How to Survive the 2016 Presidential Election

Let me begin by explaining my perspective.  Even if you disagree with my positions, I hope you find value in my suggestions for dealing with this election.

For those who know me, it is no secret that I am politically conservative.  I have supported Republicans in elections since I have been eligible to vote.  The principles of limited government as defined by the Constitution and the Federalist Papers have resonated with me the more I have studied them.  Though they predated me, conservatives such as Davy Crockett and Calvin Coolidge have inspired me.  While Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were not perfect leaders, I supported much of what they did.

I did not support John McCain in the primaries of 2008, but I voted for him in opposition to Barack Obama.  I did not support Mitt Romney in the primaries of 2012, but I voted for him with similar opposition in the November election.

Then came 2016.

Early in the race, I recall being frustrated with people who were already saying there were no candidates they wanted to support.  If you believed everything Barack Obama said about himself, you could support Hillary.  If you wanted to ignore every failure of socialism hoping that this time it would be different, you could support Bernie Sanders.  If you wanted someone outside of politics to make a difference, Ben Carson fit the description.  If you wanted someone who had political experience and constitutional principles, Ted Cruz was the man.  If you wanted a compromiser who could relate to younger voters, Marco Rubio was viable.  If you wanted an establishment Republican, there was Jeb Bush.  Finally, if you wanted to flip people off, there was Donald Trump.

Through a series of events I am not sure I understand yet, the two parties lifted up Trump and Clinton as the nominees.

Any frustrations I had with people who said there were no good choices disappeared.  On the one hand, Hillary Clinton has been tied to pay-for-play corruption in the State Department.  She has obfuscated and lied about things even when she did not need to (such as her pneumonia episode).  Even Democrats who supported socialist Bernie Sanders recognized her corruption in the primary process.  For non-democrats, Clinton represents every flaw that accompanies big-government politics.  On the other hand, Donald Trump is a crude individual who has used personal attacks and media manipulation to propel himself.  He and his campaign promoted insane conspiracies that Ted Cruz's father might have been involved in the JFK assassination, and unnecessarily shameful attacks about Cruz's wife.  His record with infidelity and morality directly conflicts with the standards that Republicans have typically tried to espouse.  Even worse, his ideas for policy are all based on large government solutions including large tariffs, undefinable immigration changes that may or may not include a wall, and confusing foreign policy positions that have difficulty differentiating between friends and foes.  Essentially, Americans are being given the choice between two Democrats... two unlikable Democrats.

Third party candidates have risen to try to position themselves as viable alternatives.  Of course, Jill Stein of the Green Party is even further to the left of the major party nominees, but Gary Johnson has, in an attempt to court disenfranchised voters, put himself in roughly the same position as Trump and Clinton in terms of policy.  He praised a lot of the Bernie Sanders strategy, and is left of Clinton on immigration.  His foreign policy understanding is famously lacking, and his major priority is the legalization of drugs.  Essentially, the major third party candidates have offered us two more Democrats from which to choose.

This, among other precedent, has led many people to conclude that the best thing they can do with their vote is to oppose one of the two major political candidates.  The media is all over the Trump tapes (that reveal nothing new; Donald Trump has always been a crude man) to encourage people to prevent Trump from becoming President.  Conservative sites have a target-rich environment to show Hillary's record of corruption (that also reveal nothing new; Hillary Clinton has always been a corrupt manipulator) that they use to encourage people to prevent Hillary from becoming President.

I completely understand wanting to prevent either one of these people from becoming President.  Frankly, I understand wanting to prevent some of the third party candidates from becoming President as well.

That having been said, let me suggest the following:

1. Don't make excuses for any candidate.  I know that Hillary Clinton will cause awful harm as President of the United States.  That doesn't excuse Donald Trump's awful behavior.  Additionally, I know that Donald Trump is unlikely to keep any of the promises he has made, and would be a disaster for America.  That doesn't mean Hillary's dishonesty and criminal activity was OK.  Acknowledge the imperfections that each person has.

2. People who have opposing political views are not incompetent racist traitor bigot liars (necessarily).  Of course it is possible to find Trump supporters that are hateful lunatics, and Hillary supporters that actually hate America, but it is likely more productive to talk about ideas, principles, and values rather than slinging disrespect.  If you have to become an awful person to show that someone else is an awful person, then what have you really accomplished?

