Satan said, “Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surely I will do it” (Moses 4:1).
We are taught that Satan’s way would return all of us to heaven.
And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon; and they who keep not their first estate shall not have glory in the same kingdom with those who keep their first estate; (Abraham 3:26)
We are also taught that those who were obedient and followed the Savior came to Earth and received physical bodies.
For the longest time, I was amazed that I had chosen the Savior’s plan. I knew I must have, because I was here on Earth with a body, but sometimes it feels so hard to remain faithful that surely Satan’s way must have been tempting. A sure knowledge that I would be redeemed and “not be lost” really does sound appealing.
On the way to church one day I was describing my confusion and marveled that I had chosen to follow the Savior. My husband was dumbfounded and looked at me with one of those faces that says, “Really?”
“What?” I asked defensively.
“If anyone would have rejected Satan’s idea and followed the Savior, I’m sure you were one of the first in line!” He quipped.
I was flabbergasted, yet honored. Maybe he thought I was just “that righteous?” No. He explained that he hadn’t met anyone that valued personal liberty more. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how right he was. (There, I said it again. I hope he reads my blog.) When someone tells me that I have to do something, my back goes up and I don’t want to. (I asked my kids for an adjective that might describe my response. While some said rebellious and defiant, my daughter said, “teen-agy?”)
This battle still rages today. I want to be able to choose what I believe and whom I will follow. There are also those that want to make these decision for me and to force their ideals on everyone else.
When I read the Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) this week, many of those same stirrings came to the surface again. While I do believe that “marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan” (Proclamation on the Family), I feel that the Supreme Court’s decision has even more far-reaching effects that will do a disservice for us no matter which side of the debate we stand on. I whole-heartedly agree with each of the dissenting judges on the matter.
- Chief Justice Roberts: “The fundamental right to marry does not include a right to make a State change its definition of marriage. And a State’s decision to maintain the meaning of marriage that has persisted in every culture throughout human history can hardly be called irrational. In short, our Constitution does not enact any one theory of marriage. The people of a State are free to expand marriage to include same-sex couples, or to retain the historic definition” (p. 41).
- Justice Scalia: “This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine, always accompanied (as it is today) by extravagant praise of liberty, robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves” (p. 70, emphasis added).
- Justice Thomas: “The Court’s decision today is at odds not only with the Constitution, but with the principles upon which our Nation was built. Since well before 1787, liberty has been understood as freedom from government action, not entitlement to government benefits. The Framers created our Constitution to preserve that understanding of liberty” (p. 78-79)
- Justice Alito: “Today’s decision usurps the constitutional right of the people to decide whether to keep or alter the traditional understanding of marriage” (p. 101).
I see the tides turning. When the same-sex marriage debate was first gaining exposure, the majority of people supported traditional marriage. I honestly don’t know if that’s true anymore. Had the other side kept fighting, I feel that many states would have adopted same-sex marriage by now anyway (yes, that’s probably defeatist). I think that’s why I’m more frustrated that the ultimate decision of the Supreme Court was to take this measure out of the people’s hands.
Attacks on traditional marriage are so strong now. While there are still more traditional marriages than same-sex marriages, I’m made to feel like a bad guy for believing in the sanctity of marriage. Justice Alito said it well, “The decision [to mandate same-sex marriage] will also have other important consequences. It will be used to vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy” (p. 101).
The dissenting opinions uphold the premise of personal, moral agency that we sought for in the preexistence. Assaults on our agency will not end here; they will strengthen. Satan desires to have us. I guess this is why it’s important to have courage and stand strong, to stand as an example of all that is right and virtuous. President Hinckley said, in speaking of the Relief Society, “If they will be united and speak with one voice, their strength will be incalculable. … It is so tremendously important that the women of the Church stand strong and immovable for that which is correct and proper under the plan of the Lord” (as quoted by Sister Julie B. Beck). Sister Julie B. Beck said, “Latter-day Saint women must be strong and immovable in family. They can and should do families better than anyone else. We, as disciples of Christ, can and should be the very best in the world at upholding, nourishing, and protecting families.” I want to stand as a witness for my Savior.
References
Beck, J. B. (2007, November). What latter-day saint women do best: Stand strong and immovable. Ensign. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/11/what-latter-day-saint-women-do-best-stand-strong-and-immovable?lang=eng
Obergefell c. Hodges. 576 U.S. (2015). Retrieved from https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/14pdf/14-556_3204.pdf
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