The Eleventh Article of Faith and Marriage

Today the LDS Church outlined important principles with regards to the ongoing marriage debate and LGBT movement in America:

"Because we are frequently asked for our position on these matters, the Church asserts the following principles based on the teachings of Jesus Christ, and on fairness for all, including people of faith:

• We claim for everyone the God-given right and Constitutional right to live their faith according to the dictates of their own conscience, without harming the health or safety of others. 
• We acknowledge that the same freedom of conscience must apply to men and women everywhere to follow the religious faith of their choice, or none at all if they choose
• We believe laws ought to be framed to achieve a balance in protecting the freedoms of all people while respecting those with differing values.
• We reject persecution and retaliation of any kind, including persecution based on race, ethnicity, religious belief, economic circumstance or differences in gender or sexual orientation."

(http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/church-news-conference-on-religious-freedom-and-nondiscrimination?cid=HPTU012715648)
These principles signals a move by the Church in a direction more in line with its own doctrine, a direction which I outlined in March of 2014 here:

http://mormon-mystic.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-many-mansions-of-heaven.html

In the above blog post I outlined:

"For example, the eleventh article of faith for Latter-day Saints states:

We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and ALLOW ALL MEN THE SAME PRIVILEGE, let them worship how, where, or what they may. (emphasis added)

John Taylor, third president of the LDS Church states:

Besides the preaching of the gospel, we have another mission, namely, the perpetuation of the free agency of man and the maintenance of liberty, freedom, and the rights of man. (The Gospel Kingdom, pg. 222)

Ironically, it could be more doctrinally correct for Latter-day Saints to support civil gay marriage than to oppose it, given the poignant statements above from LDS Prophets, and our inspired view of the afterlife. Marriage is a form of worship, and Mormons believe in allowing ALL men and women the privilege of 'worshiping how, where, or what they may' so long as we are extended the same privilege in return (Article of Faith Eleven). In fact, President John Taylor would suggest that it is part of our regal duties as God's saints to ensure the agency of man in all of the earth. However, we also covenant to sustain our Prophets and Apostles."

Again, it seems that the most strict course of action would be to ACTIVELY ensure that all people can worship how, where, or what they may. Marriage is a form of worship, and civil states ought to extend their civil marriage law to include all interpretations of marriage. At the same time, religions ought to have the freedom to administer their marriage ordinances according to the dictates of their own theology without fear of government or societal retribution. I think we as a people would be most in line with our own beliefs if we actively worked with LGBT groups to ensure civil marriage law extends to accommodate their right to worship how, where, or what they may, and that they work with us to ensure that we are protected in our right to worship how, where, or what we may (Again a point that I made in my blog post cited above). We cannot expect to have the courtesy of worshiping God through marriage according to our conscience if we do not also allow others the same privilege (the Golden Rule). I think that if we actively help them, and they see that, then they will be more inclined to ensure that we will continue to have the same right in return. 

I think that is the strategy that Jesus Christ would have us pursue: 

"Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison...resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also...love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you" (Matthew 5:25-44)

 I also pointed out in the post that Joseph Smith revealed back in 1832 that those who practice homosexuality during this mortal life go to Heaven after the resurrection- meaning Mormons were probably the first religious group to make this bold claim. (see Doctrine and Covenants section 76. Particularly look at the section heading and verses 31-39). I think we as Latter-day Saints ought to emphasize this liberal view of the afterlife to others not of our faith.

I am happy that the Church is moving to better align itself with the Lord's revealed doctrine. I hope it will continue to do so. In the meantime, I will continue to follow the Apostles and Prophets "in all patience and faith" (Doctrine and Covenants 21:5).