Kay

I worry about my grandchildren who are still young and their faith is fragile. I hope there are other kids in school who will help them and remain friendly to them if they receive ridicule about being Mormon.

We have been counseled to be careful not to return hate for hate. Not all gays are like those who are doing these protest marches, but all gays are still children of God. They may be breaking His heart with what they’re doing, but their Father still loves them and someday they will know the truth.

Members of the LDS Church are not just worried about our own religious freedoms. I worry about the freedoms of all religious people and all people of good conscious, religious or not, who will be silenced if the No on 8 people get their way. If only evil is allowed to speak, our country is in serious, probably fatal peril.

Again, I thank all of you so much for all I’ve read here. I hope we can all be successful in getting our voices heard.

Kay

Please, if you feel it necessary to personally bring up with a “mormon” his/her roll in this campaign, maybe simply express regret that the temple had been defaced and that their faith has been publicly misrepresented. We all know that latter-day saints have a LONG history of having been constantly persecuted, scorned, reviled, and thrown under the bus. Most of us have pretty thick skin, and some of us keep too much of a guard up. All of us have been malevolently slandered by peers who claim to ask themselves frequently, “What would Jesus do?” and by those who viciously preach the modern doctrine of “tolerance.” I would suggest, John, that seeking penance should be a personal and individual endeavor with God; perhaps not quite so general and collective.

I guess I’m trying to say here that when addressing with a latter-day saint his/her roll in this proposition:
1. A “thanks” is nice, but sometimes uncomfortable because it may seem misplaced or even disingenuous to the more guarded.
2. An apology is probably entirely unwarranted. (unless you have personally injured that particular “mormon”)
3. And the best approach (if you feel that you should do anything, at all) may be a gesture of brief and genuine commiseration.

We all know that what has happened here in California is not the work of man, but of God. Let’s, of course, recognize that and never misplace the recognition.

It’s a rather cynical view of the electorate that suggests the people can be manipulated into supporting gay marriage because they don’t want to be viewed as Mormon sympathizers.

In many ways these protest of the LDS church really are targeting those supporters who really did help pass this initiative. Evangelicals and Catholics for theological reasons; African Americans because of the LDS Church’s past racial history.

The question is whether those other groups are willing to stand up and loudly defend the principles behind their votes. If this were to happen, I think the targeting of Mormons would taper off as their role faded back into the crowd.