Mormons for Marriage

When Joseph Smith, Jr. died in 1844, his thousands of followers did not know what to do.  Who would their next prophet be?  Several people stepped up to fill the spot, and most Mormons at the time chose to follow Brigham Young who ended up leading many Saints across the country to the Great Salt Lake Valley to become The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS).  Another chunk of Saints decided that the prophet’s successor should be his son, and those people, including Joseph Smith’s widow Emma, eventually became known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS).

Both groups share the same restorationist roots, both use the Book of Mormon to some extent, and both have an open canon of scripture, but their religious paths have diverged greatly in the 150+ years since Joseph’s death.   A quick examination of each church’s book of modern revelation, the Doctrine & Covenants, clearly traces the changes that began with differences of opinion on prophetic succession and polygamy and culminated today in the full recognition and acceptance of LGBT community members.

Yes, the Community of Christ (which was once called the RLDS church) added a new section of scripture to its Doctrine & Covenants this week, a section which opens the doors to full acceptance of LGBT members,  including performance of same-sex marriages where those are legal.  The language allows congregations in places like the United States, Canada, etc. to begin full fellowship of LGBT members immediately but doesn’t force congregations in more conservative places to do the same.  (In some countries, the leadership believes, if the CoC stepped up and announced open support of same-sex marriage, it would be effectively cut off from its ability to minister in those countries.)  So each country/mission could take as many steps as it can toward actions that are “rooted in the principles of Christ-like love, mutual respect, responsibility, justice, covenant, and faithfulness, against which there is no law.”

John Hamer, who is attending the World Conference in Independence, Missouri, blogged about the new scripture changes here.

The changes have been contemplated, discussed and prayerfully considered for many months.  Most recently, in January 2010, CoC President Steve Veazey presented his inspired thoughts as counsel to the church and encouraged members to spend time pondering the message so they could consider canonizing it at this week’s conference.

In presenting the verses that deal with homosexuality, Pres. Veazey wrote:

“Serious questions about moral behavior and relationships continue to arise in many nations. These  issues are complex and difficult to understand outside their particular settings because of strikingly different cultural histories, customs, and understandings of scripture. For example, the issues include  female submission, female genital mutilation, child brides, forced marriages, and sexual permissiveness. They include cleansing and exploitation of widows, harsh conflicts over same-gender attraction and  relationships, and varying legal, religious, and social definitions of marriage, to name just a few.

“Over the last several years the need to resolve various moral and justice issues has intensified and become more complicated because of the growing international diversity of the church. The church has been told in previous counsel that we have been given the struggles and joys of diversity for divine purposes. (Doctrine and Covenants 162:4) In response to my prayerful pleas for light regarding God’s purposes being worked out through our difficult struggles over various issues, God graciously blessed me with the following counsel:”

Then he proposed the following scripture:

5 It is imperative to understand that when you are truly baptized into Christ you become part of a new creation. By taking on the life and mind of Christ, you increasingly view yourselves and others from a changed perspective. Former ways of defining people by economic status, social class, sex, gender, or ethnicity no longer are primary. Through the gospel of Christ a new community of tolerance, reconciliation, unity in diversity, and love is being born as a visible sign of the coming reign of God.

6 a. As revealed in Christ, God, the Creator of all, ultimately is concerned about behaviors and relationships that uphold the worth and giftedness of all people and that protect the most vulnerable. Such relationships are to be rooted in the principles of Christ-like love, mutual respect, responsibility, justice, covenant, and faithfulness, against which there is no law.

b. If the church more fully will understand and consistently apply these principles, questions arising about responsible human sexuality, gender identities, roles, and relationships; marriage; and other issues may be resolved according to God’s divine purposes. Be assured, nothing within these principles condones selfish, irresponsible, promiscuous, degrading, or abusive relationships.

c. Faced with difficult questions, many properly turn to scripture to find insight and inspiration. Search the scriptures for the Living Word that brings life, healing, and hope to all. Embrace and proclaim these liberating truths.

While it doesn’t sound on the surface to be fully embracing of same-sex marriage, it might help to understand that the first presidency and apostles of the Community of Christ are very much ready to put an end to any kind of discrimination toward church members.   But they are operating in a reality which includes worldwide church congregations, some in countries where speaking up in favor of LGBT equality is a potential death knell.

The solution to dealing with this diversity has not been to hold back all action and continue institutional discrimination, and it has not been to charge forward disregarding the legitimate concerns and needs of the most conservative branches and congregations in the most conservative parts of the world.  Instead, the new section of scripture provides for the different missions of the church to enact and support non-discrimination policies in their own way and on their own timetables.  A goal has been set and the different parts of the church will be able to work toward meeting that goal.

For the majority of members living in the United States and Europe, that means full fellowship and recognition can start as soon as the congregations can set it up.  And for those congregations in places where condoning same-sex relations could be dangerous to the survival of either the church or the church members, those congregations can focus on other ways to create “new communit[ies] of tolerance, reconciliation, unity in diversity, and love.”

Some have voiced concern that the new scripture includes this phrase, “Be assured, nothing within these principles condones selfish, irresponsible, promiscuous, degrading, or abusive relationships.”  Certainly, these have been used as code words to label same-sex relationships for years.  But perhaps the phrase could be viewed another way as well. Perhaps it could mean there are same-sex relationships that are beyond these code words the same way straight relationships are.

By condoning, affirming and accepting same-sex marriages and commitments, perhaps Community of Christ members are recognizing that blessed and healthy expressions of love are not limited by sex assignments; that gays and lesbians are just as capable of forming unselfish, responsible, committed, uplifting and supportive relationships as straight people are.

It will be interesting to follow the policy developments within the Community of Christ as various congregations begin putting Section 164 into action.  As their new scripture says:

9 a. Beloved children of the Restoration, your continuing faith adventure with God has been divinely-led, eventful, challenging, and sometimes surprising to you. By the grace of God, you are poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the church.

b. When your willingness to live in sacred community as Christ’s new creation exceeds your natural fear of spiritual and relational transformation, you will become who you are called to be. The rise of Zion the beautiful, the peaceful reign of Christ, awaits your wholehearted response to the call to make and steadfastly hold to God’s covenant of peace in Jesus Christ.

c. This covenant entails sacramental living that respects and reveals God’s presence and reconciling activity in creation. It requires whole-life stewardship dedicated to expanding the church’s restoring ministries, especially those devoted to asserting the worth of persons, protecting the sacredness of creation, and relieving physical and spiritual suffering.

d. If you truly would be Community of Christ, then embody and live the concerns and passion of Christ.

e. The challenges and opportunities are momentous. Will you remain hesitant in the shadows of your fears, insecurities, and competing loyalties? Or will you move forward in the light of your divinely instilled call and vision?

f. The mission of Jesus Christ is what matters most for the journey ahead.

Truly, may we all “become who we are called to be.”

For more information:

Here’s a link to the PDF version of the new D&C Section 164:
http://www.cofchrist.org/wc2010/pdfs/section164.pdf

Here’s a link to the minutes of the discussion about acceptance of the new scripture:
http://www.cofchrist.org/wc2010/minutes/minutes041310.asp

The conference continues through Saturday.

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