Latter-day Saints Against Trump

25 august 2016

Note: We do not speak for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and we celebrate the LDS Church’s well-known position on political neutrality.

If you would like to have your name added to this list, send your name, city of residence, and party affiliation to LatterDaySaintsAgainstTrump@gmail.com.

As a coalition of Latter-day Saints, our community has been one of the Republican Party’s most reliable constituencies. But the threat posed by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump supersedes party boundaries. We present a multi-partisan statement urging our fellow Americans to protect our constitutional order from the disaster of a Trump presidency.

We are single, married, fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers. We are teachers, scholars, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, artists, and authors. We are Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Social Democrats. Some of us support increased access to American bor­ders; others support strong border security. Some of us are ardently pro-choice; others, staunchly pro-life. Some of us support a stronger military, and others, de-militarization. We share a common vision and hope for an American society committed to equal protection under the law, personal liberties, and principles of Constitutional governance.

As Mormons, our own people have been subjected to the horrors of institutional persecution. Our forbears faced mobbing, expulsion, violence, and public attacks from national figures. While the Latter-day Saint experience is distinct from those of other minority groups in both scope and duration, we, of all people, should know the scent of persecution when we smell it. Joseph Smith taught that the Constitution is a “glorious standard” that offers “cooling shades and refreshing waters” for the oppressed. We cannot stand by silent while Trump levels a full-frontal assault on religious and ethnic minorities.

Trump plays to the same kinds of prejudices that fueled the persecution of Mormons that deprived them, direct forbears to many modern Mormons, of their land, homes, and in many instances, lives. While Trump’s media presence may be breaking new ground, his approach is as old as the republic: convince people that those who look, talk, and socialize differently than you and your neighbors pose a threat. Whether railing against the alleged evils of America’s black, Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese, or even Freemason communities, demagogues have demonstrated a keen sense for the population most vulnerable to exploitation and bigotry. Trump has made no secret of his desire to undermine the rights of American citizens, whether it means deporting thousands of children with citizenship rights under the Fourteenth Amendment or attacking jurists based on their ethnicity. If we do not stand up for communi­ties that Trump wants to exclude, monitor, and restrict, then we forfeit any credibility that we might have for the pursuit of religious liberty and equal protection under the law.

For those who stand to lose the most, the ramifications of a Trump presidency would be disastrous. Cataloguing the ways that he has targeted the vulnerable and promised to defy the Constitution demands a space far greater than this statement. Trump has promised to take military action against non-combatant family members. He intends to re-invade Iraq to re-take Iraqi oil, observing that “in the old days, you know when you had a war, to the victor belongs the spoils.” He has mocked the disabled and valorized dictators. Trump has likened Syrian refugees to snakes, preying on our goodwill while plotting our destruction. Trump has cultivated an atmosphere that invites and, on more than one occasion, personally encourages violence. He has promised to dismantle the principles of citizenship promised by the Fourteenth Amendment. Trump has argued that Judge Gonzalo Curiel’s Mexican ancestry

delegitimizes him from overseeing his case, the very definition of ethnic prejudice. One signatory to this document, an English instructor suffering from muscular dystrophy, believes that Trump has “give[n] the world permission to look down on, to laugh at me, to put me in my place.” Trump has suggested that American citizens can be tried under a military tribunal. In every substantial regard, Trump has shown that he values coercion, ridicule, and domin­ion — principles utterly at odds with the best of the Latter-day Saint tradition.

His efforts to ban Muslims from entering the United States echo similar initiatives to keep Mormons out of the United States in the nineteenth century. In 1879, Secretary of State William Evarts plotted to keep Mormon immigrants from entering the United States. Of Mormons, he said: “The bands and organizations which are got together in foreign lands as recruits cannot be regarded as otherwise than a deliberate and systemic attempt to bring persons to the United States with the intent of violating their laws.” Contemporary commen­tators — including the Supreme Court itself — routinely attacked Mormonism as derivative of Islamic thought. Trump has made no secret of why he uses the tactics he does: “I play to people’s fantasies.” And the fantasies he crafts are of the darkest kind. Another signatory, a successful CEO, avoids most political discussions in public to preserve positive relationships with her donors and clients. But she cannot remain silent: “[Trump] is just that terrifying.”

