Is a leap ahead coming for gay acceptance?

State by state, marriage between same-sex couples is becoming legal. A majority of Americans now support gay marriage. Courts are finding that bans on gay marriage are unconstitutional. Legal battles have been won by supporters of gay marriage, and legal gay marriage will be the law of the whole land very soon. However, entrenched opposition still remains in the country, especially among Roman Catholics, Evangelical Christians, Muslims and Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

When I was attending seminary 55 years ago, little note was taken of the Mormons. They were few in number and were locally prominent only in Utah. Now they count their numbers around 14 million, mostly because of birthrate, and are growing exponentially. The state of Utah is currently about 62 percent Mormon. Utah now exports significant numbers of the faithful to destinations across the country.

I live in the Matanuska Valley in Southcentral Alaska. Our Valley is a favored place for Mormon settlement. For most people, the Mormon presence is visible and very accepted. The Mormon faithful are good public citizens. Mormon Stake Houses (church buildings) have been built next door to each of our three public high schools. Their public worship and activity centers are architecturally pleasing and immaculately maintained. Mormons have larger than average families and their children attend public schools. They are great supporters of public schools and Mormon children are high achievers in classrooms and in other activities related to the schools. They set high standards of behavior for their peers. Teachers and coaches love to have their positive influence in the classroom, the music room, the gym and on the playing field.

Typical Mormon youth give two years of service to their church. At all times our Valley has a significant number of Mormon missionaries doing their work. They do a lot of door knocking, but more and more they are spending their time as volunteers at local charities. They work hard and are appreciated.

Mormon families work diligently at being model two-parent households. Our Valley is a better place in which to live for all people because of the Mormon presence. They set high standards for us all.

Even though they have some beliefs that seem peculiar to me, I have no problem with accepting Mormons as Christian brothers and sisters. They join in the most basic Christian confession: “Christ is Lord.”

The structure of their governance is especially strange to this Baptist. Their structure is very hierarchical. The entire Church of Latter-day Saints is ruled by 13 men based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mormons have 12 apostles and one president and chief apostle, who also has the title of prophet.

All serve lifelong terms. If a vacancy occurs in the presidency, the 12 apostles elect a new prophet. When a vacancy occurs among the 12, the chief apostle/president appoints someone to fill the vacant spot among the 12.

Official church doctrine is set by revelations given to the prophet. Two actions illustrate the system. In an 1831 letter, Joseph Smith made it known that God had approved the practice of polygamy. Mormons were officially polygamist until Apostle Wilford Woodruff in 1890 issued a divinely instigated manifesto ending polygamy as church policy. In 1857, Brigham Young declared that black people were barred from holding any office in the Mormon Church and barred from the priesthood. This was official church policy until 1978, when President Spencer Kimball declared by divine revelation that all people without regard to race were eligible to serve in any and all positions of the church.

Both of these actions by divine revelation came at times of huge public pressure to correct social ills, polygamy and racial discrimination. Both of these decisions by divine revelation through the chief apostle were accepted by most Mormons with surprising ease.

Are we reaching another one of those key moments in history when a divine revelation is needed to correct a significant social travesty? Mormons are interested in public opinion and likeability. Mormons suffered in the eyes of the public for their role in supporting Proposition 8 in California. Prop 8 removed the right of same-sex couples to marry. Mormons put more than $20 million in what is now seen as a political disaster for Mormons in general.

Utah has a relatively young population that matches national norms in support of gay rights. Salt Lake City is considered one of the American cities most friendly to the gay population. Observers are now asking if the time is ripe for a new revelation that the grace and favor of God is abundantly available without regard to sexual orientation. The Church of Latter-day Saints has proven to be theologically nimble in critical times in the past. I will not be surprised if the Latter-day Saints become leaders for full gay acceptance among religious people. I pray them well.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister, who lives in Palmer. His email address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.

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