Ballots and Stones

The best ingredient in the recipe for changing Mormons' opinions may well be time, not confrontation.

by Ryan Godfrey

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Published: Nov 19, 2008

Multitudes across the political spectrum are angry, sad and defensive in the wake of the successful passage of California's Proposition 8, which amended the state constitution to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. It was clearly a step backward for the gay and lesbian community and those of us who support their efforts to legitimize same-sex familial bonds. The temptation has been to find a scapegoat, a bogeyman on whom to lay the blame for the dissolution of a civil right affirmed by the California Supreme Court in May of this year.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — AKA the LDS or Mormon church — has become a convenient target because of its active efforts in urging its members to contribute time and money toward the passage of the proposition; by some estimates, $20 million, or half of the total pro-Prop 8 budget, was donated by Mormons, in a state where they make up 2 percent of the population.

The peaceful-but-ferocious post-election protests in front of LDS churches and temples across the country, the threats and vandalism and suspicious white powder in the mail, the calls for boycotts of Mormon-owned companies: It all seems to have caught church leaders and rank-and-file members by surprise — never an easy trick when you're dealing with the divinely inspired.

"Defense of marriage" amendments have been codified relatively quietly in a majority of other state constitutions in the last few years, after all. But in California's case, the Protect Marriage movement with the LDS church's support has managed for the first time to invalidate a right that had already been exercised by thousands. To the extent that the Mormons are now painfully aware of how upsetting their political activism has been to a sizable vocal populace, the protests have been successful. But it's time to quit laying blame and start working to change hearts and minds.

My own first reaction to Prop 8's passage, colored and complicated by my history as a former devout Mormon, was to circulate to all my friends and peers on various social Web sites instructions on how to petition the IRS to revoke the church's tax-exempt status. I believed the church's behavior to be an inappropriate use of its resources, and a dangerous foray into the political sphere for any religious institution, and that a warning shot across the bow of one church was required to keep all churches in political check.

For my still-Mormon (but thoughtful and mostly Obama-voting) family, my act served to scrape open old wounds latent from 20 years past, when I decisively walked away from the comforts of The Truth. In retrospect, my salvo to the IRS was counterproductive. I was just as guilty of politicizing religion, with little chance of success on the tax front, and only succeeded in hardening the resolve of those of my loved ones who currently feel that only hetero marriage can be legitimate.

The best ingredient in the recipe for changing Mormons' opinions on social issues may well be time, not confrontation. The religion's dogma is hierarchical and uncompromising, but over time is (perhaps surprisingly) evolutionary, a benefit of leaders guided by direct revelation in ever-changing times. Witness the church's shifting policy toward polygamy, interracial marriage and black priests over the last several decades.

The main problem with demonizing Mormons for the passage of Prop 8 is that they did very little of the actual voting. Fifty-two percent of voting Californians cast their ballots in favor of one-man, one-woman. While it's disheartening, the sea change, at least in California, is inevitable: A similar anti-gay-marriage proposition passed in California in 2000 with 61 percent of voters in favor. The influx of younger voters more comfortable with having openly gay friends and family members means that broad acceptance of same-sex marriage is years, not decades away. And 20 to 30 years from now, the Mormons may well be OK with it, too.

Ryan Godfrey is a former City Paper webmaster. To reply to his Slant or to submit one of your own, e-mail bhoward@citypaper.net.

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