President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Among Six Religious Leaders Who Met With Barack Obama To Discuss "Commonsense Immigration Reform" (Amnesty)

President Barack Obama is desperate to get Americans to sign on to amnesty for illegal immigrants, and on April 15th, 2014, decided to deliver his pitch for so-called "commonsense immigration reform" to six of America's religious leaders. The LDS community was represented; here is the list of participants:

-- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Salt Lake City, UT
-- Dr. Noel Castellanos, CEO, Christian Community Development Association, Chicago, IL
-- Luis Cortes, President, Esperanza, Philadelphia, PA
-- JoAnne Lyon, General Superintendent, The Wesleyan Church, Indianapolis, IN
-- Dr. Russell Moore, Southern Baptist Convention, Nashville, TN
-- Suzii Paynter, Executive Coordinator, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Atlanta, GA

The KSL website also lists Rev Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President, United Church of Christ, Cleveland, OH, as being present, but his name is not on the White House press release. Also present to "hold Obama's hand", so to speak, were a couple of his official minders; Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to the President, and Melissa Rogers, Executive Director, White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

According to the official White House press release, the religious leaders shared with President Obama stories about the impact the failure to fix the immigration system has on families in their congregations and communities. President Uchtdorf went a bit further, calling for more action to secure religious freedom and liberties around the globe. In response, Obama expressed deep concern about the pain too many families feel from the separation that comes from our broken immigration system, and said that only Congress can produce a lasting solution. All participants expressed their longstanding commitment to immigration reform as a moral imperative and pledged to continue to urge Congress to act on reform as soon as possible.

Later on, during an interview outside the West Wing, President Uchtdorf offered additional insight:

"There are many programs and actions that the president or the administration is standing for, for which we have opposing views. ...In regard to this with immigration, we certainly hope that a values-based, balanced approach to this reform is coming about and not being delayed by small things, which can be resolved by common consent and common sense. And we hope that this time around the communities and the nation pull together and find a solution to this problem, which could be resolved in a Christian ... way."

The LDS Church also published official reaction through the Mormon Newsroom website. The Church reiterated its support for the three principles of the Utah Compact as a responsible approach to dealing with the complex issue of immigration reform. The foundational principles on which the Church’s position is based are:

-- We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. 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.

Some additional reaction from a couple of the participants was documented by the Daily Caller. In regards to impact of additional immigrants on actual Americans, JoAnne Lyon said the subject did not come up, and she sidestepped the issue by saying that additional employment will generate more taxes for government. Dr. Noel Castellanos took the same tack, noting that many store-owners in Chicago are undocumented. He claimed that bringing all those people out of the shadows and into the general economy would create a greater economic resource. However, skeptics say the Senate’s June 2013 immigration bill, which is being used as the defining standard, would sharply increase the inflow of immigrants and low-wage guest workers -- up to 40 million -- over the following decade. Americans interested in holding members of Congress accountable on immigration can find Congressional scorecards at Numbers USA.

What it would do for the estimated twenty million Americans who are unemployed or underemployed remains to be seen. It is suspicious that it is primarily progressives and business leaders are pushing this so-called "commonsense immigration reform". Nevertheless, it's always a plus when the senior leadership of the LDS Church is invited to participate in discussions with high-level political leaders on important issues of the day.

The LDS Church And Immigration: LDS Church Leaders Inspired But Not Infallible

Former Arizona State Senator Karen Johnson is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has taken public issued with the Church's support of the Utah Compact for immigration. On News With Views, in an essay entitled "Where Did The LDS Church Go Wrong", Johnson takes issue with how the Church arrived at their position in support of the Utah Compact. She tells us that it began in the spring of 2011, when the LDS Church Public Communications Department issued three official statements on immigration. But while the statements may have been intended to clarify the Church's position, Johnson contend they actually further muddied the issue, suggesting that the mere fact that three statements were issued in quick succession implies that the statements themselves were either incomplete or incorrect, and required revision. In addition, Johnson believe the statements were hostile in tone toward state legislators, were filled with political propaganda, and contained conflicting contradictory messages.

The three statements in question:

-- "Presiding Bishop Attends Signing of Immigration Bills", March 15th, 2011

-- "A Principle-Based Approach to Immigration", March 17th, 2011. While this was a clarification statement, it was intended to correct misreporting by the Salt Lake Tribune.

