Poll: U.S. Adults Overwhelmingly Disagree that Pornography is Morally Acceptable
The news is good. Despite general perceptions to the contrary, U.S. adults do not see pornography as harmless.

Same-Sex “Marriage,” But That’s Not All:
What Else You Should Know About Maine’s Proposition 1
The vote on marriage in Maine next week has important related issues.
by Lincoln C. Oliphant

New Challenge for the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
Under the bewildering moniker “Respect for Marriage Act,” legislation that would repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), was introduced on Tuesday into the House.

Gay Marriage, Democracy, and the Courts
It would be a disaster for the U.S. Supreme Court Justices to invalidate traditional marriage. Here’s why.
By Robert P. George
Wall Street Journal

California Has the Right to Ban Same-Sex Marriages
The attorney defending California’s Prop 8 sent an important letter to the Wall Street Journal.
By Charles J. Cooper
Wall Street Journal

Obama's Health Care Agenda: How it Will Hurt American Families
The Heritage Foundation has done an analysis on how Obama’s healthcare plan will impact families—and it isn’t pretty.

Special Report from Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life
The Same-Sex Marriage Debate
The Pew Forum has compiled information on the controversial same-sex marriage debate including the position of several religions, state policies and much more.

Massachusetts Challenges the Defense of Marriage Act
President Obama, beholden to massive campaign contributions from homosexual activists, has pledged to work to repeal DOMA, and now Massachusetts Attorney General, Martha Coakley, has filed a lawsuit in United States District Court, challenging the constitutionality of section 3 of DOMA.

California’s New Serious Threat to Marriage
The battle for the definition of marriage continues to be hot even after the California Supreme Court affirmed the Prop 8 victory.
By Maurine Proctor

Dirty Dancing and a Conversation with the Principal
Do our hands have to be tied as we watch the morality at our schools deteriorate?
By Maurine Proctor

Kindergarten Children Bullying Gay Students - the Update
There is enormous interest in the debate over sexuality in our schools.
By Sonja Eddings Brown

Media's Attack on Fatherhood
Subtle messages about the supremacy of children over their dads are now common.
By Rebecca Hagelin

Kindergarten Children Bullying Gay Students?
I Don't Think So
However, if you live in Alameda County in California, which encompasses the East Bay area of Oakland, Fremont, notorious Berkeley, and some of the poorest neighborhoods of the state, your kindergartners, 1st graders, and on up, are going to begin to learn about gay parenting and sexual orientation, ostensibly to keep the children from becoming bullies.
By Sonja Eddings Brown

So What Does the Public Really Think about Same-sex Marriage?
The answer seems increasingly clear. The most recent Gallup poll suggests that a solidifying majority favor protecting gays from discrimination, but draw the line short of approving gay marriage.
By Lowell C. Brown

The Institution Formerly Known as Marriage
The Iowa court's recent decision does not simply broaden marriage, it radically changes its nature.
By Jennifer Roback Morse

Miss California Says Candor about Same-Sex Marriage Cost Her the Crown
Political correctness continues its reign of oppression, now demonstrating itself at the Miss USA pageant, where in Sunday night's competition, Miss California, who had been an odds-on favorite to win the crown, was asked by homosexual blogger and pageant judge Perez Hilton, what her stance was on same-sex marriage.  

Law, Feelings, and Religion at the Bar in Iowa
“What happens when judicial arrogance becomes so habitual as to become second nature?”  
From the Editors

You May Help Protect Marriage in Iowa
This is a message for those who life in Iowa and want to protect marriage.  

A Blow for Marriage in Iowa
The battle for the definition of marriage hit the heartland on Friday as seven unelected judges on the Iowa Supreme Court unanimously struck down the state's 1998 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) allowing same-sex partners to “marry.”  

