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13 Reasons Latter-day Saints should Vote NO on Utah's Amendment 3

By Clay Essig

1. The Golden Rule

Jesus taught, "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them, for this is the law and the prophets." (Matthew 7:12; Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi 14:12).

[Would you want laws enacted which define away your marriage, family, civil rights and protections? Our LDS polygamist ancestors felt persecuted when the US Government took away their right to enter non-traditional marriage and have non-traditional families according to their beliefs. They did not like having the legal recognition, rights and protections of their families denied. When we try to do the same things to our Gay and Lesbian neighbors, it is no less unkind and no less persecution than it was for our ancestors.]

2. Love Thy Neighbor

Jesus taught, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:36-40)

[What love is shown to our Gay and Lesbian neighbors by Amendment 3? The reality is, they are fighting for the right to marry according to this greatest law of God - Love.]

3. Do Good To All

"We believe… in doing good to all men" (Article of Faith 13)

[Amendment 3 only hurts and demeans our Gay and Lesbian neighbors and their families.]

4. Defend Agency

Amendment 3 seeks "to destroy the agency of man, which I the Lord God had given him" (Pearl of Great Price, Moses 4:3).

[Destroying man's agency has been contrary to God's will since the beginning. Millions of God's Gay and Lesbian children want to use their agency to marry a companion they truly love.]

5. Preserve our Constitution

Jesus taught Joseph Smith: "the laws and constitution of the people which I have suffered to be established... should be maintained for the rights and protection of all flesh, according to just and holy principles; That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment….

And for this purpose have I established the Constitution of this land, by the hands of wise men whom I raised up unto this very purpose, and redeemed the land by the shedding of blood." (Doctrine and Covenants 101:77-78, 80)

[When the Lord says we should maintain "the rights and protection of "all flesh" and "every man," doesn't that clearly include our Gay and Lesbian neighbors and their families? Can "just and holy principles" like love and agency guide us in this issue?]

6. Support the Principle of Freedom: Maintain Rights and Privileges

Jesus said, "And now verily I say unto you concerning the laws of the land… that law of the land which is constitutional, supporting that principle of freedom in maintaining rights and privileges, belongs to all mankind, and is justifiable before me. Therefore, I the Lord, justify you, and your brethren of my church, in befriending that law which is the constitutional law of the land; And as pertaining to law of man, whatsoever is more or less than this, cometh of evil." (Doctrine and Covenants 98:5-7)

7. The Commands of God

"…it was strictly contrary to the commands of God that there should be a law which should bring men on to unequal grounds." (Book of Mormon, Alma 30:7)

[If State or Federal law allows some members of our community to marry according to their beliefs and forbids our Gay and Lesbian neighbors that same privilege, how is that equal grounds?]

8. Preserve Equality

Jesus said, "…Ye shall not esteem one flesh above another, or one man shall not think himself above another." (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 23:7) "And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself." (Doctrine and Covenants 38:24) "And there was a strict command throughout all the churches that there should be no persecutions among them, that there should be an equality among all men; That they should let no pride nor haughtiness disturb their peace; that every man should esteem his neighbor as himself…" (Book of Mormon, Mosiah 27:3-4)

9. Maintain Freedom of Religion

"We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others…. We do not believe it just to mingle religious influence with civil government, whereby one religious society is fostered and another proscribed [prohibited] in its spiritual privileges, and the individual rights of its members, as citizens, denied." (Doctrine and Covenants 134:4, 9)

[Religious opinions regarding what constitutes a marriage or a family differ. Growing numbers of churches value Gays, Lesbians and their families and want to offer them the religious blessings of marriage. We should defend their right to do so lest our religious rights, liberties and privileges are proscribed in the future.]

10. Promote Good Government

"We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience…" (Doctrine and Covenants 134:2) "…human law…should never suppress the freedom of the soul…holding sacred the freedom of conscience…"We believe that … governments have a right, and are bound to enact laws for the protection of all citizens in the free exercise of their religious belief; but we do not believe that they have a right in justice to deprive citizens of this privilege, or proscribe them in their opinions…" (see Doctrine and Covenants 134:4, 5, 7)

[For many Gays and Lesbians, marriage to a same sex partner is as right for them and is as much the free exercise of conscience, religious belief and opinion as "traditional marriage" is for others.]

11. Forbidding To Marry

One of the evils the apostle Paul prophesied for our "latter times" was "forbidding to marry" (see 1 Timothy 4:1, 3). Most proposed marriage amendments have the express purpose of forbidding millions of Americans to marry and therefore contribute to this prophesied evil.

12. Defend the Cause of Freedom

"And now the design of the Nephites was… that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty..., they were fighting for their homes, and their liberties, their [spouses] and their children, …for their rites of worship…. their families...their freedom…" (see Book of Mormon, Alma 43:9, 45, 47, 48)

[Many Latter-day Saints may recognize that our Gay and Lesbian neighbors in Utah and across our nation are fighting for these exact same things that Captain Moroni, the Nephites and the Stripling warriors fought for. Please defend the cause of freedom and Vote NO on 3.]

13. Ye Have Done It Unto Me

Jesus said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40)

[Since some Christians and politicians show by their acts and legislation that they consider our Gay and Lesbian neighbors to be the least in society and therefore somehow undeserving of marriage, family, legal recognition, rights or protections, please consider this verse. Regardless of positive or negative opinions about Gays, Lesbians, their families or any of our other neighbors, remember we all are neighbors and children of the same God.]

If you truly believe any of these LDS teachings, please Vote NO on 3.