Latter-day Saints in Publishing, Media & the Arts (LDSPMA) maintains a politically neutral status. The following are some of the reasons for taking this stance:
- LDSPMA strives to operate in congruence with policies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Church is politically neutral, and LDSPMA has elected to be politically neutral as well.
- LDSPMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and the United States government has very strict boundaries for 501(c)(3) involvement in political activities. If LDSPMA is seen as favoring any political candidate or party over another, it could lose its tax-exempt status.
- LDSPMA, as a publishing and media association, supports free speech and involvement in democratic processes. However, LDSPMA’s purpose is not political in nature. LDSPMA helps Latter-day Saint publishing and media professionals connect with each other, further their careers, and spread uplifting content, regardless of genre or subject.
- LDSPMA strives to represent a diversity of backgrounds, opinions, and interests in its membership. Publishing and media people are, by trade, interested in a wide range of ideas, and those ideas sometimes conflict. Debating those conflicting ideas would distract from career-oriented discussions, potentially escalate bad feeling among colleagues, and even rupture or prevent professional ties.
This neutral status means that LDSPMA asks board and staff members, committee leaders, members, speakers, and guests to avoid public political discussion, criticism, or endorsement—including supporting or opposing any political party, candidate, political issue, political philosophy, legislative proposal, or political interest group—in any official LDSPMA context, including but not limited to conferences, workshops, podcasts, roundtables, chapter meetings, and any other LDSPMA–sponsored event.
A breach of these guidelines may result in disciplinary action depending on the severity of the instance, including but not limited to LDSPMA’s public disassociation from the comments or the person in question, removing the person from any LDSPMA office or position he or she may hold, forbidding the person entrance to LDSPMA events, or removing the person from LDSPMA membership altogether.
The LDSPMA board believes that the above guidelines will help ensure the safety of professional enrichment at its sponsored events and further LDSPMA’s founding purposes.
Last updated March 1, 2021.