Preserving Marriage in Substance, Not Just Name
Should the state treat marriages the same way it treats baptisms and bar mitzvahs — as purely religious practices properly left to religious institutions? That's what some are now arguing.  
From the Editors

Marriage Traditionalists in the Crosshairs
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest homosexual activist group in the nation, is targeting Mormons in Illinois who support traditional marriage.  
By Charlie Butts and Jody Brown

All Eyes on the California Supreme Court Today
Oral arguments are given today before the California Supreme Court to determine the fate of Proposition 8, defining marriage as an institution of one man and one woman.  
By Maurine Proctor

More Government, Less God: What the Obama Revolution Means for Religion in America
A recent study of 33 countries around the world indicates that there is an inverse relationship between state welfare spending and religiosity.  
By W. Bradford Wilcox

Activists filing lawsuit against DOMA want judge to redefine marriage for everyone
Handful of same-sex couples attack federal Defense of Marriage Act passed overwhelmingly by Democrats and Republicans.  

Obama Intends to Rescind Conscience Protections
The idea that government could force any of us to perform actions which deeply violate our conscience seems un-American, a violation of the first freedom named in the Bill of Rights.  
By Maurine Proctor

Utah 's “Common Ground” Package a Trojan Horse
What's the problem with same-sex civil unions, as has been a hot topic in Utah recently?  An attorney says, plenty.
By William C. Duncan

Stimulus Bill is “Generational Theft”
The so-called stimulus bill, at 1073 pages and over $1.3 trillion in spending, once interest is calculated, was passed by Congress on Friday with less than 24 hours to read and digest the final bill.  
By Maurine Proctor

Never Mind the Law
Casting aside federal legislation, the Ninth Circuit continues its assault on traditional marriage.
By William C. Duncan

Stimulus Bill is Tax-Payer Funded Pork
Our children and grand children will be paying the bill for the new “stimulus” package, which gives billions to pork.

Obama: Building a Monument to Tolerance on the Rubble of Religious Freedom
To many, it may seem premature to confront head-on the agenda of the new president, in the initial days dedicated to celebrating his political success and the peaceful transition of power in our republic, but he has swiftly moved to forward an agenda that assaults religious freedom.
By Alan Sears

White House Sets Forth Its Agenda
Here are excerpts from the New White House agenda laying out President Obama's plans regarding social issues.

Obama Officials Confirm He Will Fund Foreign Abortions Starting Wednesday
Officials with the incoming administration of Barack Obama have confirmed that he will indeed overturn a pro-life policy of President Bush on his first day in office. 
By Steven Ertelt

Respect the Earth by Respecting Your Body
A new trend among teenagers shows how far children have wandered from having morality or self-respect. 
By Kathryn Jean Lopez

Is Parental Authority on the UN Chopping Block?
The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child would undercut parental authority, and there's talk that it might be ratified during the Obama administration.  

Focus on the Family Explains Decision to Pull Mormon Interview
Focus on the Family got to work this week in explaining in detail why it pulled from its website an interview with a Mormon author, Glenn Beck.  

Celebrating the Holiday That Dare Not Speak Its Name
Who could have ever imagine we'd enter a time when saying “Merry Christmas” was an offense?  
By Robert Knight

California Betrayal
Brown vs. the People
Though his job is to enforce state law, in an astonishing move last Friday, California attorney general Jerry Brown decided not to honor an earlier promise to defend the constitutionality of Proposition 8, the state marriage amendment approved by voters on November 4.  
By William C. Duncan

Protecting and Strengthening Religious Freedom: A Memo to President-elect Obama
Secularists are wrong when they ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering into the public square. In this memo, the authors ask that President-elect Obama call on all citizens to respect the ability of religious citizens to participate in public policy debates—including debates about marriage—without fear of intimidation and reprisal.  
By Ryan Messmore and Thomas M. Messner

Newsweek's “Creative” Take on the Bible
Put on your seatbelts, Newsweek's cover story, this week demonstrates just how far on a flight of fancy the mainstream media will go to support same-sex marriage even to re-interpreting the Bible. 

