Rightness of Governor Rick Perry

In yesterday's Atlanta Jounral-Constitution, Texas Republican Governor Rick Perry is reported to have signed a pact against gay marriage, a pact he says he will uphold if he is elected President of the United States in 2012.  He states, "Obviously gay marriage is not fine with me.  My stance hasn't changed.  Ii believe marriage is a union between one man and one woman" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Saturday 27 August 2011, A3).

Well has Governor Perry spoken, echoing the words of President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve:  

History demonstrates over and over again that moral standards cannot be changed by battle and cannot be changed by ballot. To legalize that which is basically wrong or evil will not prevent the pain and penalties that will follow as surely as night follows day.

Regardless of the opposition, we are determined to stay on course. We will hold to the principles and laws and ordinances of the gospel. If they are misunderstood either innocently or willfully, so be it. We cannot change; we will not change the moral standard. We quickly lose our way when we disobey the laws of God. If we do not protect and foster the family, civilization and our liberties must needs perish ("Cleansing the Inner Vessel", October 2010 Semi-Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

The Mormon Eagle commends the moral courage of Governor Perry, and hopes that more men and women of faith will follow suite, for heterosexual marriage is right and proper in the eyes of God.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The False Doctrine of "This Is the Way to Go"

Friday, the Governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, made gay-marriage legal in New York.  Of this legalization, he said, "This vote today will send a message across the country. This is the way to go, the time to do it is now, and it is achievable; it's no longer a dream or an aspiration. I think you're going to see a rapid evolution, . . . We reached a new level of social justice" ("New York governor signs law approving gay marriage", Yahoo! News).  The statement of Cuomo that gay-marriage is the way to go is from the Devil, and is not correct.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the only true and living Church upon the earth, teaches, "We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children. . . . The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan" ("The Family: A Proclamation to the World", General Relief Society Meeting, 23 September 1995, Salt Lake City, Utah).


Gay-marriage is wrong, and evil in the sight of God.  We read in Helaman 13:38 the words of Samuel the Lamanite, that "ye have sought all the days of your lives for that which ye could not obtain; and ye have sought for happiness in doing iniquity, which thing is contrary to the nature of that righteousness which is in our great and Eternal Head."  The evils of homosexuality have been elucidated upon in past essays, and will not be spoken of here.  Something else must be addressed, however.

Temptations Overcomeable
All who come into this world have certain temptations they must face.  The Lord has said, "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them" (Abraham 3:25).    President Joseph Smith illuminates upon this, in that "[God] never will institute an ordinance or give a commandment to His people that is not calculated in its nature to promote that happiness which He has designed, and which will not end in the greatest amount of good and glory to those who become the recipients of His law and ordinances" (History of the Church 5:135).  President Smith also taught, "We came to this earth that we might have a body and present it pure before God in the Celestial Kingdom" (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 181).


As stated above by the Lord Himself as well as by Joseph Smith the Prophet, we must present our bodies spotless before God in the Celestial Kingdom, and in order for us to do so, the Savior has given commandments for our benefit.  One of these commandments is that homosexual activity is wrong, but like all other vices and evils, can be overcome through a correct understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Redeemer through Moroni wrote, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them" (Ether 12:27).

I know that all weakness the world has, including the evils of homosexual relations, can be overcome through Jesus Christ.  I am not saying that the temptations will go away, but if one asks the Lord in faith to strengthen them with power to resist temptation and do what is right, God will extend His hand for the spiritual strengthening of the individual.  The Lord and His power is real, and the Devil and his satanic evil power is also real.  To whom will we look for deliverance?  Well did Joshua of old say, "Choose ye this day whom ye will serve. . . . but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).  I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and is the only Church acknowledged by God to bear His Holy Priesthood, teach the fulness of His doctrine, and ensure that a man and a woman can be united together as husband and wife throughout the eternities.  The Book of Mormon and the Bible both testify to the truths I have taught, and I defy Earth and Hell to tell me otherwise.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Mormon Theology no. 12 - Homosexuality and the LDS Church

Sean P. Means recently wrote an article in the Salt Lake Tribune about a documentary made by an ex-now-turned-anti-Mormon about the LDS Church's stance on Proposition 8, which Proposition banned gay marriage in California in the summer of 2008.  The film maker's name is Reed Cowan.  The article states: "It may be the friendliest audience Reed Cowan will get in Utah.  Cowan received two sustained standing ovations Sunday for his documentary '8: The Mormon Proposition,' which harshly criticizes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its campaigning for California's ban on same-sex marriage."

