In light of the recent Supreme Court decisions regarding marriage as well as my recent experience in Dublin, marriage has been at the forefront of my mind. As I have thought about gay marriage and talked with people of faith, I have often heard, “Well I know in my heart that gay marriage is wrong and if they don’t like that then too bad.” Although this response to the issue does not convey the Love of the Savior, it is common among Christians and LDS alike. Here, I hope to share my simple perspective on why I stand against legalizing gay marriage.
As The Family: A Proclamation to the World states, “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained [italics added] of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” In this battle to redefine marriage, the question to ask is, “what does it mean that marriage is ordained of God.”
Marriage is perhaps the oldest institution in Christendom and possibly in all the world. It is found in all the earliest records of humanity. For Christians, It was first established and defined by God as he put Adam in the garden and gave unto him Eve (Moses 3:23). In the garden, they called each other husband (Moses 3:12) and wife (Moses 3:14). It was God’s power and privilege to bring Adam and Eve together in marriage. However, in addition to two individuals being joined in marriage, God is also a fundamental participant in marriage. It is His ordination that allows two people the privilege of being married.
However, the question today is: can the definition of marriage, as established by God himself be changed? My answer is no, except an act of God himself. By allowing men to change the definition of marriage, we desecrate the most sacred ordinance given us by God. The Bible teaches quite clearly that God does not ordain homosexual relationships (ref). For man to allow the stamp of “marriage” on homosexual relationships is to either forge God’s approval or to declare that marriage is a man made institution which man can change. I don’t support either. Marriage is God’s institution. To add God’s stamp of approval to gay relationships by calling them “married” is to do exactly what Isaiah prophesied, to call evil good and good evil (ref).
The marriage I share with my husband is sacredly Ordained by God. It is in the way God ordained it. That said, I also believe in the right for people to choose between good and evil. I don’t intend to hinder the ability of people to receive equal rights in their same-sex civil unions. However, I ask that they be recognized as man made, and thus given a man made title in order to protect the sanctity of marriage.
If you are gay, I want to express that I know that God loves every single one of us regardless of the lifestyle we choose to live and the challenges we face everyday. I know that every person has weakness and sins, myself very much included. I am thankful to know that God loves me nonetheless. What the Savior asks is not to reject each other because of imperfections but to love and serve each other. However, the gospel also provides a love with vision of becoming better. The true act of Christ’s love is the grace that enables us to be better tomorrow than we are today. With that, Christ asks that we invite ourselves and others to come to Him, put our faith in Him, and continually move forward toward healing by His atonement and grace.
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