An Open Letter to Mitt Romney

A Vote For Romney Is a Vote For War

Dear Brother Mitt Romney,

We the undersigned, as members of the Latter-day Saints community, are very much alarmed that your possible election to the United States Presidency could be the beginning of a war with Iran. You have stated the following:

"If for some reasons they [Iran] continue down their course of folly toward nuclear ambition, then I would take military action if that's available to us...We have a number of options from blockade to bombardment of some kind. And that's something we very much have to keep on the table, and we will ready ourselves to be able to take, because, frankly, I think it's unacceptable for Iran to have nuclear weapons." 1

We are concerned that your consistent statements regarding Iran do not seem to represent Latter-day Saint values and theology concerning matters of war and peace. All members of the LDS church are called to..."sue for peace...to all people, and lift up an ensign of peace, and make proclamation of peace unto the ends of the earth." 2. Yet, Mr. Romney, you threaten to bomb and/or enforce a military blockade against a country, which has not shown any military threat to the security of the United States, let alone actually attacked United States territory or citizens.

We want to remind you that the “Church is and must be against war...It can not regard war as righteous means of settling international disputes; these should and could be settled–the nations agreeing–by peaceful negotiation and adjustment.” 3

We ask you to consider carefully the Latter-day Saint theology of peace before making pronouncements about our nation going to war. Currently, there is no international intelligence indicating that the government of Iran is actually pursuing a nuclear weapons program; Please consider the alternative of following the consensus of the international community by having intense negotiations to resolve the nuclear dispute with Iranian officials.

In addition to working diplomatically to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, we urge you also to promote a nuclear weapons free zone among all Middle East and South Asian countries including Pakistan and Israel.

Footnotes
1. Glen Johnson, Associated Press; October 25, 2007
2. D&C 105:38-39
3. A message from the First Presidency: 112th Annual General Conference of the Church. Conference Report, Apr. 1942, 88-97

This project is endorsed by Mormons for Equality and Social Justice. (see mesj.org)