Why all this angst about the Mormon Church? Pay attention to their full name: The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints. I thought this was the Land of the Free and of choosing one's own religion. Most of the negative letters here are by people who have no idea of what they are criticizing because they are only repeating the nonsense spread by folks who feel the religion they personally belong to is the only right one.

A recent letter stated that the Mormons have their own Bible and prophets. Did you know that the Seventh-day Adventist Church does too? And certainly the Catholic Church does - no Bibles in those pews, only Missals of text (and who can keep up with all their Saints and Feast Days!). Does that make them non-Christians?

Personally, as a non-Mormon, I don't feel religion should be a basis for electing someone or even mentioned at all. What if a Buddhist was a candidate? Since when was a person's church affiliation a reason for voting for them - or against them. It seems ancient history now, but the election of 1960 was my first chance to vote for president and the hate campaign against John Kennedy - only because he was Catholic - was unbelievably ugly.

If you don't understand something, like the Mormon or Catholic or Methodist churches, then do your own reading and quit relying on hate mail on the Internet. Before you know it they will be attacking your church too.

Religion and one's personal relationship with their God should not be a litmus test for running for office, any office.

KATHY MARLEY

Hayden