by David Safier
Interesting questions are being raised among Mormons about SB 1070.
Do they accept Russell Pearce's view that the anti-immigrant law adheres to the "12th Article of Faith, which says Mormons believe in 'obeying, honoring and sustaining the law'"?
Or do they look at some of the more humane teachings of the church?
On the opposite side are Latter-day Saints who argue for a more complex and humane approach to immigration. They point to church teachings about taking care of one's family, being hospitable to the stranger and building the kingdom of God.
"I don't think the intent of the Article of Faith was to make us vigilantes and gatekeepers and create anti-immigrant rhetoric and climate," said Ignacio Garcia, a Brigham Young University history professor.
I don't know much about how this plays out in Arizona, but Utah has a large number of Spanish speaking Mormon congregations. What would happen if the congregants were asked to show their papers, considering it's estimated that 50% to 70% of them are undocumented?
The church takes a sort-of "don't ask, don't tell" approach to the immigration status of its own members. Some estimate that 50 percent to 75 percent of members in Utah's 100-plus Spanish-speaking congregations are undocumented. That includes many bishops, branch presidents, even stake presidents.
The church sends missionaries among undocumented immigrants across the country, baptizing many of them without asking about their status. It also allows them to go to the temple and on missions.
"We're not agents of the immigration service, and we don't pretend to be," LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland told The Salt Lake Tribune last year, "and we also don't break the law."
Utah has its own anti-immigration law, SB-81, which passed last year. I don't know the details of the bill, but it has caused quite a fuss in the Mormon Community.
A columnist in the Mormon Times wrote:
I can only speak from my own LDS experience here, but I hold Utah lawmakers responsible for breaking up good LDS families and forcing young American citizens out of their native land.
[snip]
Forgive me, but at that moment our flint-hearted Utah legislators looked a lot like those frightened 19th-century Illinois and Missouri lawmakers who drove my ancestors out of Nauvoo. Those politicians didn't understand my people, so — filled with fear — they drove the Saints "across the river."
Here in Arizona, there's this letter by William R. Richardson of Mesa, who refers to himself as "the branch president of one of the Spanish language congregations in Mesa":
I am the branch president of one of the Spanish language congregations in Mesa, Arizona to which you made reference in your recent article on Mormons and profiling. I can tell you that there are many in this area (including much of the Anglo population) who truly abhor the things that Russell Pearce is doing and saying to this most vulnerable of people.
I have been the branch President for just about 18 months and we have had over 100 convert baptisms in that period of time. Pearce and his acolytes give the church unwelcomed attention as did ex-governor Evan Mecham. Utah has Chris Buttars and we now have Russell Pearce to thank for giving Arizona Mormons another PR challenge to overcome.
I attach a letter I wrote to Governor Brewer which outlines the shortsightedness of the recently passed legislation. I believe my letter represents the views of the majority of right thinking Mormons in Arizona. We clearly still have some knuckle dragging closet racists in the Church. We pray that they will recognize the evil in their ways.
It's not unusual for members of a church to split on social and political issues. It's heartening to hear these discussions are going on inside Russell Pearce's Mormon Church.
Discover more from Blog for Arizona
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
“We’re not agents of the immigration service, and we don’t pretend to be,” LDS apostle Jeffrey R. Holland told The Salt Lake Tribune last year, “and we also don’t break the law.”
I am heartsick that this has become such a divisive issue among Americans and Mormons alike. There just is no moral or scriptural precedent for anyone to “Prosper” at the expense of others, but on the contrary, there are many scriptural precedents for helping the poor and punishment for not doing so. I know extreme right wingers see this as “global world government conspiracy” but that is their usual hysteria talking. And God is the father of us all, so think about it. Hard.
Dear Mr. Safier,
My wife and I are active members of the LDS Church. We are Hispanic and have conservative political views. We seem to be in the minority of Mormons who are strongly opposed to SB 1070. I am relieved to had read the previous postings by the two branch presidents and they gave me hope that they are more members out there who oppose this bill. It’s a shame they are not more vocal about their opposition to this bill.
I not only find Sen. Pearce responsible for this immoral bill, but also the LDS contingent of state senators and representatives who have voted to pass this bill that clearly singles out a certain group of people. In fact, one representive who helped pass this bill, is married to my wife’s cousin. I found it very ironic that the day after Govenor Brewer signed the bill into law, this rep attended a family party that was full of Mexicans. I wondered if he even concerned that one day, one of these people (most of them are related to our wives) could become victim of police scruntiny over their citizenship.
