On Following Church Leaders

Okay, the idea is to take a news story each day and blog an opinion on it -- a political opinion, that is. Now, how do I write about BYU leaving the MWC and tie it in to how I stand on the issues?

Well, I'm told the BYU football's going independent is being brought before the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

And I did just blog my reservations about the wisdom of the move.

And, to some, one of the big political issues is whether elected leaders who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ kowtow to their church. Well, then, would I "kowtow" to the church.

If you need a one-word answer, then, yes.

But, how that breaks out in reality as issues come up is yet to be seen. I can give you some background and that will tell us much.

Going back to ERA, I have supported positions taken by church leaders. I have supported them whether they were on gay rights or blacks in the priesthood, or whatever.

I have supported them on public prayer. I remember I once came to the conclusion of opposing prayer in government meetings, with the reservation that members of the governing body wanting to do so ought to be allowed to pray together in private before going into public session.

But -- unless my memory fails me on the timeline -- about as quick as I came to that conclusion, I read something (either an official statement or just a quote from a church leader) suggesting prayer in public meetings should be allowed.

And I promptly changed my opinion.

But, stop right there. Don't suppose I believe a person is apostate if he or she does not support official church positions on these type of matters. On questions of how to get to heaven, and questions of doctrine, what they say is final. But how about on Prop 8 and gay rights and prayer in public and such.

If they say, Thus saith the Lord, then we better listen. The Lord can speak on any topic he wants. A thought for a political cartoon just comes to my mind, with the Lord calling down to the earth on what he wants done on some political matter, and someone yelling back at him, "Sorry, Lord, but we have a separation of church and state down here. This isn't your call."

Hmmm. Let's not do that.

That being said, I don't know that all stands taken by church leaders come with "the Lord speaketh" stamp of authority. How about BYU going independent? If church leaders involve themselves in that, and make or ratify a decision, does that mean their decision is the Lord's will on the matter? Perhaps. Perhaps my even wondering is a lack of faith, but I suppose I wonder if some of their decisions are decisions the Lord leaves to them, to make of their own and on their own.

If so, BYU going independent might just be one of them.

So, how about church statements? The ones I'm thinking of -- Prop 8 and others -- are on moral issues. They may also be political, but the church leaders make the statements due to the moral value. On these issues, they speak for the Lord, as they are His representatives here on earth. So, I listen.

I have posted some reservations on BYU going independent, without guilt. Even should the Twelve end up taking a hand in the decision on that matter that is contrary to what I have posted, I might still maintain my opinion.

But, Church statements are another matter.