HARD LINES AND HARD CHOICES

HARD LINES AND HARD CHOICES

By Max Crapo

As a teen growing up in the 1970’s and in the heart of a small Mormon community, I remember clearly sitting in the church on Tuesday nights attending a youth meeting known at that time as “Mutual.”  I’d just become a member of the “Deacon’s Quorum” in the ward to which I belonged. I still clearly remember a picture hung on the wall which proclaimed:

“The glory of God is intelligence, or, in other words, light and truth.”
   --Doctrine and Covenants 93:36

I occasionally find myself reflecting on this statement. As an atheist, I recognize there being two intents behind this scriptural reference.  It was both a nod toward expressing the majesty of God, and an encouragement to learn. 

The Mormonism of my youth valued education, the gaining of knowledge and wisdom. Of course learning was strictly defined as only having value as long as we subjugated ourselves to “the will of God.”  In the Mormon lexicon, this actually means “being obedient to the leadership of the church.”

Another teaching which was common during my youth, was the idea of “line upon line.”  This was in reference to Joseph Smith teaching about “revelation” and how we were to develop our own connection with God such that he could teach us through revelation to achieve perfection in God’s eyes. It was also an acknowledgement that we still had much to learn. These were core teachings in my own life and I found great value in them.

Over time, I saw the church gradually shift from an emphasis on knowledge and learning to an emphasis on obedience.  It was stressed over and over again that obedience to the leadership of the church was obedience to God.  There is an LDS Children's song which the lyrics include 

Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; don't go astray.
Follow the prophet, follow the prophet,
Follow the prophet; he knows the way.

For nearly two centuries, the church has elevated the status of it's leaders.  Wilford Woodruff, in his position as President and Prophet of the church, once taught over the pulpit:

"I say to Israel, the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the program. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that the Lord would remove me out of my place, and so He will any other man who attempts to lead the children of men astray from the oracles of God and from their duty." -- The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, sel. G. Homer Durham [1946], 212–13

I think it is fair to agree that this can be easily interpreted as a doctrine of “infallibility” and Wilford Woodruff's words have been repeated through generations of Mormons as “truth.”

Over the last century, we’ve seen an explosion in the knowledge which the practice of scientific principles has provided for us.  It is a sum of knowledge staggering in its depths and profundity. We’ve learned, for example, that sexual behavior and attraction isn’t binary.  Instead it is found in a spectrum ranging from completely heterosexual to completely homosexual, and that it is entirely incidental to the individual where they fall in that spectrum.   

At one time, Mormonism made the claim that “all truth could be found within its precepts” and Mormonism quite readily accepted the advances made in a myriad of scientific fields.  This changed of course, when Science and Theology no longer agreed.  Since that time, Mormonism as a religion, has only moved to agreement when the documented evidence became overwhelming. Certain doctrines within Mormonism have remained inviolate though, and in 1998 the LDS Church set in stone the doctrine of “Family” going so far as to enshrine it in a document known as a “The Family: A Proclamation  to the World.”  In this document, only a single relationship was recognized as having validity; that of a marriage made of “one man and one woman.”  No other relationship is (or may be) permitted. 

This policy(?) was written at a time when science began to recognize that homosexuality may not be a “choice” and instead may be an inherent trait, as much a part of them as the color of their skin, their hair and their eyes. Some forward thinking Mormon faithful likely recognized the danger in such a theory and preemptively began advocating for a written policy to enshrine his own worldview, and thus was born “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”

Today, the church has a problem.  They have written themselves into a corner with no graceful way out. Their “one man-one woman” policy is now considered doctrinal, and to back down from the only “revelation” they have issued in the last three decades comes firmly up against their implied “doctrine of infallibility.” To admit that they made a mistake and acknowledge that a homosexual relationship is one of the many “normal” states of humanity completely undermines their own credibility as “Prophets, seers, and revelators.”

The concept of “line upon line” could have been their way out.  They could have said “We have learned much about the science of sexuality and are seeking clarification of God’s will in this matter.”  They could have chosen to be inclusive instead of exclusive. Their choice was to double down and take a hard line stance. The backlash against the leadership for this choice has been enormous and I think caught LDS leadership quite by surprise.

Homosexuality, has serious implications for Mormon theology, there is no question about that.   However, in taking a hard line stance, the church has now fractured and it may already be too late to heal. I don’t think they have much choice except to proceed now, and become an acknowledged hate group promoting bigotry against a minority group. They’ll take a significant hit in membership but the remaining members will be loyal and committed to their vision, even if it bears no resemblance to a Christ-like vision of love.

So now, I guess you have to ask yourself.  Which side are you going to join? The side that values love, kindness, and acceptance?  Or are you going to join the side that values obedience, judgment and condemnation? 

Are you going to be inclusive or exclusive?  It really is your choice. No one can make it but you. 

Just remember though, silence is tacit agreement.