58%!

A few days ago I read a shocking statistic in the Deseret News.  Not much shocks me anymore but this certainly did.

At first, I read that 72% of Utahns believe that same-sex marriage should be the law of the land.  I thought that number was pretty high for a state with a majority of members of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints.  But I know the percentage of members has dwindled in Utah.  So I thought I would look at the demographics of Utah after I read the article.  To try to get an idea of how many members of the church feel that same-sex marriage should be legal.  But I didn't have to.  The statistic was in the article.  This was the shocking number to me.

Before we get to that number though, I'm going to post part of the article for you.  This was an article in the Deseret News on September 29, 2022, "Do Utahns support same-sex marriage?":

 "The new Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics survey found 72% of residents agree that marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages. The poll shows 23% disagree, while 5% don’t know.

“For a state that less than 20 years ago passed laws and a constitutional amendment prohibiting same-sex marriage, there has been a seismic shift in opinion,” said Jason Perry, director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

"When same-sex marriage became recognized in Utah in 2014 — a year ahead of the Supreme Court decision — it had support from less than half of Utahns. A January 2014 Deseret News/KSL poll amid the legal battle and contentious public debate over the issue found a majority of Utahns (57%) opposed same-sex marriage." 

Going from 20 years ago passing a law to prohibit same-sex marriage to 20 years later nearly 3/4 of people supporting same-sex marriage is drastic.  And even just eight years ago the majority of Utahns – 57% – still opposed same-sex marriage.  It really is a seismic shift in a very short amount of time.

So I was curious as to what the national statistics are.  Surprisingly, they are almost identical.

"The Deseret News/Hinckley poll shows Utahns are aligned with the nation as a whole on the issue. A Gallup poll in May found 71% of Americans say they support legal same-sex marriage, a new high."shows in general terms that Utahns believe same-sex marriages should be recognized by the law the same as marriages between a man and a woman."

Not surprisingly, Democrats are far more likely to support same-sex marriage that Republicans. 

"A high percentage of poll respondents who identified themselves as Democrats are of that mind (94%), though a majority of Republicans (61%) also agree."

Even though the Republican number is much lower than the Democrats, it is still much too high. Though, interestingly, it is still lower (61%) than the number of Utahns (72%) as a whole.   

"Among those who identified themselves as “very conservative,” 42% say all marriages should be treated the same, while the number jumps to 69% among “somewhat conservative” voters. More than 95% of “very liberal” and “somewhat liberal” Utahns say the law should recognize same-sex marriages with the same rights as traditional marriages."

The aforementioned statistics seem more reasonable.  42% of "very conservative" respondents supporting same-sex marriage while over 95% of liberal Utahns supporting legalized same-sex marriages.  Although, even 42% seems too high for me for those claiming to be very conservative. 

But here's the kicker – and the statistic that shocked me the most.

"A majority of Utahns who identified as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the survey favor legal same-sex marriage.

"The poll found 58% of those who consider themselves “very active” in the church agree that marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid, with same rights as traditional marriages. The number rose to 76% among “somewhat” and “not active” Latter-day Saints."

A whopping 58% of "very active" members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints support legalized same-sex marriages!  That's the overwhelming majority and nearly 2/3 of very active members supporting something the Church and the Lord vehemently oppose!  That number should be 0%!

It is stunning.  And, the number goes from 58% to 76% when you include all members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  That's higher than the national average of 71%!  Unfathomable.

The Church is very clear in its opposition to same-sex marriage.  Same-sex marriages are not performed in the Church.  Not in temples, not even in churches.  Church clergy does not officiate in same-sex marriages.  "The Family: A Proclamation to the World" clearly states that marriage is between a man and a woman.

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator’s plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

"… We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."  – The Family: A Proclamation to the World, 1995

So why are 58% of very active – supposedly faithful – Latter-day Saints so wrong?

How can you be a very active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, understand the doctrine, yet still support same-sex marriage?  It makes no sense.

I suppose it is because they are brainwashed and confused by worldly teachings and philosophies.  But this is precisely why we are admonished to be in the world but not of the world.

John 17:11, 14-15

11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.

14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

Despite this admonition from our Savior, many Latter-day Saints – including very active members of the Church – are very worldly.  In fact, the prophet Isaiah prophesied of the worldliness of members of the Church in the last days.

Isaiah 3:16

"Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:"

Isaiah is not the easiest prophet to understand but he's basically prophesying that, in the last days, the daughters of Zion – members of the Church – will be worldly and vain. 

We are certainly living in the last days and Isaiah's prophecy has come true.

I fear that way too many Latter-day Saints are far more concerned with what the world and society thinks of them than they are with staying on the covenant path and with what the Lord thinks.

That's my two cents.