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MORMONS AND POLITICS Mormons are also inspired by the story of the two thousand stripling soldiers, who “took their weapons of war to defend their country” (Alma 53:18). AND — On the other hand, one of the most moving Book of Mormon narratives involves PARADOXES AND FIRST PRINCIPLES the people of Ammon, who, after their con- version, made an oath never to shed blood again and “buried their weapons of war deep By Boyd Petersen in the earth” (Alma 26:32). As a result, many of them “laid down their lives . . . because of their love and of their hatred to sin” (Alma 26:34). The Doctrine and Covenants calls on ITT ROMNEY’S CAMPAIGN for this is an accurate reflection of what Romney Church members to “renounce war and pro- the presidency put Mormonism would have advocated as president, or claim peace” (D&C 98:16). It is also impor- M into the spotlight even though simply the type of political bravado we ex- tant to note that the Book of Mormon (and, Romney tried time and again to shove it back pect in political debates, there were legiti- within it, the Book of Ether) ends with unre- into the wings. While Romney had to face mate reasons to reflect on how Romney’s strained warfare’s ultimate result: the com- questions about whether he is really a Mormonism might have influenced his ac- plete annihilation of a people. Any positive Christian, about whether his allegiance to a tions regarding torture should he have been message given about warfare is undermined Mormon prophet would come before his al- elected. by the Book of Mormon’s tragic ending. legiance to the Constitution, and even about his Mormon underwear, it was sometimes IKE any religion, Mormonism thrives HE ways this paradox has influenced difficult to see how his religion affects his po- on paradox. Inevitably two funda- individual Mormons have recently litical beliefs. His shift on abortion was char- L mental but contradictory proposi- T found their way into the news. In acterized as political expedience: some saw it tions, both established as true, will come into July 2007, Vanity Fair published an article as pandering to the evangelical community conflict. While Mormonism shares with that disclosed the fact that the two authors of while others viewed his original pro-choice Christianity the violent Old Testament scrip- the new torture techniques being practiced position as pandering to the more liberal tures in which God commands Israel to de- by CIA interrogators are both Mormon psy- Massachusetts voters. On 60 Minutes, he stroy other nations, as well as the pacifism of chologists: James Elmer Mitchell and Bruce dodged a question about polygamy by New Testament scriptures advocating Jessen—who, because of their shared reli- stating that he couldn’t “imagine anything “turning the other cheek,” Mormonism’s own gion, were referred to by colleagues as the more awful than polygamy.”1 He tried to scriptures also provide paradoxical state- “Mormon mafia.” In addition to devising or slough off a Newsweek reporter’s question ments about war and human rights. On the adapting the new information extraction about whether or not he practiced baptism one hand, the Book of Mormon begins with techniques, Mitchell and Jessen also were put for the dead, a practice which has attracted Nephi’s being commanded to cut off Laban’s in charge of training interrogators in these controversy over ordinances performed for head after Laban had spurned repeated at- new techniques—including “water- Jews killed in the Holocaust, by stating, “I tempts to acquire the brass plates and had boarding”—at CIA “black sites” throughout have in my life, but I haven’t recently.”2 threatened to slay Nephi and his brothers. the world. Because of these many attempts to mini- The justification for Nephi’s slaying Laban is Steve Kleinman, an Air Force Reserve mize his Mormonism during his campaign, it that “it is better that one man should perish colonel and expert in military intelligence, should come as no surprise that the question than that a nation should dwindle and perish notes the peculiarity of the CIA’s choosing of how his Mormon beliefs would influence in unbelief” (1 Nephi 4:13).4 Since Nephi ob- “two clinical psychologists who had no intel- his views on controversial interrogation tech- tained information (i.e., his family’s records) ligence background whatsoever, who had niques such as largely re- at the cost of one man’s life, this story could never conducted an interrogation . . . to do mained unasked. In one of the Republican be read as support for the position that ob- something that had never been proven in the presidential debates, Romney was asked taining from detainees information that could real world.” Another terrorism expert, about these techniques and responded by keep a nation safe is worth the suffering of a Michael Rolince, described the tactics as suggesting we should double the size of detainee in Guantanamo or Abu Ghraib. “voodoo science.” Rolince said that the goal Guantanamo Bay. “I don’t want them on our Then there are the emotionally stirring words was to “break down” the suspects “through soil,” Romney stated. “I want them on of Captain Moroni as he rallies his army to isolation, white noise, completely take away Guantanamo, where they don’t get the access war and writes on his “standard of liberty” the their ability to predict the future, [and] create to lawyers that they get when they’re on our words: “In memory of our God, our religion, dependence on investigators.” Although the soil. I don’t want them in our prisons. I want and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and Bush administration claimed that interroga- them there.”3 While it is hard to tell whether our children” (Alma 46:12–13). Many young tors received careful training, many actually received only “on-the-job training during brutal interrogations that effectively unfolded BOYD PETERSEN has a Ph.D. in comparative literature and is the program coordi- as live demonstrations.” Kleinman feels that nator for Mormon Studies at Valley State College. He is the author of the award- Mitchell and Jessen “have caused more harm winning biography : A Consecrated Life and is SUNSTONE’S to American national security than they’ll “Mormonism and politics” editor. ever understand.”5

