Jim Henderson wrote:
> The church is pretty active in local politics and lawmaking.  I've been 
> here in Utah for about 15 years now and the influence is very apparent.  
> Maybe it's not so obvious from the inside looking out, but from the 
> outside looking in, it's really obvious.

Well, I never lived in Utah, so it could be that the areas I've lived in 
were ones where the LDS Church simply didn't have enough influence to do 
things like that.

 From what I've seen of members who come from Utah, I don't think I 
would like living there, anyway.

> Let's ask the women in the church who are in leadership roles what they 
> think, shall we?
> 
> Oh, wait, there aren't any.  It's asserted that leadership in the church 
> is for males only.

Well, you can't blame them for being consistent.  Extension of the 
Priesthood to women would require divine revelation.  If and when it 
comes, then it will be accepted.  Until God says so, however, the LDS 
Church is going to keep doing things the same way, unapologetically.

The persecutions that members suffered during the early 19th century 
have created an inherited culture of martyrdom, you might say.  Members 
are constantly regaled with stories of individuals who stood by their 
beliefs, despite threats (or acts of) extreme violence.

Can you blame them, after all that, for sticking with what they believe, 
whether or not it's popular?

>>> It's also highly ironic that the Church's historic "marriage" is
>>> polygamistic (still practiced by some sects,
>> Still practiced by excommunicated members.  There are no "sects" of the
>> LDS Church practicing polygamy... whenever anyone is discovered
>> practicing it, they are excommunicated immediately.
> 
> I stand corrected, but that also ignores the history of the Church and 
> what was "traditional" from the church's point of view.  How many wives 
> did Joseph Smith have again?

The stance on polygamy is quite clear.  It was practiced because God 
allowed it to be.  It was halted because God commanded it to be. 
There's nothing else to it.

-- 
Chambers

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