Frequently Asked Questions

What is MWEG?

Mormon Women for Ethical Government™ (MWEG™) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring women of faith to be ambassadors of peace who transcend partisanship and courageously advocate for ethical government. You can learn more about MWEG here.

Who are MWEG's members?

We are teachers. We are mothers. We are poets, lawyers, and therapists. Biostatisticians and environmental engineers. We are Republicans. We are Democrats. We are Independents and the unaffiliated. We are friends, and we are sisters.

At Mormon Women for Ethical Government, our voices are many but unique. We don’t always agree with one another, but we share a singular vision: To be women of faith building a more peaceful, just, and ethical world. Together, we aim to inspire all women of faith to be ambassadors of peace who transcend partisanship and courageously advocate for ethical government. You can find bios for our leaders here and learn about our founders here.

Can only women join?

Yes. At MWEG, we draw on a long tradition of Latter-day Saint female strength and activism. We draw perspective and courage from our foremothers who built loving and unified communities from diverse populations in difficult circumstances. We draw inspiration from our suffragist foremothers who claimed the right for women to participate in our democracy. And we believe there is tremendous power in sisterhood. As one of our members put it, there is no stopping a group of mobilized Mormon women!

We have created “Friends of MWEG” for the many men who want to support our work and receive access to our materials.

Are you affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Mormon Women for Ethical Government is a private organization and is not endorsed by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We do, however, fully sustain, honor, and uphold the Church’s doctrines and leaders.

Do I have to be a member of your church to join?

No! As long as you share our vision (see “About Us“) and don’t mind being associated with a group that is called Mormon Women for Ethical Government, we would be delighted to have you! (You do have to be a woman, though.)

Why do you still use the name “Mormon”?

While most of us are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we do not in any way represent or speak for the Church. Our opinions are our own.

We do not use the name of the Church in our title because we feel strongly that it would be inappropriate for us to in any way politicize the name of Christ or imply that we are directly affiliated with the Church.

We have kept our name because it quickly communicates our faith and our purpose. We encourage all members of the Church to honor the call of Church leadership to personally use the full name of the Church when speaking of their religious affiliation.

You can read more about how this decision was made here.

What are your guiding principles?

We are faithful, nonpartisan, peaceful, and proactive. We have outlined the ideals that motivate us and to which we will be accountable. You can find those “Inviolable Principles and Practices” here.

Where can I find your official position on issues?

All MWEG official statements can be found on our website, as well as links to op-eds and pieces written by members of our current leadership team that reflect our position as an organization. Our membership is ideologically, experientially, and politically diverse, which is a source of our strength. However, our organization is committed to being nonpartisan. We will always distinguish between the official positions of the organization and the personal opinions of the individuals we empower. Our blog, Voices of MWEG, gives us the opportunity to highlight intelligent and thoughtful voices, even when they do not represent the organization as a whole. You can find more information about distinguishing between MWEG’s official positions and our members’ opinions here.

What specific issues do you focus on?

Our advocacy for ethical government is guided by our Principles of Ethical Government. Before taking a particular position on an issue that falls within the Principles of Ethical Government, we educate ourselves thoroughly on the matter (paying particular attention to the credibility of information sources), consider reasonable arguments on all sides, seek out the perspectives of people most affected, and prayerfully evaluate whether our commitment as disciples of Jesus Christ compels us to act.

On our “Take Action” page, you can find links to the issues we are currently focused on advocating for, along with a list of current and previous Calls to Action.

Are there any issues you avoid?

After significant prayerful deliberation, as an organization we have specifically chosen not to engage with the issues of abortion and same-sex marriage. While we acknowledge the strong emotional and moral pull inherent in both these issues, they have been used by both major political parties to divide the electorate, create animosity among fellow citizens, and shield politicians from a focused analysis of their broader policy records.

By creating single-issue litmus tests, our political parties have excluded well-qualified and thoughtful individuals from participating in the political process, driven discussion away from the center, and avoided accountability for a wide range of complex policy issues. Politicians on both sides have used these issues to manipulate emotions in order to retain power when their political competence or ethical behavior would suggest their removal. Finally, to focus on one social issue above all others (regardless of its importance) can itself be construed as unethical.

Mormon Women for Ethical Government is dedicated to restoring civility and productivity to government. For now, we have set aside these highly emotional wedge issues while we establish a public space of respect, open discussion, and purposeful engagement. We encourage all members to engage with other organizations dedicated to these important policy matters as their conscience dictates.

Are you truly nonpartisan?

MWEG is a nonpartisan organization. We encourage our members to be politically active and do not discourage personal party affiliation, but ask all members to agree to put country over party. As members of Mormon Women for Ethical Government we will:

Seek to find peaceful solutions to the conflict resulting from intense partisanship and ideological polarization.
Create neutral civic spaces where women of differing opinions can come together and engage compassionately with their fellow citizens.
Commit to communicate using language devoid of bias, partisan jargon, and disrespect.
Support policy and governance solutions (regardless of their party of origin) that respect the rule of law, preserve the rights of citizens, and affirm our civic responsibility to one another.
Encourage cross-party communication among elected officials and advocate for bipartisan policy solutions.

MWEG will not endorse candidates or party platforms, nor will it privilege one party over another in candidate forums or other public events.

The services offered by MWEG™ are neither made, provided, approved, nor endorsed by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any content or opinions expressed, implied, or included in or with the services offered by MWEG™ are solely those of MWEG™ and not those of Intellectual Reserve, Inc. or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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