Violence and Religious Intimidation:
No Place in Civil Society
A powerful Washington, D.C. Fund for Religious Liberty this past week published an ad in the New York Times in defense of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and made it clear:  Beginning today, we commit ourselves to exposing and publicly shaming anyone who resorts to the rhetoric of anti-religious bigotry against any faith, on any side of any cause, for any reason.  Come and read an interview with the man who funded that ad.  
By Maurine Proctor

Sign the Critical Pro-Life, Pro-Family Petition to the UN
Stop abortion from becoming a universal human right
Abortion advocates are trying to reinterpret passages from the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights to mean that across the world a woman has a “right” to an abortion.  Please join with us now in signing a petition that will go to the UN this next week. 

The Kids Are Not OK
Are the kids OK?  A whole lot of folks out there would like to believe the answer is "yes."  The postmodernist myth is that we can dispense with a shared faith in objective moral truth. 
By Maggie Gallagher

“We Are All Mormons!”
My fellow Americans, in the coming battle for the heart and soul of America and everything we cherish, may this call to arms be the mantra of every concerned patriot:  "WE ALL ARE MORMONS!" 
By Rabbi Shifren

Mormons in the Crosshairs
The editor of National Review said of the recent uproar concerning Prop 8 , “ Surely we don't have to be Mormon to be outraged. I make no statement about their recruitment strategies when I say, watching California, ‘We're all Mormons now.'” 
By Kathryn Jean Lopez

The Right to Win
Among the many new “rights” being conjured out of thin air, a new one seems to be a “right” to win. 
By Thomas Sowell

Mormons Tipped Scale on Ban on Gay Marriage
The New York Times reported what a critical role the Mormons played in the passage of Prop 8, contributing more than half of the amount for the total campaign of $40 million. 
By Jessee McKinley and Kirk Johnson

How Same-Sex Marriage Triggers Threats to Religious Freedom
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty has just completed a study of 1000 state laws and concluded that “Legal recognition of same-sex marriage—whether imposed by courts or enacted by legislatures—poses a great threat to freedom of conscience that has been honored in this country before the Founding.” 
By Maurine Proctor

Religious Leaders and the Protect Marriage Coalition Leadership Unite against Vicious Attacks by Prop 8 Opponents
"Amidst all this lawlessness, harassment, trampling of civil rights and now domestic terrorism, one thing stands out: the deafening silence of our elected officials.”

The Hypocrisy of the Tolerance Movement
The people have spoken twice in California supporting the traditional definition of marriage—once in 2000 and again this election—but that isn't enough for proponents of same-sex marriage who intend to intimidate and harass until their philosophy triumphs.
By Maurine Proctor

Artistic Director of California Musical Theatre Driven Out
Scott Eckern, resigned from his post as Artistic Director of the California Music Theater, driven out of a position he has held for 25 years, because he voted "Yes" on Proposition 8 and gave a $1,000 donation to the cause.
By Maurine Proctor

Prop 8 Protesters Targeted the LDS Los Angeles Temple
The LDS Temple in Los Angeles was under siege yesterday by 2,000 protesters angry over the Church's role in passing Proposition 8, forcing the temporary closure of the temple.

The Perils of Raising the Title of Liberty
One of the sad realities that we have learned during this election is that in certain matters the mainstream media is more propaganda than press. Thus, what we have heard is not only a call to courage, but also a call to clarity.  We have learned that we have to dig deep to find out what is really happening and that just because something is oft-repeated does not make it true, factual or insightful.
By Maurine Proctor

Washington State Measure I-1000
Assisted Suicide and the Trust between Patient & Doctor
Washington citizens should be very concerned about dangerous assisted suicide coming to their state.  This is the fifth in a series regarding ballot measure I-1000 that would legalize physician-assisted suicide there.  Please read this today.
By Dr. Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr., M.D.

