BYU’s Office of Civic Engagement, alongside the Religious Studies Center, hosted four Latter-day Saint political leaders to discuss the intersection of faith and public service on Dec. 3.
The panel chaired the following experts:
- Ben McAdams: Former U.S. Representative.
- Karen Hale: Former Utah State Senator.
- Holly Richardson: Political commentator and former Utah legislator
- Aimee Winder Newton: Salt Lake County Council Member
The event was moderated by political science professor Richard Davis, whose book, “Faith and Politics: Latter-day Saint Politicians Tell Their Stories," inspired the name of the event.
Each professional discussed their background and what brought them to politics. Their reasons varied from feeling inspired after witnessing extreme poverty while on a mission to being asked to run for public service offices by peers who were political leaders in the community.
When asked about how gospel teachings have affected their approach to politics, Richardson said, “My religion informs my politics, not the other way around.”
She said she often refers back to the question, "What would Jesus do?" as a starting point for navigating difficult political cases.
Newton expanded upon this statement, stating that being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints helped her to grow crucial skills over time, such as public speaking, curiosity for the well-being of her peers and a deep-rooted devotion towards serving the needy.
McAdams addressed the principle of separation of church and state, emphasizing that while people shouldn’t impose their faith on others, “the values that motivate us to serve should be present in our service.”
Hale shared how our “deep rooted convictions, beliefs or devotions, those things that shape us into who we are,” are crucial to creating policies that uplift others, and shouldn’t be disregarded or undermined.
Near the end of the discussion, all panelists expressed how good and bad can be found in both political parties. “It’s dangerous to say ‘You can’t be an active member if you don’t believe politically like I do,’” Richardson said.
The Church’s recent political neutrality statement reflects an urge to help members utilize their agency and not villainize one party over the other, he said.
Lastly, Davis asked what lessons these professionals would like to share with the young Latter-day Saint leaders in attendance.
Richardson said that while the impulse might be to run away, staying is what helps make a difference. “Everytime you say your vote doesn’t matter, you let someone else choose for you,” she said, later advising students to “rely on faith to give you hope, and stay grounded in that hope and faith, even though it’s hard,”
“There are two things we are missing and we need your generation to fix," Newton said. "One is, lies are becoming acceptable and nobody’s holding people accountable when they blatantly lie about whatever's going on, and that’s concerning. And the second one is the instability peace,” referring to the growing tensions between parties.
"We need to be able to have hearty debates with one another and still respect each other, which this new generation can be a great help towards," Newton said.
McAdams expressed how “you don’t have to run for office [to make an impact].”
"If you strive to make service part of what you do, give back to your community and consecrate yourself, you can help with healing what’s broken in this country," he said.
“I’ve been discouraged these last few years, looking at politics, but what gives me hope is everyone in this room. I’m depending on you,” Hale said. Hale urged students to not allow fear to hold them back, stating that she can see “young people who are bright, who are willing to put in the hard work, and who see that there are needs in our community and they're willing to jump in.”
“[You may feel] blind, misunderstood, depressed, or discouraged,” Davis said. In David’s hardest moments, he asked himself the question, “If I don’t, who will?” Davis ended the event by exhorting attendees to keep their eyes on the prize amidst the trials in order to improve the world around us.
Dallin Bundy, a student officer for the Civic Engagement Leadership Association, said his favorite part of the event was seeing how the panelists treated one another.
“You could tell that all the panelists knew each other before this event,” Bundy said. He also explained that, in politics, “you work with the people who are around you because you have to, whether you agree or disagree with them. Those panelists disagreed with each other; they made that evident in some cases,” he said.
Bundy also said he appreciated that the panelists showed that working together, regardless of political beliefs, is needed in politics.
“I really loved how they emphasized the fact that you can be an active member of either political party and still a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I think that’s so important since the church does have a political neutrality statement and we’re a global organization that welcomes people with all beliefs and backgrounds,” Ella Paligo, another student in attendance, said.