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Official Statement on Political Violence
In his first inaugural address, Abraham Lincoln said, âWe are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.â This sentiment stands the test of time as a guidepost for a peaceful society. A commitment to peacemaking is the foundation for a healthy society that champions a variety of political values and ideals. From coast to coast, the range of life experience and thought within the United States of America is remarkable. Our culture is a conglomeration of wide-ranging ideas and priorities resulting from the diverse experiences of our population. We are each informed by our unique…
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Official Statement on the Upcoming Election
The United States of America has a storied history of self-governance. The once-radical idea that âwe the peopleâ can select our own government representatives is empowering. For nearly 250 years, our remarkable democratic republic has persisted and continued to align itself more closely with these ideals. What does a âgovernment of the people, by the people, for the peopleâ mean? It means citizens can choose what we want our government to look like. We have the opportunity to elect officials who will reflect the values we hold dear. Through our votes, we choose the political environment of our nation. In recent years, a subset of our elected officials and candidates…
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Official Statement on the Vote for Speaker of the House
This week, when members of the House of Representatives reconvene to vote for a speaker, they will have the opportunity to demonstrate their enduring commitment to our Constitutional system of government. While a handful of extremists have precipitated a crisis of leadership, an equally small number of courageous and reasonable actors have the opportunity to exhibit bipartisanship and restore faith in ethical governance. As leaders and members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government, we ask all members of Congress, regardless of party affiliation, to find a pathway to the election of a speaker who has proven they will support the peaceful transfer of power. We are once again faced with…
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Official Statement on the Peaceful Execution of the 2022 Midterm Elections
As principled voters and engaged citizens, members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) are actively praying and diligently working to ensure a peaceful election this midterm season. We continue to assert that every eligible voter has a right to participate in our democracy, and we encourage our members to be informed, to be principled, and âto exercise this precious and hard-won right with a measure of responsibility and compassion.â We are women of faith who know that â[t]he freedom to vote is a clear political manifestation of the individual worth of souls.â Recognizing this worth, and loving our neighbors as ourselves, we are compelled to protect their votes. MWEGâs…
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Official Statement on the Shooting in Uvalde: Counteracting Violence with the Power of Peacemaking
âFor God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.â â 2 Tim. 1:6â7 This week in Uvalde, Texas, a shooter ended 21 lives and forever altered countless others. As the tragically familiar responses once again play out in news and social media, we can feel fear permeating our conversations: Parents are afraid for their children, trauma from past shootings is revisited, and our most important shared spaces have become killing grounds. Some Americans are afraid of the proliferation of guns, while others fear that their right to own guns may be threatened. Fear motivates the purchase of even…
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Official Statement on the Buffalo Shooting, Replacement Theory, and White Supremacy
With broken hearts we mourn the senseless loss of 10 beloved children of God who were killed in a grocery store in Buffalo, N.Y., on May 14. Celestine Chaney, Roberta Drury, Katherine Massey, Heyward Patterson, Aaron Salter, Pearl Young, Ruth Whitfield, Margus Morrison, Andre Mackneil, and Geraldine Talley were civil rights activists, community volunteers, parents, siblings, and friends. They were victims of a direct attack on a Black community â an attack that is emblematic of a rising wave of violence driven by white supremacists in the U.S. The alleged shooter sought to do more than kill. It was his intent to use this act of terrorism to promote the…
