Dear Editor,
In researching the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have noticed that the early members of the Church suffered much persecution because their practice of polygamous marriage was not socially acceptable at the time.
Their non-member neighbors felt polygamy was immoral and wrong, and tried to prevent the Saints from practicing it.
We, as members of the LDS Church do not believe that polygamy was 'wrong'.
We are often angry that our people suffered so much persecution for a practice that did not harm to anyone, but which made people uncomfortable because it did not conform to their idea of morality.
I would now like to address another issue of people suffering persecution because a marriage practice in which they wish to participate is believed to be 'immoral' by others.
I personally do not believe that homosexual marriage is right, yet I do believe in agency, and that a person should be able to choose to do whatever he or she wants, as long as their actions do not hurt anyone else.
I believe in allowing people to act 'according to the dictates of their own conscience', (the Eleventh Article of Faith).
If two men, or two women, wish to legally bind themselves to each other, and do not believe that such an action is morally wrong, I do not think that a law should prohibit them from doing just that.
Let them exercise their agency, and leave them alone. And no, I am not a democrat.
Linda Thornton
Misawa, Japan