Dr. Cardon has responded to this article. His response can be found here: https://thecougarchronicle.com/you-probably-dont-believe-the-book-of-mormon-anti-trump-professor-doubles-down/
Following the victory of President-elect Donald Trump, BYU Mathematics professor David Cardon posted the following message outside his office door:
BYU is one of the most politically diverse universities in the United States, with conservatives, moderates, and liberals making up large shares of the student body. Many students in Dr. Cardon’s class likely voted for President Trump; the blatant hostility shown to Trump voters thus creates a risk of sowing the seeds of dissension and conflict among his students.
Indeed, using scripture to publicly condemn one’s political enemies does little to soothe tensions after a competitive election season. Accusing potential students of triggering the “judgments of God,” placing the moral responsibility of the resulting destruction on their shoulders, is inappropriate, no matter the victor.
The official position of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is political neutrality. As part of its guidelines for members, the Church does not “[e]ndorse, promote or oppose political parties and their platforms or candidates for political office.” Furthermore, the Church does not “[a]dvise its members on how to vote.”
The Church, as of Wednesday, November 6, 2024, formally congratulated President Trump on his win. The statement, released from the Church Newsroom, reads:
“We congratulate President-elect Donald Trump on his election as the 47th President of the United States of America. We invite all to pray for him, other elected officers, and leaders of nations around the world.”
The Church also called everyone to become “peacemakers” and commended Kamala Harris for her public service.
The Cougar Chronicle does not condone harassment of or direct communication with Dr. Cardon. Instead, if the concerned reader would like to express their discontent with the message, they may more effectively communicate with the contacts listed below:
Dean of Physical and Math Sciences: grant_jensen@byu.edu
BYU Office of Communications: uc-office@byu.edu
President’s Office: presidentsoffice@byu.edu
Written by: Ian Farris
The Cougar Chronicle is an independent student-run newspaper and is not affiliated with Brigham Young University or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
