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SALT LAKE CITY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is once again urging its Utah members to attend local precinct caucus meetings, saying it is concerned about low turnout.
In a letter intended to be read in all Utah congregations, the church's First Presidency says, "We are concerned with the decreasing attendance at these caucus meetings in Utah in recent years. We therefore ask that local leaders not schedule meetings on these Tuesday and Thursday evenings so that members may attend a caucus meeting of their choice."
The caucuses are set for Tuesday, March 13, and Thursday, March 15.
The letter calls the caucuses "the most fundamental grassroots level of political involvement. They are best served by a broad representation of Utah citizens. Those who attend play a critical role in selecting candidates for public office."
The First Presidency has appealed to church members to participate in the political process in the past, while the Church itself remains politically neutral. Read more about the Church's position on political neutrality here.
The Deseret News reports that the only really new language in this statement compared to statements in years past, "is the expression of ‘concern with the decreasing attendance at these caucus meetings in Utah in recent years.'" The paper cites a recent survey by Utahpulse.com that shows only a third of Utah voters say they know about the state's unique caucus/convention system and participate in it.
In other religion news
- Catholics slightly favor presidential candidate Mitt Romney, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll . The online survey found 42 percent of non-Catholics would vote for Pres. Obama, versus 39 percent for Romney. Among Catholics, 42 percent support Obama, but 44 percent favor Romney. "It certainly suggests that Catholics are a little more Romney-favorable than not," said Chris Jackson of Ipsos.
- Voters could get the final say on Washington State's new gay marriage law. Gov. Chris Gregoire signed the measure into law, making Washington the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. Opponents almost immediately filed a referendum to challenge it. Meanwhile, New Jersey's state Senate passed a bill to recognize same-sex marriages, but Gov. Chris Christie has vowed to veto it.
- The LDS church confirms it has indefinitely suspended the access of one of its members to genealogical records for violating protocol and posthumously baptizing the parents of a famous Holocaust survivor. Last month, the church member submitted names of the parents of Simon Wiesenthal for "baptisms for the dead." LDS church leaders immediately apologized for what they called a serious breach in protocol. They have worked with Jewish leaders for years to prevent names of Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps from being involved in the practice.
- The Mormon Tabernacle Choir last week gave its first performance in Arizona in more than 40 years. The choir performed as part of that state's centennial celebration. Guest conductors included former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O' Connor and Most Reverend Eduardo A. Nevares, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix.
