This post is for all of my Mormon friends, family and acquaintances.  I have seen and heard a lot about opposition to Trump because he is not moral enough, people voting their conscience, etc. Let me begin by saying I am definitely not a Trump fan. I don’t personally like the guy (or at least not his public persona – I’ve heard that in private he is very different), his style or his approach. Nevertheless, he is probably the best candidate available.  I’d like to ask my Mormon friends to consider 3 things: logic, judging, and what I’m convinced God views as our moral duty with respect to voting.

Logic. The premise, as I understand it, for how voting for a 3rd party candidate is anything but a symbolic electoral falling on your sword is that if a candidate such as Evan McMullin could win one state and prevent any other candidate from getting 270 electoral votes, the election would then be decided by Congress.  I think there is no argument that Trump is an “anti-establishment” candidate and that Hillary is the ultimate “establishment” candidate. If there is one thing that both the Democratic and Republican establishments can agree on, it is their dislike (if not hatred) for Trump. So, the plan is to make sure that neither the “establishment” candidate, nor the hated “anti-establishment” candidate win the traditional way, that way Congress (the very embodiment of the “establishment”), will get to pick the next President. I also assume/understand that Evan McMullin is not an “establishment” candidate. Does anyone really think that the Republican and Democratic establishments, which are at their most powerful within Congress, are going to pick an unknown, non-establishment candidate?  Come on, really?  Are they going to pick him because he is so righteous?  Congress is going to pick based on Mormon righteousness?

Judging. If a vote for Evan McMullin is based on his policy positions, then go for it.  If one truly believes that what he says he will do is materially different and better than what Trump says he will do, then that person should vote for McMullin. I’ll admit, I have not looked carefully at his policy statements. However, the only thing I have seen and heard offered in support of him is that he is a righteous Mormon.  Leaving aside how any of us would really know whether or not he is righteous, his righteousness and Trump’s supposed unrighteousness is really none of our concern, nor is it our place to judge someone’s personal righteousness.  Of course, in selecting a candidate, we are supposed to “judge” whether or not the principles they advocate are correct, beneficial or even “righteous” purposes.  However, I have never seen anywhere the instruction from the Lord that we are to judge a candidate’s personal, moral worthiness as a basis for our vote.  Indeed, the scriptures plainly state that all judgement is committed to the Son of God, and that irrespective of what another might have done, the greater sin lies in those of us who judge another’s personal worthiness or righteousness.  I have seen a number of people suggest that God will hold them responsible if they vote for an unrighteous person.  However, there is no support for that anywhere in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Indeed, don’t “we believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression?” I think we have little reason to fear that we will be punished for Donald’s transgressions either.

I can’t help but see some startling similarities emerging between the modern ballot booth, and an ancient Book of Mormon structure that also only admitted one person at a time.  Anciently, in that solitary structure, individuals would enter in and give thanks to God that they were more righteous than another. When we go into that ballot booth next week, are we going to “vote” to declare our greater personal worthiness than another? If we’re going to throw away our vote on a purely symbolic tribute to righteousness, maybe we should each write in our own names, that way we can be sure to vote for the most righteous person we know.

Moral duty.  I do believe very strongly that God has given each of us a moral duty to discharge in the ballot box.  However, mine is not a duty to judge the candidates’ respective personal worthiness and righteousness. My moral, ethical and civic duty is to vote for the candidate whose positions are closest to what I believe to be correct.  There are many issues in elections, but this election is an historic one in that there is really only one issue that matters, and that is mostly definitely and emphatically on the ballot – the preservation of religious freedom.  Our Constitution was inspired by God for one purpose and one purpose only: to create a political and governance system where freedom of religion would be protected so that the Fullness of the Gospel could be restored, and so each of God’s children might have the chance to receive that message and exercise their free agency and religious freedom to accept or reject that message.  I believe that God expects each of us to do whatever we can, not only to vote for religious freedom, but to vote as effectively as possible to protect that religious freedom, even if we must do so through a flawed individual. I really don’t think economic, immigration, foreign or any other policies have much of an impact on God’s plan for his children. But religious freedom, does.  God has not blessed and protected the United States of America because He likes us more. He has preserved and protected us as the example and proponent of religious freedom that is so important to His plan for all of his children.  I am convinced that He will hold me accountable for voting and doing everything I can to uphold and preserve that religious freedom, and expects me, a flawed individual, to work with flawed allies in so doing.