If You Haven't Read This, Then You Should

I've been involved in several debates and discussions with friends inside and outside of the church regarding the latest social/political issues that have reached the ballots this year and in recent years. It boggles my mind to find faithful members of the church that disagree with the church's stance on these issues. There is plenty of room in our doctrine to debate and disagree about, but when the leaders of the church speak out on an issue and ask for the support, work, and contributions of its members, the time for debate is over.

I'm speaking specifically on Prop 8 in California and its siblings in other states.

If you haven't read this INCREDIBLE talk by the late Elder Maxwell, it's time you did. Here's the link.

If you don't feel like reading it all, let me point out two VERY significant points. One is a quote from Elder Romney in 1941:

President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had “never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1941, p. 123)

The next is even more important, and undoubtably prophetic:

This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.

Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel.

There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself.

If those words weren't fulfilled in part this year, I don't know what a prophecy is. He also talks about how religious opinion will be attacked and people will try to replace our state's recognition and embrace of religion with irreligion. I'm sure it was beginning back then, but it is full blown now, and very much a part of the Prop 8 debate.

I hope someone out there reading this is enlightened and understands a little better about how I feel.