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Mormons in Mourning: Post Election Depression
A Well-Behaved Mormon Woman ^
| November 2, 2012
| Kathryn Skaggs
Posted on 12/29/2012 9:10:37 AM PST by greyfoxx39
From childhood it has been my nature to find that double rainbow in even the worst adversity I've experienced throughout my life, and like so many of you I've had my share. As an adult I am now well conditioned to find it immediately -- as I've learned that to do so I'm able to overcome a setback much quicker, press forward -- come what may. (Of note, this usually accompanies a very fast turn to Christ as part of the process.) But on occasion, life's disappointments refuse to allow such expediency and we are compelled to pause briefly -- rest on why that is -- and find the possible lessons to be learned, seemingly necessary.
So, today I want to pause from my normal, upbeat blogging style to acknowledge what I've been observing throughout my Mormon community since Mitt Romney's bid to become the first President of the United States failed: post election depression.
Like many of you hoping to celebrate the 2012 election results, I was ready to enthusiastically write that historic victory post, not only here, but also on the Washington Post:
Mitt Romney First Mormon President of the United States!
But alas, what many Mormons have been anticipating, praying for and some going so far as to fast for -- some believing it God's will -- were literally left devastated at the final election results! I know this because I've read what you think and heard what many of you are saying. And let me be quite honest here -- I've been somewhat taken back at the public displays of both anger and disappointment displayed by many members through the use of social media and on social networks -- causing me to wonder how future scripture would describe us as a people and what lessons our behaviors would teach future generations.
But please know, I'm not here to judge anyone -- I'm sincerely concerned by such outcry. Strange enough, I read an article a few days before the election suggesting that either way, a Romney win or defeat, Mormons would not have much of a reaction . Boy did that lady have us wrong! I knew how excited we would all be if it were to have been a victory, but truly I had no idea the level of sadness and/or anger that I would witness by members I personally know and associate with. And this observation is not mine alone. I've receive a few emails from other members expressing this same concern -- which has ultimately driven this post.
I can't really say why, for sure, that my own immediate response turned to finding the positive for Mormonism, in general -- of which I wrote election night and posted here, and then turned to give my response, as promised, whatever that was to be, to the Washington Post's On Faith Blog -- but somehow I was blessed to be given a view that enabled me to find a triple rainbow -- right away!
How grateful I am for that immediate blessing. Little did I know but that our little band of latter-day saints would collectively be so saddened by these election results. Let me just say, because I know if I don't I will be called out: but I do realize that for many of you it had little or nothing to do with the fact that Mitt Romney is a Mormon -- as I stand in that place -- but for many it was. And that's okay.
I'm not really sure why such extreme responses by so many members. I do realize that many believe this country is heading into some very dark days, and that by having Mitt Romney, a Republican and a Mormon, surely we could course correct this seeming downward spiral -- and with his loss such hopes have been dashed! I get this thought process and I'm sure there's much more that I'm not understanding -- or get -- but I'm still asking myself why? Why such sadness?
I found this quote by President Ezra Taft Benson responding to the popular Mormon belief that our Constitution would hang by a thread (which it likely is), and that the Elders of Israel would basically rise to save the day. I do have a concern that some of the sadness or disappointment being felt might possibly be connected to these thoughts, some feeling that Mitt Romney was the man for the job. And FYI, this 'prophecy' known as the White Horse Prophecy, is not official doctrine of the Church.
"I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by Joseph Smith. But it will not be saved in Washington. It will be saved by the citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom. It will be saved by enlightened members of this Church -- men and women who will subscribe to and abide the principles of the Constitution" (Source: CHB 28-31)
So, according to President Benson, and I don't know what other leaders have said on this topic, but it seems to me that the answer to the Constitution problem will not be solved by one powerful person in government -- but individual members.
How that happens I can't say for sure, but I do believe that education and the preaching of the gospel will have a powerful influence on society as one-by-one individuals turn to God and choose to manage their lives according to His laws. And His laws are in harmony with the "principles of the Constitution".
As we reflect on the what now question and the where do we go from here question it begins to become more clear that the results of this election are that the gates to share the gospel have been blasted wide open and we've all got a lot of work ahead of us. And indeed it may not be too far fetched to suggest that the lowering of the missionary age requirement, prompting a significant increase in new missionary applications, was the inspired work of our beloved watchmen on the tower -- knowing full well what is ahead.
Michael Otterson, who manages Church Public Affairs, globally, just published an excellent article over at On Faith, wherein he takes a look at: What lies ahead for Mormons...
"More visibility is not necessarily the same as increased understanding. In reality, a presidential election campaign is probably the worst time to try to educate and inform, because politics by its nature is divisive and often shrill. Many people are ready to believe the worst if it comports with their political leanings. But with the heat and divisiveness of a political campaign behind us, thoughtful Mormons can now look to the possibility of having more serious discussions with others about our faith, and especially about how our theology translates into the way we live."
Isn't that a great point?
Before we move on though, you should know that you're not alone in feeling sad or depressed. Pretty much everyone I know who was hoping that Romney would win the election, and not just Mormons, are feeling pretty blue right now. From what I've observed, there's a whole lot of chocolate going on! ; ) I just thought it might be helpful to acknowledge it and maybe even share some feelings.