We recognize the difficulties of this election season. No candidate will conform perfectly to an individual’s particular political preferences — or even sense of moral rightness. Our criti­cisms of the other current candidates are numerous and diverse. But to suppose that Trump is “just another politician” is to ignore the reality of the situation before us. He has proven himself to be unreliable on even his best points and morally unbearable on his worst. We no longer enjoy the luxury of throwing up our hands in the air in exasperation. We urge you to make a choice for liberty, for peace, for responsible government, and for the bonds that bring us together this November. In the spirit of religious freedom and our common commitment to Constitutional principles, we urge all to vote against Donald Trump this November.

Signatories

1. Russell Stevenson, East Lansing, MI (I)

2. Julie de Azevedo-Hanks, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

3. Boyd J. Petersen, Orem, UT (D)

4. Cherie Call, Spanish Fork, UT (D)

5. Ty Mansfield, Provo, UT (I)

6. Danielle Mansfield, Provo, UT (R)

7. Josh Weed, Covington, WA (I)

8. Lolly Weed, Covington, WA (I)

9. Bryndis Roberts, Atlanta, GA (D)

10. Andrea Radke-Moss, Rexburg, ID (D)

11. Geoff Openshaw, Alexandria, VA (I)

12. Nathaniel Givens, Ashland, VA (I)

13. Eric Samuelsen, Provo, UT (D)

14. Thomas McAfee, Las Vegas, NV (D)

15. Wally Lehrer, Boston, MA (I)

16. Brittany Chase, Bowling Green, OH (R)

17. Gerald Smith, Indianapolis, IN (L)

18. Stephen O. Smoot, Provo, UT (I)

19. Doug Thomas, Baltimore, MD (R)

20. Ruth Thomas, Baltimore, MD (R)

21. Seth Rogers, Longmont, CO (D)

22. Allen Raymond Hansen, Ogden, UT (D)

23. Amy Burnett, West Point, NY (D)

24. Naomi Watkins, Salt Lake City, UT (D)

25. Ryan Williamson, Pittsburgh, PA (I)

26. Kendra Williamson, Pittsburgh, PA (I)

27. Anna Wilson, Cincinnati, OH (R)

28. Kristine Michelle Napper, Beaverton, OR (D)

29. Patricia Spilsbury, Salt Lake City, UT (R)

30. Jonathan Barker, Rialto, CA (R)

31. Devan Mitchell, Renton, WA (D)

32. Ray Donaldson, Mesa, AZ (I)

33. Lindsay Smoot Hadley, Kamas, UT (I)

34. Jennifer Mudgett Murphy, Salt Lake City, UT (D)

35. Kayla Spurlock, Orem, UT (R)

36. Crystal Hopper, Georgetown, KY (R)

37. Walker Wright, Denton, TX (R)

38. Lissette Wright, Denton, TX (R)

39. Mike Jones, Fort Fairfield, Maine (R)

40. Brooke De Roche Jones, Fort Fairfield, Maine (R)

41. Jamie Alley, San Diego, CA (I)

42. Emily Belanger, Athens, GA (D)

43. Tyrell Clines, Vernal, UT (R)

44. Candy Tolentino, Salt Lake City, UT (D)

45. Liz Thomas, Provo, UT (R)

46. Rob Taber, Fayetteville, NC (D)

47. Amanda Mae Monson, Cartersville, GA (R)