Notwithstanding the fact that same sex marriage is condemned by the LDS Church, it is nevertheless also condemned by God and by both ancient and modern prophets.  We will discuss the LDS Church's stance on this issue, and persuade those erring in doctrine as well as in practice to come to repentance and back into the Sheepfold.

When Elohim created the earth, He said to Jehovah His Son, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him" (Gen. 2:18).  The Holy Bible continues, "And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in the stead thereof; And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man" (Gen. 2:21-22).  Here we see that God gave to the first man a woman, showing that the union of man and woman (whether physical, spiritual, or emotional) is ordained of Him, and no other type of union.

To illustrate this face further, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed by fire and brimstone from Heaven on account of their sexual deviance, including, but not limited to, homosexual activity, which is seen when the men of the city said to Lot concerning the Angels, "bring them out unto us, that we may know them" (Gen 19:5).  The Biblical term "know" speaks of sexual relations, such as when the Holy Bible states that Adam knew Eve and she had a son from that union.

Homosexual activity was also condemned with the death penalty by ancient Israel: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination" (Lev. 18:22), and also Lev. 20:13, "If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them."

Well did Paul the Apostle say that the Roman "women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:  And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet" (Romans 1:27).  His fellow brother in the Quorum of the Twelve, namely Jude, says, "Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 1:7).

We have seen herein, insofar as we have traveled this road of scripture, that the Bible clearly condemns acts of homosexuality.  Likewise also does the Book of Mormon, with clearer words.  Hear the words of the Lord through our beloved Brother Jacob: "Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women. And whoredoms are an abomination before me; thus saith the Lord of Hosts" (Jacob 2:27-28).

The Doctrine Set Forth
Notwithstanding the fact that the LDS Church is hounded by accusations of hating gays, the word of the Lord through Joseph Smith the Prophet has this to say on all matters regarding sin: "Thou shalt live together in love" (D&C 42:45).  Also the Lord in the Book of Mormon says, "For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.  Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away" (3 Nephi 11:29-30).  Our beloved Brother Paul admonishes us, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1).  Homosexual activity of any kind whatsoever is wrong and against the commandments of God.  In a letter dated 14 November 1991, the First Presidency said, "There is a distinction between immoral thoughts and feelings and participating in either immoral heterosexual or any homosexual behavior.  However, such thoughts and feelings, regardless of their causes, can and should be overcome and sinful behavior should be eliminated" ("Office of the First Presidency, letter to all members of the Church", Eternal Marriage Student Manual).  However, the Lord also does not condone gay-bashing.  The people of the Church are to love all people and to persuade them to come unto Christ and resist sin, no matter what it is.

Hope in the Hope of Israel
Notwithstanding the hardness of the doctrine, there is hope, coupled with knowledge revealed to a living Prophet and Apostles.  Like Nephi of old, the LDS Church knows that "[God] loveth His children; nevertheless, [we] do not know the meaning of all things" (1 Nephi 11:17).  However, Elder Lance B. Wickman of the Seventy has taught that "same-gender attraction did not exist in the pre-earth life and neither will it exist in the next life.  It is a circumstance that for whatever reason or reasons seems to apply right now in mortality, in this nano-second of our eternal existence" ("Same-Gender Attraction",2006, Interview between LDS Public Affairs, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Lance B. Wickman of the First Quorum of the Seventy).  I boldly bear witness to this truth.  The temptation to be attracted to the same gender will go away in the next life.  We just need to keep the commandments.  The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, "All your losses will be made up to you in the resurrection, provided you continue faithful.  By the vision of the Almighty I have seen it" (History of the Church, 5:361–62).

I know this is true.  In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.