Polls are snapshots-in-time of ideas or concepts, very much as a photograph is an image of a moment of flesh and blood. The moment it has been taken it is a reflection of a moment in the real world, now passed. It is fleeting, but nevertheless had been there. Very much like a computer and its monitor and the Internet, a valuable tool for mental and verbal expression and interpretation.

As your posting suggests its construct may or may not reflect a true condition in real world, but it is fun and useful. I think Kent did a good job, though we differ in our interpretation. I believe it will become more useful in the future of Mormondom. It is a tool for the Mormon “multitude” to make known, in an aggregate, generic form, what concerns them.

There are fewer ways to influence the decisions, that are made for us by our Elected Representatives. The Lobbyist destroyed that. In terms of communications it is probably just above total ignorance.

Consider this, with all the deceit on Wallstreet and in Washington DC, do you think that the Obama-elect
Adminstration with all their campaign promises to be different, will actually be different? No. Their power is the secrecy and subterfuge leading up to hypocrisy. It was no different when Christ walked on earth 2000 years ago.

It was so among the Nephites in the Book of Mormon. They called it the Order of Nehor and it destroyed the law of Mosiah before the visit of Jesus Christ
.
edu

http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles_of_faith/2009/01/romney_wins_mor.html

Sorry if this is repeating info or is old news.

Mitt Romney was hardly influential for your mormon faith. I would have voted for him if he would have been running against Obama. But not for anything that he had said or done or believes. I would have voted for Mickey Mouse had he run against Obama. Get my drift….

The only thing I remember from watching Romney was that he tried to distance his political stance from his religion so as not to step on anyone’s toes, which disgusted me. At least Huckabee was willing to fully claim his faith in all areas of his life, including politics.

So, if you were truly looking for an “influential” Mormon your choice clearly should have been Courtney Kendrick. I am a “non-mormon” and they have influenced me more for your faith than anyone else on your list. I didn’t even know who half of them were, so, so much for influence. And most of the celebrity and politician nominees whom I recognized, I didn’t even KNOW they were mormon. Again, so much for influence! You questioned Courtney/Stephenie’s influence on the world, yet didn’t apply the same criteria to your other nominees. Why? You asked someone in the comments over on the poll if they could produce actual numbers that would/could prove their influence. I’m wondering if you had any numbers on Romney or any of the other nominees that you considered?

Next year maybe you’ll reconsider your method and/or motive here, because I think it just confused a few thousand people and left us scratching our heads……

I am not slighting your effort in this Man of the Year project. I think it is great, although we differ in opinions.

I was very much involved in the interfaith effort of our County. I still keep my eye on it. It is bifurcated between a Christian effort pushed successfully by the Marriage Amendment and the effort to reach those of non-christian religions. It seems some Stakes are moving in one direction and others in the other without central planning or coordination.

Well, getting to the point, I received an email from a influential official in the Christian push, widely distributed announcing that T&S had selected Mitt Romney as Man of the Year. I think that is great PUBLICITY. Is that not what these Man or Woman of the Year effort are all about?

I think as Mormons, we lower ourself into accepting the Christian Right ideals of making Religious behavior the issue rather than seeing it as a Political issue. With over 129 working temple around the world, our family ideals are extremely high and we should not put them on the public market. They are personal and private and I frequently talked with those I meet about these ideals personally and privately.

Let me give you another example. Jesus was asked whether He paid any taxes. He told Peter to fish at a certain place and caught a fish with a coin in its mouth. Jesus asked whose image is on that coin. The answer was “Ceasar’s”, that is, give unto Ceasar that what belongs to him. Peter was told to give it to the tax collector.

Now, look at our money, it has the ancient Egyptian symbol for God, a pyramid with an “all-seeing eye” and it even says “In God We Trust”. Does that mean, after 2000 years, that God is now in charge of our government?

When I illustrated my point by citing the examples of Esther, Daniel and Alma, they sought political solutions and not make every one abide by their religious standards. I am hoping that your Man or Woman of the Year project will cause the rise of a similar political effort for our day.