48. Dennis Mcrea, Panhandle, TX (D)

49. Jared Cook, Pittsford, NY (D)

50. Cathy Jackson, Tallahassee, FL (D)

51. Matt Bowen, Laie, HI (I)

52. Adam Schilling, Los Angeles, CA (I)

53. Kylee Shields, Orem, UT (I)

54. Karen Heath Penman, Salt Lake City, UT (R)

55. Sarah Horne, Newton, MA (D)

56. Jake Rugh, Provo, UT (D)

57. Julianne Parker Weis, Washington, DC (I)

58. Brad Kramer, Spanish Fork, UT (I)

59. Sherri Park, West Jordan, UT (D)

60. Daniel H. Bartholomew, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

61. Thomas Hatton, Lexington, KY (D)

62. Joni Haws, South Jordan, UT (I)

63. Grant Staking, Fairfield, CA (I)

64. Robert Farwell, Mesa, AZ (R)

65. Jeni Farwell, Mesa, AZ (D)

66. Andrew Heiss, Durham, NC (D)

67. Ian Murphy, Roy, UT (I)

68. Carey Foushee, Mesa, AZ (I)

69. Yoko Stevenson, Provo, UT (R)

70. Josianne Petit, Orem, UT (I)

71. Janae Wallace, West Jordan, UT (I)

72. Rachel Whipple, Provo, UT (I)

73. Anny Fritzen Case, Spokane, WA (I)

74. Kate Harline Andelin, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

75. Jessica Jackson Drollette, Troy, ID (I)

76. Grace McClain, Oklahoma City, OK (R)

77. Malaysia Rice, Orem, UT (L)

78. Jennifer Edgley, Ft. Lauderdale, FL (D)

79. Jennifer Pike, Blacksburg, VA (I)

80. Kari Earl Short, Las Vegas, NV (D)

81. Kathryn Bosworth, ID (I)

82. Dylan Hansen, Rexburg, ID (L)

83. Brian Pugmire, Clovis, CA (I)

84. Mitchell Schaefer, Charleston, WV (I).

85. Robbin Robinson Taylor, Milwaukie, Oregon (I)

86. Michael Barker, Medford, OR (R)

87. Cathy Barker, Medford, OR (R)

88. Rachel Gostenhofer, Providence, RI (D)

89. Dallin Bawden, South Jordan, UT (I)

90. Steve Taysom, Shaker Heights, OH (I)

91. Eddie Prigano, Lehi, UT (I)

92. Erica Glenn, Holladay, UT (I)

93. Emily Plicka, Laie, HI (R)

94. Andrew Sargeant, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

95. Dusty Hoopes, Worland, WY (R)

96. April Vincenti, Evans City, PA (I)

97. John Gustav-Wrathall, Minneapolis, MN (D)

98. Jason Mower, Provo, UT (I)

99. Rebecca Nibley, Eagle Mountain, UT (D)

100. Brian Whitney, Brigham City, UT (D)

101. Aaron Brown, Seattle, WA (I)

102. Laura Skaggs Dulin, Nashville, TN (I)

103. Jody England Hansen, Provo, UT (I)

104. Joel Gardner, Apple Valley, MN (R)

105. Katy Barnes, Provo, UT (I)

106. Addison Alley, Arlington, VA (D)

107. Nichole Hunter, Emmett, ID (I)

108. Nancy A. Kohl, Olympia, WA (D)

109. Dennis C. Wendt, Redmond, WA (I)

110. Andrew Hamilton, Twin Falls, ID (I)

111. Jeremy Jensen, Boisie, ID (D)

112. Paul Justham, Salt Lake City, UT (D)

113. Michael Austin, Evansville, IN (D)

114.Reed Russell, Lee’s Summit, MO (I)

