Say of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that regularly exceeds the principle of separation of church and state, and secretly supports the Republican Party is part of local folklore.
This belief is based mainly on the activities of the Utah legislature composed mostly of SDJ Republicans, and the habits of an electoral majority Mormon population.
However, things are never that simple. Officially, the Mormon church regularly emphasizes that it does not participate in partisan campaigns, and that it respects the separation of church and state. Since Utah became a state, if not even earlier, the First Presidency of the church has officially and consistently supported a policy of neutrality
Only the First Presidency has the power to take a stand on behalf of the Church, and the positions of the Presidency on the political issues are clear and unequivocal.
For example, six years before the integration of Utah in the United States of America, the First Presidency said: “Both in theory and in practice, we design the ecclesiastical government as distinct and separate from the civilian government” (21 December 1889). And she repeated the following: “There has never been, and there is not, on our part and that of our co-Religionnaire, any desire to do anything along the lines of a union of church and state “(6 April 1896).
During the Second World War, the presidency said again: “The Church supports the separation of church and state” (May 1942).
The turbulent history of the Church itself has strengthened the position of the Presidency: “The members of our church have been victims of official persecution motivated by religious intolerance. We are, therefore, fully convinced, by experience and by precept, the wisdom of the constitutional principle which requires the government and public representatives respect and neutrality on matters of religion “(17 March 1979).
The most clear statement ever made by the First Presidency of the Church a hundred years ago on this and it is never returned, leaving no room for doubt: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of days committed to the principle of separation of church and state, to non-intervention of the religious authority in politics, and freedom and absolute independence of individuals in achieving missions policy … we are favorable to the separation of church and state, that the Church has no influence on the state that no Church interfering with the functions of the state that no State interference in the functioning of the Church, or the free exercise of religion, to absolute freedom of individuals, detached from any influence by any religious authority, in the policy area, in the equality of all churches before the law “(May 1907).
Not only EJCSDJ denied any involvement on his part in the electoral process, but it explicitly condemns all attempts to obtain official support commitments supporters.
“We have no right, and do not want,” proclaimed the First Presidency in 1910, “use the power of priesthood that we have, to enforce or to require any member of the Church, or any other human being, join or oppose any political party or faction … “(17 December 1910).
Again in 1936: “The Church does not and has no intention to interfere with the full freedom of its members to vote freely …” (3 July 1910).
Again in 1963: “We believe in bipartisanship, and our members are perfectly free to support the party of their choice” (4 January 1963). And most recently in 1988: “We do not present any candidate for public office and does not dictate to people how to vote” (9 June 1988).
Although the First Presidency gives its regular position on a matter it considers to be of good character and that its members sometimes violate the protocol of the Church, she would recall that the Church has long opposed SDJ at gathering of the Church and State, and never express a preference for one party over another.