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What do Brigham Young and Mitt Romney have in common?
Brigham Young became perhaps the most famous President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 160 years ago in 1847. Young followed the founder, Joseph Smith, Jr., and led the believers west to what is now Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is colloquially called the Mormon Church because of its reliance on the Book of Mormon as one of its sacred texts. History records that Joseph Smith was visited in 1830 by the Angel Moroni who gave him a set of gold plates and imbued him with the ability to translate these plates into what in now the Book of Mormon.
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, is currently one the leading Republican candidates for the presidency in 2008. As a Mormon, this has suddenly focused more attention of his religion and whether it is an appropriate background for a person who could again become President of the United States.
This kind of attention was focused on John F. Kennedy when he, a practicing Roman Catholic, was asked to defend that he would not use his faith as the basis for making presidential decisions if he were elected.
Here's your pathfinder for a variety of information about the Mormon religion and Mitt Romney:
- Click Topics search tab
- Type "Mitt Romney and Mormon religion"
- Click Romney, W Mitt (person) AND Mormons (company/org)
- View documents
Can your students answer any two of the following essential questions designed to improve their critical thinking skills?
- Why might his Mormon religion discourage a vote for Mitt Romney in the Republican convention or in the Presidential election of 2008?
- What about the Mormon religion may be a positive influence for a vote for Mitt Romney?
- Which Mormons have run for president in the past, and how did they fare?
- What are the similarities and the difference between typical mainstream Christian beliefs in the U.S. and what the Mormons believe and practice?
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