So what was it like? Well we met at a high school, and there were about 65 of us from our precinct. Our precinct chair ran the meeting fairly well despite the fact that it lasted 2 1/2 hours. We voted for state and county delegates and each nominee was given an opportunity to tell about themselves, followed by a Q&A. It was very educational.
I learned that it is much easier to get involved in politics than I previously thought. Maybe I am still naive, but it seems to me that you don't have to be anything special or have a lot of money to make a difference on a local level.
I learned that there really are a lot more people out there that feel the same way I do about our country than I thought there were.
I learned that there is a spirit associated with politics. You may smirk at that, and think "there sure is a spirit in politics, but not the kind you feel at church...", but I really believe that the spirit of patriotism motivates us to get involved. Can anyone who truly loves our country be indifferent toward the men and women that are chosen to govern its affairs?
Leaving the caucus I felt a desire to do more and know more about what is going on. If you haven't read section 134 of the Doctrine and Covenants lately, I suggest taking some time to study it. What struck me the most was the first verse,
"We believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society." Doctrine and Covenants 134:1
If you have any suggestions for me on how to know more or do more, please leave a comment!
2 comments:
I don't have any suggestions for how, just an encouragement for you to do. You' ll do great!
I remember attending caucuses in Utah more than once, always in someone's home, never attended by more than a dozen or so people. Government is more grass roots than most people believe, and it is easier to get into the system than most believe. Hence the propensity for most elected officials to be motivated by something other than the public good. Thank heaven for the great system we have that keeps such things in check.
I am grateful for the privilege I had to live this scripture for 30 years. It was my guiding star, and although never a very good judge of my own success, I believe in all 30 years I was pretty successful at "administering the laws for the good and safety of society." And although I never actually "made" laws, that being the exclusive area of elected officials, I wrote many that were later adopted, and believe that they were for "the good and safety of society." The public arena is definitely a good place to get your head knocked around and have your ideas challenged and refined by those who have different opinions and objectives.
Thanks for the updates, hope you have as much fun at BYU as you did in AZ eating pizza with Grant.
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