115. Tyler Anderson, Saginaw, TX (I)

116. John English, Orem, UT (R)

117. Michael Joseph McCune, American Fork, UT (I)

118. Lisa Torcasso Downing, Heath, TX (L)

119. Luis Feliciano, New York City, NY (I)

120. Paul Bettner, McKinney, TX (D)

121. Katy Drake Bettner, McKinney, TX (D)

122. Juanita Verma, Woodbridge, Virginia (R)

123. Kevin Shafer, Springville, UT (D)

124. Rebecca Gomez, Meridian, ID (R)

125. Sherrie Crawford, Idaho Falls, ID (R)

126. Harmony Hannam, Salt Lake City, UT (R)

127. Nichole Olmeda, Millcreek, UT (I)

128. Brigitte Madrian, Wellesley, MA (I)

129. Joshua Stevens, Anchorage, AL (D)

130. R. Chris Williams, South Ogden, UT (I)

131. Georganne Ballif Arrington, Holladay, UT (D)

132. Stuart Brough, Las Vegas, NV (R)

133. David H. Howe, Herriman, UT (D)

134. Erika Dawn Pound, Los Alamos, NM (D)

135. Brent Haslam, South Jordan, UT (I)

136. Kira Haslam, South Jordan, UT (I)

137. Shayne Anderson, Sandy, UT (I)

138. Sara Anderson, Sandy, UT (I)

139. Stephen Van Orden, Mapleton, UT (D)

140. Melinda Graves, Highland, UT (D)

141. Steve Peterson, Spring City, UT (I)

142. Kathy Peterson, Spring City, UT (I)

143. Kimberly Peterson, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

144. Maren Fischer, Provo, UT (I)

145. Deena King, Denton, TX (I)

146. David Alexander Caroll, Taylorsville, UT (D)

147. Gabby Accord, Centerville, UT (R)

148. John Loveland, Ogden, UT (D)

149. Clayton Jensen, Spokane, WA (I)

150. Dana Watkins, Orange, CA (D)

151. Brian Hauglid, Spanish Fork, UT (I)

152. Beth Thomas, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

153. Kimberly Graham, Logan, UT (I)

154. Krista Rosales, Scappose, OR (D)

155. Julia Blake, Wellesley, MA (I)

156. Matt Durham, Salt Lake City, UT (D)

157. Kurt Wiest, Port Orchard, WA (D)

158. Kirk Earl, Lindon, UT (D)

159. Andrew Earl, Provo, UT (I)

160. Sven Wilson, Provo, UT (R)

161. Michael Maxwell, Draper, UT (R)

162. Laura Williams, Spokane, WA (I)

163. Michael Worley, Provo, UT (I)

164. David Coppin, Logan, UT (I)

165. Melissa Gee, Provo, UT (I)

166. Mark Peterson, New Providence, NJ (R)

167. Dane Skabelund, Savoy, IL (I)

168. Merilee Morgan, Salt Lake City, UT (R)

169. Michael Lyons, Canton, CT (D)

170. Phillip Addington, Syracuse, UT (I)

171. Nikki Park, Gilbert, AZ (I)

172. Amanda Duke, Portland, OR (D)

173. Rachel Larson, Pleasant Grove, UT (R)

174. Matt Gardner, Millcreek, UT (D)

175. Lee Ferrin, Provo, UT (D)

176. Jackie Corbitt, Shoreline, WA (I)

177. Kay Reese Howell, West Jordan, UT (I)

178. Ammon Gruwell, Provo, UT (R)

179. Ronald C. Schoedel, Lehi, UT (I)

180. Robert Reynolds, Provo, UT (I)

181. Alyssa Revel, Farmington, UT (D)

182. Maxine Lo, Bellevue, WA (R)

183. Jeremy Booth, Eden, UT (R)

184. Dale Cressman, Spanish Fork, UT (D)

185. Chad Nielsen, Logan, UT (I)

186. Russ Morgan, Henderson, NV (D)

187. Ben Hopkin, Provo, UT (D)

188. Lois Masters, city of residence withdrawn, (D)

189. Glen A. Cook, Millcreek, UT (R)

190. Kent P. Jackson, Orem, UT (I)

191. Julia Jeffrey, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

192. Tori Gordon, Argyle, TX (I)

193. Cathy Lund, Provo, UT (R)

194. Steven Schmidt, Provo, UT (R)

195. Kenton Call, Cedar City, UT (I)

196. Spencer C. Stevens, Ogden, UT (R)

197. Elisabeth Sutton, Seattle, WA (unaffiliated)

198. Danielle Schenck, Lake Elsinore, CA

199. Laura Carroll, Longview, WA (I)

200. Jeremy Bentley, Belchertown, MA (R)

201. Somer McCowan, Salt Lake City, UT (D)

202. Matt Fallentine, San Diego, CA (I)

203. Mike Foster, Murray, UT (D)

204. Kimberly Konkel, Washington, DC (Green)

205. Elizabeth Lockhart, Fort Jones, CA (D)

