In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe in revelation. We believe that the kind of direct communication between God and man that is described in the Bible and the Book of Mormon to direct his work on the earth, both for individuals and for His Church, continues as powerfully as it has ever done in times past. It is what makes the Church “living” (D&C 1:30).
In light of recent events, I am very grateful for the revelation given to Joseph Smith that the Church should function on the principle of having lay clergy to carry out church operations. There are many reasons that I am grateful for this seemingly small bit of revelation, but one in particular stood out plainly to me this week. Not one week after the Supreme Court decision to establish same-sex marriage as a civil right, an article was published in TIME which calls for the revocation of the tax exempt status for all entities, religious or otherwise, that refuse to perform or participate in same-sex marriages. This is the continuation of a disturbing trend to use both the full weight of social pressure as well as the power of civil action to force people and institutions to abandon their religious moral convictions to adopt the religion of the State. However, this trend will continue with much larger teeth in post same-sex marriage ruling America.
As former Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in an opinion for the McCulloch v. Maryland case almost 200 years ago, “The power to tax is the power to destroy.” Those seeking the destruction of traditional morals will not hesitate to use this power to create the leverage they need to accomplish their objective. It will become very difficult for churches whose clergy rely on church income for their personal living to stand up to the force that will soon be laid against them. I suspect that we will see some churches that will change their position on same-sex marriage, viewing it as necessary for their survival. I am very grateful for the wisdom in the revelation to have a lay clergy, securing their ability to go on in the work of the church, despite the threat of fiscal pressure that will surely come to all religious entities who wish to retain their right of conscience in today’s Progressive America.
Undoubtedly, the coming civil actions will fiscally impact the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but its long held practices of living within its means and the payment of tithes by its faithful members will equip the Church with the financial bulwark to stand resolutely by its principles, as the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have unequivocally proclaimed it will do.
In a recent letter to the local leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints regarding the Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage, the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve confidently “restates and reaffirms the doctrinal foundation of Church teachings on morality, marriage, and the family...Changes in the civil law do not, indeed cannot, change the moral law that God has established. God expects us to uphold and keep his commandments regardless of divergent opinions or trends in society.” Why is the issue of marriage of such importance that we are expected by God uphold and keep his commandments regarding marriage? There are many reasons, both theological and societal. I may address some of these reasons in a future post, but I feel to just mention one at this time.
There has not been a single civilization in the history of the world that has survived the decision to abandon the natural family as the fundamental unit of society. Many today cry out for scientific data (much of which exists and is ignored by those promoting the redefinition of marriage and family) to show that the natural family has any advantages over other forms of social organization. My response to them is, what is history but thousands of years of clinical trials on how to organize a society that will flourish? Civilizations across the world, developing independently from others around them, have continually put forward the natural family as the fundamental basis of society, while every society that has chosen to disregard the family has perished. As in all scientific study, a disregard of the results of previous trials, especially when they are overwhelmingly one-sided, speaks more to a lack of wisdom than it does to innovation. The idea that we are so advanced that we will be the one society that will be able to abandon the family safely, seems to me to be the product of utter blindness and the voracious pride that Bible and Book of Mormon prophets correctly ascribed to the people of our day.
With many countries around the world moving in the direction of abandonment of the natural family, and with political forces such as Russia, Iran/ISIS, and China showing signs of confidence, coalition, and aggression, I can’t help but wonder if the consequences of the widespread societal decision to move away from the family will quickly gain momentum until two prophets lie dead in the streets of Jerusalem (Rev. 11:1-10) and the Mount of Olives is cleaved in two (Zech 14:1-4). As I reflect about my country and the world which my little children will have to face, I feel like I am standing beside Scrooge looking in upon a small crippled boy and hearing him ask the Spirit with trepidation if the boy will live. I feel some measure of fear and a deep resolve be a force for good, as I hear the Ghost reply, “I see a vacant seat...in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.” May God lead us to such a renewal as is found in the end of that beautiful story, I pray.