Shame, Cubed
There are some things that Barack Obama has said that should profoundly shock any American.  From the National Review.
By Bill Whittle

Same-Sex Marriage Is About More Than “I Do”
A lot of the discussion about California's Proposition 8 has focused on what seems “right,” or “fair,” or “compassionate.”   Fairness or compassion for whom?  I suggest that when we are talking about defining marriage, we ought to be thinking about children, not adults.
By Lowell Brown

Assisted Suicide - Like an Unhinged Gate
Assisted suicide's so-called safeguards are like an unhinged gate that cannot be closed.
By Dr. Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr., M.D.

Paying to Die but not to Live: Assisted-Suicide as Health Care Cost Containment
Imagine your health insurance company will not pay for the expense of beneficial cancer treatment, but will pay for the expense of physician-assisted suicide.
By Dr. Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr., M.D.

Physician-assisted Suicide in the Pacific Northwest
Who is behind the state of Washington Ballot measure 1-1000 and what are their goals?
By Dr. Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr., M.D.

Religious Freedom Concerns are Real with Same-Sex Marriage
R ecently, an attorney and a group calling itself “Mormons for Marriage” have been attacking the idea that redefining marriage in California creates possible negative ramifications for religious liberty in this state.  Eminent religious liberty scholars do not agree with them.
By William C. Duncan

A New Order of Religious Freedom
Thomas Jefferson said that the opinions of men are not under the jurisdiction of civil government.
By Richard John Neuhaus

Washington State Citizens to Vote on Physician-assisted Suicide this Year
The American Medical Association, the Washington State Medical Association, the LDS Church and many other organizations have made statements against physician-assisted suicide, but now the question is what will Washington state voters do?
By Dr. Kenneth R. Stevens, Jr., M.D.

The Presidential Candidates and Family Values-Where Do They Stand?
We are in the midst of a presidential campaign between two candidates whose vision of America is vastly different, and we are bombarded every day with discussion about their relative merits.  However, what is often conspicuously missing is where they stand on some specific issues that will greatly impact your family.
By Maurine Proctor

What Happens If California's Marriage Protection Amendment (Prop 8) Fails?
What are the consequences if the marriage protection amendment fails in California?  The answers are more than unsettling.
By Glen Greener

How to Help Pass Proposition 8—California's Marriage Protection Amendment that Affects the Entire Nation
Only a few times arrive in life when you can help change the course of events.  This is one of them.  800 calling teams are needed outside of California to help protect marriage.
By Gary Lawrence

Taking Sides in California; Massachusetts Moves to Define Marriage for Other States; San Francisco Officially Condemned Vatican and Christians

New Survey: Support for State Marriage Amendments is a Key Issue with Voters
The mainstream media are quick to report that the important issues with voters are Iraq , gas prices and the economy, but there is another important issue they are ignoring — protecting the definition of marriage.
By RoseMarie Briggs

First Presidency Urges Californians to Protect Marriage
The First Presidency is issuing a message urging Californians to support the marriage protection amendment on the ballot in November in the state by doing “all you can … by donating of your means and your time."
By Maurine Proctor

Media Ignore the Legal Fallout of California's Genderless Marriage Law
As the public is drowning in news stories of gay couples kissing and saying "I do," the media coverage has ignored the extremely serious legal fallout of California's new genderless marriage law on everyone else.
By RoseMarie Briggs

Dark Day for Marriage
In an act of outrageous judicial arrogance, four justices in black robes overturned the will of four-and-a-half million people in California yesterday and redefined marriage.

Defending Marriage and Moral Values in Oregon
A battle regarding gay rights and marriage is at a pitch in Oregon, and if you live there, your help can make a difference.
By Kenneth Stevens

Romneys to Receive Religious Freedom Award
Fans of religious freedom may note an important medal that will be awarded to Mitt and Ann Romney by the Becket Fund, a significant public interest laws firm devoted to defending the religious liberty of people of all faiths.

