[gremlinsinc]

Also being ex-mormon, I think one leg up mormon's have and probably really the only redeeming thing from the standpoint of the FBI to set them apart is foreign missions and world-experience from that.

I'm very progressive, one wedge against me is the gay-hate (i'm not gay, but I empathize with the community), and hearing a high priest group leader bash Obama and Gays from the pulpit made me stay home long enough and become inactive, the CESLetter did the rest years later.

I'm no fan of Obama anymore (too centrist) however I've noticed as far as States go... Utah is odd. It's not "all" special interests (unless that interest is the church), there's a fair more left-friendly legislating for a bright-red state than some of the southern alternatives. I was amazed they passed medical marijuana.

There's also more support for the people (they just raised medicaid as an example.)

Maybe there's a bit more compassion than your normal evangelical, a tiny bit less hypocrisy. Though, I'm betting the less-hypocritical are the ones who are leaving in droves because once they see it's fake they can't be part of it. It's not about culture to them.

It also had the lowest support for Trump in 2016, it's really a peculiar state in terms of ... how they think and act.

> Naturally, if you're running a federal agency with a questionable history, tasked with maintaining the state of the union, that's exactly what you're looking for: a rule follower and order obey-er, not some "free spirit" who could blow the lid off of whatever scheme you're cooking up that week.

This is the meat of it. Mormons, esp the ones who go into the military are super strait / narrow types who were boy scouts, church leaders, and have been taking orders their entire life. Now they can speak fluent spanish, or french and have taking orders down to a science. You couldn't get a more perfect candidate if you used eugenics.

[lcall]

Speaking as a Church member, we are often taught to not hate or mistreat anyone, that such is wrong -- in the scriptures, the Handbook and General Conference, repeatedly, long-term, clearly and consistently. Individuals still make their own choices and we all will be judged by a God we cannot deceive.

(We are also not authorized to change the His commandments, nor the eternal truths that families are part of His plan, and can last forever, though not by force.)

[orwin]

Actually, that doesn't surprise me. Mormons seems to be equal to the now almost defunct "christian humanism" in europe, left-leaning christian (often catholics) that could even join communists during WW2, who take the rules of hospitality and forgiveness very seriously.

[lcall]

Thanks. (You didn't exactly ask, but fwiw for anyone reading: there are key doctrinal differences, like the belief that the "trinity" are really separate divine persons, united in purpose; and that the pure doctrine and authority to administer ordinances was lost in the centuries shortly after Christ and restored (re-established) lately in preparation for His 2nd coming, that there are living prophets providing counsel specifically for our day, as was done anciently. Also that the Book of Mormon (a companion to the Bible and another testament of Christ) is how someone can decide for themselves.