Comfort Ye: Finding Peace After the Election

It was two days after Election Day, 2016, and I was sitting in a concert hall beside my mother listening to a performance of Handel’s Messiah.

In any other year, many Americans are knee-deep in holiday preparations by early November. Particularly as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is a time when we turn our thoughts more fully to the Savior by remembering our many blessings on Thanksgiving and honoring His birth on Christmas.

In November of an election year, however, I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds my thoughts preoccupied with other matters. And so it was that I found myself on that night eight years ago feeling a distinct dissonance between the warring voices of the world and the angelic voices lifting from the stage before me.

By the start of the concert, the winner of the race for President of the United States of America had been declared. It had been a bloody battle that pitted communities, friends, neighbors, and even family members against each other in a way I had never seen before.

A New Age in American Politics

I can recall vividly the disorienting experience of having a coworker personally attack me and my family after I shared my thoughts about the race on social media. Her words were laced with a level of spite, hostility, and vulgarity that left me reeling—especially because I had assumed that our friendship and membership in the Church of Jesus Christ would guarantee a basic level of respect and decency in our communication.

2016 was the year I learned that, sadly, this is not always a safe assumption—in an election year or otherwise. While vigorous debate has been a feature of public discourse in the U.S. for its entire existence, the average member of either political party is now much further from the “center” than ever before, according to a Pew Research study published in 2017.

This means that American politics are becoming increasingly polarized, leading to an increase in friction between people of differing views—and a reduction of citizens’ confidence in and satisfaction with our political system.

Those of us old enough to remember the 2016 election can attest to this breakdown in communication and public feeling. Everyone seemed to agree that this election was more divisive than any other in living memory.

From what I could tell, there was also a consensus that neither of the two presidential candidates was an ideal choice. Yet, both sides were completely entrenched in the idea that the only way forward was to choose the “lesser of two evils,” thus preserving the nation from certain demise.

However, the lesser offender in question, and the incompetencies of the opponent, changed depending on which party you belonged to.

Our two political parties have always demonized each other. It’s an understandable instinct. What better way to secure support for your own views than to ascribe the most heinous motivations possible to the views that differ from yours?

However, the contentious rhetoric that accompanied this election was in a league of its own. I witnessed people on social media, and occasionally in person, participating in a level of name-calling and personal attacks that I had never imagined possible.

Since my social circle is largely comprised of members of the Church, most of the ugliness I witnessed came from people who shared my faith—and some of it was directed at me. In a climate so ruled by tribalism that people seemed capable of thinking only in a duality, I was accused of being a snowflake Democrat by some and a bigoted Republican by others.

The pull to jump into the fray was strong, and I must admit that I sometimes submitted to the temptation. I would like to think that my arguments were respectful, but I am sure I didn’t always succeed in that endeavor.

In fact, the heated rhetoric and rising tensions were so potent that even children began to feel its effects. A 2016 Southern Poverty Law Center study noted an increase in election-related conflict and bullying in schools, a previously unknown phenomenon.

In the years since former President Trump won the election, I have come to see that fateful year as a turning point in our history. The last two races have each felt increasingly high stakes, and the accompanying rhetoric doesn’t appear to have improved.

Instead, we Americans seem to be living in a state of perpetual division and internal conflict. The degree to which it impacts our thoughts and daily lives fluctuates with election cycles, but the trajectory only seems to point up.

The History of Politics in the Church

Early in the Church’s history, anti-polygamy sentiment from Republicans led most Latter-day Saints in the 19th century to support the Democratic Party, but members did not appear to view political affiliation as a defining characteristic of their discipleship.

As the Church evolved, political affiliations shifted in the other direction—but leaders like George Q. Cannon encouraged bipartisanship among Church members. Over the decades, leaders ran for and served in many political positions and endorsed various parties and candidates.

With continued growth and an increasing international presence, Church leaders began to embrace political neutrality, choosing instead to vocalize only on moral issues that “directly impinged on Church doctrine or practices.” The first official statement on political neutrality was issued by the First Presidency in 1980.

Since then, Church leadership has reiterated that it “does not seek to elect government officials, support or oppose political parties, or, generally, take sides in global conflicts. The Church is neutral in matters of politics within or between the world’s many nations, lands and peoples.”

One could argue that this is an almost bureaucratic approach made necessary by the modern-day diversity of the Church of Jesus Christ. That it is lip service to an effort not to alienate members living in nations whose laws and forms of government differ from those of the Church’s host nation.

Surely, one might muse, the Church would throw its support behind the political party and candidates that most closely align with its values if these modern constraints didn’t exist. And isn’t the identity of that unnamed party obvious?

This assumption is manifest in the sentiment I have heard from Latter-day Saints, time and time again, that one cannot vote Democrat and be a true follower of Christ. Let me tell you why that assumption is flawed.

Partisanship vs. Discipleship

In scripture, God tells us that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.” (2 Corinthians 13:1, Doctrine and Covenants 6:28) If you have attended Latter-day Saint Sacrament meetings during a few election cycles, you will be familiar with First Presidency letters about political participation.

For at least the last decade, I have noted the following statement (or a similar one) in each of these letters:

Some principles compatible with the gospel may be found in various political parties, and members should seek candidates who best embody those principles. … Merely voting a straight ticket or voting based on “tradition” without careful study of candidates and their positions on important issues is a threat to democracy and inconsistent with revealed standards (emphasis added).

