A Principle-Based Approach to Immigration {Mormon Church Statement}

Mormon Times ^ | March 17, 2011 | Public Affairs Staff

[greyfoxx39]

A recent article in the Salt Lake Tribune highlighted the fact that the Church’s Presiding Bishop, H. David Burton, attended the signing of a comprehensive set of immigration reform bills passed by the Utah legislature. The article said: “One thing is clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has abandoned its claims to neutrality on these bills.”

This needs a clarification.

While the Church does not endorse or oppose specific political parties, candidates or platforms, it has always reserved the right to address, in a nonpartisan way, issues that have significant community or moral consequences. Immigration is such an issue.

Before the 2011 Utah legislative session began, the Church announced its support for the Utah Compact . Our hope was that lawmakers would find solutions that encompassed principles important to Mormons and other people of goodwill:

• We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The Savior taught that the meaning of “neighbor” includes all of God’s children, in all places, at all times.
• We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen families. Families are meant to be together. Forced separation of working parents from their children weakens families and damages society.
• We acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders. All persons subject to a nation’s laws are accountable for their acts in relation to them. 

Our focus during the legislative session was to encourage laws that incorporated these principles. The Church did not dictate what kinds of bills should be proposed. Like many others on Capitol Hill, Church officials voiced their views and trusted the state’s elected officials to do their job. We consider the comprehensive package passed by lawmakers to be a responsible approach to a very complicated issue. Bishop Burton was invited, along with other community leaders, to witness the signing of a series of immigration bills by Utah Governor Gary Herbert and to show support for the diligent efforts of lawmakers in this area.

We expect that our country will continue to struggle with this complicated issue, which the federal government will have to address. Our hope is that good people everywhere will strive for principle-based solutions that balance the rule of law with the need for compassion.

 

[greyfoxx39]

From the article: "We acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders. All persons subject to a nation’s laws are accountable for their acts in relation to them."

Mormon Article of Faith #12: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."

Especially when we can use the church's influence to affect the law.

[DTogo]

The Utah Compact sounds full of Bush-era “compassionate conservatism” rhetoric (= pro-Shamnesty).

[Christian Engineer Mass]

I’m not getting from the article what effect they had/intended.

Everyone wants to influence the law.

[MuttTheHoople]

Will the Mormons allow Spanish to spoken on the new planets they’re making?

[kbennkc]

What would Jesus do?

[greyfoxx39]

The Utah Compact referred to in the article:

Official text of Utah Compact declaration on immigration reform

Published: Friday, Nov. 12, 2010 11:00 a.m. MST

 A declaration of five principles to guide Utah's immigration discussion

FEDERAL SOLUTIONS: Immigration is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries — not Utah and other countries. We urge Utah's congressional delegation, and others, to lead efforts to strengthen federal laws and protect our national borders. We urge state leaders to adopt reasonable policies addressing immigrants in Utah.

Related articles

• Leaders praise immigration compact
• LDS Church immigration stance
• Moderate immigration reform urged

From the archive

• Readers' forum: Table Sandstrom's bill – Feb. 18, 2011
• My view: The fate of Utah's immigration legacy – Feb. 15, 2011
• In our opinion: Time for leadership – Jan. 9, 2011
• Community leaders urge moderate approach to immigration reform – Nov. 12, 2010
• Utah delegates discuss immigration reform – Oct. 9, 2010

LAW ENFORCEMENT: We respect the rule of law and support law enforcement's professional judgment and discretion. Local law enforcement resources should focus on criminal activities, not civil violations of federal code.

FAMILIES: Strong families are the foundation of successful communities. We oppose policies that unnecessarily separate families. We champion policies that support families and improve the health, education and well-being of all Utah children.

ECONOMY: Utah is best served by a free-market philosophy that maximizes individual freedom and opportunity. We acknowledge the economic role immigrants play as workers and taxpayers. Utah's immigration policies must reaffirm our global reputation as a welcoming and business-friendly state.

A FREE SOCIETY: Immigrants are integrated into communities across Utah. We must adopt a humane approach to this reality, reflecting our unique culture, history and spirit of inclusion. The way we treat immigrants will say more about us as a free society and less about our immigrant neighbors. Utah should always be a place that welcomes people of goodwill.

[Oldexpat]

I also think it is very important that families stay together..so minor kids should always be deported with their parents. Millions and millions of people live in the country of origins with their children. There should be no immorality in deporting them back there. They can then wait their turn to legal residency.

[Grunthor]

•We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen families. Families are meant to be together. Forced separation of working parents from their children weakens families and damages society.

---

Good. Deport the whole fam damily!

[greyfoxx39]

Link to Utah Compact Above

[dragonblustar]

Now we know what will happen if Romney were to get into the White House.