-- "Immigration: Church Issues New Statement", June 10th, 2011. As of this post, this is the LDS Church's most current statement on immigration.

Karen Johnson is careful to avoid laying the blame upon the senior LDS Church leadership. Instead, she believes the responsibility lies upon the shoulders of some agenda-driven, politicized individuals who work in the Church Public Communications Department, from where the statements originated.

Unfortunately, a number of groups and people who were either ignorant about Mormonism or who are anti-Mormon seized upon these statements and the Church's endorsement of the Utah Compact and attempted to represent them as official "canon". During the recall election campaign between Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce and Jerry Lewis, which Lewis eventually won, those opposing Pearce tried to split the considerable LDS community in Mesa by claiming that Pearce was out of harmony with Church "doctrine" on immigration.

But are the Church's statements on immigration really "doctrine" or "canon"? Karen Johnson provides a good explanation as to why this is not so, and how some members of the LDS Church wrongfully attribute inerrancy to any statement issued by a senior Church leader:

It's important to understand that the LDS Church does not claim infallibility for its church leaders. There is no Pope. Its leaders, including the Church President, are mortal men subject to mortal weakness and error. Many LDS Church members, however, have the mistaken belief that every word uttered by a church leader comes straight from God. This infantile attitude excuses church members from having to think for themselves and figure things out. It absolves them from having to study, ponder, and make hard decisions about political issues and candidates. It places undue burdens on Church leaders to carefully weigh every word they write or speak. Finally, it places serious burdens on legislators when Church members think the lawmakers are not being sufficiently obedient to the perceived wishes of the church. Elected officials are not obliged to follow the opinions of Church leaders in making policy decisions.

Some members also believe that anything that comes from within spitting distance of the church's headquarters in Salt Lake City is divinely inspired and not open to question or debate. That, of course, is ridiculous. Church employees are human beings. They have weaknesses. They make mistakes. They have opinions. Some of them apparently have political agendas.

The bottom line: Although Church leaders are inspired, that doesn't make them infallible. Statements like this one, which was published as a Ward Teachers Message in the Deseret News Church Section, p. 5, on May 26th, 1945, have been misinterpreted and misrepresented to mean blind obedience to the leadership:

"Any Latter-day Saint who denounces or opposes whether actively or otherwise, any plan or doctrine advocated by the prophets, seers, revelators' of the church, is cultivating the spirit of apostasy. One cannot speak evil of the lord's anointed... and retain the holy spirit in his heart. This sort of game is Satan's favorite pastime, and he has practiced it to believing souls since Adam. He wins a great victory when he can get members of the church to speak against their leaders and to do their own thinking."

"When our leaders speak, the thinking has been done. When they propose a plan -- it is God's Plan. When they point the way, there is no other which is safe. When they give directions, it should mark the end of controversy, God works in no other way. To think otherwise, without immediate repentance, may cost one his faith, may destroy his testimony, and leave him a stranger to the kingdom of God."

It turns out that then-Church President George Albert Smith disavowed the statement, saying that it did not express the true position of the Church. President Smith noted that the Lord gives the principles of life and true progress, but leaves every person free to choose or to reject His teachings. This is plan the Authorities of the Church try to follow. Furthermore, the key word in the above statement is "doctrine"; the Church may have a political position on immigration, but it is not a doctrine.

Thus a member of the Church can publicly express a different position on immigration with NO IMPACT upon worthiness. Of course, if that Church member were to go so far as to publicly criticize the senior leadership and claim that the were leading the Church astray, that would cross the line separating constructive criticism from apostasy.

The Brethren may be inspired, but they are hardly infallible, and make no claim to infallibility.

Paradise Valley Stake High Council Member Daryl M. Williams Says One Cannot Be A Good Mormon And Want To Deport Illegal Immigrants

The Phoenix New Times discloses that a member of the high council of the Paradise Valley Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mesa, Arizona gave a talk at a fireside on April 8th, 2011 in which he questioned whether any member of the Church who desired to deport illegal immigrants could be considered a "good Mormon". According to the RecallRussellPearce site, the fireside was not sponsored by the LDS Church.

