What you didn't note is Mormonism's reverence for Israel and belief that the Jews were, are and continue to be God's covenant people.

a Clinton! The Clintons are an embarassment to any clear thinking American. The will say or do anything to get what they want. It's no wonder Israelis admire them.

He is a phony! He serves only himself. He is a #1 hypocrite who flip flops on ALL issues!

It is the Jews of Israel who are under threat of genocide, not US Jews. US Jews should consider their brothers and sisters in Israel and vote accordingly. It's time US Jews considred Israel more, and where not so selfish. It is a well know principle that G-D interacts MIDA KENEGED MIDA. As a person acts towards his fellow man, so to speak, G-D acts towards him. If the Jews in the Galut act with such indifference or, even worse, with hostility towards the dangers faced by Jews in Israel, how do they expect G-D to treat them when they will be endangered?

Just to clarify . . . Mormons don't just have a reverence and respect for Jews in the US, but throughout all the world. More than 1/2 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) is located outside the US. Mormons have a great interest in studying the Holy Land . . . in fact, BYU, the church's university, has a campus just outside the walls of Jerusalem. The church signed an agreement they would not preach in Israel. Wonderful article!

Romney is not electable so the point is moot.

Idaho (50% now mormon) and Utah were the first states to have a jewish governor...What does that say about them?

B"H No Jew has ever been a President. But there is a difference between the Mormans and the Zionist Jews. The Mormans have their State in Utah versus the Zionist Jewish State which is located outside of the United States. The Catholic State is located inside Italy and it is the Vatican. But the United States is very much intent on its independence; one of the citizenship requirements in not bowing down to any foreign potentate. America is a Protestant country and I very much doubt that anyone besides a Protestant will last in office very long here. This is just based on the history of the United States. Out of numerous Presidents, how many have been Morman? And of those non-Protestants who were "democractically" elected, how many remained in office to fulfill their term? This is a religious country at the Presidential level, and its religion has not been Morman. These are the facts. Why paint the picture different than it is? And as for separation of Church in State in Morman Utah, drive in the capitol some time. Church street and State street are separate, but right next to each other in the center of downtown. I do not see a polisbility of a very big separation there.

I used to volunteer on the research committee of a Pro-Israel pac when I lived in Chicago. Whenever I came across a mormon candidate, generally in Utah but also in nevada and Idaho one thing really stuck out. To a man they were extremely pro-Israel. I'm not crazy about Romney for other reasons but on Jewish/Israel issues I have no doubt that he would be fine

What many Jews may not know is that the Mormons have a project where they baptize dead Jews in the name of Christ. This is especially true for Jewish victims of the Holocaust. A majority of my family die in the Holocaust which was carried out by Christians! The last thing I want is for some Christ based religion to try and convert my family after death. The Mormons have made promisse to stop this barbaric act, but they have not stopped. This tradegy continues. Is is for this reason alone, I would never vote for a Moromon in any political position. How much abuse must we Jews take from the gentiles? Jeffrey jeffrey@xemaps.com

Jeffrey is 100% right. It is creepy and you must know that when they bless Israel it is either 1. A gallows blessing or 2. they think they are blessing themselves since in their Dogma they are the real Jews and Jews that adhere to the principles laid out by the Rambam are just an aberration. Plus the World and the US can not abide another 4 years of leadership by those that believe in a imminent apocalyptic confrontation between the universal forces of good and evil. These fatalistic interpretations will end up getting us all killed. We are supposed to at a minimum assist and communicate with each other and try to abide by the Golden Rule as articulated by Rav Hillel or arguably Jesus, you know the one "Treat others as you wish to be treated" and not be entertaining prophetic inclinations and insights into the future and acting to ensure your disastrous beliefs become manifest. Orthodox Rabbi's are particularly consistent in only hearing what they want to hear from these guys, they are not employed by these proselytizing Xians so they don't see the other side, the side of their doctrine that requires utter submission to prove its infallibility for it really can not exist otherwise.

Over 80% of Jews will vote Democratic, whoever the candidate it. Probably even more this time, since Bush has been such a massive screw-up. Jews are more against the Iraq war than any other group. It's been a disaster. (And anyone who thinks Bush has been good for Israel is an absolute idiot). Among the Rebuplicans only Rudy Giuliani has a chance to get more, maybe 30%, since he's not into forcing Christianity on us. We know that Bush is not a true friend of the Jews (or Israel for that matter) and neither are the Mormons, as posting #12 about the Mormons baptizing Holocaust victims shows. And we don't believe that supporting the Right Wing in Israel makes a candidate more pro-Israel or someone we want to vote for.

