While theological modification may be acceptable in itself, it would seem that at some point any critical social movement loses its raison d’être when it has either been totally assimilated within the society with which it was originally at odds or it has been removed from that society, either through destruction, or voluntary or forced exit.  At some point, then, any social movement, including Mormonism, must find a certain realm wherein its beliefs and practices retain a certain amount of theological authenticity to avoid doctrinal and social assimilation by its “host” society while not offending that society to the point of the movement’s own annihilation.

John R. Pottengar, “Mormonism and the American Industrial State,” International Journal of Economics, (Feb. 1987), 26-27.

Terminator Governor #1

Terminator Governor #2

When I was going to college at BYU, I used to go hiking at night in Rock Canyon.  To get to Rock Canyon you have to pass by the Provo temple.  On just about any given night you will see several cars parked along the street outside the temple with heterosexual BYU students inside contemplating their eventual marriage for eternity.

When I was in Washington D.C. I remember walking across the lawn in front of the Capitol Building after visiting the American History Museum.  Right as you walk into the American History Museum they have one of the original sunstones from the burned remnants of the Nauvoo temple.  Where most cultural attractions in D.C. tend to be monumental apologies to any group who has ever been historically maligned, the plaque under the sunstone was a brief understatement to what that stone symbolizes to Mormons who know their history (and all Mormons know their history).  Anyway as I crossed the lawn I saw two gay men sitting on the lawn gazing at the Capitol Building just as all the young BYU students park and gaze at the temple.  “Someday that building will make our greatest dreams possible,” both groups probably think.  Where the pastoral images of two gay men sitting on the grass of the National Mall and Mormon couples gazing at the temple are full of paradox and rhyme, these images contain within them some of the darker aspects of democracy.  One image represents a group that legitimately suffered to earn their rights, and the other image represents those who would demand their rights as an entitled brat.

Rather than protest at the gates of Mormon temples, advocates of the gay rights movement could better spend their time by contemplating the presence of the artifact Sunstone in the Smithsonian’s American History Musuem.  This artifact symbolizes what can happen to a minority social movement that offends its host society to the point of annihilation.

Sunstone from Nauvoo Temple

The gay rights community has been quick to judge the Mormon church as being on the wrong side of history.  Yet, the Mormon church doesn’t need any lectures from any group on legislation targeted at a certain social group with discriminatory intent.  

Rather than protest the Mormon church, gay rights groups could learn a lot from studying the Edmunds-Tucker Act and the forced assimilation endured by the Mormon Church after the act was passed.  Compared to the Edmunds Tucker Act, Proposition 8 is a relatively benign piece of legislation.  At least Proposition 8 didn’t authorize the state to seize the assets of gay couples and turn them over to public education funds, force public officials to make an anti-homosexual oath before they took office, take away voting rights for gays, and fine gay couples for homosexual behavior.

The Mormon Church had to learn from being a consistent target of legislative terrorism that constitutional protections of rights are historically arbitrary.  Constitutional rights only count if the majority of the people whom that constitution represents believe in them.  Unfortunately for gays, the majority of Americans don’t think they should be getting married.  If gays aren’t willing to suffer, die, or relocate as a group outside the territorial boundaries of the United States to preserve their lifestyle then they need to shut up and go home and quit with the childish protests.  Gays say Mormons are on the wrong side of history, just because gays timed their movement for social justice at a time when social justice can supposedly be won by marching down the street with a sign and a flag.  Sorry, gay rights movement, but historically social justice has usually been the result of deep and profound suffering – not a weekend pride parade.  This disregard for legitimate and profound suffering as the currency which buys social justice, probably explains why 70% of African American voters voted for Proposition 8.  Yet, you don’t see gay rights activists hanging black people in effigy or demanding that the NAACP lose their tax exempt status as a non-profit organization.

It is unfortunate that gays are reacting to Proposition 8 through massive protests against the Mormon Church.  The Mormon Church’s history of being the target of violent legislative terrorism and the subsequent intense persecution places the Mormon Church on a moral high ground that is only afforded to those who endure great sacrifice in defense of their beliefs.  For the gay rights movement to criticize the Mormon Church for taking a stand for its beliefs demonstrates that the gay rights movement is motivated by a childish, selfish ignorance of history.  Gays would do better to learn from the Mormons rather than protest against them.