A majority (52%) of young Mormons believe same-sex marriage should be legal

[oliver_denom]

The generational shift favoring same sex marriage has even won inside the Mormon church.

https://www.prri.org/research/emerging- ... ues-atlas/

Mormons from 2013 to 2017 as a whole dropped in opposition to same sex marriage from 68% opposed to 53% opposed. Among young Mormons, 52% are in favor. What will Nelson and Oaks do about this? Declare it a lost cause and move on? Or double down and drive people out at record rates?

[Hagoth]

What will Nelson and Oaks do about this? Declare it a lost cause and move on? Or double down and drive people out at record rates?

I would like to believe that The Brethren might take a repentant approach and humbly seek some revelation of the 1978 variety (i.e. they already know what has to happen so they produce revelation that allows them to say "we were just doing what God wanted and now he's changed his mind).

But they'll probably continue with the passive-aggressive approach of "we're glad you love those perverts, God wants you to love those perverts, we're all God's children, even the poor, reprehensible perverts. Just try to love them from a distance and don't let their perverse agenda rub off on you."

[Jeffret]

That's great news! Though not at all surprising at this point. It's been very obvious there's been a huge shift.

What will Nelson and Oaks do about this? Declare it a lost cause and move on? Or double down and drive people out at record rates?

I think the most likely: Be oblivious to it. That seems to be how they behave to all the rest of this information. I don't see any indication they have any response to any of the rest of the data coming out of the PRRI's study or similar ones. It's unlikely Oaks will consider it a lost cause and move on. He's devoted his life to this. But, it's not like they have any real idea what they're doing anyway. I doubt they'll double down against it. They probably have little idea that they might need to and no idea how they would go about it.

[Red Ryder]

Silly Mormons!

100% of normal people already know IT IS legal!

[Corsair]

I had an uncle and aunt who served a senior couples mission in the 1980s. They told me that one of their wards had sent a delegation to Salt Lake City shortly after the 1978 revelation. Apparently some local priesthood holders were planning to politely, but firmly, explain to President Kimball why he was wrong and the temple ban should be maintained because of of doctrinal reasons.

I don't know how many people left the LDS church after June 1978, but surely there were some. I'm wondering what will happen when the institutional church further liberalizes or simply decriminalizes same sex marriage. Surely there will be a percentage that heads towards the Remnant with Brother Snuffer or joins one of the more modern looking FLDS groups.

[Hagoth]

If you haven't read Dallin Oaks' PRINCIPLES TO GOVERN POSSIBLE PUBLIC STATEMENT ON LEGISLATION AFFECTING RIGHTS OF HOMOSEXUALS, in which he provides legal counsel to the church regarding how the church should approach laws regarding the “vile affectations” and “abomination” of homosexuality, it's definitely worth checking out:
https://secure-hwcdn.libsyn.com/p/9/1/3 ... 534e87d9de

The main focus seems to be keeping gay people away from children to protect them from "homosexual proselyting and role models," once he reluctantly concedes that it's probably no longer possible to enact laws that punish gay people more harshly than straight people.

My personal favorite:

One generation of homosexual "marriages" would depopulate a nation, and , if sufficiently wide spread, would extinguish its people . Our marriage laws should not abet national suicide.

This statement is mindboggling to the degree that it sounds like insanity. For this to make any sense you would have to believe that pretty much everyone is ready and waiting to abandon their heterosexual relationships in favor of homosexual marriages the moment the laws allows them to do so. What kind of twisted mind can create such nonsense? I can't help but wonder if the author fears that he might be tempted in that way. At the very least he must assume that he supposes that his immediate audience (church leadership) believes this is a likely outcome.

I would like to hear Bro. Oaks' explanation of this now that same-sex marriage is legal, and why it didn't apply to other nations where it was already legal.

[Dravin]

This statement is mindboggling to the degree that it sounds like insanity. For this to make any sense you would have to believe that pretty much everyone is ready and waiting to abandon their heterosexual relationships in favor of homosexual marriages the moment the laws allows them to do so. What kind of twisted mind can create such nonsense? I can't help but wonder if the author fears that he might be tempted in that way. At the very least he must assume that he supposes that his immediate audience (church leadership) believes this is a likely outcome.

I would like to hear Bro. Oaks' explanation of this now that same-sex marriage is legal, and why it didn't apply to other nations where it was already legal.