TOPICS: Current Events; General Discusssion; Other non-Christian; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: bho2012; depression; election; inman; ldschurch; mormon; romney; romney2012
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To: teppe; Colofornian; caww; Sentinal; P-Marlowe; reaganaut; svcw; Zakeet; Tennessee Nana; ...
The Mormon Haters:I just KNOW the rest of you hateful folks want to leap in here.
Tepee, you might want to check Resty's homepage; as she has a LOT of LDS folks in a ping list.
But the vast majority of them don't wanna play.
41
posted on
12/29/2012 5:06:38 PM PST
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: Utah Binger
That’s me, today.
Got a few more inches of snow, and a couple of yowling grandkids for company.
Grampa, Grampa! Pull us around in the snow with yer tractor.
Well, the used thing I bought back in the fall does NOT want to start in the cold, so used the wife’s new Jeep.
That brought MORE yowls when she found out I was dodging trees in the woods and running over hidden sticks.
They be thawing out now and trying to trap a kitty to take home (if it’s a male, says dad.)
42
posted on
12/29/2012 5:13:54 PM PST
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: Utah Binger
![](http://i591.photobucket.com/albums/ss354/elsieel/2010snow.jpg)
Here they are two years ago...
43
posted on
12/29/2012 5:15:55 PM PST
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: greyfoxx39
I don't believe Tagg Romney. I believe that Mitt not only wanted the presidency, but he believed he was foreordained by way of the mormon religion to become the "man on the White Horse". The mormon leaders had already planned ahead for a blitz campaign to convert others including Christians, because there is an attitude of "specialness" and belief that the sect in the future will rule the world fostered by the religion in its members. Instead, Mitt Romney has given this country four more disastrous years of Barack Obama. The Romneys are so typical of Mormonism.
For seven years we try to figure out why this guy is OBSESSED with being president, and then the instant he loses, he declares that he didn't really want to run anyway, wasn't interested.
Seven years of single minded, uninterrupted dedication to an obsession, and 50 million dollars of his personal wealth expended, and it is all dismissed with a casual family lie.
44
posted on
12/29/2012 5:19:17 PM PST
by
ansel12
To: Elsie; greyfoxx39
MORMON ATTITUDES OF SUPERIORITY
To: campaignPete R-CT
>>
you might be told that Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) was more of a charismatic pentecostal which is why the Catholics gave him such a hard time at first. And that if he prayed a bit more, he would have become the first Baptist. <<
1) Well, which it is? Charismatic Pentecostal or Baptist? Those are two very different Christian traditions. Charismatic/Pentecostal was formally organized around the early 1960s, and Baptists around 1609. If it's the former, that wouldn't be an issue, since the charismatic movement overlaps Christian denominations and is accepted within Catholicism. That St. Francis of Assini might have been a charismatic before they were formally organized didn't make him any less of a Catholic.
2) Bringing up one person doesn't address the poster's original comments, that "Catholicism" ITSELF (the faith a whole, rather than say, for example "Catholic leaders are not the way to salvation") is not the way to God the Father or Jesus. If we go by her premise, then NOBODY on earth had the "way to Jesus" until Protestants (which according to her, are the ONLY "Christians") show up in the 1600s. True, there non-Catholics around before the 1600s, such as Orthodox Christians, but presumably they "don't know Jesus" either, since they hold same beliefs that cause her to reject Catholicism.
46
posted on
12/29/2012 6:05:38 PM PST
by
BillyBoy
( Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
To: BillyBoy
The Azusa Street Revival - Birth of the Pentecostal Movement
The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement.
It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915.
Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.
47
posted on
12/29/2012 6:31:51 PM PST
by
svcw
(Why is one cell on another planet considered life, and in the womb it is not.)
To: ejonesie22
Not really, but please feel free to think so.
48
posted on
12/29/2012 6:37:32 PM PST
by
stuartcr
("Everything happens as God wants it to, otherwise, things would be different.")
To: Tennessee Nana
Become the first Mormon president? No, the ignorant article said:
So, today I want to pause from my normal, upbeat blogging style to acknowledge what I've been observing throughout my Mormon community since Mitt Romney's bid to become the first President of the United States failed
49
posted on
12/29/2012 7:33:33 PM PST
by
Graybeard58
("Civil rights” leader and MSNB-Hee Haw host Al Sharpton - Larry Elder)
To: BillyBoy
50
posted on
12/29/2012 7:40:56 PM PST
by
campaignPete R-CT
(campaigned for local conservatives only)
To: stuartcr
Oh they do, no “think so” to it. Otherwise you would have left all this alone some time ago...
51
posted on
12/29/2012 9:14:27 PM PST
by
ejonesie22
(8/30/10, the day Truth won.)
To: ansel12
Wait...
Are you saying...
No, it can’t be...
A Mormon would lie?
No...
So does that mean my matched set of Genuine Nephite Chessmen in the Curelom skin pouch could be fakes?
52
posted on
12/29/2012 9:23:58 PM PST
by
ejonesie22
(8/30/10, the day Truth won.)
