Why the LDS Church REALLY cares about Prop 8
- By Chad
I’ll be the first to post on this. I’ll bite.
Prop 8 – A 100% Religious centric perspective
So, why on earth is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints so concerned about this amendment in California? Why, when they encourage political neutrality would they involve themselves in such a heated political issue? If we indeed believe that we “teach men correct principles and let them govern themselves” would they even feel the need to get so heavily involved in pushing this proposition’s success?
I think I have a good idea.
A ‘YES’ vote on Proposition 8 would make an amendment to the California constitution defining ‘marriage’ as only between a man and a woman. Why does this matter? Right now, the domestic partner law in California allow for the same rights that a state can grant to a married couple. So why the ‘marriage’ definition battle?
Ultimately, marriage has become the battleground for homosexual mainstream acceptance. In a way, it has little to do with the civil rights that belong to married couples under civil law, because they have that in California, but the way civil law acts toward religious institutions in this regard.
I’m all for the separation of church and state. That means keep the government out of my religion and we’ll keep our religion out of your government. Unfortunately, this ‘battleground’ of marriage crosses some of those lines. It’s not unusual for the government to try to restrict religious practices, and it’s not unusual, especially when moral issues are on public tickets that religion gets heavily involved. The separation has slowly fused itself together in areas and, especially where it affects religion, you’ll see religion getting involved as we are seeing now.
So how does this affect the LDS Church specifically? There are ‘fears’ about the implications of ‘hate crimes’ or losing tax status for not allowing homosexuals to be married, but there is also a problem with the doctrine of chastity, not having sexual relations with anyone except husband or wife with whom you’re legally and lawfully wedded. This doesn’t mean the couple needs to be sealed in the temple to be keeping the law of chastity, but merely has to be legally and lawfully wedded. At that point the definition of chastity may have to change. What would stop a male couple from going to the Church claiming that they are “legally and lawfully” married according to state law and therefore not in violation of the law of chastity and, if they qualify for all other temple requirements, should be able to enter the temple for sealing or other ordinances? The church would then have to make a harder stance on the actual act of homosexuality being a sin, weather the state of California told you it was OK to marry or not. This may risk the Church to lose their tax exempt status for discrimination. It’s a concern.
It’s obviously a rock and a hard place. The church encourages support and love for our homosexual brothers and sisters, and it’s true that God is no respecter of persons. A sin is a sin. Everyone will need to be cleansed of sin to inherit their reward no matter what the sin was. The Church has said they look at it as any other sexual sin outside of marriage, and treats it as such. The state of California has basically allowed that definition of marriage to be altered and now Proposition 8 is trying to set in stone that definition so the state of California can’t tell the Church what is sin and what is not. It’s not up to California.
I think this is where it gets deeper. The root of the argument isn’t merely the temporal consequences of the definition of marriage. It goes much deeper. I think it even goes deeper than homosexuality as a sin. It goes to very core of why this church even exists.
In teaching the Gospel Principles course in the LDS church, and while in the section that deals with the family, I gained a new appreciation for the Church’s position on the family, and I think this line in chapter 36 of the Gospel Principles manual sums it up:
“The family is the most important unit in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church exists to help families gain eternal blessings and exaltation.”
Why does the Church exist? “… to help families gain eternal blessings and exaltation.” That’s a profound statement. Think about it: That entails everything about what this Church is. It includes the entire organization. From the Relief Society to the Priesthood, from the welfare program to the missionary program, from the Prophet and Apostles to the door greeter at the meeting house, from the sacrament service to service projects, from the church house to the Temple – it ALL exists for the family to receive eternal blessings and exaltation.
Even going beyond that, the LDS Church affirms that it is Christ’s church, it is His organization, that He stands at the head of it and has since the beginning of time. It is Christ’s plan that the Church has the charge of implementing and moving forward. We believe that before the world even existed this plan for eternal happiness existed, and that the fullness of His plan is realized when the family unit is established and progresses in the eternities.
To see an example of this, one only has to look at the Garden of Eden as a model. What was created in the Garden was meant to be eternal. The body and spirit united, husband and wife (or family) established, and all in the presence of God for eternity. The first great commandment given to all living creatures in the creation was to “multiply and replenish the earth”. This was a commandment before the Fall of Adam and Eve, and therefore was an eternal command. After Adam and Eve disobeyed the Father they were removed from his presence, the spirit and the body would be separated upon death, and the family unit would not be eternal unless what is sealed on earth could be sealed in heaven using the Priesthood of God. This could not be accomplished on our own. This required Christ and his Atoning sacrifice to restore that was lost and unify that which was separated. Our exaltation depends on the sealing ordinance, the propagation of our eternal families depends on our gender, and all of it relies on the Atonement of the Savior.
To cheapen marriage and family cheapens the Atonement of Christ.
I don’t think Christ would take that lightly, and we shouldn’t either. I would say that statement is all inclusive, too, not simply with gay marriage alone. It’s apparent to members of the Church, and that which has been revealed, the family is the primary target of satan for good reason – it’s the full realization of the plan of our Heavenly Father. Weather it be money that divides families, or cheapening family relationships and the sacredness of sexual relations as seen on TV, magazines, movies, internet, and other places. The significance of that bond has been minimized with divorce rates and public support of unwed pregnancies of public figures. The homosexual movement to redefine marriage is just another in a long list of tools satan is using to devalue the family unit and the centrality it is to Christ and His Church and our Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. When marriage ends up being nothing more than a political battleground, or a soapbox, for the mainstream acceptance of an ‘alternative’ lifestyle, it cheapens what marriage should be about.
This is obviously not an argument that can be used on a political floor. It is one reserved for those who profess a belief that the LDS Church IS Christ’s church. It’s reserved for those who have sustained our Prophet and Apostles as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators. There is no decision made by the first Presidency and Apostles to take an active roll of this significance without a unanimous decision. For those members of the Church who have sustained these brethren that means that we firmly believe this support of the Church’s efforts on Prop 8 comes from Christ himself. I believe that it IS possible to love our homosexual brothers and sisters without having to condone the actions, and I’m sorry that people can’t seem to see the difference between opposing homosexual marriage, and the lifestyle, and opposing homosexuals as people. Though, when it comes down to defending homosexual marriage or defending Christ, I think it’s clear who I will defend.
I completely agree. THank you
From a member of the LDS Church with a sister who chooses the homosexual way of life – thank you for pointing out how we can love our families and friends who don’t believe as we do, and how we can (and should) support and sustain the church leaders in defending and building up the Kingdom of God, and all that Christ lived and died for.
Jules
Again, well stated. I’ve been saying that same thing for some time now concerning proposition 8. From a spiritual perspective, in my opinion, it comes down to this, and this only…either you sustain the First Presidency and the Quorum of the 12 Apostles as Prophets, Seers, and Revelators, or you don’t. Period! Reading the Bible and Book of Mormon, the Prophets rarely were ever a “hit” among the popular folk (Sis. Anderson stated this in her testimony last Sunday).
It’s clear that we live in the latter days and perilous times. I often contemplate my appreciation for my parents and the worries that they had as parents when I was a child. I look at my two beautiful girls and it sincerely scares me to think of the challenges they will have to face. I have no doubt in my mind that as we face the various political issues and social dilemmas of our time, we have no reason for confusion or fear so long as we follow the prophet.