Guest Blogger: Becca Bracy Knight Weighs in on the Debate

I appreciate Mollie creating this forum for discussion and reflection and wanted to share my thoughts on this difficult but important issue. Since not everyone who knows Mollie knows me, let me start by saying that I was also raised in a Mormon family and have continued to be active in the LDS church as an adult. While I often find myself at odds with the political and cultural views of the majority of church members, I have a strong connection to the faith and appreciate the positive impact it has had on my life. I also have a strong connection to social justice and the positive impact it has had on my life.

I do see this as an issue of social justice. And as our society evolves, I firmly believe that we will look back on the time when same-sex couples were not allowed to marry with the same shame and outrage that we feel when we look back at a time (not so long ago) when interracial couples were not allowed to marry.

Ironically, it is my Mormon heritage that has in large part contributed to my belief that people should be allowed to define marriage for themselves. I grew up hearing stories of how members of the Mormon church were persecuted back in the 1800s for making their own choices about marriage. In that case, it was because the Mormon church chose to define marriage as a relationship between a man and more than one woman. And Mormons experienced the pain of having a government try to keep them from living in a way that they believed was right. That belief eventually changed, and as most people know the Mormon church no longer endorses the practice of polygamy. But it was a painful time that caused many Mormon polygamists to have to live in secret or even leave the country so that they could live with their families in the way that they chose. My own grandfather was born in Mexico so that his parents could maintain their family and plural marriages.

This heritage of defining marriage, at least for a period of time, in a way not accepted by mainstream conservative America is one of the reasons why the active stance on Proposition 8 by members of the LDS church is so deeply troubling to me. And I am not alone - this is an issue that has really divided the church, and I think it is important that people know that.

Our unique history aside, I also believe that as Christians we should be showing charity towards all people – seeking to understand and serve others with compassion and love. It seems to me that the resources spent on trying to pass this proposition could have been spent in more charitable ways. We all have so much work to do to make this world a better place; I wish we were building bridges instead of barriers.

- Becca Bracy Knight