Mormon Involvement in Argentina
Leading up to Prop 8 in California, the First Presidency of the Mormon Church sent a letter to all the congregations in California requesting the members of the church to give of their time and money to defeat Prop 8. (A copy of the letter is in my possession.) Even though Mormons make up a small percent of the population in California, they responded to the request of their so-called prophet to help rescind rights from their neighbors. Surrounding states with high Mormon populations, namely Utah, also responded to the request and $22 million poured into California leading up to the election.
The Church sent a similar letter to congregations in Buenos Aires on July 6th, reminding members that current LDS belief (but not doctrine) is that marriage is between one man and one woman. This letter is a significant step in political activism outside the United States. D. Michael Quinn, a Mormon historian and former BYU professor said, “they have not urged (members) to take political steps but they are taking a half-step in that direction. It demonstrates two things: how much an issues this is for LDS leadership, and what they are willing to risk.” It is unknown if the LDS Church has drafted similar letters in countries where gay marriage had been made legal.
From the Great and Spacious Office Tower in Salt Lake City the LDS leadership may think their church has a big presence in Argentina. But in a country of 41 million people, there are only 371,000 LDS members according to the 2010 church almanac. And as a former missionary myself, I can attest to the fact that probably only half of the 371,000 are even partially active in church activities. If my experiences in Russia are similar to those in other countries then I would bet that most people in Argentina can see right through the American sales pitch from the white, middle-class, boys from Utah and don’t join the Mormon Church nor care what directives come out of Salt Lake.
President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina stood up against hate and bigotry. She is a brave and eloquent woman, well versed in the ideas of equality and social justice. What will it take to get more people like her in positions of power in the United States? For now I’m stuck listening to Governor Jan Brewer who sounds like an old woman who’s had one too many martinis.
This video should be required viewing for every politician in the United States.
