Last night we attended a Mitt BBQ, a fundraiser for Romney’s 2012 Presidential campaign. Paige even got to tag along for her first grassroots look at election beginnings. It is always great to see Mitt and Ann. Ann looks wonderful and her health seems better this go round than the last. We had a good laugh about running the Bonnie Bell 10K together over 25 years ago. Another added bonus was getting to sit with our Boston buddies, the Finlaysons.
There are many things I admire about Mitt. First and foremost is his integrity. I’m skeptical of many politicians but I trust Mitt.
During the 2008 election Mitt took some flak for his Mormon beliefs and at one point he addressed faith specifically in a speech. One quote I like from the comments he made follows:
“I believe that every faith I have encountered draws its adherents closer to God. And in every faith I have come to know, there are features I wish were in my own: I love the profound ceremony of the Catholic Mass, the approachability of God in the prayers of the Evangelicals, the tenderness of spirit among the Pentecostals, the confident independence of the Lutherans, the ancient traditions of the Jews, unchanged through the ages, and the commitment to frequent prayer of the Muslims.
As I travel across the country and see our towns and cities, I am always moved by the many houses of worship with their steeples, all pointing to heaven, reminding us of the source of life’s blessings.” -Mitt Romney
I have similar feelings to Mitt in regard to other religions. Getting to this point has been a process because in my younger days I was more critical of differences while I now clearly see how many faiths inspire their members to do wonderful things and be better people.
So, as a more seasoned church member, I now look at other religions with admiration for their traditions and heritage. Hopefully while the Mormon faith is in the limelight of late (with 2 presidential candidates and the award winning Book of Mormon musical, etc) others will paint their viewpoint of LDS church members with a broad stroke. We are so much more than than some of the misconceptions that I read about by misinformed critics.
It will be a shame if Americans get caught up in silly “it’s dangerous to vote for a Mormon for president” rhetoric because they would absolutely miss out on an excellent candidate with Mitt. We are definitely hoping that 2012 will be Mitt’s year to win!
