Michael Robinson

My Turn

Pres. Russell Nelson and his 12 apostles are still shaking their heads, tearing out their hair, and wringing their hands. If you listen carefully you can hear their late-night cries: “How can it be? Where have we failed?”

It seems that Mormondom’s expertise in sheep herding is not quite as good as the brethren had believed. After a blatant and unprecedented effort to suppress the will of Utah voters, it appears that scissor-wielding Mormons have taken a successful swipe at Mama’s apron strings. The church, which has been such a remarkable model of indoctrination and control, must face the facts: It is not the power it used to be.

Showing a healthy distrust in the previously well-accepted safety of flocking, Mormons have quietly defied their leaders and made a firm statement that the days of iron-fisted Brigham Young-type leadership are no longer welcome. The midterm elections, along with the passage of Proposition 2, have sent a discomfiting message to the church’s hierarchy: The grip on its members’ thinking is in a state of decline.

The elections were were just a symptom of a much deeper problem. Mormon leadership has been troubled for years over the church’s own statistics. There’s been an alarming change in the retention of those who were raised in its ranks — down almost 30% over the past 18 years — and the success of its missionary program, by its own leaders’ acknowledgement, is at an all-time low. In a nutshell, the sheep are coming of age, questioning, not only the validity of the doctrines, but the role of the church in dictating all aspects of life, including political positions. This is certainly not an LDS exclusive; the power of almost all religions, worldwide, is rapidly ebbing.

Now, one would logically think that religion should be slowly disappearing from politics, but the theocracy, envisioned by Brigham Young so many years ago, is still a disturbing reality. Despite the gee-whiz-graph depictions of weakening trends, one must not underestimate the hold Mormonism has on Utah; it still dictates most of what happens in our state.

Medical marijuana, the would-be natural savior for thousands of Utahns who suffer intractable, chronic pain, has successfully mustered a decisive popular vote. Yet, even as the ink dries on the affirmative ballots for Proposition 2, the Mormon Church is dead-set on undermining the compassionate availability of the plant. For even the most casual observers of our democracy, it is truly shocking to watch. The ongoing meetings — held almost entirely behind closed doors — threaten the very premise of government by the people, along with its constitutional mandates of the separation of church and state.

Sadly many of our elected officials, including Gov. Herbert, have been involved in the undermining of barriers separating church and state. With all the cries of “enemy of the people,” pouring from Washington, D.C., it is becoming clear, at least in Utah, just who those enemies are.

It was the church that engineered and insisted upon a special legislative session and the gutting of Proposition 2. Like any spoiled brat — determined to prevail over the majority— its leaders determined to have their way, no matter what voters decided. Anticipating that Utahns would likely vote to ratify the initiative, LDS leaders launched into a subversive strategy. They used their power, quite contrary to the most sacred tenets of our nation, to draft a “compromise law” that would essentially gut the mandate of the people. As an outright affront to our democracy, the Mormon Church has employed collusion with our elected government officials in subverting our democratic election. Think about it; did you vote for a special session; did you vote for a different law? Funny; neither did I.

I’m certainly not the only person who’s noticed it. The suffering masses who most need the benefits of medical marijuana are up in arms, and the battle isn’t over. The Epilepsy Association of Utah and Together for Responsible Use and Cannabis Education (TRUCE) have found an ally in attorney Rocky Anderson, who’s issued a non-spoliation letter to preserve the evidence that the Mormon Church has unconstitutionally meddled in Utah law and formed a partnership with the state’s lawmakers. The potential lawsuit is over the very matter of separation of church and state.

If there’s any such thing as “treason” on the state level, our governor and legislators are guilty of it. We need to remember; what the supporters of the compromise bill are doing is both wrong and illegal. We elected them to uphold the law; instead they ignore it.

The whole idea of democracy is to allow citizens to vote for the greatest good. Utahns did that when they used their ballots to pass Proposition 2. Now it’s time to defend the law against those who would usurp majority rule on the basis of personal and group agendas. Call the governor; call your legislators. Tell them you demand it; they must honor the principles that have made our country great.

Michael S. Robinson is a retired Utah businessman and a former U.S. Army assistant public information officer. He lives in Riverton with his wife, Carol, and one mongrel dog.