Dear family and friends, I had a very disturbing experience yesterday ... Early Friday morning I received a call from the second counselor in our bishopric to let me know that there would be numerous protesters outside the temple.... The beautiful Oakland Temple is located right across the bay from San Francisco, very close to the city of Berkeley. Apparently the opposition to proposition 8 ... has realized the deep involvement of the Church and begun to protest right outside of the temple and harass temple patrons.... As we approached the offramp, I realized there would be trouble. There was a backup onto the freeway from cars stalled on the offramp. As we moved forward inches at a time, we realized this was due to a large group of loud protesters who were standing on both sides of the street, yelling, screaming and waving signs. When we got to the top of the offramp, ready to make our turn, one protester jumped out right in front of our car. It took my husband all his self control to carefully maneuver around him to the left and proceed to the temple. I tried not to listen to all they were shouting at us, but I was shaking as I got to the temple front door. Several of the sisters, especially the ones driving on their own, were crying ... Later, as I was sitting in the perfect quiet of the chapel, I couldn't help but think of Lehi's dream, and the people who mocked the Saints from the big spacious building but "we heeded them not." It was a truly surreal experience, I'd never thought that I would have to go through an angry crowd to get to the temple. As we left late at night, the protesters had dispersed, temple security (who all looked very large and Tongan) stood by the gates. I never saw a single police man. Please pray for those of us in California fighting for prop 8--it's getting kind of scary out here!
It's true.. it is getting scary here in California. Many people have had signs stolen or vandalized on their lawn. Mike is currently working on calls while I get the kids bathed and ready for bed. We are trying to do are part to get this passed. We hope and pray that it does and your prayers will help us too.
Vote YES on Prop 8
Here are just a few examples of how this will affect us if it does not pass.
1. Children in public schools will be taught that the marriage model encompasses any combination of genders. This would be taught as early as Kindergarten. (Already happening in Massachusetts, watch the video below if you don't believe me)
2. Churches could be sued if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies.
3. Religious Adoption agencies will be challenged by gov agencies to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. (Already happening in Massachusetts)
4. Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages (i.e. the plan of salvation and eternal marriage) will be sued for "hate speech" and could be fined by the gov (Already happening in Canada)
5. It will cost you money. All of these lawsuits and court cases will have to be paid by someone. And with the type of judges we have today, do you really think we would win?
I know it is a tough fight we are facing, but the consequences of this proposition not passing scares me more than the fight I must give in the next month.
Please help us pull together as a society to pass Proposition 8!!!!!
Go to http://www.protectmarriage.com/ to see what you can do to help or to get more information about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the link to the movie about teaching kindergartners about same sex marriage in a public school in Massachusetts.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1815825713/bctid1819819843
Here are just a few examples of how this will affect us if it does not pass.
1. Children in public schools will be taught that the marriage model encompasses any combination of genders. This would be taught as early as Kindergarten. (Already happening in Massachusetts, watch the video below if you don't believe me)
2. Churches could be sued if they refuse to allow same-sex marriage ceremonies.
3. Religious Adoption agencies will be challenged by gov agencies to give up their long-held right to place children only in homes with both a mother and a father. (Already happening in Massachusetts)
4. Ministers who preach against same-sex marriages (i.e. the plan of salvation and eternal marriage) will be sued for "hate speech" and could be fined by the gov (Already happening in Canada)
5. It will cost you money. All of these lawsuits and court cases will have to be paid by someone. And with the type of judges we have today, do you really think we would win?
I know it is a tough fight we are facing, but the consequences of this proposition not passing scares me more than the fight I must give in the next month.
Please help us pull together as a society to pass Proposition 8!!!!!
Go to http://www.protectmarriage.com/ to see what you can do to help or to get more information about it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is the link to the movie about teaching kindergartners about same sex marriage in a public school in Massachusetts.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1815825713/bctid1819819843
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