Early in its history, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) had a series of negative encounters with the federal government of the United States. This led to decades of mistrust, armed conflict, and the eventual disincorporation of the church by an act of the United States Congress. The relationship between the church and the government eventually improved, and in recent times LDS Church members have served in leadership positions in Congress and held other important political offices. The LDS Church becomes involved in political matters if it perceives that there is a moral issue at stake and wields considerable influence on a national level[1][2][3] with over a dozen members of Congress having membership in the church in the early 2000s,[4] and about 80% of Utah state lawmakers identifying as LDS.[5][6][7][8]
- ^ Ayers, Michael D. (October 15, 2012). "When Mormons Go to Washington". Vanity Fair. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Barnes, Jane (January 30, 2012). "There Is a Dark Side to Mormonism". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Grant, Tobin (April 27, 2015). "Five things you should know about Mormon politics". Religion News Service.
- ^ Mansfield, Stephen (November 6, 2012). "The Mormonizing of America". HuffPost. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Harrison, Peter (February 22, 2016). "The LDS Church and Utah Politics". HuffPost. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Davidson, Lee (March 28, 2012). "How Utah's Capitol marches to a Mormon beat". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Canham, Matt (February 17, 2016). "Mormon political clout in Utah: Republicans say it's about right, but Dems say LDS faith has too much". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
- ^ Bernick, Bob (April 20, 2015). "How Much Influence Does the LDS Church Have on the Legislature? Depends on Who You Ask". utahpolicy.com.