In response to #12 & #13: The Church has gone so far to respect Jewish sensibilities in this matter that it actually discriminates against its own members who have Jewish ancestry. These must obtain pre-authorization from Church headquarters before performing temple ordinances in behalf of their own ancestors. For a greater understanding of this issue, both from Jewish and LDS perspectives, please see "On LDS Proxy Baptisms and Freedom of Choice" http://hthalljr.googlepages.com/choice.html

No way! the whole issue is quite frankly very BIZarre to me. Maybe it is beyond my simple Yehudi perception. It sounds like some sort of ancestor worship to me. The past is the past and the future is the future, it is the here and now that matters most. I wish nothing ill for those of the LDS faith, I wish continued prosperity for the already personally wealthy GOV. Romney. But I will never see how his attainment of presidential authority can be beneficial for either Jews or the Medinat Yisrael. All should visit Israel and include Har Megiddo and Nazeret and Beit Lachem and Bet El and Tiberas and Tel Dan and Qumran and the Jezreel vallay and see all that and appreciate the fact there are schools, there are families and businesses and life and simplicity. Perhaps a first hand encounter with that will counter the doom and gloom predictions that shape their perceptions and put matters into a reasonable perspective? But then again I am not certain if any reason can be attained. I wish all well Shalom Livrakha.

Tracy, whatever your intentions are, your church fails to understand that it is insulting both the living and the dead by posthumously "offering" baptisms. There are millions of jews that have died BECAUSE they were jews rather than convert. Your "offering" to give them a choice to undergo baptism is not only ridiculous but insulting. Suppose muslims would take all the dead mormon/christian names and "offer" to them a posthumous conversion to islam. Sounds silly? perhaps ridiculaous? Well, I'm sure there are those in your church that would not appreciate that either. The fact remains that no matter what your intentions are, your practice simply adds insult to injury for those jews that lived and died for their religion - JUDAISM. I read your link. It makes no sense at all. Take off your blinders. -k-

It's disingenuous to claim that Mormornism is a tolerant religion. Please check you facts first: Do you know how they officially referred to and treated black people even as recently as the 1980s? Not until some of their missionaries were very successful among the poor blacks in Brazilian favellas, did the church leaders 'remember' that they have to be tolerant. Was I an American, I would stay clear of this Romney fellow. Sounds looney to me, any way...

Whoever Mitt would do to burnish his face, Evangelicals as a whole wouldn't vote for heretic candidate who doen't share the true Christian faith. This is a basic point of view, same as no real Christian can vote for satanist, buthist, or athiest or any other heretic candidate in any particular position. Conclusion : There is NO tolarence with cults.

You are correct that a true believer's religion must influence a person's beliefs and decisions, but I don't take Pres. Kennedy's comment "I do not speak for my Church on public matters — and the Church does not speak for me" as negatively. I don't think we should look to Gov. Romney for final pronouncements on the beliefs of the Mormons, and while knowing their current beliefs may help predict his values and actions, there may be considerable leeway in the public arena. Sen. Reid is also a believing Mormon, yet his beliefs have led him in a different direction on many issues than Gov. Romney.

"Mormons" have just as much a right to call themselves Christians as any one else. Any sincere student of religion could see that if he or she took the time to investigate.

The typical stereotyping and prejudice appear in the talkback to this article. Quick one-liners used to attack the LDS remind me very much of those often used to attack Jews. For a reasonable response to these quick quips about Mormons, go to fairlds.org or http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/index.html, or go directly to the source, lds.org. You have greatly misconstrued the Mormon concept of ordinances for the dead and their claim to christianity. If you choose to disagree with them, atleast accurately represent their beliefs. To use straw-man arguments such as these shows a lack of class and encourages prejudice and discrimination.

I am not Jewish but loved your comments. I have live here in Utah for seven years. Increasingly hating the established workings here. My view is Utah and the way it is ran is the Republican Ideal of how they want every state in the country ran. You want to see bigotry, sexism, racism, lack of equality and government cover-up in action. That is what Utah is all about. It lets no info in and lets no info out. It is all about potraying Utahns as as wholesome god fearing (there god) law abiding (there law) concerned (there concerns) citizens. If your not with there program, not not recognized as existing. You don't count. Utah is Mormon run and they let you know it right off the bat who is in chrage. Want that for every state in the Union. I am trying to get back East as fast as I can.

Wow! You think Mormonism is tolerant? This is a religion that refuses to let non-Mormons attend family weddings held in their temples. Mothers and fathers are no exception. I can’t think of a policy more hostile to families that this divisive LDS doctrine. To be sure, Mormonism is more tolerant today that it was 30 years ago when they refused to let blacks hold the priesthood or enter the temples. And it was more tolerant 30 years ago than at the turn of the century when leaders like Brigham Young thundered down condemnation on interracial couples and preached blood atonement for apostate Mormons. But saying that it's *more* tolerant is not the same as saying the church *is* tolerant. It’s certainly not *as* tolerant as many other, more mainstream religions. Romney, for example, thinks atheists are not fit to be President, and he's changed his position (no surprise here) to mirror the Church's anti-gay-rights movement. Someday Mormonism will be tolerant. Today, they are simply more tolerant than they used to be. Duwayne Anderson Author of "Farewell to Eden: Coming to terms with Mormonism and science"

Rabbi, I appreciate your thoughtful remarks concerning Mitt Romney. Please note that the church to which Romney belongs is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also, you can rest assured that 'Romney really still is a Mormon'. In the past he has served as both bishop (with stewardship over a local congregation) and stake president (over several congregations), both positions very demanding of his time and non-paid, and he has said on more than one occasion that he's proud of his faith. I believe he's a stand-up guy who lives his religion every day, not just when it is convenient, as do some other politicians.

