Our First Mormon President

If Mitt Romney wins this election (as he still easily could), one of the (few) things I'm going to enjoy is watching my friends on the Christian Right squirm and grumble as they have to look at a devout Mormon President go to his 'Latter Day Saints' parish ward (that's what they call their local congregation) every Sunday.

Mitt and Ann leaving the Mormon Ward on a recent Sunday

If you think a Romney as president is going to skip out on going to weekly worship--something he has done every Sunday of his life--just because he is in the White House, think again.  Jimmy Carter went to church in Washington every Sunday, and even taught Sunday School class, so why would Mitt do anything different?  And because it's not just your everyday Presbyterian or Baptist or Methodist Church, the press will cover it rather well, just for curiosity's sake, if nothing else.  (Not sure about Fox News, of course....my guess is they'll just not notice it's happening, so as not to upset the Christian faithful!)

Just think how much we'll be learning about the Mormon faith.  And about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, their prophet and author of Mormon scripture.  Or imagine when President Romney goes to the local Mormon Temple for a wedding or baptism or a grandchild's Endowment Ceremony (Non-Mormons Prohibited).  Think of all the stories we're going to see about the fascinating history of Mormonism, the beliefs and practices of Mormonism.  Why, it's going to be like having a long talk with one of those nice Mormon missionary boys, every day for four (or eight) years!

What most people don't know (yet) is that Joseph Smith, the founder of Mormonism, was also in the process of seriously running for President of the United States, when he was shot down by an angry mob in 1844 in Illinois--one of those many untold stories of Mormon history that you'll hear more about once Mitt is elected.   Incidentally, Joseph Smith had massive Mormon plans for these United States of America, the location--according to Mormon lore--of the Garden of Eden and of Christ's Second Coming. But, of course, all of that is just BOOOORRRRRING history and of no consequence for us today, I'm sure.

This--and much, much more--will be broadcast all over the world, as the Mormons are able to finally strut their stuff, now that one of their own is finally the President of the United States.  And what credit indeed they'll be able to take for defeating the 'greatest threat to America ever', Barack Obama.  And it wasn't a Catholic who could do it (Newt Gingrich or Rick Santorum), it wasn't a Protestant (Rick Perry, Jeb Bush, Herman Cain, Michelle Baughman or Ron Paul), it wasn't a liberal 'Jack' Mormon like Jon Huntsman.  No, it was the devout Mormon, Mitt Romney, with family roots going all the way back to the Founders (Smith and Brigham Young) themselves!  What a glorious day it will be for the adherents of this growing--and now victorious--American religion!

Until the election in a little over a month, the Christian Right--who form a huge percentage of the Republican Party faithful--will be holding their fire about any issues they have with Mormonism, because they desperately want a Republican--any Republican, it seems--in the White House.  (Why?  Is Jesus a Republican?)  But frankly, I cannot imagine that that will continue much beyond November 6th, although there'll surely be time for celebration now that the true Anti-Christ in the White House has been defeated!

As far as I'm concerned, liberal ecumenist that I am, I have no problem with Mitt's Mormon beliefs, because as a firm believer in the American 'separation of church and state', there is no need for a Christian to occupy the White House.  Sooner or later, we'll probably have a Jew, a Muslim (oh, I forgot, Barack HUSSEIN Obama is already President), a Hindu, a New Ager (oh, that's right, we already had Ronald and Nancy Reagan), or even an out-and-out atheist (oh, wait a minute, that was Thomas Jefferson) in there.  That's what I think, anyway.

But I will tell you, not everyone thinks like I do!  So, if Mitt Romney wins, it's going to be very interesting to watch the Christian Right as they realize what they have done.  Very interesting indeed.