Like Dynamite!

President Boyd K Packer reiterated our some of our beliefs regarding the blessings that come from traditional marriage, and the need to resist and influence that would draw us away from those blessings at the October 2010 LDS General Conference almost two weeks ago.  His talk received a lot of attention, and many took his words to be something every different than he really said.  I'd encourage anyone who wants to understand our view, and not just take for granted what the media says about it, to watch his sermon personally.

My dad taught me that that sexual relations are like dynamite just as his father taught him.  Dynamite, like the activities my dad compared it to, has great power to chance lives.   Both are a very useful tool for accomplishing great things.
You can do incredibly constructive things with dynamite.  With dynamite, easy paths of travel between the eastern and western United States was possible.  Dynamite can also maim and destroy lives.  It can impact many more than just those who are trusted with using it.

Spider-man's uncle taught him a similar principle with the credo "With great power comes great responsibility."  We should recognize that our actions have a greater impact than we could ever see.


God has given us laws that help us know what to do with the freedom he has given us, despite our limited perspective.  Luke 12:48 teaches that "For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required..." Sister Stephanie Smoot talked more about how we know the laws that govern how we should use our freedom in her post Mormons and Marriage.
Many of those who protest against our defense of traditional marriage don't understand how intolerant they can often be towards our position.  On both sides of the debate there many who forget how much our heavenly Father loves us, and how we certainly shouldn't treat any gift from him very lightly.  The Church issued in a response statement, "As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman. However, that should never, ever be used as justification for unkindness. Jesus Christ, whom we follow, was clear in His condemnation of sexual immorality, but never cruel. His interest was always to lift the individual, never to tear down."  Anyone who does not love and respect those who disagree with how to use those gifts, is not likely to find any success in persuading them to use the more wisely.  Bullying, teasing, or lashing out against people we believe don't use their freedom wisely are worse abuses of that freedom than those we accuse.