Written by Alex Ellis
Utah, even before it was a state, has always been predominantly Mormon. The fact that its previous name was the Deseret Territory shows its LDS roots. As such, it comes as no surprise that early community and political leaders were also church leaders. This tradition has continued on until today, and since the beginning Utah officials have governed the state same way they have governed their church. While this may have been acceptable while Utah was a mostly homogeneous state, today Utah is much more diverse than it used to be, and the practice has become toxic to its people.
Towards the end of the March at the LDS general conference, President Uchtdorf called for a vote. The vote is a regular part of the conference, and asks members whether they will sustain the leadership of the church, or if they are opposed. Every conference, the votes to sustain are nearly unanimous. However, during the last conference at least five brave souls were willing to vote “opposed.” Every one was intimidated, and one called it “the scariest thing (she’s) ever done.”
While the dissidents had to muster up a lot of courage to be able to express their true thoughts, their actions will most likely have no effect. Although they were lucky not to have been kicked out of the conference as has happened to people who voted “opposed” in previous years, their words have nonetheless fallen upon deaf ears. They will no doubt be told to speak with their Bishops, who in turn will ask them to pray to God for answers; however, we all know the “answers” they are expected to receive. Just as Kate Kelley and John Dehlin were expected to receive answers to quit standing up and accept what they were told by church leadership, the five or six dissidents will be expected to accept that they should always sustain church leadership, lest they receive the same fate as John and Kate.
Mormons believe that the prophet, as well as other church officials, are chosen by God. Given this, it’s understandable why they would be expected to support church leaders. Who are they to question the will of God? However, similar to kings in the middle ages, Utah officials seem to believe their positions in government are also granted by God, and act as such.
This “holier than thou” attitude is clear when you look at the wants of the Utah population compared to the actions of legislators.
Utah citizens want the state government out of the alcohol industry, and to be allowed to be treated as adults – yet the state continues its monopoly on the industry and upholds its nonsensical alcohol laws (with support from the LDS church).
Utah citizens did want not the state to fight Judge Shelby’s decision to overrule the same-sex marriage ban, a battle they knew would be costly and futile – yet the state spent $2 million in taxpayer money, only to lose as predicted.
Utah citizens want more money diverted to education – yet teacher salaries in Utah remain below the national average, and one Utah official went far enough to compare teachers to children whining about not getting a toy on Christmas.
While the issue may be more apparent on the state level, it is still obvious on the local level. In November, some 100 protestors swarmed St. George city hall in a fight to get the city’s “footloose” laws repealed. Despite the overwhelming support to do away with the antiquated laws, city officials directly snubbed St. George residents when they failed to follow through with the people’s wishes.
Given this long history of ignoring the wants of the people, it is clear that Utah officials believe they know better than their constituents – whether they like it or not. Could it be they believe their positions in government were granted by God, and thus their opinions are much more important than the wishes of the common rabble? Whatever speculation there is for the cause, the fact remains that there is a great disconnect between the general population of Utah and the people who represent them.
While complaining on social media may be a popular activity, it obviously has no effect on what goes on in the real world. However, there is action the people can take – first and foremost, people need to start voting. According to the United States Election Project, Utah had the 3rd lowest voter turnout in the country last year, with only about 29 percent of residents of voting age participating in the elections. If Utah residents want real change, they must begin taking action to make it so. Where voting may fail, there are still other actions people can take – for inspiration, disgruntled citizens should look to the oil workers of the country, who through a series of well-organized strikes, were recently able to secure deals for higher safety standards as well as higher pay.
People are upset. There is no question about it. However, what the people of Utah may not realize is that their future lies in their hands. Whatever strategy they may choose, there are many ways they can go about to bring the change they want and deserve, the change they could and should fight for – they have nothing to lose but their chains.
