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“An Irony in the Church”: Dallin H. Oaks, Polygamy, and Same-Sex Marriage “There is an irony inherent in the Church's taking a public position opposing homosexual marriages” By Jason Clark November 2005 Affirmation members have often noted that the profound irony that a church once persecuted for practicing an alternative family structure (polygamy) aggressively campaigns and lobbies against another alternative family structure—same-sex families. Many LDS leaders would like to add an amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as between a man and a woman. But in the 19th century, Mormon leaders stated repeatedly that marriage is a state matter and the federal government has no business defining or legislating on it. In 1984, LDS Apostle Dallin H. Oaks noted the same irony in a memorandum that has recently circulated on the Internet. "There is an irony inherent in the Church's taking a public position opposing homosexual marriages," wrote Oaks. "... The leading United States Supreme Court authority for the proposition that marriage means a relationship between a man and a woman is Reynolds v. United States, 98 U.S. 145 (1878). In that case, in which the United States Supreme Court sustained the validity of the anti-polygamy laws, the Court defined marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. The court's stress in that case was on one. The modern relevance of the Reynolds opinion is in its reference to marriage as being between a man and a woman. The irony would arise if the Church used as an argument for the illegality of homosexual marriages the precedent formerly used against the Church to establish the illegality of polygamous marriages" (Dallin H. Oaks, "Principles to Govern Possible Public Statement on Legislation Affecting Rights of Homosexuals," 7 August 1984). See also:  Russell M. Nelson Decries Same-sex Marriage, Becomes Celestial Polygamist |
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