Gay Marriage is Self-Contradictory

I recently had a discussion with another Latter-day Saint about gay marriage. She was of the opinion that we should allow gay marriage, in order for these people to be happy, because God wants his children to be happy.

Now if this were the case, then God could just allow us, his children, to live in all types of sin, because that is simply what we, the natural man, want to do - sin. But, since God knows that we have a greater purpose, than just to have joy in our sins, which is not true joy, He has commanded us not to sin. But, to prepare ourselves for the hereafter. This life is but a preparatory state. A time for us to be tested as mortals, to see if we will chose good over evil. But society tries to teach us that things which are contrary to God's command are to be accepted. Right now, the big debate is legalizing gay marriage. But this is an oxymoron. It's simply self-contradictory. It's like saying we need to now call oranges apples, because being an "orange" makes them unhappy. Well, we can't change what marriage is. Marriage is between a man and a woman. That is what marriage is. It's the institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments and often religious ceremonies. It is ordained of God and ultimately the whole reason for our being here on earth. We are commanded to multiply and replenish the earth.

Some gay activists say that this is just a temporary thing in the Church, and that eventually the policies will be changed just like with the blacks and the priesthood. Well, unfortunately we are not talking about the same thing here, and that is a false belief. In order to understand this, we must look at both cases through an eternal lens. The blacks not being blessed with the priesthood did not exist in the pre-existence. They had every right that anyone did. Upon earth, there was a curse given to a certain people, where the priesthood was taken from them. This happened on a global scale during the Great Apostasy. The whole earth was cursed because of wickedness, and the priesthood was removed from the earth, and we went into the dark ages. But with the eternal lens, we knew the priesthood would come back to earth, and would exist after this life.

If we look at this through the eternal lens at marriage, rather than the current worldly view, we can understand how marriage can never be between a gay couple, because that simply isn't marriage. Even if you call it marriage (calling an orange an apple), it won't be marriage. Through the eternal lens we see that before coming to earth, we were male and female. We came to earth to multiply and replenish the earth, and to have joy in our posterity. After earth, as part of the plan of salvation, or plan of happiness, our families will continue on forever. The family unit is central to the plan of salvation. Gay marriage would indeed frustrate the plan of salvation, because man and man, nor woman and woman can procreate and have children. God did not place Adam and Adam on the earth, but Adam and Eve.

"Every Latter-day Saint knows that God has forbidden all sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage... Attraction between man and woman was instilled by the Creator to ensure the perpetuation of mortal life and to draw husband and wife together in the family setting he prescribed for the accomplishment of his purposes, including the raising of children. In contrast, deviations from God’s commandments in the use of procreative powers are grave sins." Dallin H. Oaks, Same Gender Attraction, Ensign Oct. 1995

The Family: A Proclamation to the World is the clearest document we have to explain why the Church does not support gay marriage. It simply is not ordained of god, and is a sin. I will quote it in its entirety.

"WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council ofthe Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriagebetween a man and a woman is ordained of Godand that the family is central to the Creator’s planfor the eternal destiny of His children.

ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are createdin the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son ordaughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, eachhas a divine nature and destiny. Gender is anessential characteristic of individual premortal,mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons anddaughters knew and worshiped God as theirEternal Father and accepted His plan by which Hischildren could obtain a physical body and gainearthly experience to progress toward perfectionand ultimately realize his or her divine destiny asan heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happinessenables family relationships to be perpetuatedbeyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenantsavailable in holy temples make it possiblefor individuals to return to the presence of Godand for families to be united eternally.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave toAdam and Eve pertained to their potential forparenthood as husband and wife. We declarethat God’s commandment for His children tomultiply and replenish the earth remains in force.We further declare that God has commanded thatthe sacred powers of procreation are to be employedonly between man and woman, lawfullywedded as husband and wife.

WE DECLARE the means by which mortal lifeis created to be divinely appointed. We affirm thesanctity of life and of its importance in God’seternal plan.

HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibilityto love and care for each other and for theirchildren. “Children are an heritage of the Lord”(Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to reartheir children in love and righteousness, to providefor their physical and spiritual needs, to teach themto love and serve one another, to observe thecommandments of God and to be law-abidingcitizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountablebefore God for the discharge of these obligations.

THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage betweenman and woman is essential to His eternal plan.Children are entitled to birth within the bonds ofmatrimony, and to be reared by a father and a motherwho honor marital vows with complete fidelity.Happiness in family life is most likely to beachieved when founded upon the teachings of theLord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and familiesare established and maintained on principlesof faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect,love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreationalactivities. By divine design, fathers are topreside over their families in love and righteousnessand are responsible to provide the necessitiesof life and protection for their families. Mothers areprimarily responsible for the nurture of their children.In these sacred responsibilities, fathers andmothers are obligated to help one another as equalpartners. Disability, death, or other circumstancesmay necessitate individual adaptation. Extendedfamilies should lend support when needed.

WE WARN that individuals who violate covenantsof chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or whofail to fulfill family responsibilities will one daystand accountable before God. Further, we warnthat the disintegration of the family will bring uponindividuals, communities, and nations the calamitiesforetold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officersof government everywhere to promote thosemeasures designed to maintain and strengthenthe family as the fundamental unit of society."

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at theGeneral Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

This is an inspired document, revealed to the members of the Church back in 1995 before the gay marriage debate had heated up. I do not see how any member of the Church, knowing its teachings, and reading this document, can hold on to the false beliefs that the Church will someday change its position on gay marriage. It's as likely to change its opinion on this as it is to change its doctrine concerning chastity, adultery, and fidelity.

Every teaching found in the modern-day revelations and in the ancient scriptures says that homosexual behavior is a sin when acted upon. Now having the desire is not a sin. The natural man causes us to have desires outside the bonds of marriage. That is something we can't help, whether they be homosexual or heterosexual desires. But, the moment we act on them, it becomes a sin when outside the bonds of marriage. And marriage is between a man and a woman. Some take the truth to be hard. Some do not want to hear that they might be living in sin. They want God to change his ways, rather than humbling themselves and following God's plan. But this will not lead them to true happiness. God has given us the plan of happiness, and if we follow it, we will be married, man and woman, and have children, and in them will will find our true joy, our true reason for being. For some this joy may not come in this life, but it does not mean that they should live a life outside of God's laws. The joy will come.

I bear my testimony that I have never felt so much love and joy before having children. They have given me more true meaning to life, more reason to be good, and more of a witness of God's love for us His children, than any other experience I could have as a mortal man. I know that God is good, is full of love an mercy, and wants us to experience the joy that He freely gives when we follow His commandments and submit our will to His, overcoming the natural man, and live by His laws. Then we will know peace and happiness as we follow and live the plan of salvation.

JB

Want to get involved in the debate in California? Go to www.protectmarriage.com