Urgent Call to Protect Marriage in Arizona
Although the media may be reporting that the Arizona marriage amendment is off the ballot for this November, the truth is the battle is far from over. To ensure that the marriage referendum bills in the house and senate get a fair vote, citizens need to take action and urge the Arizona House and Senate leadership to act boldly to see that the referendum passes without amendments.

Volunteers Needed to Process Marriage Petitions in So. California
Protect Marriage http://www.protectmarriage.com needs volunteers to help process the final round of marriage amendment petitions between now and April 12th. If you or someone you know lives in southern California, please help in this critical effort.

Volunteers Needed to Process Marriage Petitions in California
Protect Marriage (www.protectmarriage.com) needs volunteers to help process the marriage amendment petitions as they pour in between now and the April 1, 2008 deadline. This mammoth task cannot be accomplished with the help of volunteers!

The Failure of the Hookup Mentality
Our culture’s sexual attitudes are self-destructive. Nothing about the casual sex thrown at us at every turn can possibly incline and prepare people for the lifelong sexual fidelity critical to marriage and family stability.
By Maurine Proctor

Your Help Needed to Protect Marriage in California
If you live in California and believe in protecting children and families, your help is needed right now. We are looking for people in different regions of the state to step forward and volunteer for a job that can make a difference in the future for families in California.
By Christine King

Florida Marriage Amendment in Danger
The Division of Elections in Florida has declared that the petition to put a marriage protection amendment on the ballot needs 22,000 more signatures in the next two weeks. Please pass this email on to all of your friends n Florida so these signatures can be gathered.

Your Help Needed for One Last Push in California’s Senate Bill 777 Referendum
One last push is needed today to assure that the petition drive has gathered enough signatures.
By Susan Markham, Family Leader California Director

Happy Birthday Family Leader
Thanks to the dedication of key professionals and thousands of people from all 50 states Family Leader is making a significant difference.
By RoseMarie Briggs

New California Law Will Indoctrinate Children
In California, sights have been set upon the schools as a place to sway the next generation to let go of the traditional notions of family and gender. We have a little window to do something about it.
By Maurine Proctor

Immediate Threat to Marriage in America
This article is about Oregon, but what happens in Oregon will affect us all. If you live in Oregon, please step up and help. If you have friends in Oregon, please forward this urgent article to them.

Protecting Marriage in Oregon Before Its Too Late
This is an urgent call to protect marriage in Oregon.

Urgent Call for Oregon Volunteers to Protect Marriage
Protecting marriage is a long battle. It is not for the weary and faint-hearted. And, most disturbing, it is difficult to arrive at the day when we can all say, "Whew, the job is done."
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Why Civil Unions Hurt Marriage
On August 9, 2007, an historic event happened in the United States. This event was not a medical breakthrough or the discovery of a new planet. The event was an historic marker for how fast America is falling away from the core belief and social science proof that homes headed by a mother and a father are good for adults, good for children and good for society as a whole.
By RoseMarie Briggs

Helping the Most Helpless
One of the most overlooked human rights issues is the excruciating pain an unborn baby experiences when abortions are performed.  But when a U.S. Congressman submitted a bill that would require medical providers to tell women seeking abortions about this pain and offer the option of providing anesthesia, 162 members of Congress voted against it.  We need your help to pass this legislation!
By RoseMarie Briggs

Stopping Indecency on the Airwaves
If you don't want to hear the "f-word" and the "s-word" when you or your children flip on the TV, then please contact your U.S. Senator! The Protecting Children from Indecent Programming Act (S.1780) has unanimously passed the Senate Commerce Committee and is on its way to the Senate Floor.
By Maurine Proctor

Cradle of Liberty?
FCC, the F-Word and Irony
Philly is booting out the Boy Scouts.
By Maurine Proctor

Abstinence Under Fire
The Culture War Comes to the Classroom
We may be about to see a change in the classroom that will affect what our children are taught about sex.
By Sean Brotherson

Family Leader Launches Powerful New Website
Welcome to a remarkable new website that does everything for you except cook a pancake breakfast. You'll be surprised at what this website can offer to help you stand up for family values and religious freedom.
By Maurine Proctor
Photograph by Scot Facer Proctor