To: ejonesie22; ansel12
So does that mean my matched set of Genuine Nephite Chessmen in the Curelom skin pouch could be fakes? along with those golden tickets to the grand opening of the nephite exhibit at the smithsonian.
53
posted on
12/29/2012 9:27:41 PM PST
by
Godzilla
(3/7/77)
To: BillyBoy
Mainstream Protestantism does not reject Catholicism nor Orthodoxy. There are some outlier Baptist and charismatics who seemed to have picked up issues, but even the SBC actively participates in ecumenical organizations with Catholics ad fellow Christians. I myself have been both Methodist and Orthodox and moved between the two with nary a look nor did I burst into flames. In fact the Orthodox Church took my Methodist Baptism for membership.
54
posted on
12/29/2012 9:29:41 PM PST
by
ejonesie22
(8/30/10, the day Truth won.)
To: Godzilla
Oh man...
I heard the artifacts were out of sight...
55
posted on
12/29/2012 9:36:15 PM PST
by
ejonesie22
(8/30/10, the day Truth won.)
To: ejonesie22; campaignPete R-CT
>>
Mainstream Protestantism does not reject Catholicism nor Orthodoxy. There are some outlier Baptist and charismatics who seemed to have picked up issues, but even the SBC actively participates in ecumenical organizations with Catholics ad fellow Christians. <<
I agree, I think most major protestant denominations have no problem accepting Catholic and Orthodox Christians are legitimate Christians. The "Catholics ain't Christian" stuff seems to a fringe movement limited to some fundamentalist "born again" types. They'd also probably say most of their fellow protestants, and indeed, about 90% of practicing Christians in the world, "ain't Christian", since they only believe their brand of Christianity to be legit. History certainly isn't in their favor, the apostles themselves would be "non Christians" in their eyes.
>> I myself have been both Methodist and Orthodox and moved between the two with nary a look nor did I burst into flames. In fact the Orthodox Church took my Methodist Baptism for membership. <<
True, I think the rule of thumb for Catholic and Orthodox Churches is that a protestant baptism is valid as long as it's a tridentine baptism done with a traditional understanding of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The vast majority of protestant churches fit that definition. Those that are non-tridentine often don't do the sacrament of baptism anyway. And non-Chrisitan churches like Mormons say "Father, Son, and Holy Spirt", but believe them to be three separate gods who "work together". Thus their baptism deviates from historic Christianity and what was established in the Bible, so it's not a Christian baptism. This isn't to say they're bad people though. Many Mormons behave in a more Christian manner than a lot of "Christians" in the world.
56
posted on
12/30/2012 12:05:00 AM PST
by
BillyBoy
( Impeach Obama? Yes We Can!)
To: stuartcr; ejonesie22
Not really, but please feel free to think so. Yeah; it's that OTHER guy, Greg West; who has his pants all aknicker.
But since he can't post here any more; other deceived LDS folk may have to do it for him.
He is REALLY upset, about this very thread, on his latest FRAMreport.
(Haven't other LDS folks been invited to put in their two cents worth here?)
57
posted on
12/30/2012 3:35:18 AM PST
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: Graybeard58
You missed the very next sentence:
Like many of you hoping to celebrate the 2012 election results, I was ready to enthusiastically write that historic victory post, not only here, but also on the Washington Post:
Mitt Romney First Mormon President of the United States!
58
posted on
12/30/2012 3:37:41 AM PST
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: ejonesie22
So does that mean my matched set of Genuine Nephite Chessmen in the Curelom skin pouch could be fakes?There may be another opus in your future...
Where can we find an 'OFFICIAL MORMON' teaching website??
Official sites are sites supported by LDS officials unless said official sites are considered unofficial by said officials.
At that point such sites are unofficial unless officially referenced for official purposes by officials who can do so officially.
This should not be misconstrued as an indication that official sites can be unofficially recognized as official nor should it be implied that unofficial sites cannot contain official information, but are not officially allowed to be offical despite their official contents due the their unofficialness.
Official sites will be official and recognized as official by officials of the LDS unless there is an official reason to mark them as unofficial either temporally or permanently, which would make the official content officially unofficial.
This is also not to imply that recognized sites, often used on FR by haters and bigots cannot contain official information, it just means that content, despite its official status, is no longer official and should be consider unofficial despite the same information being official on an official site elsewhere.
Even then the officialness my be amended due to the use of the unofficial information which may determine the officialness of anything be it official or unofficial depending on how and where it is used officially or unofficially.
I hope this clear things up for the lurkers out there.
The haters tend to make things complicated and confusing when it is all really quite crystal clear.
--Ejonesie22
59
posted on
12/30/2012 3:39:53 AM PST
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
To: BillyBoy
Many Mormons behave in a more Christian manner than a lot of "Christians" in the world. True.
Doncha wish that 'good behaviour' was the criteria for getting into heaven!!
Many MUSLIMS also behave in a more Christian manner than a lot of "Christians" in the world.
Likewise so do some atheists, Wiccans and navel gazers.
60
posted on
12/30/2012 3:43:43 AM PST
by
Elsie
(Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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