"The succession of federal court decisions in recent months, culminating in today’s announcement by the Supreme Court, will have no effect on the doctrinal position or practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is that only marriage between a man and a woman is acceptable to God," reads the statement. "In prizing freedom of conscience and Constitutional guarantees of the free exercise of religion, we will continue to teach that standard and uphold it in our religious practices.
"Nevertheless, respectful coexistence is possible with those with differing values. As far as the civil law is concerned, the courts have spoken. Church leaders will continue to encourage our people to be persons of good will toward all, rejecting persecution of any kind based on race, ethnicity, religious belief or non-belief, and differences in sexual orientation." http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/lds-church-responds-to-supreme-court-s-decision-regarding-same/article_3f232746-205a-5284-a4db-2734efb701d6.html
This past weekend (Oct. 4 and 5) was the LDS General Conference. This General Conference occurs every 6 months, always in April and October. This is when the leaders of the church (the prophet and his 12 apostles, as well as other Presidencies beneath them) speak to the LDS population. Over the years the broadcasting of this event has evolved and it is now broadcast to many countries.
On October 6, a day after the conclusion of this General Conference, the Supreme Court ruled that it would not look at the appeals to same-sex marriage that a handful of states had submitted over the past year. This decision to ignore the appeals thus legaled same-sex marriage in the very states that do not want to support it.
What do these two events have in common? Well, a post on Facebook from many of my LDS friends refers to the talk that Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave in the Saturday afternoon session, on October 4:
...When our positions do not prevail, we should accept unfavorable results graciously and practice civility... In any event, we should be persons of good will toward all, rejecting persecution of any kind." followed by a reminder of the golden rule. -Conference Oct. 2014
This quote was seen as prophetic because at the time that he spoke, the general public had no idea that the Supreme Court had decided to ignore the appeals against same sex marriage.
Something that I've slowly come to realize as I've started this journey of questioning religion, is that the LDS people, as well as followers of religion in general, are very quick to accept the view of a leader because they have convinced themselves that this figure is someone they can trust. In many cases, perhaps, they legitimately can trust that person, but trusting someone doesn't always mean that you have to follow that person blindly.
Was Elder Oaks really inspired by the Spirit to declare the above quote? We need to consider outside influences. The battle to legalize marriage did not begin within the last month. It's become a more publicized battle within the last year and a half, especially with the lead up and subsequent, yet brief, legalization of gay marriage in states like Utah at the end of 2013. Various apostles and prophets have spoken variations of the same quote above for years and well into the previous decade. The following excerpt can be found on the churches website: https://www.lds.org. It was published in January of this year:
"Just as those who promote same-sex marriage are entitled to civility, the same is true for those who oppose it. The Church insists on its leaders’ and members’ constitutionally protected right to express and advocate religious convictions on marriage, family, and morality free from retaliation or retribution. The Church is also entitled to maintain its standards of moral conduct and good standing for members."
"While these matters will continue to evolve, we affirm that those who avail themselves of laws or court rulings authorizing same-sex marriage should not be treated disrespectfully. The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and treat all people with kindness and civility—even when we disagree."
Elder Oaks preached that we need to be civil to those with differing beliefs on this matter, as does the above excerpt. I guess it could be argued that this too is a prophetic statement, but again, we need to consider the events of the world around us. The Church is facing an opponent that they've realized they can't defeat through the legal system. By making continuous remarks regarding the potential shift in what is considered legal, the apostles appear to be prophesying these "future" events while solidifying the majority of their followers resolve to fight the change.
Another thing that needs to be taken into consideration is Elder Oaks' background. Elder Oaks has an extensive background in the law, having studied it in school and later becoming a law professor and teaching for years. In 1980, he was appointed as a justice to the Supreme Court (the very place that the recent dismissal of appeals occurred). It should not be assumed that since becoming an Apostle for the LDS church that he no longer has associations with the goings on of the law, especially with something of this magnitude: legalizing gay-marriage, a legal right that will test the members of the LDS faith and potentially lead to more defections of its members.
I'd also like to draw attention to the "The Family: A Proclamation to the World". This was created by the prophet Gordon B. Hinckley and his counselors and was first read by President Hinckley at a General Relief Society Meeting in 1995. This very proclamation can be found hanging in my own parent's home, and probably in the majority of other "good" LDS homes around the world. I've included a few poignant paragraphs below:
"All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."
"The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."
"We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
So often in history, large numbers of people believe what is actually coincidence or the result of extensive research and hypothesis, is prophecy. To be sure, this phenomenon is not exclusive to those who subscribe to any religion, but this belief in the ability to prophecy and to accept those with such a "power" is detrimental to an individual's ability to think and doubt and reach one's own conclusions."
You can find the whole thing here : https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation
The LDS church is not, by any means, an organization that does not keep up with current events and movements throughout the world. They have been well aware of the growing fight and acceptance of this "alternative" lifestyle, and I would venture to say that it terrifies them. They are beginning to see the population that does not identify with any particular religious group move away from principles that have been taught for centuries in regards to same sex attraction. Even a small number of their own members are coming to accept the idea. The Proclamation to the World, as well as the talks given by apostles and the lesson plans that they have drawn up to discourage such thoughts, actions and acceptance, are the measures they are taking in an attempt to retain a hold on their members and on these ancient ideals.
"Growing numbers of people now campaign to make spiritually dangerous life-styles legal and socially acceptable. Among them are abortion, the gay-lesbian movement, and drug addiction. They are debated in forums and seminars, in classes, in conversations, in conventions, and in courts all over the world. The social and political aspects of them are in the press every day."
-Elder Packer (October 1990 General Conference)
This quote is from a General Conference talk in 1990, given by Elder Boyd K. Packer and is further evidence for how aware the Church is, and has been, of same sex attraction and gay marriage. How prophetic is it to research a topic and project what you think the outcome will be and make statements to prepare your followers? By that train of thought, I'd surmise that most scientists are also prophets.
One of my boyfriends favorite quotes on this matter is :
"If I order a hamburger, and a waiter brings it to me, is that prophecy?"
- Matt Dillahunty (Atheist Experience)
If a church's leadership that is comprised of lawyers, doctors, scientists, etc. gives a talk and special direction on a social matter, and their hypothesis becomes reality, is that really prophecy?
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