, or our ancestors, were you at one time--good, mainstream Christians who loved Jesus and tried our best to follow the Bible.
The difference is that one day we came to believe that no man alive since Martin Luther had a right to tell God when enough was enough. Like you, we honor and revere Martin Luther for protesting the Catholic Church. Catholic leadership wasn’t following the bible, and they weren’t putting God’s word into the hands of the people. Tyndale, who translated the Bible into English, said that he would make it so that a plowboy would know more of God’s word than the Catholic priests.
Mormons honor and love the reformers, each of them did their best to restore God’s church to the earth, to follow the Bible as closely as possible. But since all of the reformers denied continuing revelation, who among them was authorized to declare the reformation “complete?” Who among them was authorized to deny God’s word in Matthew 7, wherein we are all provided with a perfect method for testing any future prophets?
Your leaders deny the existence of prophets in violation of Matthew 7. Matthew 7:15-20 says:
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
If there were to be no more prophets, then the Lord could have simply stated as much. Instead, he gives us a perfect way to test those who claim to be a prophet, “by their fruits ye shall know them.”
Mormons are applying this test to the election, and that is why many of us are not voting for Trump. We have asked ourselves, “can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit?” We don’t believe that Trump will be good for our nation. And, we are concerned that Evangelical Christians are not applying this same test. What bad fruits did Mitt Romney bring forth? And yet you judged him to be evil. What good fruits has Trump brought forth? And yet you judge him to be good.
I suppose we Mormons should not be surprised, because this is the same thing you do with the Book of Mormon. Your leaders tell you it is evil and not to read it. Our leaders don’t tell us not to read the Bible, we love and honor the Bible. In fact, I personally believe that Mormons honor the Bible more than Evangelicals and I’ll tell you why.
In Shakespeare’s Henry V, the triumphant English King wooed Princess Katharine of France shortly after defeating the French army at Agincourt. The princess is skeptical of Henry, which is understandable considering his recent takeover of her country. The following interchange occurs:
KATHARINE
“Is it possible dat I sould love de enemy of France?”
KING HENRY V
“No; it is not possible you should love the enemy of
France, Kate: but, in loving me, you should love
the friend of France; for I love France so well that
I will not part with a village of it; I will have it
all mine: and, Kate, when France is mine and I am
yours, then yours is France and you are mine.”
Many Evangelicals look at Mormons and ask, “is it possible that I should love the enemy to the Bible?” Mormons are dumbfounded by this attitude and see it as misinformation fed to you by your pastors. We are not enemies of the Bible, we love the Bible so much that we refuse to part with not only its commandments, but also with the world described in the Bible. When we read the Bible we see a God who loves and interacts with His people. A God who is deeply involved in the day to day affairs of those who love and follow Him. We refuse to believe that miracles have ceased, that the heavens are closed, and that God no longer sends his holy prophets to guide His people. We refuse to accept that the world that existed in the Bible no longer exists today, especially when those telling us as much deny the ability or willingness of God to communicate such things.
Tell me, which reformer from Martin Luther onward had the authority to say that the reformation was over? Which reformer received the revelation that there would be no complete restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, with prophets, apostles, revelation, temples etc.?
The answer is none.
So, your leaders told you not to vote for Romney, that Mormons were evil, and that Trump is good. But they don’t believe in revelation? Then they are giving you their own opinion, not God’s. They expressly deny the ability or willingness of God to guide His people through continuing revelation.
The fact is that I know that you have received and continue to receive guidance from God in your life. Think of the many prayers God has answered for you. Think of all the miracles, big and little, that you have seen in your life as a result of your faith and hope in Christ. Think of the grace you have felt as you have sought and received forgiveness of your sins through the sacrifice of Christ. Are not these revelations? Yes! God is not dead and nor is His interaction with His children. The Bible is not dead either, and nor is the world it describes.
You say that a vote for Evan McMullin is a vote for Clinton. I say there is a pathway to victory through the electoral college. You say that such a victory would only happen on a wing and a prayer. I say that you and I have both seen amazing things happen on a wing and a prayer.
You say that Hillary is far worse than Trump and that we Mormons are deluding ourselves. I say that Romney is much better than Obama, Hillary, AND Trump and where was your vote for Romney four years ago?
Again, I invite you to consider your prejudice, to accept that your feelings about Mormons are not based in truth. This is not a political post, my goal is not to convince you to vote for Evan McMullin. I have other intentions. I believe that you have dismissed the Book of Mormon and the Mormon church out of hand due to misinformation given to you by a paid clergy who depend on your donations.
The massive double standard from Evangelical leaders who dismissed Romney and who are now embracing Trump is the best evidence I have ever seen that perhaps you cannot trust all that they have told you about Mormons.
They were wrong about Romney, they are wrong about Trump. Perhaps, just perhaps, they are wrong when it comes to Mormons.
I know the Bible to be the word of God and I will not part with a single miracle of it. I know that Christ died for all of us, just like the Bible says He did. I also know that He resurrected in Jerusalem and 1800 years later actually appeared to a teenage boy in upstate New York. You dismiss Joseph Smith and ask “why should I believe in him?” I say that I don’t care who Joseph Smith was as much as I care that Christ took the time to come down and appear to someone again. I'm not asking you to worship a man, but to humbly consider that God once did speak to His children and that He is free to do so again. Are you 100% sure that Christ did not appear to Joseph Smith?
I know that Christ has restored his Church to earth, and that the Book of Mormon is true. He is no respecter of persons and He loves us today as much as he did in the days of Daniel, the days of Hezekiah, the days of Caleb, and the day when Peter left his nets behind. Both the first day Peter left his nets, and the second. I know Christ came to Peter at the beach that second time, after His resurrection, because He knew Peter and knew Peter’s story. Christ was personal enough to work within Peter's personal, individual story. And, He knows my story and He knows yours. Is it possible to betray Christ by accepting His power in our lives and His ability to guide His people on earth today just as He did in the Bible? Does He love Peter more than you? I don't believe so.
I promise that if you will read the Book of Mormon and ask God in humble prayer if it is true like the Bible, that he will answer you.
You say that the story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon is just too fantastic. I say, you’re right, just like the Bible. Isn’t it wonderful?
