Steve Olsen

Steve Olsen is a principal engineer for Autoliv (the world’s largest supplier of automotive safety systems). In his spare time, he’s active in politics, and he’s “Mr. Mom” to his grandson Silas. Steve talked to us about why he “converted” from conservative to progressive.

How did you gain your testimony?

I can’t remember ever not having a testimony, but I did put the experiment in Moroni 10:4 to the test as a teenager, before my mission, and received my answer.

How would you categorize yourself politically?

I’m a progressive Democrat.

How do your political beliefs and your religious faith mesh?

I used to be a conservative, but I realized that my religious views were inherently incompatible with what conservatism had become by the late 1990′s, so my religious faith motivated my “conversion” from a self-proclaimed conservative independent to progressive Democrat.

The teachings of Jesus about humility and care for the poor are powerful examples of how my faith fits better in the Democratic Party, but perhaps the most significant influence on my politics is the Book of Mormon. King Benjamin gives specific commandments about what our attitude should be towards the poor. The whole book teaches that bad things happen when the government is turned over to powerful interests who promulgate economic inequality and care only for power and “gold, silver, fine-twined linen and precious things”. I think a careful reading leads to the conclusion that Korihor and Gadianton were the original supply-side politicians!

Was any part of your “conversion” from conservative to progressive difficult, from a religious standpoint?

I struggled at first with abortion and gay rights, but deeper understanding and exposure to the true attitudes of Democrats on these issues resolved my concerns.

How did your mission affect your political outlook?

Whenever I hear people claim that “socialism” will destroy the US economy, I think of the Scandinavian countries, of which Sweden is the largest. They are all prosperous, economically vibrant and have some of the lowest unemployment rates in the world. Their companies, like Sweden’s Autoliv (my employer), are competitive on the world’s markets. Denmark has been ranked the best place in the world to start a new business for the last few years and is a world leader in green energy. Finland has one of the best education systems in the world. Their example proves that a nation does not have to choose between having economic growth and ensuring all its people enjoy the fruits of that growth. They also show that a vibrant economy requires a partnership of personal initiative and government collaboration.

Posted on December 3, 2011. Photography by Kaitlyn Janis. Video by Talk About Productions.