Are you saying you think it's usually direct, or are you saying that you don't think they have an influence?

Well, a couple years back an internal PPT and videos from "the church" was leaked that documented how the church considered a legislator from a state in the northwest "in their pocket".

The legislator wasn't even coerced - he would just regularly report back to church leaders and ask for guidance on which way he should lean on specific issues.

If the church has that kind of direct influence out of state, it stands to reason they at least have a similar level in Utah where most of the legislature and politicians are Mormon.

Interesting, I hadn't heard that. Do you remember where you heard about it? It sounds like that legislator needs to be voted out of office ASAP.

It was from MormonLeaks, I'm sure. Look through their history. It was at the same time as the "bubble" PPT that listed the church's largest "adversaries" or "problems" and John Dehlin was one of the bubbles LOL.