Recently, leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) invited congregations across the United States to reflect on and discuss the nation’s founding and how the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution support religious freedom. To some, this may seem like an odd or even concerning topic to discuss in a church setting.
Many Latter-day Saints also worried about discussing these topics in our highly partisan environment. LDS congregations (called wards) are diverse by design. Where many religions allow you to choose which congregation to attend, your LDS ward is determined by geographic boundaries. Wards also run by lay leadership, meaning everyone takes turns filling different leadership, teaching, and administrative functions. Geographic assignment and lay leadership all but guarantee that you will worship with and serve people who see things differently. For this particular discussion, that meant partisan divides could disrupt the conversation.
I shared that concern as I prepared to facilitate the discussion in my ward. Over the past year at Interfaith America, we’ve hosted religious freedom and pluralism roundtables around the country with people from different faiths, worldviews, and political backgrounds. Those conversations surfaced some of the same tensions I expected here. Some people wonder how we can celebrate when constitutional rights and norms face strain or threat. Others fear that religious freedom is used as license to discriminate. Some Americans feel pressure to be ashamed of their country or feel their acting from faith isn’t welcome in the public square. How could I lead a celebration of the Constitution and religious freedom across such wide divides?
What I found was the discussion in my ward offered insight for how we call might think about pluralism, religious freedom, and what it means to both celebrate and acknowledge the work ahead as we attempt to build a “more perfect Union” at America’s 250th anniversary. Two things stood out:
- We have opportunities to practice pluralism. Harvard Professor Diana Eck said that pluralism is the active engagement of diversity and the “active seeking of understanding across lines of difference.” LDS wards provide concentrated moments to practice that. A ward puts you in relationship with people you may not otherwise choose to spend time with, and in many cases asks you to serve them or alongside them. You don’t have to abandon your political convictions, but you also don’t have to resolve every disagreement to work together in service to your community.
- Religious freedom isn’t just for my group. One of the 13 statements of core LDS beliefs says, “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may.” The idea that all people are free to choose for themselves is central to God’s plan for His children. Latter-day Saints believe the Constitution was divinely inspired to protect that principle for all people. In a world where many people are still oppressed, we take seriously the obligation to defend that right for all people, including those who believe differently.
As we mark 250 years of the American democratic experiment, we both celebrate and recommit to the work of building. Our founding documents offer inspiration about protecting fundamental rights and the rule of law for all. We can seek opportunities for pluralism by finding common ground on which to build relationships and serve our communities together.
For me, that starts in my own congregation, where we are all thrown together despite our differences but called to a common purpose.
Scott Rasmussen is the Director of Democracy Initiatives at Interfaith America.
