Official Statement from Mormon Women for Ethical Government on Unity in a Time of Suffering
In the midst of a Civil War, Abraham Lincoln consecrated the nation’s suffering by renewing our commitment to a government “by the people and for the people.” Now, in a time of national division and pain, the women of Mormon Women for Ethical Government reaffirm our belief in Lincoln’s promise.
Like Lincoln, we know a better future is possible if we recommit to a democratically elected government in the service of all citizens — a government by the people and for them. We will continue to speak out when leaders violate the norms and patterns that protect our right to vote in safe, free, and fair elections, where every vote is counted. Leaders of both parties should commit to peacefully honor the will of the people as determined by those elections. Finally, we believe that in this difficult moment, every citizen should look beyond self-interest and cast principled votes that acknowledge our moral obligation to protect our fellow citizens and children of God.
Our country is suffering. We affirm our belief that suffering is sacred, and our response to it reveals the character of our nation and its people. As we struggle with a historic pandemic and dysfunctional government, so many are hurting. But children, women, the elderly, the poor, racial and ethnic minorities, those with disabilities, and people seeking refuge bear a disproportionate burden. Because we hold life and freedom to be divinely granted, the central interest of moral government and its citizens should be protecting individuals. But in this moment, we are not all being equally valued or cared for; and when elected officials exhibit callous indifference to suffering or implement policies that directly cause pain, they should be called to account. We plead with our fellow citizens to remember that while suffering does not define those who struggle, our indifference to it will define us.
Part of Americans’ suffering today is the psychological and spiritual pain of a political climate of increasing hostility, division, and contention. This has undermined our faith in democracy. It has also compromised our ability to reduce and manage the outcomes of pandemics, natural disasters, economic instability, and threats from foreign actors. It has diminished our capacity for compassion and compromise. Every single American has been impacted by the events of this year, and so many are hurting. When we are divided or see our neighbors as enemies, we suffer alone, and our nation is weaker.
We hear the divine call to move toward something different — a government that unites its people and respects democracy, human rights, and human life. Mormon Women for Ethical Government will continue to call for — and fight for — that government. We want our children, our families, and our fellow citizens to live in a peaceful, equitable, and blessed land. We encourage our fellow citizens to vote for leaders at all levels of government who share that vision and will work sincerely to reduce suffering. We ask all to act boldly and selflessly with the faith that together we can build the nation long promised, never achieved, but still within view.
