Cautionary note: If you vote x to keep out y, I don’t judge you for that even though it’s not usually my philosophy. There is something to be said about compromise, as we see from the Founding Fathers, but where a person draws that line is between him and God. I’m sure you’re all doing your best, and God bless you. Remember if you disagree with me, I’m merely likewise doing my best. Do you think you’re right? Everyone thinks they are right, else they would not hold that opinion which they hold!
Again I stress that if you disagree with me that’s ok and I’m always your loyal friend. The art of friendship does not require the same strokes of the brush from each master (though we must beware which type of master we are/serve). This is a complex issue worthy of lengthy study, prayer, and pondering of the mainly the scriptures.
-In efforts to be informed on current events, I’ve created a News Gazette, which I attempt to update important news articles, and of course, no profane images, etc., see the “Richardson Studies Gazette”
-I usually vote with the Constitution Party, see the Constitution Party website http://www.constitutionparty.com
-“Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil” (D&C 98:10)
-I highly suggest the books by Ezra Benson, as well as books by Hans V Anderson (whom was a Seventy), one of Anderson’s books on government is called “Many are Called and Few Chosen” and is endorsed by Benson as you’ll see from a citation later in this document. Another of his on government is called “The Book of Mormon and The Constitution”. Another of his on government is called “The Great and Abominable Church of the Devil.” ( A link to my summary on the latter is here: https://richardsonstudies.wordpress.com/category/the-great-and-abominable-church-of-the-devil-by-h-verlan-andersen-summary-by-nate-richardson/)
-The LDS Church is politically neutral: Here is a quote from the Church Newsroom:
“The Church does not:
Endorse, promote or oppose political parties, candidates or platforms.
Allow its church buildings, membership lists or other resources to be used for partisan political purposes.
Attempt to direct its members as to which candidate or party they should give their votes to. This policy applies whether or not a candidate for office is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Attempt to direct or dictate to a government leader.
“The Church does:
Encourage its members to play a role as responsible citizens in their communities, including becoming informed about issues and voting in elections.
Expect its members to engage in the political process in an informed and civil manner, respecting the fact that members of the Church come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences and may have differences of opinion in partisan political matters.
Request candidates for office not to imply that their candidacy or platforms are endorsed by the Church.
Reserve the right as an institution to address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that it believes have significant community or moral consequences or that directly affect the interests of the Church.”
see http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/official-statement/political-neutrality
-*So you see, the church saying they are politically neutral. HOWEVER they aren’t morally neutral.
– “We must be devoted to sound principles in word and deed: principle above party, principle above pocketbook, principle above popularity.” (Ezra Taft Benson, America’s Challenge. God, Family, Country)
-“Unlike the political opportunist, the true statesman values principle above popularity, and works to create popularity for those political principles which are wise and just” (Ezra Taft Benson, The Proper Role of Government)
-See also “Dare to Stand Alone” by Thomas S Monson, Conf. Report, 2011 October.
-“members are encouraged to register to vote, to study issues and candidates carefully, and to vote for individuals whom they believe will act with integrity and sound judgment. Latter-day Saints have a special obligation to seek out, vote for, and uphold leaders who are honest, good, and wise (see D&C 98:10)” (Church handbook #2, 21.1.29)
-“Now, I am not caring today, for myself, anything at all about a political party tag. So far as I am concerned, I want to know what the man stands for …When I find out these things, when I know who it is who should receive my support, and I care not what his party tag is… Today, our duty transcends party allegiance; our duty today is allegiance to the Constitution as it was given to us by the Lord.” (J. Reuben Clark, Jr., CR 10/62:8)
-“We honor our founding fathers of this republic for the same reason. God raised up these patriotic partners to perform their mission, and he called them “wise men.” (see D&C 101:80.) The First Presidency acknowledged that wisdom when they gave us the guideline a few years ago of supporting political candidates “who are truly dedicated to the Constitution in the tradition of our Founding Fathers.” (Ezra Taft Benson, Deseret News, November 2, 1964.) .