Daryl M. Williams, a commercial trial attorney working for Baird Williams & Greer LLP, had been invited to address a fireside organized by DeeDee Blase of the Hispanic-Republican advocacy group Somos Republicans. Williams, who describes himself politically as to the right of Genghis Khan, is one of those mercantile conservatives who believes conservatism is defined merely as the unconditional right to make as much money as possible by any lawful means with minimal regard for the impact upon sovereignty or community cohesion. Steeped in the history of immigration law, Williams takes a free-market approach to the issue of immigration. This view is discussed at length in an essay of his, entitled "Illegal Immigration", which mirrored Williams' fireside address. Williams also contended that the market should dictate the flow of immigrants onto American soil, explaining that our immigration laws are not criminal in the traditional sense that there is no intent to injure involved, or an "evil mind," which lawyers refer to as mens rea.

While the latter statement is true, it must be noted that even if there was no intent to injure, if an injury exists, it must be redressed in some fashion. This is a premise of our civil justice system, in which personal injury lawyers go after anyone even remotely associated with an injury to their clients. It also serves as the basis of our dram shop laws, in which bar owners can incur some responsibility for the misbehavior of their drunk patrons even after the patron has left the bar. Some people who have received DUIs have sued the bars where they got drunk.

But Williams' most controversial statement was when he attempted to link immigration politics with spiritual worthiness. "I don't believe you can be a good Mormon and hate illegal immigrants and want to deport them and break up families and leave children without their parents here," he told attendees. "I don't believe you can be a good Mormon and be a nativist." It is this extreme attitude which caused Williams' own stake president to distance himself from Williams; indeed, Williams basically told his stake president to go take a hike when the two discussed it. A one-hour video of Williams' talk is embedded below:



Daryl Williams is at odds with another prominent LDS member, State Senator Russell Pearce (R-Mesa). Williams claims Pearce's views do not reflect the official position of the LDS Church, and even presumes Pearce’s views to be inconsistent with the official position of his church. However, Williams conveniently ignores the fact that the Church itself has publicly stated that they do not expect their members who serve in politics to be microphones for the Church. Russell Pearce strikes me as a dedicated, determined patriot resolved to protect the sovereignty of Arizona and, by extension, the United States.

A group called Arizonans for Better Government has joined with another group, Citizens for a Better Arizona to launch a recall effort against Senator Pearce. They oppose the controversial SB1070, which they falsely claim promotes profiling of Hispanics, and want to substitute the Somos Republicans’ Twelve Point Immigration Plan. They need 7,756 valid signatures from registered voters from within Legislative District 18 by May 31st to trigger a recall election; as of April 12th, they've received two-thirds the necessary signatures.

LDS Church Clarifies Position On Immigration After Criticism Of Presiding Bishop H. David Burton's Presence At Bill-Signing Ceremony In Utah

On March 17th, 2011, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued a clarification of its position on immigration in the wake of criticism directed towards it because of the presence of Presiding Bishop H. David Burton at the ceremony where Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed four different immigration bills into law. Because Bishop Burton is a General Authority, his presence at the event was considered to be an implicit Church endorsement of the bills, since it is widely perceived that when General Authorities speak out publicly, they are speaking authoritatively on behalf the Church even if its not an official "thus saith the Lord" appearance. Specifically prompting the Church's response was an article in the Salt Lake Tribune in which reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack suggested Burton's presence was no accident or private decision, and further wrote “One thing is clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has abandoned its claims to neutrality on these bills.”

Although the LDS 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. They consider immigration to be one of those issues. Here's the pertinent part of their response:

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 good will:

* 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 its 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.

So not only was Bishop Burton present at the signing ceremony strictly of his own volition, but the LDS Church, despite its neutrality on immigration, explicitly recognizes the right of every nation to enforce its laws and secure its borders, and to hold accountable those who fail to respect a nation's borders.

Whether this statement by the Church will mitigate the anger manifested by immigration restrictionists who are specifically upset with the guest worker provisions in Utah HB116 remains to be seen. ALIPAC's William Gheen, who encouraged people to target the LDS Church prior to the signing of the bills, has renewed his criticism of the Church, and based on the Tribune's article, erroneously accused the Church of "sending" Bishop Burton to the signing ceremony. ALIPAC is calling for the defeat of every Utah lawmaker who voted for HB116.

