LAPD officers stand watch at the LA temple Thursday evening.

This evening we had the pleasure to go as a ward family to the Oakland temple. We were fortunate to have only a lone protester standing outside the gate when we left at 8:30. Later at his house, Bishop Bain directed me to this talk. I am shocked by how apt it is to the current fervor over Proposition 8 and the current state of our country. Wise words 30 years ago, and still very insightful and thought provoking today.

The following is an excerpt from the talk

“Meeting the Challenges of Today”

by NEAL A. MAXWEL, Oct. 1978
(Emphasis added)

Discipleship includes good citizenship; and in this connection, if you are careful students of the statements of the modern prophets, you will have noticed that with rare exceptions–especially when the First Presidency has spoken out–the concerns expressed have been over moral issues, not issues between political parties. The declarations are about principles, not people, and causes, not candidates. …

But make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions (see 1 Kings 18:21).

President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had “never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.” (CR, April 1941, p. 123) This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ.

We are now entering a period of incredible ironies. Let us cite but one of these ironies which is yet in its subtle stages: we shall see in our time a maximum if indirect effort made to establish irreligion as the state religion. It is actually a new form of paganism that uses the carefully preserved and cultivated freedoms of Western civilization to shrink freedom even as it rejects the value essence of our rich Judeo-Christian heritage.

M. J. Sobran wrote recently:

The Framers of the Constitution . . . forbade the Congress to make any law “respecting” the establishment of religion, thus leaving the states free to do so (as several of them did); and they explicitly forbade the Congress to abridge “the free exercise” of religion, thus giving actual religious observance a rhetorical emphasis that fully accords with the special concern we know they had for religion. It takes a special ingenuity to wring out of this a governmental indifference to religion, let alone an aggressive secularism. Yet there are those who insist that the First Amendment actually proscribes governmental partiality not only to any single religion, but to religion as such; so that tax exemption for churches is now thought to be unconstitutional. It is startling [she continues] to consider that a clause clearly protecting religion can be construed as requiring that it be denied a status routinely granted to educational and charitable enterprises, which have no overt constitutional protection. Far from equalizing unbelief, secularism has succeeded in virtually establishing it.

[She continues:] What the secularists are increasingly demanding, in their disingenuous way, is that religious people, when they act politically, act only on secularist grounds. They are trying to equate acting on religion with establishing religion. And–I repeat–the consequence of such logic is really to establish secularism. It is in fact, to force the religious to internalize the major premise of secularism: that religion has no proper bearing on public affairs. [Human Life Review, Summer 1978, pp. 51–52, 60–61]

Brothers and sisters, irreligion as the state religion would be the worst of all combinations. Its orthodoxy would be insistent and its inquisitors inevitable. Its paid ministry would be numerous beyond belief. Its Caesars would be insufferably condescending. Its majorities–when faced with clear alternatives–would make the Barabbas choice, as did a mob centuries ago when Pilate confronted them with the need to decide.

Your discipleship may see the time come when religious convictions are heavily discounted. M. J. Sobran also observed, “A religious conviction is now a second-class conviction, expected to step deferentially to the back of the secular bus, and not to get uppity about it” (Human Life Review, Summer 1978, p. 58). This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain of people’s opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions. Resistance to abortion will soon be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.

In its mildest form, irreligion will merely be condescending toward those who hold to traditional Judeo-Christian values. In its more harsh forms, as is always the case with those whose dogmatism is blinding, the secular church will do what it can to reduce the influence of those who still worry over standards such as those in the Ten Commandments. It is always such an easy step from dogmatism to unfair play–especially so when the dogmatists believe themselves to be dealing with primitive people who do not know what is best for them. It is the secular bureaucrat’s burden, you see.

Am I saying that the voting rights of the people of religion are in danger? Of course not! Am I saying, “It’s back to the catacombs?” No! But there is occurring a discounting of religiously-based opinions. There may even be a covert and subtle disqualification of some for certain offices in some situations, in an ironic “irreligious test” for office.

However, if people are not permitted to advocate, to assert, and to bring to bear, in every legitimate way, the opinions and views they hold that grow out of their religious convictions, what manner of men and women would they be, anyway? Our founding fathers did not wish to have a state church established nor to have a particular religion favored by government. They wanted religion to be free to make its own way. But neither did they intend to have irreligion made into a favored state church. Notice the terrible irony if this trend were to continue. When the secular church goes after its heretics, where are the sanctuaries? To what landfalls and Plymouth Rocks can future pilgrims go?

If we let come into being a secular church shorn of traditional and divine values, where shall we go for inspiration in the crises of tomorrow? Can we appeal to the rightness of a specific regulation to sustain us in our hours of need? Will we be able to seek shelter under a First Amendment which by then may have been twisted to favor irreligion? Will we be able to rely for counterforce on value education in school systems that are increasingly secularized? And if our governments and schools were to fail us, would we be able to fall back upon the institution of the family, when so many secular movements seek to shred it?

It may well be, as our time comes to “suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41), that some of this special stress will grow out of that portion of discipleship which involves citizenship. Remember that, as Nephi and Jacob said, we must learn to endure “the crosses of the world” (2 Nephi 9:18) and yet to despise “the shame of [it]” (Jacob 1:8). To go on clinging to the iron rod in spite of the mockery and scorn that flow at us from the multitudes in that great and spacious building seen by Father Lehi, which is the “pride of the world,” is to disregard the shame of the world (1 Nephi 8:26–27, 33; 11:35–36). Parenthetically, why–really why–do the disbelievers who line that spacious building watch so intently what the believers are doing? Surely there must be other things for the scorners to do–unless, deep within their seeming disinterest, there is interest.

