Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can become frustrated by the politics of the two major parties.

Trying to choose the lesser of two evils becomes difficult when members of the Church find policies or positions in their party they don’t agree with. Luckily, there is much more to politics than braying donkeys and trumpeting elephants.

A little bit of research would reveal that there is an abundance of passionate political parties that support an array of ideas about the way this country ought to be governed. The ideologies that drive Democrats and Republicans are but two small shades on a colorful pallet of politics.

Undoubtedly, many members of the Church support the Republican Party because it has a pro-life and traditional marriage platform. Among all political parties, the Republican Party does not hold a monopoly on moral values.

Many third parties share some of the values LDS people cherish, as well as principals that cater to the desires of the individual. It is not likely that either side of this dichotomous government best represents the average Mormon, or American citizen for that matter.

One third party, the Independent American Party, maintains that the framers of the Constitution were inspired of God, and the values they cherished ought to be preserved. They believe in a practical “balance between energy development and conservation,” and advocate the need to diminish the giant international presence the United States holds. Controversially, the party wants to see more integration between church and state.

Another lesser-known group is the Constitutional Party. They oppose any attempt to change or amend the Constitution to cater to new trends such as recent interpretations of marriage (which used to be universally understood as a man-and-woman relationship). This party calls for the maintenance of a strong military defense system; however, the party also wants to create a more independent sovereignty, free from binding treaties and international organizations like the United Nations.

Ross Perot made the Reform party famous when he ran for president in 1992. Some reforms which other parties make little mention of include a lengthy section in their platform on the support of organic food farming, support for U.S. veterans, abolition of the Patriot Act and an international nonintervention policy.

Before deciding to become a constituent to a bandwagon political party, members of the Church ought to explore what great citizens are doing with their unalienable rights to speak out on their beliefs and values.

Finding out about third parties takes only a moment and access to the Internet. Check out who is working to promote your values and contact them to see how you can support such values. Political diversity is healthy in our democratic nation.