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  1. Loved this! Thanks for all the work everyone put into this. You did a great job with putting church history in context of U.S. history and making sense of our political history. I love politics. I was impressed with how well inform everyone was on this topic. You did an amazing job at giving an good overview without generalizing and going deeper into important issues.

  2. Thanks for doing this. One comment that really jumped out at me was the idea that the church’s decision to clamp down on over-the-pulpit partisan political talk coincided with the tale end of Benson’s commentary and that may have frozen his thinking in time, giving his world view disproportionate traction today.

  3. Pingback: Why I’m a Mormon and Support President Obama, Part 2/6 | Mormons for Obama

  4. Personally, I found one of the best examples of political discourse in American history to be the publication of the Nauvoo Expositor. I am not a Mormon, but found the writing of that paper to be patriotic to the point it really moved me. The writers made points of proclaiming thier fath, loyal to the tenants of the Mormonism, while expressing political dissent with the then leader of the church. It was a beautiful thing, in my opinion.
    Those writers, though obviously unprofessional, made strong points about their desire to honor the constitution of the United States, to differentiate themselves from Joseph Smith’s desire to blend church and state, and to worship in a solidly Mormon way with no secrecy attached. I’d encourage any Mormon to read the document for themself, not an interpretation, but the real deal.
    I believe that paper and the surrounding incidents have a powerful place in American history, but probably quite a different one than most Mormons do. I believe it’s a beautiful example of the power of freedom of the press. So here and now, what is the range of Mormon political views? Do you all vote for Romney because he’s Mormon? We on the outside fear it’s so, like you donated to the Prop 8 cause because your elders told you to.
    In writing this response, I did a little research and was shocked to see the Nauvoo Expositor referred to as written by “apostates.” I come from a tradition that celebrates questioning, that of the Episcopal faith. My understanding of our constitution is that it also welcomes dissent and civil discourse. My daughter knows many more Mormons than I do, and tells me all the time they’re not all the same. Do you all vote the same? and burn printing presses?

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