Ken Stiles

Ken is a BYU political science professor who specializes in international law (he’s an expert on modern-day sea pirates, among other topics). He has a multitude of talents, and his hobbies include beekeeping and playing the piano. We sat down with Ken to find out more about how his faith and his politics are related.

Note: In this interview Ken is representing his personal views on faith and politics. He is not speaking as a representative of BYU.

You’re a convert to the LDS Church. When and why did you decide to join?

My older brother introduced me to the Church when I was fourteen. I was curious about religion and found Mormonism to be very intriguing. I accepted the doctrine readily and was lucky enough to have parents who were willing to support me. My mother later joined, but my father is still not a member.

I have always been quite convinced of the Church’s truthfulness. I’ve questioned little, except my own ability to live up to all that is expected (especially as I learn more about what that entails). I feel absolutely at home in the Church and could not see myself anywhere else.

Where do you place yourself on the political spectrum?

On a 10-point scale with conservative at zero, I’m probably a seven. I’m rather conservative socially and fairly liberal economically. I’ve almost always voted with the Democratic Party.

At one point in my life I was a conservative, but I came home from my mission (Brisbane, Australia) as a liberal.

How does your faith affect your political beliefs?

I think most of my opinions stem from my analysis of political cause and effect, truth be told. I’ve felt that the Church — true to its official statement — allows many different approaches to public policy. I feel that the government has a crucial role in protecting the weak in society, and this is consistent with the Gospel principle of compassion.

I believe that the state should generally stay out of matters of conscience, consistent with D&C 134. I’m not especially fearful of government since I agree with modern revelation that the Constitution is inspired and does a good job of checking political power. On the other hand, I also believe that if a society becomes too dysfunctional, the government will collapse no matter how well designed it is.

You haven’t always lived in Utah, but you’ve been here for a long time. What do you love most about living here?

I love that even the most “knee-jerk” conservative people still have good intentions. I’ve been almost overwhelmed by their kindness. The state and the nation keep getting better and better, and that gives me hope.

Posted on October 6, 2011. Photography by Kaitlyn Janis. Video by Talk About Productions.