How Mormons Saw Romney -- In wooing evangelicals, he made some fellow LDS members uneasy

Newsweek ^ | February 8, 2008 | Sally Atkinson

[Zakeet]

In his pursuit of the presidency, Mitt Romney held fast to his Mormon faith, though his religion remains controversial with evangelicals and some other Christians. But his determined (and ultimately futile) wooing of evangelicals led him to make some statements that didn't quite square with Mormon beliefs and culture. And the effort itself may have deepened the impression of him as inauthentic—even to some fellow Mormons.

Early in his presidential bid, Romney was asked what he thought of polygamy. Prompted by what they considered a divine revelation, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued the practice more than a century ago, and the church distances itself from polygamist "fundamentalists." But Romney went one step further, saying he couldn't "imagine anything more awful than polygamy." Many Mormons were privately taken aback. Mormons believe that, in its time, "plural marriage" was a commandment from God, and they are, as a group, fiercely proud of their ancestors, hundreds of whom practiced polygamy. (Romney's own great-grandfather had five wives.) LDS church members loathe the polygamy stereotypes and jokes bandied by outsiders. But hearing Romney—the most recognizable face of their faith these days—disavow it in those terms was mildly unsettling to LDS insiders.

Others were puzzled to hear Romney say he reads the Gideon Bible—a version popular with evangelicals: Mormons uniformly study the King James version, in a Salt Lake edition that is cross-referenced to all other Mormon scripture. "Seems like he just figured he had to say the safest, most Protestant thing he could think of—that was kind of annoying," says Russell Arben Fox, a Mormon professor of political science at Friends University in Wichita, Kans.

[Zakeet]

Among the Saint's biggest objections:

1. Mitt disavowed polygamy

2. Mitt was annoying when he "had to say the safest, most Protestant thing he could think of" when asked what Bible he used

3. Mitt said the oath of office would become his "highest promise to God" instead of his temple covenants

4. Mitt said, "I don't know that [God's] spoken to anyone since Moses in the [Burning] Bush" in a statement that "seemed to strike at the very foundations of his [Mormon] church"

5. Mormons were troubled by Romney's eager wooing of evangelical voters and his efforts to "blur the differences between the two groups"

Bottom Line: To try to be something you're not just doesn't work ... it was a moral error, as well as a political error

[Zakeet]

Ping

[nicmarlo]

To try to be something you're not just doesn't work ... it was a moral error, as well as a political error

The very same thing is happening to McRino....who claims he's a conservative and a Republican, but is neither.

[Gator113]

Damn...you had to do a lot of squeezing to get any juice out of that lemon.

[PetroniusMaximus]

Very interesting.

Validates a lot of the points many “anti-mormon bigots” around here were saying.

[Vaquero]

[Osage Orange]

Geesh...what a bigot.

/sarc

[alreadythere]

Yes, well, its Newsweek, isn’t it.

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blahhhh blahhhhh —

to the tune of “Yankee Doodle”

[Count of Monte Logan]

Really, the main things were:

1) His positions(s) on abortion. That’s kind of like a core Mormon issue for a Stake President
2) Being genuine. That’s something he did better after he dropped out the race in my opinion.. and something unlike abortion that can be learned by a 60 year old.

Overall, he’s ok... more of a great CEO than a leader.

[Skenderbej]

I hardly think the 90 percent vote for Mitt in Utah is representative of the “fact” that he made Mormons queasy. Utah doesn’t even have a 90 percent Mormon population anymore, especially in Salt Lake county.

[gondramB]

It is somewhat unfair that he is expected to be a spokesman and expert in Mormonism. We didn’t expect Bill Clinton or Al Gore to be expert Southern Baptists.

[SkyPilot]

I love that movie.

[lmiller007]

Why are people allowed to get away with writing such unsubstantiated articles? As a Mormon, I am not taken back by anything of things said by Romney, nor was any Mormon I know, and I know a ton of them. I love my evangelical brothers and glad Romney courted them. He was highly successful in doing so. Hopefully we who believe in the teachings of Christ, and the values he represents, can get passed the silly sectarianism.

[SkyPilot]

Utah doesn’t even have a 90 percent Mormon population anymore, especially in Salt Lake county.

No, but still a substantial majority of the voting populace, as well as LDS who are in control of local governments, schools, police, etc.

I don't think you meant to discount out of hand the huge and massive Moromon influence in Utah. I just tried to clarify it. Thanks.

[PAR35]

Others were puzzled to hear Romney say he reads the Gideon Bible—a version popular with evangelicals: Mormons uniformly study the King James version,

The Gideon Bibles are KJV without any theological footnotes. A fact that the reporter would know if she ever bothered to read a Bible in a hotel nightstand.

[marron]

Well, fortunately he dropped out, so we get to vote for McCain.

[dmw]

“How Mormons Saw Romney — In wooing evangelicals, he made some fellow LDS members uneasy”

Why? I thought we were all “brothers in the Lord”. No? It’s strange when the Mormons have no problem being brothers with Satan, but they’re uneasy with evangelicals. I don’t get it.

[iowamark]

Among the Saint's biggest objections:

[lmiller007]

Are you being purposely obtuse? Mormons don’t have a problem with Romney courting evangelicals, they want him to. Do you even know what you are talking about with respect to the satan’s brothers comments?

[Cicero]

It is somewhat unfair that he is expected to be a spokesman and expert in Mormonism.

Romney was a bishop and a stake president in the LDS church for 12 years. So he certainly is, or should be, a spokesman for his religion.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0809/p01s01-uspo.html