Jan Chamberlin, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir member who refused to sing at Trump’s inauguration, is interviewed.
A few quick thoughts:
1)Sister Chamberlin seems like a nice enough person. It is useful to put a face to a name and to see her express her views calmly.
2)I strongly disagree with her comparison of Trump to Hitler, and I think she will be embarrassed by this comparison over time. Trump is certain to do bad things just like all presidents, but he will leave office in four or eight years, and all indications are Trump actually wants to avoid a world war, not start one. If I were Jewish, I would be deeply offended by comparing Trump, who is notably pro-Israel, to Hitler and his concentration camps.
3)Not all MoTab members are singing at the inauguration. Sister Chamberlin could have quietly told the leadership she didn’t want to go for this concert. Instead, she deliberately took this issue public. I suppose she would say her motives were in the best interests of the country, but I am skeptical. I mostly see her actions as virtue signaling to her friends.
4)The choir is an important missionary tool and public symbol of the Church. The MoTab also brings the Spirit of the Lord. Many people feel the Spirit in different ways and in different situations. You may not feel the Spirit every time the MoTab sings, but you may have felt it once or twice. I very often think of choirs of angels with I see the MoTab sing. I find myself thinking how extraordinary it is to see these people sing together in harmony and how great they sound. Everybody needs the Spirit of the Lord, even (and perhaps especially) President-elect Trump. If you are opposed to Trump’s politics, why wouldn’t you want him to be exposed to the Spirit of the Lord? What harm could it do? Aren’t we supposed to spread the Gospel to everybody?
I am wondering if Sister Chamberlin is already regretting her decision to take this issue public. Or is she enjoying this 15 minutes of fame? I honestly don’t know, but I think there will come a time when she regrets her comparisons of Trump to Hitler. She has already taken down her Facebook post in which she makes that comparison.