[robowombat]

Exactly. RINOS see illegals as cheap labor and a payoff for their buddies in corporate America, Demorats see illegals as an addition to another reliable voting block the Hispanics. The rest of us can deal with the financial and cultural consequences. We have more than enough people here to perform any jobs . I seriously doubt the need for any immigration whatsoever. Illegals certainly merit zero consideration. They are invaders who are still mostly unarmed.

[Tennessee Nana]

We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The Savior taught that the meaning of “neighbor” includes all of God’s children, in all places, at all times.
_________________________________________________

OK

Theres the

Mountain meadows Massacre

Circleville Massacre

Bear River Massacre

Several neighbors murdered at the order of mormon Joey Smith

1,000+ neighbors murdered at the order of mormon Briggie Young

The neighbors murdered by mormon Bill Hickman

The neighbors murdered by mormon Porter Rockwell

Neighbors all

But not treated like neighbors under this mormon doctrine

But that other mormon doctrine..

[GeronL]

Are we loving our neighbors when we let them trample on our yard and steal from our cupboard?

[raybbr]

Ah, more incontestable equivocation from a religion on the issue of illegal immigrants...

[vette6387]

Right on! Mormons are spending mountains of resources both monetary and human in their missionary work in Latin America, just like they have in Polynesia. They want to bring their new “converts” here. My maternal grandparents home in Provo, Utah now has five (5) Hispanic families living in it. The Mormon Church, like their Catholic “buddies” don’t give to hoots in hell about this nation’s immigration laws, it’s all about membership and the money new members represent.

[T Minus Four]

This really cranks my jaw. I live in Utah and this is NOT the will of everyday people. Not that I can speak for the Mormonbots.

[greyfoxx39]

Safe to say that Romney would NOT be "anti-illegal-immigration".

One factor that seems to be influencing the change of stance from the mormon church;

Between 1976 and 1981, there was also a net flow of migrants into Utah. It appears that Utah, as the center of LDS culture, still has some power to draw migrants from other areas. There is virtually no information on migration patterns of Latter-day Saints outside of the United States.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note the areas of growth

"Still, LDS authorities defend their political neutrality and policies.

-SNIP-

It's a balancing act for LDS authorities, given that many of the main opponents of undocumented immigrants also happen to be Mormon.

From that perspective, undocumented immigrants are violating church principles, especially the 12th Article of Faith, which says members believe in "obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."

"If they're undocumented, they are not legal," says state Sen. Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, a former LDS missionary. "If they are working, they are using another person's Social Security number. It is wrong."

-SNIP-

"We're not agents of the immigration service, and we don't pretend to be, "apostle Jeffrey R. Holland, "and we also won't break the law."

To that end, the church sends missionaries among undocumented immigrants, baptizing many of them without ever asking about their status. It also allows them to go to the temple and on missions.

"The blessings of the [LDS] Church are available to anyone who qualifies for and accepts the gospel of Jesus Christ," LDS spokesman Scott Trotter says. "Federal law allows undocumented persons to provide volunteer church service, including missionary service, within the United States."

LDS missionaries: Undocumented immigrants walk fine line when spreading their faith

[Emperor Palpatine]

This is just more proof!

[zerosix]

This total nonsense of "separating parents from their children (or vice versa) is total pro-open borders controlling the language.

Insinuating that the U.S. would ever hold hostage of babies or children of foreign nationals (whether or not illegal aliens) hostage to prevent them from leaving the U.S. is totally absurd.

It is also a crime and no person or group who demand that the U.S. government (no matter who is President) defend our border and our land have ever proposed or demanded that the children or babies be kept from their parents who are being deported.

These are all liberal lies and must be exposed as such.

The La Raza and other groups demanding "rights" for illegal aliens, put forth these lies with the help of the MSM and other supporters of total and complete amnesty (including ALL of the Democratic Party, MSM, former Presidents: Bush (41); Clinton; Bush (43) and now Obama!

Any candidate for U.S. President (or those for the House and Senate) in 2012, who do not demand closed borders and enforcing U.S. Federal laws that prohibit companies from employing illegals and all social programs, that are being given to illegal aliens cease immediately and punish those Civil Servants that have participated in such illegal acts.

The TEA Party must insist through it's recognized strength across this country and its strength without being compromised by supporting any candidate or party that goes against the rights of the people.

These are not merely civil rights for all U.S. citizens but also moral rights that recognize that taxing citizens to support citizens in any other country in this country is immoral!

[GladesGuru]

Americans are sovereign citizens,not subjects.

When any church supports the “rights” of criminals, that church should be considered a criminal enterprise. Remember, the discussion is about the LDS leader supporting legislation rewarding the presence of criminals.

After all is said and done, an illegal immigrant is a criminal.

As such, anything said criminal has come into possession of while in the USA is criminally obtained, and should be therefore be forfeit.

I suggest a law giving to the person who arrests (and brings to a deportation holding center) an illegal alien should be allowed to take possession of said illegal alien’s possession located in America.

Church trolling for members amongst criminals makes criminals of said church.