LDS Democrats, the largest caucus in the Utah Democratic Party has a launched a new billboard campaign aimed at Mormon swing-voters.
The billboards focus on education, poverty and LDS scripture. One billboard criticizes Utah’s position in the nation for per pupil spending in public education. It reads quote, “Our children deserve better than last place.” End quote.
One billboard states simply Mosiah 4, referring to the LDS scripture that State Representative and Mormon Democrat Brian King says highlights the churches’ focus on service, giving and reserving judgment.
“The idea here is that we want to do a better job of just helping folks both within the LDS community and outside it recognize that the LDS Church is not synonymous politically with Republicans and that there are many ways in which the teachings, the doctrines of the LDS Church, the policies of the LDS Church line up better with Democrats than they do Republicans,” King says.
King says some church members have pushed back on the direct reference to the scripture in the Mosiah 4 billboard. But he says the church has the capacity to accept these messages.
“The LDS Church needs diversity,” King says. “The LDS has diversity and it should embrace that diversity from a political perspective and recognize that as the general authorities have said over and over again, there are principals of truth found in all major political party platforms.”
Billboards have already gone up in areas of Salt Lake, Davis, and Weber Counties. They will stay up until Election Day.
Cody Craynor is a spokesperson for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He told KUER that the church remains neutral in matters of party politics.
