Part IV | Select Quotes from Church Leaders
Category C | Discrimination
Topic 15 | Distinguishing civil marriage and holy matrimony
Much of the controversy around same-sex marriage is a result of conflating the civil and religious dimensions of marriage. It is possible to support civil marriage (or civil unions) for same-sex couples while believing that marriage as a religious rite or ordinance (such as holy matrimony or a temple sealing) should be conducted in accordance with religious doctrine or law.
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President Dallin H. Oaks: Both religious and secular rule are ordained of God for the good of His children.
“What I have described as necessary to going forward—namely seeking harmony by finding practical solutions to our differences, with love and respect for all people—does not require any compromise of core principles. Both religious and secular rule are ordained of God for the good of His children. As is generally known, Jesus taught this during His ministry. Some who sought to trap Him asked Jesus whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. They wanted to force him to declare publicly that his followers were not subject to the civil law. Instead, using a coin of the Roman overseer as a visual aid, Jesus answered, ‘Render [meaning give] . . . unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.’”
- Dallin H. Oaks, Going Forward with Religious Freedom and Nondiscrimination, Joseph Smith Lecture, University of Virginia (Dec. 12, 2021), https://www.religiousfreedomlibrary.org/documents/going-forward-with-religious-freedom-nondiscrimination.