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nically one is prepared to do this, there are a whole lot of reasons you don’t want to do this, some of them morally based.”8

The Mormon psychologists who devised the HE torture debate became tragically new torture techniques “have caused more personal for one Mormon soldier. T Alyssa Peterson, a returned mis- harm to American national security than sionary with a gift for language, earned a psy- chology degree from Northern Arizona they’ll ever understand.” University on a military scholarship. After graduation, she went to the Defense Language Institute, where she quickly Coincidentally, defending the use of these professor at William and Mary, asked learned Arabic. At 27, she was sent to Iraq, questionable interrogation techniques fell to whether the LDS gospel commits Mormons where she served in an intelligence unit as- another Mormon, Judge Jay Bybee, a grad- to a particular ethical approach. He noted signed to a prison at Tal-Afar, in north- uate of BYU law school. In August 2002, that “if we are utilitarians,” it might be western Iraq, conducting interrogations and Bybee was the head of the Justice morally justifiable to torture someone in translating enemy documents. On 15 Department’s Office of Legal Counsel. Bybee order to get information they had about a September 2003, the military reported that signed off on a controversial memorandum ticking bomb that was set to go off in an or- she had been killed by “non-hostile weapons stating that any interrogation techniques phanage; but, he writes, “it is probably not discharge,” only the third female soldier were legally permissible as long as the pain morally justifiable if we are Kantians.” Oman killed in Iraq. Her father reported to co- they caused was less than “serious physical notes that Burk’s argument rests upon the workers the day before her death that he had injury, such as organ failure, impairment of view that “good Mormons must be a premonition that his daughter was in bodily functions or even death.” If the intent Kantians,” but Oman also recognizes the trouble. is to gain information rather than cause paradox discussed above as he writes, “On An NPR reporter for KNAU in Flagstaff, harm, the memo reasoned, the technique the other hand, one can point to fairly utili- Arizona, Kevin Elston, also had a feeling that would be justifiable and could not be classi- tarian moral claims in scripture.”6 something was wrong—in this case with the fied as torture. Peggy Fletcher Stack summarized the de- Army’s official explanation. Upon filing a While the memo was eventually dis- bate within the Mormon community in a Salt Freedom of Information Act request, he dis- avowed by the White House, it caused a con- Lake Tribune article. She quoted Fred covered that Alyssa Peterson had died of a troversy, including among Latter-day Saints. Gedicks, a BYU law professor who refused to self-inflicted gunshot wound. Peterson had Dan Burk, an LDS law professor at the defend Bybee’s memo but added that “it’s fine objected to the interrogation techniques University of Minnesota, was irate and to talk about the teachings of the Savior about being used on prisoners, and after just two started a debate about the memo on the peace, but when the other side is not living nights working in “the ,” she refused to Mormon blog Times and Seasons. “I cannot those teachings, there are real risks by living participate any longer. When Peterson re- believe that the practice of torture is accept- them unilaterally.”7 In that same article, an- sisted orders, she was told that this was a able to anyone who claims to be a disciple of other Mormon, Michael K. Young, currently new kind of war and the old rules no longer Jesus Christ,” wrote Burk. “There seems to the president of the but applied. Peterson was reassigned to the base me something seriously awry in a govern- formerly a deputy legal advisor in the State gate, where she monitored Iraqi guards. She ment that is stockpiling legal justifications in Department during the presidency of George was also sent to suicide prevention training. preparation for such activity. But the support Bush Sr., said his approach in advising the Elston reported that a suicide note was found and leadership of at least one, and possibly president was to provide explanations about on Peterson’s body which stated that she more Latter-day Saints in such preparations what the government could do legally as well found it ironic that suicide prevention is deeply troubling.” as what they should do morally. “You can training had taught her how to commit sui- In response to Burk, Nate Oman, a law often go beyond that and say that while tech- cide.9 RYAN WAYMENT