I converted from Mormonism to Judaism in 2000, and I have been surprised at the ignorance in the Jewish community, especially among rabbis, about the true nature of the Mormon religion. This is not just another religion with supernatural beliefs. Its most serious problems lie within its infrastructure, among its organization and methods of controlling and maintaining its memebership. It is difficult to describe to those outside of Mormonism what it is like to be a member, interviewed by its leadership about your masturbatory habits. It is hard to put into words the intrusion that is felt when church attendance is not up to par, and leaders knock at your door. It is nearly impossible to convince outsiders how humiliating it is to make secret blood oaths in a temple which is off limits to most. This list of frustrating misunderstandings is long and detailed. As religious leaders, I would hope for better from rabbis who are allegedly educated in the activities of the religious community. Clean cut appearances and family values hide dangerous and debilitating behaviors from the public, and I am concerned that you have been duped along with many others. Please, in your efforts to not be bigots, please slow down and listen, hear, and consider that many of the public's complaints about this organization may just have some validity.

This is not true we believe every man has his own free will to chose for himself even after death, also in order for the LDS church to such a thing we must first gain permission from family members to do these baptisms, read in the bible of who will take care of the dead? This is not a secret ask one of your Mormon friends to help understand this, this is if you are willing to get the information that you post from a true church going Mormon.

I am a Japanese-American Mormon. Although people of African descent were not ordained to be priests in the LDS Church until 1978, there were black members in my congregation (no racial segregation) even before then. The LDS have sent missionaries to the Pacific Islands since 1842, and Japan in 1901, and the racial diversity of BYU-Hawaii representing all the Pacific Rim is well known in Hawaii. Congregations in Ghana and Nigeria formed themselves and plead for missionaries, which were sent in 1978; there are tens of thousands of Mormons there now. The LDS Church sends missionaries from Kenya and Mongolia to Idaho and Utah, and vice versa. Mormons serve as volunteer missionaries, 25,000 new ones each year, many around the world. Half of Mormons are outside the US, one million in Mexico and nearly that many in Brazil and Chile and the Philippines. Mormons are a multi-racial, multi-lingual international family, demonstrated by volunteers at the 2002 Olympics. Mormons were persecuted by states and the Federal government throughout the 19th Century, and are stalwarts believing in religious freedom for all. Freedom to believe or not believe is one of God's great gifts according to Mormon doctrine, and the First Amendment was inspired by God. Mormon congregations help other churches in both disasters and other times of need, including labor to help with church construction. Mormons fasted and donated the food money saved to help victims of Katrina and the Indonesia tsunami. Utah was one of the first states to volunteer to accept Katrina refugees and help them resettle. Gladys Knight is a Mormon, who was converted by her son and daughter, and she organized a mixed-race LDS choir in Las Vegas that won a Grammy for its first CD.

Mr. Anderson is a disaffected former Mormon whose book contains distortions of LDS teachings and misunderstandings of science. Marriages held in LDS temples "for time and all eternity" are restricted to persons who are entitled by faithfulness in the LDS Church to participate in all the various sacred ordinances of those temples. LDS marriages outside temples, which are "until death us do part", are conducted by an LDS bishop and are open to any guests. NO one is excluded from any LDS meeting held in a regular chapel, including all the Sunday meetings involving taking the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, Sunday School, and other meetings of men, of women, of teenagers, and children. New temples are open for public tours before they are dedicated for performance of religious ordinances. Sadly, there are some people who think they need to stand outside LDS temples and use bullhorns to ridicule and berate couples who have just been married within. Telling Mormons they can't have a sacred space apart, but must submit everywhere to intrusion and ridicule from anti-Mormons, is intolerant of Mr. Anderson.

You don't have a clue as to what these people are about. 1. you won't get very far in that church if you are " Black ", I am from Utah and I was there when Spencer W. Kimball had his " Vision " about black's in the church and holding priesthood. His vision was induced not from God at all, It was induced from the US government crackdown on racial tollerence. Behind this was the head Bishop of the Episcopal church, and the Bishop of the Catholic church in Utah in 1978/79. Look it up and see for your self. 2. They have missionaries go all over the world for their church, and preach the bogus stuff that I grew up with in Utah, they are very predjudice people and one sided throughout the church. Sorry if I dented your day with this, but froml top to bottom they are a completely bogus money making machine that will stop at nothing to get to the presidency. Books for further inqueries: The God Makers, find anything on the net you can about people that have left the church and your eyes will be opened, wide my friend....