Who should I vote for in elections?
The church has never made endorsements for any political candidate for public office. Members are encouraged to both vote in and participate in the election processes, whether for local, state or federal elections. It is one of the greatest of all rights available to citizens of the United States of America, preceeding even the bill of rights itself.
As the church itself does not endorse any particular candidate or political party, it would be remiss of any member of the church if they did not consider the importance of selecting candidates that most closely represent the sensibilities and values of Jesus Christ. That is a difficult choice in a secularly polarized society such as that in the United States, but to choose candidates purposefully that do not possess values or opinions similar to those of the member generally or Jesus Christ specifically is a form of hypocrisy. It is up to each member, however, and each citizen, to decide how or whether their preferred candidate meets that qualifying criteria.
Mosiah 13
35 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right;
36 Therefore, this shall ye observe and make it your law--to do your business by the voice of the people.
37 And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you;
38 Yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction, even as he has hitherto visited this land.
It is therefore important that we choose well. It may not always be the case that we have good candidates to choose from , and in those cases it is requisite that good people place their names in consideration to hold government office. Remember that very often the people who do not want to lead may be the best leaders, and often enough those who seek power may do so for their own selfish desires instead of the good of others.
There are many people, even those within the church, who may associate themselves with one political party or another (which is neither a good nor a bad thing), but it is important to know that it is individuals that are elected to office and not the party itself, though sometimes that distinction may seem small. For this reason it is important to recognize that even when your favored political party may have ideals closer to your own, the person matters. Allegiance to a political party can serve either good or evil.
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