-“Good candidates, if not supported, will not generally stand again. They may even lose money when not supported. What does this do in the long term? It promotes the lowest common denominator. The candidates grow worse, generally, over time.” ( D.M. Andrews on November 2, 2012, as seen on LDS Liberty Blog in Article “Why You Vote For Someone Matters”, comments section, at http://www.ldsliberty.org/why-you-vote-for-someone-matters/) )
-“”The idea is this: The Lord has never told us we are responsible for making sure a certain someone makes it into the White House as President. The Lord, instead, has commanded that we vote a certain way. When we obey Him and vote that way, we have every right to ask Him to bless our nation. When we take it upon ourselves to vote for the lesser of two evils, or vote for person “x” just so that person “z” doesn’t win, then we are sinning, and will be held accountable. Also the Lord will not bless our nation for it. We have no right to turn to Him and ask for such a blessing. Our faith and trust in God and the miracles that He can bring about, must be stronger than our fear of who will win the presidency. As ETB stated, even if the worse possible candidates wins, the Lord will still bless America MORE, because more people were willing to stand up and vote the right way.
If the Lord promised Abraham to spare Sodom and Gomorrah if Abraham could find peradventure just 10 righteous people, then He can bless America if we can find peradventure a majority of us who are willing to obediently vote in the manner the Lord prescribed (through his scripture but also through His servants). I trust the Lord. Sadly, though, too many people find this paradigm shift too difficult to make. It is the last days for sure.” (Teri on October 12, 2016, as seen on LDS Liberty Blog in Article “Why You Vote For Someone Matters”, comments section, at http://www.ldsliberty.org/why-you-vote-for-someone-matters/)
-“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.” (John Quincy Adams As quoted in Pocket Patriot : Quotes From American Heroes (2005) edited by Kelly Nickell)
-“Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil” (D&C 98:10). (Some commentary on the above quote from ldsliberty.org, about how voting against someone by voting for a lesser of two evils is bad logic: “The Doctrine and Covenants goes so far to say that we vote for honesty and wisdom and that whatever is “less than these cometh of evil.” When voting anti-enemy, there are no fundamental or necessary thoughts of voting for anything at all – let alone honesty and wisdom. An anti-enemy approach pays no mind to whether the person we have chosen to support has any standard of honesty or wisdom whatsoever, for the anti-enemy approach fundamentally exclaims that “anyone but [insert your most hated candidate] will do.”” (See http://www.ldsliberty.org/why-you-vote-for-someone-matters/))
-“… to vote for wicked men, it would be sin,” said Hyrum Smith. (Documentary History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 323.)
-“We engage in the election the same as in any other principle; you are to vote for good men, and if you do not do this it is a sin; to vote for wicked men, it would be sin. Choose the good and refuse the evil. Men of false principles have preyed upon us like wolves upon helpless lambs. Damn the rod of tyranny; curse it. Let every man use his liberties according to the constitution. Don’t fear man or devil; electioneer with all people, male and female, and exhort them to do the thing that is right. We want a President of the U.S., not a Party president, but a President of the whole people; for a Party president disfranchises the opposite party. Have a President who will maintain every man in his rights” (History of the Church, Vol. 6, Ch. 15, p. 323; emphasis added).
(Some commentary on the above quote from ldsliberty.org, about how voting against someone by voting for a lesser of two evils is bad logic: “Notice that Smith did not say that we are to vote against wicked men, but that we, in reality, are voting for either good or wicked men. Voting against something is an illusion, as we – as Children of God (agents to act and not be acted upon) – are consistently working for something, even when in our world-view and perception we are standing anti-enemy in fighting against something.