206. Jeannie Hunt, Fredonia, AZ (R)

207. Mark Barton, Cary, NC (I)

208. James Wallmann, Flower Mound, TX (D)

209. Bob Campbell, St. George, UT (I)

210. Jake Dinsdale, Kaysville, UT (I)

211. David Chidester, Big Water, UT (I)

212. Timothy Blackmon, Marion, IA (R)

213. Lincoln Cannon, Orem, UT (I)

214. Emily Geddes, Spokane, WA (unaffiliated)

215. John Shaw, Syracuse, UT (I)

216. Mel Tungate, Hollister, CA (I)

217. Brooks M. Wilson, Waco, TX (R)

218. Rodney J. Ross, Gilbert, AZ (I)

219. Sherilynn Moody-Bouwhuis

220. Bruce Van Orden, Springville, UT (D)

221. Shayna Blackmon, Marion, IA (I)

222. Laura Layton-Pendorf, South Pasadena, CA (D)

223. Lynne Barton, Cary, NC (I)

224. Sharon Jones, Richmond, VA (R)

225. Leah Marie Pickren-Silverman, Buena Vista, CA (D)

226. Camille Pickren, Castle Rock, CO (D)

227. Tyler Ransom, Durham, NC (L)

228. Shawn L. Knauss, Eugene, OR (I)

229. Sara Knauss, Honolulu, HI (R)

230. Sarah Palmer, South Jordan, UT (R)

231. Chanda Gavin Wright, Gilbert, AZ (L)

232. Brad Gibson, Ridgefield, CT (D)

233. Daniel C. Peterson, Orem, UT (R)

234. Doug Vincent, Dickson, TN (D)

235. E. Victoria Grover, Wade, ME (D)

236. Jann Campbell, Lehi, UT (I)

237. Helen Claire Sievers, Sudbury, MA (D)

238. Kim Walker, Gilbert, AZ (I)

239. Janee Gilette, Salt Lake City, UT (D)

240. Lisa Lowry, Murfreesboro, NC (D)

241. Brian Case, Spokane, WA (I)

242. Waverly Giles, Portland, OR (D)

243. Roger Whiting, Sandy, UT (R)

244. Colby Page, Boisie, ID (I)

245. Noah Driver, Wenatchee, WA (L)

246. Brendon Holmes, Hurricane, UT (R)

247. Matthew Jelalian, Provo, UT (R)

248. Craig Witt, Fredericksburg, VA (R)

249. Connor Rogerson, Durham, NC (D)

250. Michele Steed, Okemos, MI (R)

251. Van Cosby, Flower Mound, TX (I)

252. Sharla Goettl, Newberg, OR (R)

253. Sven Taow, Victor, ID (I)

254. Gary Thornock, Provo, UT (D)

255. Cynthia Mills, Annandale, VA (R)

256. Mikle South, Orem, UT (D)

257. Kristin Hacken South, Orem, UT (D)

258. Marla Hicks, Spring City, UT (L)

259. Tim Heaton, Vineyard, UT (R)

260. Timothy Guymon, Pensacola, FL (R)

261. Kimberly Heuston Sorenson, Sandy, UT (I)

262. Brian Duffin, Enfield, CT (I)

263. Ardis E. Parshall, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

264. W. Paul Reeve, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

265. Michelle Clegg, Spanish Fork, UT (I)

266. Beth Hansen, Provo, UT (D)

267. Kevin Folkman, Redmond, WA (D)

268. Wade Greenwood, Sandy, UT (I)

269. Scott White, Provo, UT (I)

270. Drew Ostler, Provo, UT (D)

271. Juliet Christensen, Layton, UT (D)

272. Jon Ogden, Provo, UT (I)

273. Tanya Cummins, Chuluota, FL (D)

274. Rob Trishman, Salt Lake City, UT (I)

275. Deborah Witt, Fredericksburg, VA (R)

276. Gretta Parkinson Whalen, Green Valley, AZ (I)

277. Richard Harvey, Logan, UT (R)

278. Karen Todd, Provo, UT (D)

279. Paul Frandsen, Alpine, UT (R)

280. Robert Brown, Arlington, TX (R)

281. Rick Holbrook, Foster City, CA (R)

282. David Hansen, San Mateo, CA (R)

283. Erica Holman, Oswego, NY (R)

284. Dennis Godfrey, Glendale, AZ (I)

285. Amye Godfrey, Glendale, AZ (R)

286. Robert Crawford, Pleasant Grove, UT (R)

287. Matthew Syme, Nibley, UT (D)

288. Lauren Toiavao, Charlottesville, VA (I)

289. Mary LaJune Arellano, Romoland, CA (R)

290. Evan Smith, Halifax, MA (I)

291. David Welch, Omaha, NE (R)

292. Jenica Jessen, Riverton, UT (R)

293. Gerald Kay Hintze, Springville, UT (R)

294. Seth E. Hamilton, Long Beach, CA (L)

295. David Lynch, Morgan, UT (R)

296. Nancy Jackson, Orem, UT (I)

297. Brittany Festin, Logan, UT (I)

298. Camille Perkins, Riverton, UT (I)