3. The Government is incapable of solving most of our problems.  Having voted for or against a candidate does not absolve an individual of personal responsibility.  You must still help other people.  You must still be decent and law-abiding.  You must still work hard.  You must still try to better yourself.  Ultimately, the most significant sources of improving people (and in turn, society) are Jesus Christ, and strong families (in that order).  The most important education, the preservation of values, the way people of different races, genders, and backgrounds can improve interactions... all of these things are best improved by fathers and mothers who love one another and their children.  Religious institutions that promote faith and family, as well as charity, honesty, respect, virtue, and forgiveness support families in these efforts.  These elements will do the most to solve the problems our society faces.

4. Don't let political frustration discourage you.  It is easy to become cynical.  It is easy to avoid participating in elections or political conversations.  Sometimes, it seems justified.  The outlook on the 2016 Presidential Election is not encouraging, regardless of which party wins.  That does not mean that you should stop caring.  That does not mean that your conscience is unimportant.  That does not mean that America is beyond redemption.  This nation has been in precarious situations before, and we have triumphed when enough people did the right thing when it was difficult.

5. In the end, the good guys win.  I don't want to suggest that life will be sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows... There will be perils, disasters, tragedies, and horrors... many of them will be perpetrated by people (2 Timothy 3:1-7).  I do want to suggest that, in the end, God will make everything right.  No one will "get away with" their crimes.  No injustice will go uncorrected.  No wound will remain unhealed.  No hurt will persist.  In the end, good will triumph over evil.  Have faith.  Have confidence.  Even if it doesn't look good right now, Jesus Christ is coming... and he will save us all.

Peaceful feelings of total destruction

After the books of Nephi and the book of Jacob, there are a number of short books in the Book of Mormon.  It can be easy to overlook these books... and while many latter day saints remember the story about Enos praying all day and night, few recall the details of Jarom, or the numerous individuals in the book of Omni.

Of course, the prayer of Enos is significant.  The determination he had in persistently seeking an answer from God, and that faith he had in believing the answers when they came represent important lessons in communicating with our Father in Heaven.  The fact that his guilt was swept away is moving for those that have experienced the miracle of Christ's power, and the mercy of his forgiveness.  His beneficence is demonstrated in how he immediately prayed for the salvation of his people, the Nephites.  It is notable to realize that he spent effort on behalf of the Lamanites, who continually sought to kill his people.  It is important that he hoped for the welfare of the records of his people, so that, in time, the Lamanites might have knowledge of and peace through Jesus Christ.

Having had what he described as "rest" (Enos 1:17), he went to his people to persuade them to believe in Christ.  After having a spiritual experience as he had, where he obtained peace, confidence, and joy... one might imagine the means by which he taught his people would be expressed in a similar tone.  It would not be unreasonable to think he would emphasize the love and mercy of God to all those who would come to him.

Instead, he records the following:

"And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction." (Enos 1:23)

Certainly there are few things that inspire feelings of peace, love, and harmony more than threatening of "wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity..."  (Sarcasm... in case that was unclear.)

To the saints in the latter days... this may seem odd.  When I attend conference and hear the words of modern day apostles and prophets, I come away with the idea that they do not use the same approach Enos did.  In fact, it is frequently that these men plead with us to be a little bit better, to try a little harder, and to be a little kinder.  While the call to repentance is not absent from their messages, it is always accompanied by descriptions of the love and mercy of the Son of God.

Perhaps even adding to the contrast is the fact that in the latter days, there are numerous prophecies that indicate the increased danger and destruction that will prevail in the last days.  Consider these examples:

• "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (2 Timothy 3:1-7)
• "And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations." (Revelation 13:6-7)
• "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." (Matthew 24:7-12)

With great perils in the last days, more so than in any other time, it can seem confusing as to why the strategy of Enos is not employed more frequently.  Why do we hear so little about the threats of "wars, and contentions, and destructions?"  Why are we not continually reminded of death and the duration of eternity?

I suggest that we are given these reminders, but indirectly.  We are asked to read the scriptures.  We are asked to study the Bible and the Book of Mormon.  We are taught that the messages of these ancient prophets (especially those in the Book of Mormon) are specifically intended for us in modern times.

It becomes everyone who reads these scriptures not to skim over the short books or the minor prophets.  There are messages in many of them (both the Bible and the Book of Mormon) that warn us of the dangers that come from not heeding the counsel of the Lord.  There are promises and examples that demonstrate the power and peace available to those that do follow him.  These messages blend well with the teachings of modern prophets and apostles that remind us of the great love that Christ has for us... such that it becomes easy to see that God is actively trying not only to grant us incredible blessings, but also that he is trying to save us from terrible harm.

Perhaps being aware of what awful destruction awaits those that fend for themselves rather than come to Christ can provide a feeling of peace and confidence.

The famous Confederate General Stonewall Jackson is quoted as saying this:
"Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. Captain, that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave." (The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations, 2006)