Roy Beck of NumbersUSA also criticizes the Utah bills, claiming that the "cheap-labor Chamber of Commerce lobby has taken over the Republican Party and is, in effect, blocking thousands of unemployed citizens and legal immigrants from jobs being held by illegal foreign workers". But he avoids criticizing the LDS Church, as does most others who criticize the Utah Bills.

The LDS Church will survive the criticism, just as it survived the criticism over Proposition 8.

LDS Church Presiding Bishop H. David Burton Puts Church's Stamp Of Approval Upon Four Controversial Immigration Bills Signed By Utah Governor Gary Herbert

The Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, H. David Burton, appeared to put the Church's stamp of approval upon four controversial immigration bills signed by Utah Governor Gary Herbert on March 15th, 2011. At the signing ceremony, Bishop Burton said, “Our presence here testifies to the fact that we are appreciative of what has happened in the Legislature this session. We feel the Legislature has done an incredible job on a very complex issue.” Salt Lake Tribune reporter Peggy Fletcher Stack suggested Burton's presence was no accident or private decision. KSL news video embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The bills as follows (click on the designation to read the actual text of the bill):

-- HB116: Originally entitled the Guest Worker Program Act, it was signed as the Utah Immigration Accountability and Enforcement Amendments. It basically establishes a guest worker program.

-- HB466: Entitled the Migrant Workers and Related Commission Amendments. Includes a migrant worker partnership with the state of Nuevo Leon in Mexico.

-- HB469: Entitled Immigration Related Amendments. Enacts the Utah Pilot Sponsored Resident Immigrant Program Act, and provides for the issuance of identification documents.

-- HB497: Entitled the Utah Illegal Immigration Enforcement Act, this started out as the Arizona-style law desired by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R-Orem). Originally a well-crafted law, Sandstrom was prevailed upon to water it down somewhat. Nevertheless, its most prominent and commendable provision requires that an officer verify the immigration status of a person arrested for a felony or a class A misdemeanor and a person booked for class B or C misdemeanors and requires that an officer attempt to verify immigration status for a person detained for a class B or C misdemeanor.

The Deseret News notes that the legislature's own attorneys have deemed the guest worker and immigrants sponsorship programs unconstitutional, meaning the state would need a waiver from the federal government to put them into practice.

One LDS lawmaker said the Church's support for these bills influenced him. Sen. Stuart Reid (R-Ogden) said “There is no question that the Utah Compact, with the church’s endorsement, made a significant difference to me and others in the Legislature who helped craft immigration legislation.” Senate President Mike Waddoups said the legislation was a testament to the give-and-take process of making laws. He also explained that the new laws did not grant amnesty nor would they result in racial profiling. The bills were not carbon copies of bills passed in Arizona, Oklahoma or Missouri. And House Speaker Rebecca Lockhart said she was proud of lawmakers who rolled up their sleeves and took on one of most vexing issues of the day amid intense criticism from people who had no answers of their own. Governor Herbert said, "Utah is doing the right thing, is doing the hard thing. Doing nothing is not an option".

But there's opposition. Arturo Morales-Llan, a GOP delegate, said in a statement that Herbert's signature of HB116 "is the worst insult the legal residents of Utah have ever received by their sitting governor! HB116 is typical Washington-style politics and we condemn its practice by our elected officials. This new law puts a stamp of approval on illegal immigration and those who come into this country illegally. This fatally flawed law confirms that Utah is a sanctuary state." An online petition to veto HB116, which was signed by 4,500 people, made it clear that they do not approve of HB116 and would rather see enforcement of laws against illegal immigration. Morales-Llan also said he would not believe the Church officially approved of these bills until he sees a statement from the First Presidency itself.

Ron Mortensen, an ardent opponent of illegal immigration, was also unhappy with the legislation, saying, “I am shocked that the church would support a bill that literally sacrifices 50,000 Utah children, who are the victims of identity theft, for the benefit of illegal aliens. The church has sent so many conflicting messages, I just don’t know where they are coming from.”

In the days preceding the signing, one of the noisiest immigration restrictionist groups, ALIPAC, has waged an all-out campaign to prevent these bills from being signed into law. However, ALIPAC didn't merely target lawmakers, but also targeted the LDS Church itself, a tactic which may have backfired. The LDS Church has been beset by a number of anklebiters from both sides of the immigration issue, and perhaps they decided they're done listening to anklebiters. ALIPAC has posted its reaction to the signing HERE and HERE.

