Helaman’s Army

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting! If you'd like to write for Helaman's Army, please use the contact form and let us know!

Protesting is by all accounts a founding freedom in this country, infact you’ll find it in the first amendment to the US Constitution.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. ¹

I wanted to dive into this topic a little bit because of what’s happening here in America as of late. Yes, it’s the topic of Proposition 8, but I’m not here to talk specifically about Prop8, I think people are pretty familiar with it, and it wasn’t my intention on beating a rather dead horse.

My focus is really what the aftermath of it. We have seen pictures and video of protesting, read stories of treatments of those who supported it and even of those who didn’t support it.

My questions stem from the duality of protecting our rights. What I mean is, you’ve heard the phrase;

I disagree with what you have to say but will fight to the death to protect your right to say it.²

Which shows, in my mind the duality - even if I don’t agree with you, because the Constitution guarantees the right for you to say, I will defend that right - not what you say, but that you can say it. This can also be applied to protesting.

But before you label me something I am not, let me further explain myself. The part of the first amendment that protects protesting, says it in a very specific way, can you spot what I mean? Yes, it’s the peaceable part, and this is where it is all breaking down. While I support the act of protesting, I do not support the act of threatening, or violence in that protest. Verbal abuse, degradation, and threats have no place, and essentially are not covered by any means of the Constitution, but nothing seems to be happening.

While I could cry that if the roles were reversed, we’d (proponents of Pro8) be strung up by our toes over hate crimes, the reverse has not transpired - but alas, I’ll let those who wish to,  paint themselves into their own corner.

I try to make it to a weekly Constitutional meeting held in Cache Valley by an awesome LDS man, Scott Bradley³, which we have discussed a few things that have really stuck in my mind.

If you’ve seen any of the images, or watched any of the videos, or even read any of the articles you’ll know that Saints (and I use the term to cover anyone who was for Prop8) are being actively persecuted. Whether by boycott, or physical threats it is happening.

Remember that it is a great deal better to suffer wrong than to do wrong. We have enlisted in this kingdom for the purpose of working righteousness, growing up in righteousness and in purity that we might have a heaven in our families, in our city and neighborhoods, a Zion right in our midst, live in it ourselves, and persuade everybody else to abide its holy laws.⁴

Read that real slow, can you apply it today? But I think it very important to note the last bit, we are not a church of force or war, and that last bit typifies that “and persuade everybody else to abide its holy law“. There’s no use of force, or coercion - it’s to have them abide by it, to tolerate it. They (the Saints in California) decided not to pass a law to add an amendment to their constitution. They have done this twice in the past 8 years, Prop22  and Prop8 - but they have been loosing support. In 2008 it was 61.4% vs 38%, this year it was down to 52.47% vs 47.53% ⁵. It will continue until it finally wins.

20 Wo unto them that acall bevil good, and good evil, that put cdarkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
21 Wo unto the awise in their own eyes and bprudent in their own sight!⁶

It’s saddening to know that this whole thing has driven a wedge within the church. People who think themselves wiser then the Lord. Who put the decay of the family ahead of the morality of God’s Gospel.

To “kick against the pricks” is the first step in falling away. In this day the Lord has given us a revelation that suggests clearly the reasons why some men fail of their blessings. [Quotes D&C 121:35-38.]

That, it seems to me, is about the progressive way that men begin to fall away. They first begin to “kick against the pricks.” I have wondered what that means. These no doubt are the pricks of the gospel. I wonder, perhaps, if they are not those things referred to by President J. Reuben Clark Jr. as “restraints”—the restraints of the Word of Wisdom, the restraints imposed in keeping the Sabbath day holy, injunctions against card playing, the restraints imposed by following the welfare program, and so on. These are the restraints against which some people seem to rebel and are kicking constantly against—the “pricks” of the gospel.

I remember in this connection what somebody said in classifying humankind. He said there were only three kinds of people in the world—”Saints, Ain’ts, and Complaints,” and perhaps the “Complaints” would represent those who seem to be kicking against the pricks. These are the ones who “persecute the Saints” and, finally, “fight against God.” ⁷

I’ll leave on one other note, it’s interesting to point out that since 2000 gays have had a completely legal civil union⁸, which for all intents and purpose is marriage according to California law. They were entitled to the rights associated with that union but just not the label of “marriage”.

I would consider this a frontal assault on the teachings of Christ, and a pin-pointed attack on the Holy principle of Family, and Marriage. Satan isn’t giving up ground, nor taking a breather. You can see he’s breaking down the resilience of Californians and everyone, whispering their ears and making evil good and good evil…