(Amidst terrible scrutiny for moral actions and decisions, during the impeachment trials of President Donald J Trump, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah was attacked--seemingly--on every hand. While my opinions on some matters differ greatly from politician to politician, I was disgusted at much of what I saw on the internet and in the news about this moral, principal-driven man. I subsequently wrote this in catharsis for my feelings at that time)
A long time ago I made a commitment to stand up for my brothers and sisters despite retribution from the world. I made that commitment when I was baptized and when I became a follower of Jesus Christ, and because of that commitment, I want to stand up for something I treasure perhaps more now than I ever considered before:
"We claim (and this is to say that I, and others too, claim) the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege. Let them worship how, where, or what they may." - Article of Faith number 11, from the Wentworth Letter written by Joseph Smith the prophet, published March of 1842.
I claim that privilege as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I also claim that right as a citizen of the United States of America, as long as it does not interfere unjustly with the other laws and rights of the American Citizenship. That is the beauty of this Nation.
If a man has followed these principles, regardless of the outcomes at which he may have arrived and how they differ or fall in line with my own, I am in no place whatsoever to speak against him. His opinions are another matter. I may speak for or against any opinion at my discretion, but against a man who wants to do the right thing as he sees it? That kind of behavior would render me void of all integrity, justice, and respect.
To be clear, I am disgusted by the scorn heaped upon Senator Mitt Romney for the simple act of following his conscience and obeying the Constitution of the United States. If someone's conscience has led them to belittle and demean someone as has been done with this Senator, I fear knowing what kind of conscience such an individual has.
Whether you live a life of principle, or especially if you live a life of faith, you have a choice to make. Uphold your principles and let a man alone who speaks his conscience, or else proceed on a path that crumbles under your feet as you walk it--a path full of bitterness toward a brother and painful regret of deeds done and words said that should not have been.
A principle is a fundamental truth that serves as the foundation for behavior. You have your principles, and so does Senator Romney. Simply because you don't agree with or understand someone's principles does not give you leeway to attack them. Rather, it is an opportunity to understand someone better, to be a better person, to show empathy and reason, to be a decent man.
Do you have free speech? Yes. Can you tear someone apart with free speech? Yes. But you also have the right to touch hot stoves, to waste your money, or to eat bad food. Just because you can do something obviously does not mean that you should.
There is nothing altogether wrong with sticking to a party. There is something extraordinarily dangerous with sticking to a party blindly. What I see in Mitt Romney is a man who didn't leap with the sheep, a man who chose to use discernment, a man who made a decision based on his conscience knowing full well it was not popular, but who felt it was the right thing to do.
Hear me now: I trust that anyone who has ever felt that it was right to make an unpopular decision would be filled with the utmost gratitude for another who supported him in his conscience, even if the latter did not agree with the decision. I trust that such a desire to be respected in such a vulnerable situation can be exercised now for Senator Romney. I find it repugnant that so many have avoided doing just that--that there is such blindness to national brotherhood and such numbness to empathy and compassion. Never forget, in any interaction, that you deal with a son or daughter of God, your brother or your sister in the family of our Heavenly Father.
May we live together in love and brotherly kindness. It is the only way out of such a war of opinions. I have named no offenders and do not wish any to be named, I simply hope these principles may be understood and respected by all of us who call this nation of freedom under God 'home'.
The Rising Sun