Unofficial LDS member reaction is already showing up on the Bloggernacle, first on By Common Consent.

LDS Church Issues Revised Statement On Immigration On The Eve Of Utah Governor Gary Herbert's Immigration Roundtable

On the eve of a immigration summit to be chaired by Utah Governor Gary Herbert, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a revised statement on immigration that goes beyond mere neutrality; it specifically calls for lawmakers to to find solutions in the best interests of all whose lives will be impacted by their actions.

Scott Parker of the LDS Church's Salt Lake Public Affairs Council will be one of 30 community leaders participating in the Governor's roundtable on July 20th. Others identified specifically include Dee Rowland of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City and Rep. Stephen Sandstrom (R-Orem), who is crafting an Arizona-style immigration enforcement law for Utah; see the complete list of participants HERE. Referred to as the Utah Immigration Roundtable Discussion, it will take place at the Utah Senate Building from 10 a.m. to noon. To promote civil discourse, the Church issued this statement:

"The complex issues surrounding immigration are a matter of increasing concern and debate for all in this country.

"Elected individuals have the primary responsibility to find solutions in the best interests of all whose lives will be impacted by their actions.

"We repeat our appeal for careful reflection and civil discourse when addressing immigration issues. Finding a successful resolution will require the best thinking and goodwill of all across the political spectrum, the highest levels of statesmanship, and the strongest desire to do what is best for all of God's children."

KSL news video embedded below:

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Two sometimes passionate opponents in Utah's immigration debate both praised the Church's statement. Ron Mortensen, spokesman for the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration, said his group agrees with Church leaders. They will unveil a plan before the legislative session that will coordinate a guest worker program with America's developmental assistance program overseas. Tony Yapias of Proyecto Latino de Utah praised the Church's statement as being direct, strong, and compassionate.

Mormons favoring more vigorous enforcement of immigration laws cite the church’s 12th Article of Faith in support of their position. That article says Mormons believe in “obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.” On the opposite side are Mormons who argue for a more complex and humane approach to immigration. They point to Church teachings about taking care of one’s family, being hospitable to the stranger and building the kingdom of God. The latter are part of a group dubbed "social justice Christians" by Glenn Beck. The dialogue between the two sides can be contentious, as both sides sometimes seek to moralize their positions.

LDS Church Reiterates Its Position Of Neutrality On American Immigration Legislation

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints increasingly take publicly partisan and opposing positions on illegal immigration in the United States, they've begun applying pressure to the LDS Church to officially follow suit. The latest outburst took place on July 7th, 2010, when a group called the Utah Coalition on Illegal Immigration took Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff to task for failing in his official duties by refusing to enforce existing immigration laws (read their complete press release HERE). The Coalition is opposed to Shurtleff's idea of a guest worker program, and would like to see him support Arizona's SB1070 immigration enforcement law. Shurtleff has been quoted as saying he would like to see the LDS Church come out against the Arizona law. Both Shurtleff and the lead spokesperson for the Coalition, Cherilyn Eagar, are observant members of the LDS Church.

But according to Shurtleff's office, the Coalition is failing to recognize that while crimes committed by illegal immigrants fall in the state's jurisdiction, enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government. A spokesman for the attorney general's office said in a statement: "Utah is making a significant difference targeting illegal aliens violating state laws and we must continue to insist that the federal government to do its job of securing the border." You can read the complete statement HERE.

The LDS Church decided to officially respond to the Coalition's statement. Their latest statement was first posted on the LDS Newsroom page:

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes the complexities facing elected officials as they grapple with the implications of immigration law, such as employment, security and budgetary considerations. The Church has not taken a position on this issue, which is clearly the province of government. However, Church leaders have urged compassion and careful reflection when addressing immigration issues affecting millions of people.

Elected officials who are Latter-day Saints make their own decisions and do not represent the position of the Church regarding immigration legislation. The Church recognizes that these officials make their own choices based on their best judgment and with consideration of the constituencies whom they were elected to represent.

Other prominent LDS members represented in the debate over illegal immigration include Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, who authored SB1070, and Hispanic activist Tony Yapias, the director of Projecto Latino de Utah, who wants the Church to promote more "compassion". Yapias has a son currently serving a full-time mission.