A great many of the truths we cling to depend on a certain point of view.

Democrats are not of the dark side.

Some people think that because someone votes Democrat or has liberal ideas that such a person could not hold a temple recommend. Is this possibly a valid view?

The sixth question in the temple recommend interview asks, “Do you affiliate with any group or organization whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or do you sympathize with the precepts of any such group or individual?”

Naturally, anti-Mormon and devil worshipers fall into the category of people whose views temple recommend-seekers should avoid sharing. But what about Democrats?

This may come as a surprise to some, but not all Democrats support gay marriage, abortion, or other issues on which the Church has taken a direct stand.

Some simply find that their personal opinions on other decisive issues, like fiscal policy or education, are more in line with Democratic ideals than Republican ones.

Every candidate and every political party has some good. Some of their ideals really don’t matter from a spiritual standpoint. Should the government favor tax cuts for the wealthy? There’s nothing about that in the Book of Mormon, and someone who votes Democrat is as likely to be voting for an innocent economic policy as he or she is for abortion.

There is truth everywhere, the Brethren have said, and it can be found in many places.

Neither candidate in this presidential election is an earthly incarnation of all things holy. Both McCain and Obama have their views, habits, and policies that might not be in line with the Church.

Both of them, for example, have campaigned negatively against the other candidate. Is that in accordance with the gospel? Who can say? Should one vote for either of them, then, since such behavior might well be contrary to the teachings of Christ?

If the sixth temple recommend question truly did eliminate from temple worthiness anyone who harbored sympathies with a candidate who might happen to hold some view that might be un-Christlike, a lot of members would find themselves without a recommend.

It’s a good thing that’s not the case.

Every time an election comes around, the Brethren remind members everywhere — both faithful and unfaithful, both tolerant and otherwise — that the Church is not partisan and supports no political party, only taking a stand on moral issues.

There are many reasons to vote Republican, and there are many to vote Democrat. There is truth to be found in many places, and Church leaders exhort the members every year to do their civic duties and vote for the candidate they think is most suited to lead the country. There’s nothing in the scriptures preventing anyone from voting one way or another.

There is, however, something about judging, and those who condemn others for their spiritually irrelevant political ideas might find it helpful to sit down and wonder who it is whose beliefs are out of line with those of the Church.