Does Romney think he must be President to fulfill a religious destiny?

[YBR31]

http://www.salon.com/2012/01/29/mitt_and_the_white_horse_prophecy/singleton/

Romney avoids mentioning it, but Smith ran for president in 1844 as an independent commander in chief of an “army of God” advocating the overthrow of the U.S. government in favor of a Mormon-ruled theocracy. Challenging Democrat James Polk and Whig Henry Clay, Smith prophesied that if the U.S. Congress did not accede to his demands that “they shall be broken up as a government and God shall damn them.”  Smith viewed capturing the presidency as part of the mission of the church.  He had predicted the emergence of  “the one Mighty and Strong” — a leader who would “set in order the house of God” — and became the first of many prominent Mormon men to claim the mantle.

Smith’s insertion of religion into politics and his call for a “theodemocracy where God and people hold the power to conduct the affairs of men in righteous matters” created a sensation and drew hostility from the outside world.  But his candidacy was cut short when he was shot to death by an anti-Mormon vigilante mob. Out of Smith’s national political ambitions grew what would become known in Mormon circles as the “White Horse Prophecy” — a belief ingrained in Mormon culture and passed down through generations by church leaders that the day would come when the U.S. Constitution would“hang like a thread as fine as a silk fiber” and the Mormon priesthood would save it.

[southernyankeebelle]

1. If someone asks him that question I am willing to bet he'll lie.

[Warpy]

2. Why not? The rest of the lunatics sharing the stage with him do (or did).

Gawd told all of them to run. They're all hearing voices, IMO, and none of them should ever be taken seriously.

[HockeyMom]

3. Have we ever heard Obama say

that he was elected President to fulfill a RELIGIOUS destiny? Yet, he WAS elected President while so many of these God told me to run nuts, WEREN'T.

[morningfog]

4. I don't know, or care, really. But, I hope he is asked constantly.

[Found in Yonkers]

5. Good article

It concludes that--if elected--Romney will view the presidency as a theological position.

[Ruby the Liberal]

6. It is dominionism - same as Sarah believes (and why she isn't backing him)

[Thrill]

7. To fulfill his Ego

yes

[otohara]

8. Lying For The Lord

I think he lies so easily because what would push the Mormon cause, more than having one be the POTUS

Lying for the Lord


It's a Mormon thing. It's called Lying for the Lord. And it's a tenet of the Mormon faith that, Mormons think, gives them to the right to tell you a bald-faced lie, so long as it's a lie that somehow furthers the Mormon cause.

What else to call the Mormon's laughable statement today that their posthumous baptism last year of President Obama's mother was a "rare" mistake that might have been done by "pranksters."

Yes, we're to believe that the Mormons, just by coincidence, forcibly converted a presidential candidate's deceased mother, 13 years after her death, and only months before the presidential election. And we're also to believe no warning bells went off at Mormon Central when they saw that the woman's husband, whose name is clearly listed on her "baptismal record," is "Barack Hussein Obama." (Obama's father has the same name.) Yes, all one big unfortunate "rare" mistake. Kind of like a clerical error. Except instead of giving you the wrong change, they just stole your mother's soul.http://www.americablog.com/2009/05/lying-for-lord.html

[HopeHoops]

9. No, just his ego.

[grantcart]

10. yes

But not so much related to a particular principle or prophesy but to demonstrate a general acceptance of Mormonism as a truely All American Religion.

[bkkyosemite]

11. It would be extremely scary if Wilbur became President

If Romney became President the whole of Salt Lake City's Mormon church would be running the entire administration. It is a cult. Their beliefs are out of sight. What they think of unbelievers which would be the majority of the citizens of this Country is we are not in God's grace. As do SDA's and JW's. They think very extreme views of those who do not believe as the rest and there would be an nightmare if this joker gets elected. Pray he does not!

Obama needs to make sure this does not happen.

[jberryhill]

12. Absolutely

I'm glad Salon put this together. Absolutely, he is seeking to fulfill Smith's unfinished work.

And he is challenged by Newt - the White Salamander.

Poetic

[Major Hogwash]

13. Well, someone's done their homework about the Mormons, I see.

This is nothing new to those of us who grew up with Mormons.
We saw the schism take place in their church for letting Blacks join their church.
And we witnessed the implosion of the community bonds they had with each other as one ward went this way, and another ward went that way.
And the individual stakes separated from other stakes and the communities separated among themselves.
The entire church was at odds against itself.

It's hard to say what Joseph Smith would say about the church he founded.
Well, actually, it's not.
He would declare them heretics and have them all excommunicated.

[MisterP]

14. Roslin vs. Baltar 2012!

[onenote]

15. Is that why Mo Udall ran for president in 1976?

The assumption in the OP that because Mormon founder, Joseph Smith ran for president that Romney, as a Mormon, must be attempting to fulfill some religious destiny, is yet another unfortunate example of DUers painting Mormonism with a broad brush and ignoring the fact that -- surprise -- not all Mormons are right wingers. Mo Udall was Mormon and he ran to the left of Jimmy Carter for heaven's sake.

The lack of knowledge of history and politics displayed on DU sometimes is very discouraging.