facebook-pixel

‘Mormon Land’: Why politics, done right, is a ‘religious activity’

Retired federal Judge Thomas Griffith discusses how to practice politics without “losing your soul.”

(Steve Ruark | The New York Times) Thomas B. Griffith testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington in this March 8, 2005, file photo. Griffith retired from the federal bench in 2020.

(Steve Ruark | The New York Times) Thomas B. Griffith testifies at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington in this March 8, 2005, file photo. Griffith retired from the federal bench in 2020.

Today’s world seems more divided than ever on political solutions to seemingly intractable problems, and some such rifts have seeped into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Many members have entrenched themselves in their own partisan positions, choosing derision over dialogue by refusing to talk or even listen to other viewpoints. Others have chosen to eschew politics altogether, believing that it is impossible for policymakers to get anything right and that politics has no place with faith.

(Courtesy photo) Former federal appellate court Judge Thomas Griffith.

Retired federal Judge Thomas Griffith, a Latter-day Saint convert who stepped down from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2020, argues just the opposite — that politics is actually a “religious activity.”

On this week’s show, he discusses how to practice politics without “losing your soul.”

Listen here.

[Get more content like this in The Salt Lake Tribune’s Mormon Land newsletter, a weekly highlight reel of developments in and about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To receive the free newsletter in your inbox, subscribe here. You also can support us with a donation at Patreon.com/mormonland, where you can access gifts and transcripts of our “Mormon Land” podcasts.]



Support free news for Utah

sltrib.com is now free to access — no subscription required. We made this decision because we believe access to trustworthy, independent news shouldn’t depend on what you can afford — especially as misinformation and AI-generated content continue to rise.

Free to read doesn’t mean free to produce. Our reporters show up every day to ask hard questions and hold powerful institutions to account. That work takes resources. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on support from people who believe it matters. Make a donation today to fund local news that serves Utah communities.

You can help us bring more local news to more communities today.