If the challenge of the secular church becomes very real, let us, as in all other human relationships, be principled but pleasant. Let us be perceptive without being pompous. Let us have integrity and not write checks with our tongues which our conduct cannot cash.

Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even these, however, must leave a record so that the choices before the people are clear and let others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, that others will step forward, having been rallied to righteousness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds–a majority which was, till then, unconscious of itself.

Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves “summer is nigh” (Matthew 24:32). Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat.

…

Neal A. Maxwell was a President of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this devotional address was given at Brigham Young University on 10 October 1978. He was ordained and Apostle three years later in 1981 where he served until his death in 2004. The complete speech can be read in the BYU archive.

For further reading on the separation of church and state I highly recommend the article Religion and Politics: The LDS Church and Proposition 8 by

Yes?

Don’t interrupt me. I’m praying.

But you called me

Called you? I didn’t call you. I’m praying … My dear Father in Heaven …
There, you did it again

Did what?
Called me. You said, “My dear Father in Heaven.” Here I Am. What’s on your mind?

But, I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just, you know, saying my prayers for the night. I always say my prayers. It makes me feel good, kind of like getting my duty done.
Oh, All right. Go on.

I’m thankful for my many blessings.

Hold it! How thankful?

What?

How thankful are you for your “Many Blessings?”

I’m …… well …… I don’t know. How should I know? It’s just part of the prayer. Everyone always said that
I should express my thanks.

Oh. Well, You’re welcome. Go ahead.

Go ahead?

Yes, go ahead with your prayer.

Oh, yeah. Let’s see… bless the poor and the sick and the needy, and the afflicted …

Do you really mean that?

Well, sure I mean it.

What are you doing about it?

Doing? Who me? Nothing, I guess. I just think that it would be kind of a nice thing if you got control of things down here like you have up there so people didn’t suffer so much.

Have I got control of you?

Well, I go to church, I pay my tithing. I don’t
…

That isn’t what I asked you. What about your temper? You have a problem there and your friends and family suffer, And then there’s the way you spend your money … all on yourself? And how about the books you read?

Stop picking on me! I’m just as good as some of the rest of those I see every Sunday at Church.

Excuse me, I though you were praying for me to bless the needy. If that is to happen I’ll have to have help from the ones who are praying for it …. like you.

Oh, all right. I guess that I have a few hang ups. Now that you mention it I could probably mention some other things.

So could I.

Look Father, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than usual. Bless the missionaries to be led to the doors of the honest in heart.

You mean people like Ralph?

Ralph!

Yes…The guy around the corner.

That Ralph?!?! But he smokes and drinks and never goes to church.

Have you had a look at his heart lately?

Of course not. How can…..

I have. I looked. And it’s one of those honest hearts you were just praying about.

Well then. Get the missionaries over there.

Aren’t you supposed to be a missionary? I thought I had made that pretty clear.

Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Criticize “me” day? Here I am doing my duty, keeping your commandment to pray, and all of a sudden you break in and start reminding me of all my problems.

Well, you called me, and here I am. Keep on praying … I’m interested in the next part. You haven’t changed the order around have you? Go on ….

I don’t want to.

Why not?

I know what you’ll say.

Try me and see.

Please forgive me of all my sins, and help me to forgive others.

What About Bill?

See! I knew it! I knew you’d bring him up! Listen, Lord. He told lies about me and I lost a good friend. Everyone that heard the lie thinks I’m a first class creep, and I didn’t do anything. I’m going to get even with him.

But your prayers. What about your prayers?

I didn’t mean it.

Well, at least you’re honest. I guess you enjoy carrying that load of bitterness around, don’t you?

No, I don’t. But I’ll feel better as soon as I get even.

Do you want to know a secret?

What secret?

You won’t feel better. You’ll feel worse. Listen to me. You forgive Bill and I’ll forgive you.

But Lord! I can’t forgive Bill!

Then I can’t forgive you.

No matter what?

No matter what. But, you’re not through with your prayer yet. Go on.

Oh, all right…… Please help me to control my feelings and not yield to temptation.

Good, good. I’ll do just that. But, you stop putting yourself in all those places where you can be tempted.

What do you mean by that?

Quit hanging around the magazine racks and spending so much time in front of the T.V. Some of that stuff is going to get to you sooner or later. You’ll find yourself involved in some terrible things before long… and don’t use me for an escape hatch, either!

An escape hatch? I don’t understand?

Sure you do. You’ve done it lots of times — you find yourself in a crisis situation, and then come running to me. “Lord, help me out of this mess and I promise I’ll never do it again.” It’s amazing, by the way, how the quality and intensity of your prayers improve when you are in trouble. Do you remember some of those bargains you tried to make with me?

Well, I don’t think …. oh … yeah. Like the time Mom’s visiting teacher saw me coming out of that movie about … oh, brother!!!!!

Do you remember that prayer? I do. “Oh God, don’t let her tell my mother where I’ve been, I promise I’ll go to nothing but ‘G’ rated from now on.” She didn’t tell your mother, but you didn’t keep your promise, did you?

No, Lord, I didn’t. I’m sorry.

So am I … Go ahead and finish your prayer.

Wait a minute. I want to ask you a question. Do you always listen to my prayers?

Every word, every time.

Then how come you never talked back to me before?

How many chances have you given me? There’s not enough time between your “Amen” and your head hitting the pillow for me to draw a breath. How am I supposed to give you
an answer?

You could if you really wanted to.

No. I could if you really wanted me to. Child, I always want to.

Father, I am sorry. Will you forgive me?

I already have. And, thanks for letting me interrupt. I get lonely to talk to you sometimes. Good night. I love you.

Good night, and I love you too.