Provo, Utah's
Daily Herald reports on a posting on the LDS Church's
Newsroom indicating that a letter has been sent from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' First Presidency to all full time officers of the church reminding them of the church's policy of neutrality in partisan politics. The June 16 letter reads in part:
General Authorities and general officers of the Church and their spouses and other ecclesiastical leaders serving full-time should not personally participate in political campaigns, including promoting candidates, fundraising, speaking in behalf of or otherwise endorsing candidates, and making financial contributions.
Since they are not full-time officers of the Church, Area Seventies, stake presidents and bishops are free to contribute, serve on campaign committees and otherwise support candidates of their choice with the understanding they:- Are acting solely as individual citizens in the democratic process and that they do not imply, or allow others to infer, that their actions or support in any way represent the church.
- Will not use Church stationery, Church-generated address lists or email systems or Church buildings for political promotional purposes.
- Will not engage in fundraising or other types of campaigning focused on fellow Church members under their ecclesiastical supervision.
Presumably the letter was prompted at least in part by the fact that two candidates for the Republican nomination for U.S. president-- Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman-- are Mormons.
