Dear Trump-supporting Mormons

This letter is to address some disparities that I have seen in many members of the LDS church in their support of Pres Donald Trump.

Dear Trump-supporting Mormons:

In the wake of the storming of the capital building this last week, I have decided that it is past time that I speak out. I have kept my tongue up until now, in the thought that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I still believe this is true, but I am worried about where our country is headed when almost half of our population supports a leader who incites violence on our democracy.

I am confused at how someone who proclaims to be a follower of Jesus Christ supports a leader who embodies the opposite of Christian values. 

Jesus says to love your neighbor. And he goes on to explain that your neighbor especially extends to those who are different from you. Yet, when Trump refused to help scores of immigrants fleeing their countries, looking for a better life, did we stand up and demand that help be given? Or did we make statements like they are here to take away our jobs or they just want to get free healthcare? Let them come the legal way; disregarding the fact that it is an almost impossible task, especially for someone with no money, help, or time.

Another important Christian value is respect. Trump has done nothing but be disrespectful to anyone other than heterosexual white men. He has called people of color names. He has degraded women. Is this the person Christ would support?

As I tried to explore how strong LDS members could support Donald Trump, I talked to a few. It seems the one thing that is happening is fear of socialism. Someone has done a great job of sowing this fear. I'm really not sure why this is something Mormons fear. Let's look at the communities that Joseph Smith designed, the ones that we should be living if we were more perfect. These communities were set up for everyone to contribute their surplus to be used to help those who are struggling. How is that any different from socialism? Aren't Christians supposed to be generous? Aren't we supposed to help the poor? Many fear that there will be hoards of people taking "free" money and doing nothing. Remember, Mosiah 4:22 states,  

"And if ye judge the man who putteth up his petition to you for your substance that he perish not, and condemn him, how much more just will be your condemnation for withholding your substance, which doth not belong to you but to God, to whom also your life belongeth." 

We have clearly been taught to help others without judging them.

But let's move on to what happened on Wednesday. If you truly love this country and believe that God inspired our forefathers to create the constitution, how could you support someone who incited and encouraged members of this country to disrupt and ignore the constitutional process of passing leadership from one president to the other.  I hope you now see that the person you chose to support is only out for himself. He ignores the truth, he ignores the law, he manipulates his supporters. He is not a servant of the people, like Christ was.

I beg you to take off your Christian-Right blinders and look at the person you are supporting. As we have always been taught "By their fruits, ye shall know them." What fruits have come directly and indirectly from Pres Trump? Look at where our country is at the end of his four years of leadership. We are more divided, more judgmental, less apt to listen to each other. This is not the legacy our Christian values should be leaving the country and the world.

Sincerely,

An Almost-Woke Mormon