The JosephSmithPapers project which the Church announced last month and will last for a decade or more, means that Joseph Smith’s name will not disappear, but will increase the Lord’s influence over the world. It’s God’s will.

edu

As for celebrity Mormons such as Archuletta and Heigl, not many people ever knew they were LDS; at least, I didn’t know. Glen Beck, however, has always been a prominent member of the church, and his influence in ’08 was greater than any other Mormon in the news media; not to mention his bestselling book, The Christmas Sweater.

In my own estimation, Romney was MoY for ’07, and Beck was MoY for ’08.

You might want to read the other comments and the post. I think its pretty clear that (1) it is not my selection, but the selection of Times and Seasons collectively (2) We chose based on the person’s impact, NOT popularity (that is why we didn’t choose the winner of the online poll) (3) you pulled out only a portion of what I wrote in the first post about why we excluded the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. The full quote is:

I am NOT saying that the Prophet is not important, or even that the Prophet isn’t a good candidate for the Mormon of the Year. Quite to the opposite. My fear is that if the Prophet is a candidate, he will be selected as the Mormon of the Year every year.

We already love and respect the Prophet, so where is the advantage in making such a nomination?

I hope you can see that I actually suggested that these General Authorities are so likely to be selected Mormon of the Year that nominating them is pointless.

As for the rest of your comment, I’m afraid you aren’t being clear enough for me to understand what you are saying. The only think that seems clear is that you don’t like Mitt Romney because he doesn’t live up to the standards of the scriptural figures you mention.

If you read the other comments I’ve made on the Mormon of the Year, you will see that personally, I don’t like Mitt Romney’s politics either. We agree on this.

But since Mormon of the Year is not a popularity contest, but a selection of who had the most impact, it does make sense to choose Romney. He simply had more impact than others.

Have I misunderstood what you were trying to say?

I guess your criteria for Times & Seasons man “or woman” of the Year is POPULARITY. Certainly, Mitt Romney still is the most popular candidate among Mormons and Christians. Except most Christians did not vote for Romney as their presidential candidate, they voted for Mike Huckabee. Romney was unable to defend his own religious beliefs during the ’08 Presidential Debates. Mitt Romney is a prophet in the Pantheon of in the Cathedral of Commerce, but he does not measure up to his father’s commercial achievements. He definitely would be included among my nominees for your panel of Man of the Year, but he does not measure up in religious knowledge to his father George Romney.

Remember, what you said: “that the Prophet isn’t a good candidate for the Mormon of the Year. Quite to the opposite. My fear is that if the Prophet is a candidate, he will be selected as the Mormon of the Year every year.”

This is the year of “defending the ideals of the marriage amendment” in California and I look forward to it. Somehow I do not see Mitt Romney, as I see Moroni taking up the banner of liberty. He either is unsure of what Jesus Christ stands for or he is too timid to break ranks with his Republican pals. I think he is too timid to stand for something. Indeed his father, George Romney, stood up and won his struggle against Washington and Wallstreet.

Remember, Alma in King Noah’s Court or Daniel in Nebuchadnezzar’s Court or even Queen Esther in King Ahasuerus Court. They stood up and successfully defended the adverse decisions by their governments. Who will stand up in our day and time?

Jesus after completing His meditation with Father in heaven in the Garden of Gethsemane, woke His disciples up and said that His betrayer was on the way. He also said, that tonight ALL MEN shall be offended
by Me. Peter objected and Jesus said that before the night is over and the cock crowed, Peter would deny Jesus three times. That morning as Peter left the Palace of the Chief Priest of the Herodian Temple, he wept. Jesus had at least 12 Legions of Angels He could have called on, but did not and offended all men.

I believe President Thomas Monson has at least 1/2 legion of angels he could call on to settle this marriage issue. In his wisdom, he followed Jesus Christ and has refrained from calling on that 1/2 a legion.

What we need in our time is another Esther or Daniel or Alma. That is idealistically my Man or Woman of the Year. So, do we have any volunteers?

edu