A bit of personal gratitude

So, a week or so ago I made mention of the talk Elder Oaks gave at BYU-I about the importance of our holding to our right of freedom of religion. Today I received an email that was related. I'm on a list for ProtectMarriage.com, which keeps me informed of various movements and actions taking place concerning the protection of the institution of marriage. It felt good to hear them support us. This was the email:

Dear Friends,

Nearly a year after the passage of Proposition 8, one of the most ardent supporters of traditional marriage remains under attack by homosexual marriage activists. The same people who verbally harass and intimidate anyone seeking to defend society’s most important institution are proclaiming the bogus media mantra of “tolerance” and “non-discrimination”. Such attacks have not gone unnoticed by voters, and with vandalism to homes, businesses, and churches, many voters who initially favored same-sex marriage have now changed their opinions.

But when we learned of a Mormon apostle, Dallin H. Oaks, who recently urged members to exercise their freedom of religion in the face of Prop 8 intimidation, even we were surprised by the vitriolic response of four pro-homosexual marriage groups.

In a speech at Brigham Young University-Idaho defending the Church’s involvement in Prop 8, Oaks said “We must insist on our constitutional right and duty to exercise our religion, to vote our consciences on public issues and to participate in elections and debates in the public square and the halls of justice. These are the rights of all citizens and they are also the rights of religious leaders."

But gay rights advocacy groups – including Mormons for Marriage, Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons, the LDS Safe Space Coalition, and Foundation for Reconciliation – fired back, saying that the Mormon Church’s support of traditional marriage via Prop 8 runs “contrary to core doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Now, back to reality: file the above statement about “contrary to core doctrines” under the “If you say it enough times, people will believe it” heading. The LDS Church in the United States is known, among other things, for its high percentage of registered voters. Not only do they register to vote, they also vote! And, like the rest of us, Mormons vote according to their consciences and moral values. The other side repeatedly states that religious perspectives, and religious people, should have no voice in the public square. No religious perspectives allowed? How silly!

It is a sad day when our allies are recriminated – even if by disaffected church members – for simply exercising their religious liberties, which are protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It is even worse, and a potential precursor to our future, that such attacks continue nearly a year after a majority of Californians passed Prop 8.

We need your continued support to defend our right to protect marriage between a man and a woman and to push back against the radical attempt to silence public expression of religious beliefs. Whether it is in the courthouse or the court of public opinion, we will continue to find ourselves fighting for this liberty against well-heeled gay activists, particularly as California gears up for another statewide initiative to reverse Prop 8 in the coming years.

And my gratitude was so great, that I decided to thank them:

Thank you for your constant fight in this. And thank you for acknowledging we of the LDS (Mormon) faith who do believe in voting according to our morals and consciences. It is a sad thing to know people within our own religion don't understand some of our most basic and eternal principles of marriage--and following a living prophet! Your support of us and for the sacred, important institution of marriage between a man and a woman is very much appreciated by me.

I wish I could say more, but please accept my sincere gratitude.