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Army spokespersons in Peterson’s unit summary shows, Mormon scripture offers Seasons, 22 June 2004, http://www.timesandseasons. have refused to describe the techniques used paradox rather surety. Should we in all places org/?p=947#more-947 (accessed 12 January 2008). there and say all records of these interroga- and times “renounce war and proclaim 7. However, in a talk entitled, “The False Gods We Worship,” which appeared in the June 1976 tions have been destroyed. But Kayla peace,” or should we adopt the view that it is Ensign, Spencer W. Kimball seems to argue that living Williams, a soldier who worked with better that “one man should perish than that the gospel call to peace unilaterally is exactly what we Peterson, reported that in one method, “they a nation should dwindle and perish in unbe- should do: stripped prisoners naked and then removed lief”? Both sides can be supported with We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will ei- their blindfolds, so that I was the first thing Mormon scripture. And Latter-day Saints ther not suffer our enemies to come upon us—and they saw. And then we were supposed to have found themselves, with tragic conse- this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas (see 2 Nephi 1:7)—or he will mock them and degrade their manhood.” In quences, on both sides of this moral debate. fight our battles for us (Exodus 14:14; D&C 98:37, to a September 2006 CNN interview, Williams name only two references of many). stated, “What I saw was that individuals who 8. Peggy Fletcher Stack, “Memo on Torture were doing interrogations had slipped over a NOTES Stokes Ethics-Versus-Faith Debate,” Salt Lake line and were really doing things that were Tribune, 3 July 2004, A1, http://www.cephas-li- inappropriate.” 1. “Some Mormons Worry as Faith Comes under brary.com/mormon/mormon_memo_on_torture_sto Scrutiny,” 19 June 2007, http://abcnews.go.com/ While Peterson found it impossible to kes_ethics_vs_faith.html (accessed 12 January 2008). GMA/Politics/story?id=3293303&page=1 (accessed For more information about the Alyssa Peterson story, speak out in opposition to such interrogation 12 January 2008). see Greg Mitchell, “Why Did U.S. Soldier Kill techniques, former military personnel find it 2. Jonathan Darman and Lisa Miller, “Mitt’s Herself—After Refusing to Take Part in Torture?” at easier to do so. In an opinion column pub- Mission,” Newsweek online, 1 Oct. 2007, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/why- lished in the Salt Lake Tribune in December http://www.newsweek.com/id/41889/output/print (ac- did-us-soldier-kill-h_b_95289.html (accessed 7 April 2007, David Irvine, a Latter-day Saint at- cessed 12 January 2008). 2008). torney, brigadier general, and former Army 3. “Romney: Double Guantanamo,” http://www. 9. Excerpt found at Captain Cynic.com discus- cnn.com/POLITICS/blogs/politicalticker/2007/05/ sion, “The Truth of War,” http://www.captaincynic. Reserve intelligence officer, described a romney-double-guantanamo.html (accessed 12 Jan- com/thread/34277/excerp-truth-of-war.htm#34277. meeting of fifteen former officers with uary 2008). See Elston’s Arizona Republic story at http://www.az- Republican candidate Mike Huckabee. The 4. Ironically, this same argument was used by central.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1105sol- officers included a four-star Marine general, a Caiaphas to justify crucifying Jesus. See John 11:50. dierdeath05.html. See also Brian Moench, “Has three-star Army general, a Navy rear admiral, 5. Katherine Eban, “Rorschach and Awe,” Vanity Military Lost its Humanity?” , 22 an Army psychiatrist, the commander of the Fair, 17 July 2007, http://www.vanityfair.com/poli- November 2006, A14. tics/features/2007/07/torture200707 (accessed 12 10. David Irvine, “Presidential Candidates and Pacific fleet’s submarine forces, and an assort- January 2008). Where They Stand on Torture,” Salt Lake Tribune, 15 ment of infantry division commanders. The 6. Dan Burk, “Hanging by a Thread,” Times and December 2007. fifteen represented a group of fifty retired ad- mirals and generals who oppose the use of torture by the military and CIA. The generals asked for individual meet- ings with each of the presidential candidates of both parties to educate them about the problems torture causes for national security, TIMING its inconsistency with American moral stan- dards, and its unreliability as a means of His slender voice barely rising gathering reliable information. All of the above the band’s barely enough rhythm, Democratic candidates accepted the offer to we slowdanced when I was still in college meet with the group. Of the Republican can- and still waiting for Elvis and the Beatles in 1954, didates, only Huckabee accepted (although and Freddie Drexler, twenty-five, but looking fifty, McCain’s opposition to torture is well-docu- sang for the `Fairbury Ramblers’. mented). Irvine was impressed by Huckabee’s reaction to the meeting: Coming home forty years later “Waterboarding is torture, and torture vio- to bury my mother, I was sorry to find his name lates the moral code of Americans and jeop- listed to sing her favorite hymns, sorry ardizes the country’s security,” Huckabee that such a small voice would celebrate her passing. stated. Irvine reflected on the moment: “As the only Mormon in the room, I found my- Looking fifty at sixty-five, self regretting that Mitt Romney had declined his fragile tenor fell over me like the light the invitation. It was evident from Huck- at the end of summer evenings, his timing, abee's comments that his faith had informed so wrong for the beginning of life, impeccable now, his revulsion for torture.”10 making seamless the circle VEN though he was never asked in which I sit with her again on New Years Eve about it specifically, Mitt Romney’s in 1950, spelling each other down while we waited E Mormonism likely informs his views for the stroke of midnight, so I could fire the shotgun on the use of torture just as it does for any out the back door and we could go to bed. studious Latter-day Saint. But, as this brief —LARSEN BOWKER

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