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Carole Mikita ReportingA letter from the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints urges church members to contact their Senators on the marriage amendment. The U.S. Senate will vote on a Constitutional Amendment on marriage during the week of June 5th.
Church leaders sent a letter yesterday to General Authorities, Area Presidencies and Stake Presidents in the United States, addressing the upcoming Senate debate. The letter asks them to encourage church members to express their opinions to their elected officials.
LDS Church leaders sent a letter to congregational leaders throughout America, asking for it to be read at the beginning of church services this Sunday. It urges members to express themselves on an upcoming vote in the Senate.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: "We, as the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, have repeatedly set forth our position that the marriage of a man and a woman is the only acceptable marriage relationship."
Apostle Russell M. Nelson last month added his signature to those of 50 prominent Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Jewish leaders on a petition by the Religious Coalition for Marriage.
Elder Russell M. Nelson, General Conference, April 2006: "The Lord declared that marriage is the legal wedding of one man and one woman. Worldly trends to define marriage in some other way would, sadly, serve to destroy the institution of marriage."
A statement from Sheldon Kinsel of the group 'United Families International', based in Arizona, supports the LDS Church.
"A number of states are attempting to pass same-sex marriage laws. The only solution is to protect marriage. It is critically important to act at the federal level."
Members of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center feel the marriage issue should stay with individual states, not be legislated by the federal government.
Valerie Larabee, Exec. Dir.: "How sad is that, when we have such huge issues on our plate, to be looking at discriminating against the gay population."
The Hinckley Institute of Politics sees this as one of several election year hot button issues for republicans, but it may not be the right time for it.
Kirk Jowers, Hinckley Institute of Politics, Dir.: "I think an actual constitutional amendment may be just a little too much right now for the vast majority, for the majority of voters that you would need to pass this."
Once again, the senate debate begins June 5th. A vote after that is not expected to pass with the necessary two-thirds majority. But the House gets this issue in July, and if it passes there, it could go back to the senate.
