This question has its roots in history according to Eric Biggart, Master of Public Administration student and vice chair of the LDS Democrats caucus. He says LDS people often hear quotes given by past church leaders that decry membership in the democratic party. We only see news media covering social issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion, and the LDS people are taught that we must stand up for our beliefs. The problem, according to Biggart, has been that the republican and democratic parties today have changed immensely since the days that President Ezra Taft Benson said you cannot be a good Mormon and a liberal. The proliferation of these biases and stereotypes has taken Utah from a state with a balanced leadership structure to one with one of the lowest voter turnouts in the nation because fear and misunderstanding breed voter apathy.
Eric Biggart | 801-369-8894 | ericbiggart@gmail.com