I believe the Mormon church has more sway on US law and politics than any other religious organization
Like they’re the flag bearer and strategy think tank for the strongest examples of religious interference in the law even if you see evangelicals and catholics making moves they’re using the LDS playbook
The LDS church is directly responsible for organizing a decent chunk of "religious freedom" coalitions over the years. The primary reason why they don't get more flak for it is that they're primarily seen as a regional power both by outsiders and those living within the mormon corridor. Pretty much everyone who looks at Utah for even a couple of seconds understands that it's Like That because the mormons have to sign off on any proposed legislation, but then they'll just assume that this phenomenon is limited to Utah and that the church doesn't have any meaningful impact on anything outside of that bubble.
Ensign Peak alone is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate, and the church regularly pours massive sums of cash into PACs throughout the nation in support of conservative political campaigns. The most tangible impact the LDS church has is on the wider political landscape of the US via its spearheading of attempts to replace public education with charters or home schooling, and yet the biggest criticism most people have about it is that those poor bastards in Utah will never get to experience the joys of recreational THC. Like, girl, one of the wealthiest, least financially transparent nonprofit organizations on the continent is constantly pouring money into the Heritage Foundation.
YES EXACTLY
I cannot emphasize enough that the Church quite literally has overthrown election results in Utah. Like you all know this, right? Utah voted for some of the best, healthiest marijuana laws in the country that would have made chronic pain for millions disappear overnight and it passed by a LARGE margin. People were ecstatic. The election results came out and people were beyond excited. And the state refused to honor the fact that it passed because the Church simply told them not to. My friend was in the Capitol building and watched the legislator she worked for see before his very eyes that the law did not apply to these men and watched the election be overturned quietly. Politely. The law shifted and adjusted just enough that people wouldn't riot, but not in any way what was actually passed. Utah is the testing ground for controlling the narrative. The goddamn NSA has one of its biggest offices there.
You all know this, right? You know that when you mock people in Western states like Utah you're talking about people who live under theocratic laws that they didn't vote for and can't vote out of and gerrymandering so severe that despite the majority of voters in Utah being registered Democrats, it's blood red because they built it that way... right? You know this? Please tell me you know this.
And then once you tell me you know this, promise me that you will actually internalize that the red states are not your enemy, they are being held hostage.
Louder for the folks in the back please:
…the red states are not your enemy; they are being held hostage.
This isn't specific to the church fucking about with politics, more the republicans actively working against the people - my sister has been keeping us apprised of the gerrymandering debacle that's been ongoing in Utah:
The people of Utah voted on and passed a ruling to have a neutral 3rd party draw up new voting districts back in 2018 (basically democratic districts were carved up to be ineffective so people wanted them fixed)
The legislature decided they didn't like that and decided to ignore the votes and keep doing what they were doing (bad gerrymandering)
League of Women voters took them to court and in July of 2024 the judge said, uh, actually, yeah, you have to do what was voted on/approved by the people
The court decided that they would meet for a special session to pass an amendment to the state constitution saying that, actually, if they didn't agree with something the people voted on/passed they wouldn't have to uphold that decision
They got taken to court again (surprise surprise)
In September 2024 the lower courts ruled once again that no, you can't just fucking do that, you're actively trying to deceive voters with your convoluted phrasing
They don't meet again until January so god knows what hijinks they'll come up with to keep the state voting districts fucked up
This is only ONE example of how red states will stop at nothing to suppress votes and prevent loss of power. Please please PLEASE make sure you are registered to vote and fight things like this when they happen!!
And we remember how they can have influence in other states, too, right?
Mormons played an extraordinary role in the passage of a California ballot measure that once seemed close to defeat.
