Latter-day Saints and Immigration, Where do we go from here?

Immigration: Where do we go from here?

Over the next weeks and months the debate will rage in our nation over what to do about immigration. Unfortunately, as happens all too often, the extremes on either side seem to be driving the debate and dividing us into seemingly irreconcilable camps. By doing so, they set up a situation where nothing gets done, and the situation worsens and becomes more contentious. History has shown us time and time again that such scenarios only lead toward violence, something none of us wants. My purpose in creating this blog is to present a forum or venue for sincere, cordial, and honest dialogue about a very complex issue. However, this blog location will not just discuss immigration in general, and how it relates to our country, but specifically, how it relates to Latter-day Saints. Here we will explore this issue with the light of the restored gospel to illuminate and guide us. Some thoughts will be my own. Other thoughts and commentary will come from invited guests on both sides of the debate. All will be presented in a respectful manner, or it will not be displayed on this page.

I do not believe I have seen such a divisive issue or heard such heated debate within our church. I have wondered why. I think there are probably several reasons, and we will endeavor to explore each in this blog. However, perhaps chief among those reasons is because this situation has created a great moral dilemma between two tenets of our faith. On the one hand, we are commanded to love our fellow-men, but, on the other, we are taught to obey the laws of the land. On the surface, the debate over illegal-immigration seems to draw a contrast between these two commandments and places us in a no-win situation. How can we both help those who are here among us fleeing desperate situations and ignore the laws of the land they broke in getting here? This is a fair, complex, and difficult question. However, I’m sure this is not the first time or the last we will find ourselves in similar paradoxes. Surely there are answers and direction on how to navigate this dilemma.

What examples can we find from the scriptures, the living prophets, and other church materials to give us insight into how to resolve such a seeming paradox? I’m confident there are many. To me, the most obvious is found in the Atonement. In my next blog, I will explore how the Atonement can give us some direction in this immigration debate.