Exposure to the Son

I emailed a few of my friends about this yesterday, but on the way to work there is a church that generally has some pretty ingenious slogans on its sign. The latest one reads, "Exposure to the Son may prevent burning." I had a good laugh and am planning on stopping by later to snap a picture of it. It got me thinking though. Do any of you remember the article from Elder Ballard encouraging the members of the Church to use all forms of media, (electronic forms as well), to teach about the church? I have struggled to figure out how to use a blog to do so, as it is so informal and available for anyone to read. I would appreciate any comments on the subject, but I feel like I want to take an opportunity to share my thoughts on something that has been troubling me as of late, and I wanted to take a public stand for what I believe.

Governor Paterson has indicated in an executive memo to all state agencies in NY that all marriages legal in any state of the union are to be recognized, regardless of the fact that in NY, it is still against the law for gay couples to marry. California has now legalized gay marriage and has joined ranks with Massachusetts. CT, VT, NJ, and NH have civil unions, that while not technically a marriage, afford the same rights to those couples as those enjoyed, or endured, by legally wed couples. ME, HI, DC, WA, and OR also have varying applications of the same idea, that they can be a legal union, and enjoy many if not all of the rights of a legally married couple.

I have struggled for weeks to determine where exactly I stand on this. I struggled with the idea of the state controlling who can and cannot be legally joined--call me cynical, but the government needs some serious help and I felt for a while that their efforts should be directed at more pressing matters. I have come to realize that it is not at all a trivial matter. I have gay friends and acquaintances here at school and work and I hesitated to take a perceived anti-gay stance. I am not anti-gay. They are people, just like you and me. They are my friends and colleagues and my beliefs on the issue don't make me value them any less. That being said, my stance is not anti-gay, but it is pro-family and I define a family, as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does, as a legal, binding union between a man and a woman. I firmly believe that the family as was, and is, ordained by God is a basic building block of society. Does that mean that all families are perfect? No. There are single parent homes, and single people in the world who abide by and stand for the beliefs engendered by this document, "A Proclamation to the World."

As unpopular as a belief may be, and as unpopular is this one currently is becoming, that does not mean that it is not right. I want my friends and family to know where I stand and what side of the line I am on. The upcoming election will certainly define a generation and propel us forward on an ever-quickening journey. Become informed, exercise your right as citizens on both the national and the local levels. Don't allow others to steal your voice because you chose not to act.