Surely you've seen the vaunted musical documentary Gays Got Married?

[BlackMormon]

It is legal. Just not in the Church. For fair marriage equality, I would like to see the return of polygamy and polyandry later on. Otherwise we are just promoting and supporting LGTB and not other marriage union choices that should not be Illegal and discriminated against.

[Jeffret]

For fair marriage equality, I would like to see the return of polygamy and polyandry later on. Otherwise we are just promoting and supporting LGTB and not other marriage union choices that should not be Illegal and discriminated against.

Sigh. If you want to promote that, it's a separate topic. Support for gay marriage doesn't preclude possible support for polygamy. But, just as gays came out of the closet to demonstrate how it's done, polygamists will have to do likewise. They'll have to show how polygamous unions work. They'll have to explain how existing or new laws regarding polygamous unions work. Allowing gay marriage required extremely minimal changes to existing laws. Polygamy would likely require far greater considerations.

[oliver_denom]

For fair marriage equality, I would like to see the return of polygamy and polyandry later on. Otherwise we are just promoting and supporting LGTB and not other marriage union choices that should not be Illegal and discriminated against.

Sigh. If you want to promote that, it's a separate topic. Support for gay marriage doesn't preclude possible support for polygamy. But, just as gays came out of the closet to demonstrate how it's done, polygamists will have to do likewise. They'll have to show how polygamous unions work. They'll have to explain how existing or new laws regarding polygamous unions work. Allowing gay marriage required extremely minimal changes to existing laws. Polygamy would likely require far greater considerations.

Also, I think there's a certain amount of ambiguity surrounding polygamy as a practice. You can legalize marriage between a man and multiple women, but that legalization doesn't extend to protect underage marriage, nor does it justify systems of abuse which entrap girls and exile boys. Some who shout religious persecution because of polygamy are actually guilty of much darker and heinous crimes. Society as a whole would need to have that conversation and fully understand how religion and some cult like communities are driving the practice.

The most important principle here is that of freedom and consent. You have to be careful not to legalize or protect institutions which deprive people of their liberties and replace consent with force.

[alas]

Polygamy is already legal. It is just that second! third and so on spouses have zero marriage rights. The legal wife is the only one with any rights to inheritance, decision making in the event of the spouse being indisposed, taxation rights, and any rights in the event of divorce. If you can explain to me how those rights can be shared by more than one person, or how to determine which wife gets which rights, then fine, I am all for legalizing polygamy. As it is, adding multiple spouses would take a complete rewrite of all marriage laws.

Why not just have your second spouse sign a contract specifying what rights she/he has as far as pensions, possessions, insurance. Then you can be "married in the eyes of God" only and not married according to the laws of the nation you reside in.

Marriage to one person is a whole different ball game than marriage to several.

[Hagoth]

Surely you've seen the vaunted musical documentary Gays Got Married?

Hilarious! Sadly, that seems to be not too far from the truth for some people. Before the marriage law change I had a TBM co-worker tell me that homosexuality is like a virus that would spread out of control if permitted.

[Not Buying It]

Regarding polygamy, it should never be legal. Why? Because it has never been practiced by any group without a significant number of young women and female children being coerced into it. I hate it when people talk about polygamy as though it were entirely consensual, because it hardly ever works that way. Warren Jeffs was giving 12 year old girls "marriage training". Joseph Smith was blackmailing teenage girls with his ridiculous angel with a drawn sword story. Almost without fail, where there is polygamy there is coercion and manipulation. It travels in company with black deeds, forced marriages and ruined lives, and for that reason alone should be shunned by any society that has any sense of morality. No one who has actually seen the fruits of polygamy as practiced by most polygamists would ever advocate for it.

Regarding the reactions of the Church to the rising generation's acceptance of same-sex marrage - I'm no prophet, but I can tell you exactly how it is going to play out. In 40 years the Church will have accepted gay marriage and will be gaslighting its remaining members into thinking that the LDS Church was always the LGBT community's greatest champion and closest friend a la "How grateful I am that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has from its beginnings stood strongly against racism in any of its malignant manifestations" (Elder Alexander B. Morrison). If you see what is happening now with the racism of the Church prior to 1978 then you know what will happen with the current homophobia of the Church in 2058.