The Mormon Onslaught

A Mormon reader writes:

I just wanted to follow up on the post you made regarding Mormons not being united in the Church's stance on the Yes on 8 campaign.  Personally, as a church-attending Mormon, the unbelievable, over-the-top support from the Church (at all levels) on this is a never-ending source of shame that digs up some of the worst skeletons in our collective closet (e.g., denying African-Americans full rights in the church until 1978, opposition to the ERA, etc.). 

In my lifetime, it really is unprecedented.  I have never had a similar letter one way or another read from the pulpit before or been told to donate my time and money to a political cause.

The Church is normally very apolitical and prides itself on staying above the fray. Its stance here is particularly ironic given that the early Church actually had to flee the United States to Utah in order to escape persecution, much of which was directed at its own very odd marriage practices. Indeed, after Utah was admitted to the Union and Congress outlawed polygamy, some Church leaders had to move to Mexico to avoid prosecution. Ask Mitt Romney about his past since that is why some of his relatives are from Mexico. It is therefore deeply disturbing that they have chosen such a hurtful measure to "come out" on.

The real effect is that people, like me, who oppose Prop. 8 are seen as apostate and against God's will. But I am comforted that with the Internet and the connectivity of modern communication – at least I am not alone in my feelings.