As many of you know, California has Proposition 8 on the ballot. This ballot question, if passed, would define marriage in the California state constitution as between a man and a woman. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a supporting member of Proposition 8. I’ve talked in the past about The Divine Institution of Marriage. Recently a group of members of the Church have started to actively campaign against proposition 8. For example, visit http://www.mormonsformarriage.com/.
As I was reading some of the posts and especially the comments, my mind was immediately draw to a quote that the Prophet Joseph Smith said.
“I will give you one of the Keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom.
It is an eternal principle, that has existed with God from all eternity:
That man who rises up to condemn others, finding fault with the Church,
saying that they are out of the way, while he himself is righteous,
then know assuredly, that that man is in the high road to apostasy;
and if he does not repent, will apostatize, as God lives.”
Joseph Smith
History of the Church, Vol 3, page 385
On June 20, 2008, the First Presidency of the Church distributed a letter about “Preserving Traditional Marriage and Strengthening Families,” announcing the Church’s participation with the coalition. The letter, which was read in Latter-day Saints’ church services in California, asked that Church members “do all [they] can to support the proposed constitutional amendment.” (see http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage)
It seems that the Church and its leaders have been very vocal as to the Lord’s position in this matter. The Lord has told us “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:38)
I hope and plead that all who read these words will recognize the importance of this matter. Some may point to the Federal Defence of Marriage Act, claiming that it is enough. Yet it is not. How do we that? Because it was California’s Defence of Marriage Act that the State Supreme Court found to be unconstitutional. Those members of the Church who are against Prop 8; study the words of the prophets. Get off the high road to apostasy. Align your will with the Lords, before its too late.
1 Comment
sfgate.comyes2marriage.orgThank you, Mike, for this post. This is just so important. We must do all we can to protect the sacred union of marriage!
Here’s a couple links sent to me by some fellow Prop 8 supporters. I think they illustrate why this is so important and will ultimately impact us all.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/11/MNFG13F1VG.DTL
http://cts.vresp.com/c/?NummaFunds/960136e989/e270e64e92/55c99d3b5f
http://www.yes2marriage.org/learn-more/why-not-gay-marriage-videos/
Also, a quote from Boyd K. Packer:
“Our destiny is so established that man can only find complete fulfillment and fill the divine purpose for his creation with a woman to whom he is legally and lawfully married. The union of man and woman begets babies that are conceived and cross that frail footpath into mortality.
This divine pattern was planned and the gospel designed from ‘before the world was’ (D&C 49:17). The plan provides for us to come to the world into a mortal body. It is ‘the great plan of happiness’ (Alma 42:8). We did not design it. If we follow the pattern, happiness and joy will follow. The gospel and the moral standards are set to prevent us from straying into unworthy or unnatural behavior that will result in disappointment and unhappiness.
The virtue of tolerance has been distorted and elevated to a position of such prominence as to be thought equal to and even valued more than morality. It is one thing to be tolerant, even forgiving of individual conduct. It is quite another to collectively legislate and legalize to protect immoral conduct that can weaken, even destroy the family.
There is a dangerous trap when tolerance is exaggerated to protect the rights of those whose conduct endangers the family and injures the rights of the more part of the people. We are getting dangerously close to the condition described by the prophet Mosiah, who warned:
‘Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
‘And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land’ (Mosiah 29:26–27).
Tolerance can be a dangerous trap.”
Given at the BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2006.
Source: http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2006/pdf/Children_of_God-President_Packer.pdf