In his April 2021 General Conference address, President Dallin H. Oaks acknowledged that this process of study and selection is difficult. Far from encouraging us to default to party allegiances, he said, “It may require changing party support or candidate choices, even from election to election.”

He continues, “Such independent actions will sometimes require voters to support candidates or political parties or platforms whose other positions they cannot approve.” Finally, he affirms that “we should never assert that a faithful Latter-day Saint cannot belong to a particular party or vote for a particular candidate.”

Together with the repeated letters from the First Presidency, we can safely say that President Oaks’ declaration on this matter satisfies God’s revealed practice of using multiple witnesses to establish His word.

Therefore, we must set aside stubborn partisanship and follow a “higher law” when choosing political candidates. Returning to the First Presidency’s statement, this involves “[studying] candidates carefully and [voting] for those who have demonstrated integrity, compassion, and service to others, regardless of party affiliation.”

Building Bridges of Understanding

When evaluating our current candidates through this lens, I can already hear the shouts from both sides arguing in favor of one candidate or the other. Misinformation, propaganda, and outright lies have run rampant, making the task of discerning the truth particularly daunting.

Meanwhile, two attempts on the life of a presidential candidate signal a new threshold on the scale of election panic, making the outcome of this election feel more consequential than ever. If 2021 felt like a powder keg, 2024 feels like a pending nuclear meltdown.

I have felt the insidious creeping of this fear and strife work its way into my interactions with others. It looks like uncomfortable silence when a friend or family member makes a bold political statement, assuming you agree. It feels like the growing conviction that your neighbor, with their flags and yard signs on full display, should be avoided at all costs.

But this wedge is precisely the kind of wall that the Savior does not want us to build, and it is incumbent upon all who call themselves His disciples to seek unity in the face of even the most overwhelming obstacles.

A radical figure who inspired heated debate and strong feelings in His own day, Jesus instructed, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-44)

The Savior modeled this kind of love when He spent His time with Samaritans (John 4) and social pariahs (Matthew 9:10), forgave the adulteress (John 8:3-11), healed Malchus’ ear (John 18:10), and begged pardon for those who crucified Him (Luke 23:34). Though we cannot ever hope to reach His standard of perfection in this life, we can and must seek the gift of His grace to love all God’s children.

This means setting aside our egos, letting go of our need to be right, and resisting the urge to score points against those we see as rivals. It means humbly considering that our assumptions are not always correct and being willing to seek understanding—even of perspectives that conflict with our deepest convictions.

For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? (Matthew 5:46-47)

In an April 2023 talk titled “Peacekeepers Needed,” President Russell M. Nelson shared, “I work every day with dedicated servants of the Lord who do not always see an issue the same way. They know I want to hear their ideas and honest feelings about everything we discuss—especially sensitive issues.”

Just as the apostles in Christ’s day did not always see eye to eye, the prophets of our day must set aside their personal opinions to seek God’s will for the Church. In doing so, they discard petty differences, reject contention and resentment, and allow the Spirit to inspire, unify, and guide them.

In the same address, President Nelson addressed politics specifically when he said, “If a friend on social media has strong political or social views that violate everything you believe in, an angry, cutting retort by you will not help. Building bridges of understanding will require much more of you, but that is exactly what your friend needs.”

I would amend his last sentence to say, “that is exactly what our nation needs.”

Comfort Ye My People, Saith Your God

By the time I joined my mother for that performance of Messiah in 2016, I was thoroughly wrung out. The election had brought out the worst in many of the people around me—perhaps myself included—and I was convinced that the deep divisions it carved would continue long past its conclusion.

Almost a decade later, this has proved to be true.

I remember feeling profound pessimism as I considered the future and feared for what might await our nation. As a reader of the Book of Mormon, I understood the calamities that can befall a people fighting internal battles.

Preoccupied with these thoughts, it took some time for me to engage with the music and grasp its message. As an oratorio (a large, narrative choral work that often takes its text directly from scripture), Messiah begins by reciting the prophecies preceding the Savior’s birth.

One of these comes from Isaiah 40, where the Lord speaks words of comfort to His people during their captivity and exile in Babylon. It was these words that caught my attention and shook my anxiety loose:

Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:1-3)

These verses rose like a voice from the dust and filled me with a peace that “passeth all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7) While I continued to feel a strong sense that there were many dark days yet ahead, I was reminded that Jesus was sent for times such as these—to comfort us in our sorrow, help shoulder our burdens, and light the path forward.

I knew then that it will always be alright if my preferred candidate does’t sit in the Oval Office. Some say it is the most powerful office in the world, but that power must always pale in comparison to the power of Jesus Christ.

While He lives, and while we tether ourselves to Him, we need not fear what man can do. There is no unfolding of events in which He does not come off conqueror.

Do your best. Prayerfully make your choice. Allow others to do the same. Be a peacemaker in your home, your neighborhood, and your community. The world will go on turning. The sun will rise and fall.

And one day, the Prince of Peace will come to rule His people.

And every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess…saying: Fear God, and give glory to him who sitteth upon the throne, forever and ever. (Doctrine and Covenants 88:104)

Holly Wallace

Holly Wallace is a writer and storyteller drawn to meaningful questions and overlooked details. Her work explores Latter-day Saint life and culture through faithful inquiry, inviting readers to pause, consider, and engage more deeply with what matters most.