I find it very hypocritical of fellow members who are in support of this bill because I know many that have used undocumented workers for their yard or home projects. Suddenly, there is this wave of anti-immigration hyseria because of this recent campaign to demomize illegal immigrants as crimminals.
I consider myself a regular “Joe Mormon” who does not hold any leadership position in the Church, have a famous name, and does not have connections with people in high places. So I am reluctant to ask my own stake president or anyone else in a higher position, why our Church is not standing up for our Spanish-speaking members. Why isn’t there this zeal that was used by Church members to squash gay marriage in California and here in Arizona, also used to speak out against this immigration law? Are they not both moral issues? I find myself in disbelief and disappointed that my beloved Church is silent about this very importatnt issue.
Thank you for your time and allowing me to post my views in your blog.
Chip Wilson
Ken, Thank you so much for your comments. With your permission, I would like to move your comments to the front of the blog. (Also, being an old English teacher, I’ll correct some minor spelling and other errors. I can’t help myself.)
Let me know if that’s OK with you.
My name is Ken Smith. I am a 4th gereration of Mesa and have been practicing law for over 25 years. I too am a Branch President in the LDS Church for a Spanish speaking congregation in Mesa. We have many new families from Mexcio that have recently joined the Church. Just last Sunday, two of the new members got up in front of the whole congregation and gave thanks to their Heavenly Father for their membership in the Church and expressed their love for their Savior Jesus Christ. To think that a so called “member” of the Church, i.e., Russell Pearce would hunt these members and their families down like animals and deport them makes me sick to my stomach. In my humble opinion, Russell Pearce is not living his religion. The Savior taught that the first great commandment is to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and the second is like unto the first: Love thy neighbor as thyelf.
To those who hide behind the weak mantra “well they broke the law when they came here and therefore, they are getting what they deserve”, I ask, what would you do if you and your same family lived 5 hours to the south and there was absolutely no way to support your family there. If you love your family and are not a liar or a hypocrite, you would admit that you too would cross a line in the sand and go to a job and better life that was waiting for you. Under the law, there is a doctrine called “legal necessity” whereby one is justified to break a minor law under life and death circumstances.
I can also tell you that there is no doubt in my mind that the Lord himself has led many of these people to Mesa, Arizona–just so that they could be introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Russell Pearce and his ilk rant about the U.S. being a country of laws. If they really believed that, then why are they shredding the U.S. Constitution? They do so because they are racist bullies. They pick on a segment of society that cannot vote and cannot fight back.
You should also know that the fact that they “made it illegal” for law enforcement to use racial profiling is a big fallacy and a waste of ink to write it. I know there are good and honorable policemen that will refuse to do it. But there are also many racist cops who will use SB1070 as a hunting license to round-up Hispanics.
All they need is a pretext to pull an Hispanic over, i.e., “you didn’t stop completely at that stop sign, you didn’t signal for that turn, etc., believe me, I have heard the stories. One sister in my Branch was pulled over and she new enough English to ask why she was pulled over. The officer relpied that it was “just a routine stop”. I know a family of 4 that was pulled over in Gilbert at 4 in the morning for not stopping “completely” at a stop sign. The cop was just fishing for Hispanics. The parellels to Nazi Germany are not inaccurate.
The most sinister part of the bill is that the Hispanics that are stopped, detained and deported under such a pretext. will be in Mexico before they can ever complain about it.
The Savior taught that in the last days, even the very elect will be deceived. That prophesy has somewhat been fulfilled in that Russell Pearce has been elected and now he has been deceived.
99% of all the immigration problems could be solved with a fence and a quest worker program. Because they are blinded by hate and racism, our state leaders cannot see that simple solution.
I can also tell you that the Republican party is making a generational mistake by not taking the lead to embrace the 12 million or so undocumented economic refugees and turn them into republicans that would help keep the dems out of power for generations. They would make graet republicans in that they believe in God, they are against abortion, they believe in strong families, they are hard working, they don’t like big government, they like low taxes, etc, etc. Does that sound like republican or democratic principles?
Thanks for letting me vent. Ken Smith
I speak for myself and not the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.