Lately I have been pondering some questions that have been introduced by people around me whom I respect and look up to. But some of the things I have read and heard from them have made me question some things I believe to be true and right. So in trying to find out if I have been wrong, I was able to go on a soul searching journey and seek answers from the source of all truth and come to cement my feelings and beliefs. This has been a wonderful experience. I have come to know for myself the truth of James' words in James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."
Some of the questions are "am I wrong to support and defend traditional marriage? Am I not being Christ like with the attitude and feeling of wanting marriage to be defined between a man and a woman? Should we let gays and lesbians live how they want and even marry?"
The rhetoric going around is that if you are against this basic right of these people then you are closed minded and hateful. The other voices say it is not hateful to defend traditional marriage. So who is right?
The scriptures teach us that marriage is between a man and a woman and the family of the world was started when God married Adam and Eve and commanded them to multiply and replenish the earth. Christ taught that marriage is to be eternal and joined together by God in Mark 9:6- 9 "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let no man put asunder."
We know what is true and right but the world is different now and does it really hurt anyone allowing gays and lesbians to marry? There could be a case made that it doesn't matter and doesn't hurt anyone but the truth is that is wrong. If laws are changed schools will teach that families can be mommy and mommy or daddy and daddy. It will be easier for innocent children to be adopted into these "families" which are not as healthy for them as traditional families nor can they ever be sealed together, forever as a family. Missionary efforts to bring these precious souls to Christ will be more complicated and made difficult as divorces will have to obtained before they can be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost.
What does God expects us to do? We have made sacred covenants with Him and He expects us to remember and keep those sacred covenants. As we break questions down into their simplest form, as you would a math problem, there is a right side and a wrong side to almost if not every question. For this question, God's side would be to support and defend His doctrine and teachings as Christ would do if he were here. For instance, the story of the woman taken in adultery, Jesus did not condemn her but did tell her to "go thy way and sin no more". He told her to stop.
Satan's side is to lead people to believe that "whatever a man did it was no crime." and to make those who know this is wrong to feel bad about their beliefs. He wants to destroy the kingdom of God. He won't ever be able to do this, but he can take down many souls along the way.
As we simplify our tough questions we can find the right answer and know which choice to make.
A good example of this breaking down choices to it's simplest terms can be applied to a recent happening here in Utah. A group that is not working with or associated with the LDS church but is made up of members of the church, supported a lawsuit that the ACLU brought against Brigham City Utah because the city wouldn't allow protestors of the new temple, access to the temple goers. They could protest across the street or around the corner but to keep peace and allow the temples goers their right to worship in peace, they were not allowed to be on the same sidewalk. Well this made the protestors angry because they wanted to hand out their anti-mormon literature. A lawsuit was filed and as I said this group supported it because they saw freedoms being infringed upon. But whose freedoms do we fight for in a case like this. Someone's freedoms are going to be infringed upon whether it be the religious freedoms of those attending, to go in peace, or the rights of those protesting.
This group chose the rights of the protestors but when you break down this choice, whose side did they choose. Jesus would want His followers and also investigators to be able to come to His house in peace, to learn and feel the spirit. Satan would like to interrupt this happy, spiritual event. When this group supported the protestors lawsuit they supported Satan's plan behind the guise of protecting freedoms. There is a right side and a wrong side. They chose to promote and defend the wrong side.
When faced with a choice if we break things down into their simplest terms we can usually find a right or wrong side and if we can't we can always study the scriptures and words of our prophets and then pray to the source of all truth, our Heavenly Father, and the answers will come. I testify that we can find truth and the right choice in the world today if we will seek for it and not get caught up in all the voices of the world. In the name of Jesus Christ amen.