We are to look at politics in the same pro-liberty, pro-freedom, and pro-kingdom of God way that we engage every other principle. We are to vote for good men. Anything else is sin. Men of false principle, Hyrum explains, present themselves as “Party presidents” who “disfranchise the opposite party”. In other words, “Party presidents” promote the anti-enemy approach that we commonly see in the political process. We may believe that in our anti-enemy approach we are fighting for truth, but, in reality, we are engaging in idolatry.” (See http://www.ldsliberty.org/why-you-vote-for-someone-matters/)
– This quote I suppose could point a person to the 2-party system: “Another guideline given by the First Presidency was “to support good and conscientious candidates, of either party, who are aware of the great dangers” facing the free world.” (Deseret News, November 2, 1964.) (Ezra Taft Benson, 1972 April General Conference, Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints. See https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1972/04/civic-standards-for-the-faithful-saints?lang=eng)
-“Fortunately we have materials to help us face these threatening dangers in the writings of President David O. McKay and other church leaders. Some other fine sources by LDS authors attempting to awaken and inform us of our duty are: Prophets, Principles, and National Survival (Jerreld L. Newquist), Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen (H. Verlan Andersen), and The Elders of Israel and the Constitution (Jerome Horowitz).” (Ezra Taft Benson, 1972 April General Conference, Civic Standards for the Faithful Saints. See https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1972/04/civic-standards-for-the-faithful-saints?lang=eng)
-“In the next canvas we shall be influenced by no party consideration…the partisans in this county who expect to divide the friends of humanity and equal rights will find themselves mistakes — we care not a fig for Whig or Democrat; they are both alike to us; but we shall go for our friends, our tried friends, and that cause of human liberty which is the cause of God. We are aware that ‘divide and conquer’ is the watchword with many, but with us it cannot be done — we love too well — we have suffered too much to be easily duped — we have no cat’s paws amongst us.” (Joseph Smith, Times & Seasons – 3:651)
-More commentary from ldsliberty.org about the bad logic of ‘voting for the lesser of two evils’: “Voting for the lesser of two evils is also an anti-enemy approach to politics and is also a form of idolatry. This approach stipulates that A is bad, but B is worse, so I will vote against B and accept A. The deception here masks the anti-enemy approach of voting for the lesser of two evils by arguing that because the individual shares more in common with A than B, then he is somehow voting for A – when in reality he is voting against B.
This may seem counterintuitive, for we often perceive that we have a basic, common, and fundamental set of principles that we use to make value judgments regarding who we will support. In other words, an individual might say that he is actually voting for A for various reasons found in that person, and that this individual finds more reasons to vote for A than for B between seemingly “viable” candidates. Therefore, as this individual might say, he will vote for those common reasons found in A and not necessarily against B at all. If this is actually the case, then there is no problem – so long as there is not another candidate who more perfectly reflects this individual’s personal beliefs who is not rationalized away as an “unviable” candidate (else the case of idolatry returns).
“I like almost everything A says over B,” I hear many people say, “but I disagree more with C than B, and knowing that A isn’t going to win, I am going to vote for B.” Did you catch what is going on here? Do you see the cognitive dissonance? This example demonstrates the inconsistent and rotating view that most people hold, as they alternate almost effortlessly between pro-liberty and anti-enemy approaches.”
-“The American system does allow for candidates other than the Republican and Democrat candidates to win – it is never a 2-person race.” ( D.M. Andrews on November 2, 2012, as seen on LDS Liberty Blog in Article “Why You Vote For Someone Matters” at , http://www.ldsliberty.org/why-you-vote-for-someone-matters/))
-“You will have to stand before God for your choice one day, like other choices. Did you vote on conscience for what was right, or did you vote for the lesser of two evils?” ( D.M. Andrews on November 2, 2012, as seen on LDS Liberty Blog in Article “Why You Vote For Someone Matters” at , http://www.ldsliberty.org/why-you-vote-for-someone-matters/))
-Supposedly Ezra Benson said this to Mike Thompson, “Pres. Benson, when we were sitting in his office in the Church Office Building many years ago told me this after discussing many issues: ‘Mike, if you vote for the lesser of two evils you are still voting for evil and you will be judged for it. You should always vote for the best possible candidate, whether they have a chance of winning or not. Then, even if the worst possible candidate wins, the Lord will bless our nation more because more people were willing to stand up for what is right.’”
-I spoke to Joel Skousen about how he casts his vote. He says he always vote 3rd party, unless there is a very close call where a democrat would otherwise be elected.
