Today is election day. After what seems like four long years of campaigning, the 2008 Election has finally arrived. And here again, America is at a crossroads. This election will determine countless things in American history. Will we have the first African American president? Will we have a woman vice president? And possibly on the mind of everyone who is involved in the LDS Church: What will the outcome on Prop 8 be?
Recently I read a blog that likened Prop 22, the other California Prop about gay marriage, to the Children of Israel putting blood upon their doors as they did in Exodus 12:7 to save them from the destroying angel. I rather like this analogy. The Israelites did not know for what purpose they did what they did. They only knew that God had commanded them to do it. As a demonstration of faith, they did it. They trusted God and pressed forward and were blessed.
I have to be entirely honest with everyone here and now. I am saddened by the Church's actions in this regard. I love the Church with all my heart but I feel torn about this issue. It is not that I support gay marriage (in fact I am opposed to it) but I do not like the way that this has been handled. I find myself sick to think that so much mud has been slung and so many people have been hurt by this battle over the legal definition of marriage. On the other hand, however, I applaud the Church for taking a stand on what they believe to be an important issue. Good for them.
But I have my reservations about Proposition 8. I personally am of the opinion that the state should not be involved with marriage at all. Marriage is a religious sacrament, not a state issued institution. I believe that Civil Unions should be established for two consenting parties. Marriage should remain in the hands of the Churches. God ordained marriage between a man and a woman as a religious ceremony. Civil marriages, or those outside of the Temple of God, do not hold in the eternities. Only those marriages sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise are valid in the Kingdom of God. Only those who endure to the end and work with their whole hearts will keep their celestial marriages. All other marriages are just for one brief moment in mortality. So I cannot fully understand why the Church has taken this particular stance. Why here? Why now? Does this legislation prevent sin? I personally believe the Church is more concerned with the acceptance of the sexual sin of homosexual conduct more than anything, but I do not see how passing Prop 8 will change people's inclination to sin.
This being said, I return to my initial thought regarding the children of Israel. God asked them to paint the blood on their doorposts. They didn't know why. Through my interpretation this blood represents the atoning blood of Jesus Christ which saves us from the devil and his angels. But the key facet of this story is the fact that they did not know why they did it, they just did it. The Church provides reasons for supporting Prop 8 that I have heard countless times. I still do not understand why the Church is so adamant on their stance. I may never know. But because I have faith of God's presence in this Church and the divine nature of his leaders while I may doubt at times their motives, or other things. Here and now is where we must take a stand. Since I believe God and try to trust Him, my No on Prop 8 (which I would do most likely without the Church's influence) becomes a Yes on Prop 8. As for right now, I will paint the blood on my door and wait. And watch. And pray.
Lord I believe. Help thou my unbelief.
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