This guest post was written by Loraine T. Pace, who has been involved in politics for many years:

There are things we know as LDS women that most Americans don’t know:

1. We understand this country’s origins.

• This country was foreordained – 1 Ne 13:12
• This country is the land of promise – 1 Ne 12
• This country is choice above all other lands – Ether 2: 10, 12
• This country is free from bondage if we serve Jesus Christ – D&C 134

2. Government was instituted by God.

Abraham Lincoln spoke of being driven to his knees many times, as there was nowhere else to go. He said: “It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.” (Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day.)

3. Columbus, and the early pilgrims (other gentiles), were led by God.

• The world would suggest that Columbus was lost in his travels.
• We know he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost – 1 Ne 13:12

4. Do we really know George Washington?

• He refused to be king – “no king upon the land” 2 Ne 10:11
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• He was unable to be shot in battle – During the French and Indian War, he was only 23 years of age. Eighty-six British and American soldiers fought. At the end, George Washington was the only officer who had not been shot down from his horse. Washington wrote a letter to his family explaining that, after the battle was over, he had taken off his jacket and had found four bullet holes, yet not a single bullet had touched him; Washington openly acknowledged that God had protected him and kept him through that battle. In 1770 – an old Indian chief sat down with Washington, and face-to-face over a council fire, told Washington that he had been a leader in that battle, fifteen years earlier, and that he had instructed his braves to single out all the officers and shoot them down. Washington had been singled out, and the chief explained that he personally had shot at Washington seventeen different times, but without effect. Believing Washington to be under the care of the Great Spirit, the chief instructed his braves to cease firing at him. He then told Washington: I have traveled a long and weary path to come and pay homage to the man who is the particular favorite of Heaven, and who can never die in battle. (This story is no longer in the textbooks of our children.)

5. We understand the importance of the Constitution.

• The Law goes out of Zion/Jerusalem – Isaiah   2:2-3
• The Constitutional law of the land
 – D&C 98:4-5
• The Government is instituted of God – D&C 134:1

6. We know about the Founding Fathers/Signers of The Declaration of Independence.

• The Founding Fathers were men of God.

Benjamin Franklin said, “The longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of the truth that God governs the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, sir, in the Sacred Writings, that except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. I firmly believe this… I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth, prayers imploring the assistance of heaven and its blessing on our deliberation be held in this assembly every morning.” (The 1787 Constitutional Convention.)

• Pres. Wilford Woodruff, on August 1877, in the St. George Temple said,

“I am going to bear my testimony to this assembly, if I never do it again in my life, that those men who laid the foundation of this American government and signed the Declaration of Independence were the best spirits the God of heaven could find on the face of the earth. They were choice spirits, not wicked men. General Washington, and all the men that labored for that purpose, was inspired of the Lord.” (Conference Report, April 1898, p. 89.)

How To Get Involved In Politics

1. Make a commitment to vote.

• Never, never miss an opportunity to cast your vote, whether it is a bond. election, a Primary, or the general Election.
• Become a responsible voter – no guess work in the voting booth.
• Get to know the candidates and issues on the ballot – meet or talk to the candidates, attend a debate, read the voter pamphlet, let the Spirit guide you, etc.

2. Attend your Party Caucus-where grassroots began.

• Elect good precinct workers, or become one yourself. (Two year commitment)
• Become a county or state delegate to help get the best candidates into the finals. (Two year commitment)
• Volunteer to the county clerk to be an Election Judge at the polls.

3. Good Party Leadership is needed at the County and State levels.

• Recruit those with similar values or run for office yourself.
• Help others get involved – leadership skills are the same in any organization.
• Use the “tools” you already have – prayer, inspiration, scriptures (the war chapters of the Book of Mormon weren’t included for no reason).

4. Prayerfully read and reread the Constitutions of your state and the United States.

• 
Each elected official takes an oath to uphold these constitutions.
• It will refresh your memory of what is expected of you and those in office.

5. Encourage good people to run for office.

• Make a contribution to their election campaign.
• Endorse them through an ad or letter to the editor
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• Volunteer to assist them in their campaign delivering materials, posting a sign, etc.

An Example of An Elected Official and What They Do:

A State Legislator is elected every two years and serves a 45-day session each year with monthly interim meetings when not in session. They can also be assigned to extra committees to study a particular issue during the interim. The laws they make can greatly affect our lives.

1. Each legislator has 2 standing committees and 1 appropriation committee

• Standing committees include: Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice, Health and Human Services, Revenue and Taxation, Education, Transportation, Government Operations, etc. They are held separately in each body, House and Senate, during the session.
• Appropriation Committees are only held during the session and include House and Senate members, who concentrate on part of the overall budget.

2. Governor proposes a “suggested” budget each year, however, only the Legislature, which includes the Executive Appropriation Committee, is authorized to set the budget.

3. The process for a proposed bill to become a law follows the same general process.

• The idea for a bill can originate in the head of a legislator, come from a concerned citizen(s), a request from a government department (at any level), or from other interested groups of any age.
• A bill must be sponsored by a legislator and begin in either the house or senate. It is presented and debated in committees, where the public can testify, and on the floor. A senator cannot speak on the House floor, so must get a House sponsor, & vice versa, to debate it on the appropriate floor for a vote. Any legislator may present a bill to either house committees.

How to Have Your Voice Heard by Government Officials:

1. You can “lobby” the legislature to try to influence them on how to vote on a bill.

• Send email or text messages to legislators – their addresses and phone numbers are online.
• Ask for time in a committee meeting to testify.
• Invite them to speak to a group you belong to and ask questions
• 
Visit the Capitol when they are in session and invite them, by note, to speak with you in the “lobby,” which is just outside of their prospective chambers.

2. There are professional lobbyist, but many more citizen lobbyists.

3. Lobby at the smallest level first – the sponsor of the bill (one person), then a house or senate committee (about 12 members), next, the House (75 members) or Senate (29 members), when it has progressed to the floor debates. Suggest an amendment to the sponsor, or another legislator, in order to make a bill more acceptable.

4. Legislators lobby each other to kill a bill before it even goes into the process, or propose some changes, etc.

5. Be civil in your contacts. They are dealing with many issues in a short time and appreciate good input from someone who may have a different perspective on an issue.

6. A bill may be addressing a good issue, but in the wrong way, so take time to find out why your representative voted the way they did. There are few easy solutions.

Things to Keep in Mind:

1. Newspapers and other media are there to get stories to sell newspapers, not necessarily to give you good coverage of the session.

2. We should always be looking for ways to solve our problems without turning to government to make more laws. Stricter laws usually punish the law-abiding citizens.

3. Government should only be functioning where individual citizens can’t do it better themselves – regulations restrict freedoms- some are needed, but many are not.

4. Equal justice and opportunity for everyone is something we boast of in the U.S., but if we try to guarantee equal outcome, it places an unfair burden on responsible citizens – who pay their bills and are then required to pay the bills of others.

5. During the Revolutionary War we learn about patriots who paid a great price to win our freedoms and earned the right to establish a government of the people. Patrick Henry felt freedom was worth the price of death. We each decide what our freedom is worth to us and how much time or effort we will devote to being good citizens and promoting better government. Some things take very little additional time.

6. Obeying laws, following the rules of fair play (no cheating), and honesty in all we do, protecting rights and property of others.

7. Legislators or any other elected official are there to represent you. Your voice is important. If the legislative body, at any level of government, consistently does not listen to the voice of the people, they should be removed from office.