These prominent Latter-day Saints believe it is God’s command: Thou shalt not vote for Trump

Sunrise at the conference center at LDS headquarters in Salt Lake City. Photo: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

They contend that Trump falls short of the "character standards" outlined in the faith’s scriptures and is ethically "unsuited" to serve in the nation's highest office

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Four politically active Latter-day Saints believe Donald Trump does not meet the moral standards laid out in their faith’s scriptures, according to a recent news feature published by the Salt Lake Tribune. Citing passages from Doctrine and Covenants 98, they argue Trump lacks honesty, wisdom, and goodness—qualities they see as divinely required for leadership.

The group consists of Christine Durham, former Utah Supreme Court chief justice; Brent Ward, ex-U.S. attorney for Utah; Richard N.W. Lambert, retired assistant U.S. attorney; and civil rights lawyer James W. McConkie II. They spoke at the Utah Capitol on October 3, highlighting their perceived disparity between Trump’s moral compass and the LDS scriptures.

They argued that Trump’s lack of honesty, wisdom, and goodness disqualifies him from receiving support from Latter-day Saints, emphasizing that their stance transcends partisanship. The group consists of Democrats, a Republican, and an independent.

The group launched an online petition urging fellow members to oppose Trump, emphasizing it’s not just personal opinion but a “commandment.” Trump’s history of lies and harmful rhetoric, they contend, disqualifies him for the presidency.

“If a person, regardless of their ideology, fails the character test, then I think we have an affirmative responsibility to oppose that person, and the Lord gives the reasons, because, ‘when the wicked rule, the people mourn,’” McConkie said, quoting Latter-day Saint scripture.

Durham was outspoken about the way the former president “treats women, his disdain for the military and the disabled, and his antisemitism and his racism.”

“All of those are, in my view, entirely incompatible with any notion of Christian compassion,” Durham said.

Utah GOP chair Robert Axson acknowledged to the Tribune that no candidate fully aligns with every voter’s faith but considers Donald Trump “the better of the two options” in the 2024 election. He highlighted Trump’s track record of avoiding new armed conflicts, promoting economic opportunities, and supporting family-oriented values. Axson argues that Trump’s “core values” benefit both religious and non-religious people alike.