Rarely do I express my deepest held yet perhaps controversial opinions en masse. But I think I need to change that.
"Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God" (The Family: A Proclamation to the World).
Some time ago, I felt a definite and distinct prompting to become more involved in defending marriage as between a man and a woman. I believe that doctrine to the core and know that it is a true and eternal principle. Yet in my heart, I questioned why and how I was to go about defending marriage. I have many friends who are cohabitating. I have friends who are gay, friends who are lesbian. I have friends who have no desire to marry and I have friends afraid of the commitment to marry. I have friends whose marriages are struggling due to addictions or infidelity and many other issues. I have friends whose marriages have ended in divorce. I have friends who even share many of my similar beliefs, but believe the definition of marriage should be defined by a simplistic view of love instead of by covenants and true and enduring principles. All of these are harmful to the institution of marriage and society as a whole. All of them.
I have friends, yes friends, who will vehemently oppose me and attack me for my beliefs. I have friends who may no longer speak to me for expressing myself. I tend to consider myself a well-liked person and while no one would ever be able to say they don't know my stance on certain issues, I tend to keep some things to myself to maintain my status of being "well-liked." But as I contemplated on that excuse for why I did not need to speak up, I felt distinctly, "Liz, if you don't speak up, who will?"
And so I will speak up today on only one of these issues. The Supreme Court is faced with an interesting decision about same-sex marriage right now. I've prayed all day long for God to help our country. But there are some things that man will do in direct opposition to God's laws. And He lets them because He gives us our ability to choose.
I do not intend to get in to a discussion about policy. I do not intend to debate tolerance and intolerance. I do not intend to say much today, except that my belief in this is grounded in my faith, even a knowledge, that there is a God and He has a divine plan for the happiness of all his children. And I believe in moral laws. I believe in a right and a wrong. And I believe that morals teach us love and commitment and truth.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reaffirmed their stance today. I believe in a living prophet who talks to a living God. This is truth. "We firmly support the divinely appointed definition of marriage as the union between a man and a woman because it is the single most important institution for strengthening children, families, and society" (Church Reaffirms Position on Marriage Following Supreme Court Hearing, MormonNewsroom.org, 26 March 2013).
Marriage between a man and a woman is a divine institution that God has established for the protection of children. My future children. Your children. Marriage is the strongest institution for producing a productive and healthy society. My future society. Your future society.
As Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, "I am surprised...that people think they can remove the foundations of our social structure-things like work, chastity, and family and then wonder why other things crumble. You can't remove the foundation of a building while standing inside and not be hit with falling plaster" (But For a Small Moment, BYU Speeches, September 1974).
I am willing to defend marriage. I am willing to defend the family. I am willing to do so whether or not I am well-liked or whether or not others agree. Because truth is eternal. The doctrine of marriage between a man and a woman is eternal. It was not invented by man. It was instituted by and covenanted with God. And He is real.
Read more about the Divine Institution of Marriage here.