Protecting Marriage in Key States
How is the institution of marriage faring in state houses across the county this year? In this article, Meridian will give you a brief analysis of where we are, where the battle is raging, and how you can make a difference.
By Maurine Proctor

ERA: Old Dogs Never Die
Some issues ought to stay comfortably and securely buried, but the Equal Rights Amendment just keeps rearing its ugly head. It is the tired, but dangerous amendment that refuses to die.
By Maurine Proctor

Latter-day Saints in Need – A Conference on Overcoming Pornography
Would you give one day of your life to find out what can be done about the pervasive effects of pornography? If you live near Provo, Utah, that day can be tomorrow.
By Sean E. Brotherson

Protecting Children from Political Agendas
LDS Women in Maryland Speak against Controversial Sex Ed Classes
On a January morning in Montgomery County, Maryland, eight Latter-day Saint women put aside their regular routines for the day to stand for truth and fairness in a uncomfortable, public discussion on a controversial new sex ed curriculum.
By Maurine Proctor

Taking Christ Out of Christmas
Despite the best efforts of the enemies of Christ to take Him out of Christmas, Christians are striking back. The news is bad, but there's hope in some quarters that a rebound is on the way.
By Maurine Proctor

Secretary-General Puts “Gender Equality” At Center Of UN Reform Proposal 
A key report on United Nations report reform is touted as a way to recommend ways to make the UN more effective, but one of its major recommendations is a sweeping overhaul of the UN in order to promote "gender equality" and "women's empowerment."
By Samantha Singson

Take the Pledge: I Vote Values
Do Moral Values Matter on Election Day? You Bet They Do!
Let's tell members of the media and leaders of the Democrat and Republican parties that the Value Voters Do Exist and will be out in force on Election Day. Please sign the pledge and send it on to all of your friends.

Do You Want to Vote Your Values on Election Day?
State Voter Guides
Sign the “I Vote Values” Petition.
Do Moral Values Matter on Election Day? You Bet They Do! The press says they don't think you'll come to the polls. Here's voter guides, a petition to sign and more.
Compiled by RoseMarie Briggs,
Executive Director-Family Leader Network

A Personal invitation to Join Liberty Sunday, October 15, 2006
Join a live simulcast Sunday evening on the Internet — or if you live in Massachusetts, please attend in person. Hear from Mitt and Ann Romney, Gary Bauer, Dr. James Dobson and others tell how our first freedom "religious liberty" is being eaten away in the public square.

The Stakes in the War
Media have become immoral and violent and we accommodate. Schools expose our children to dubious ideas and we accommodate. Marriage is remade and we accommodate. When have we had enough of accomodation?
By Maurine Proctor with additions from Steve Farrell

War in Heaven, War on Earth
The War in Heaven wasn't a battle waged and finally won. It was the first skirmish in a longer war whose location has been changed to earth.
By Maurine Proctor

The Storm You Didn’t See Coming
The danger of terrorism, the cost of health care — nothing is more threatening to our society than this.
By Maurine Proctor

Help Protect Marriage In an Election Year!
The marriage protection amendments in 8 states may not pass without your help.
By RoseMarie Briggs
Executive Director, Family Leader Network

Be a Smart Values Voter — Primary Election Voter Guides
Don't walk into the voting booth blind on Tuesday, if your state has an election. Your vote for family values makes a difference. Here are voter guides, reflecting how candidates feel on many issues of significance.
By RoseMarie Briggs, Executive Director, Family Leader Network

Californians — Call Today to Stop Controversial Curriculum
The Assembly is voting today on a law that would radically change the face of California schools. Your help needed.

No-Fault Divorce and the Cost of Blindness
It is now easier for a married person to divorce a spouse than it is for an employer to fire somebody he hired last month. Not that many years ago, by contrast, divorce was very difficult to justify in court and an employer could terminate an employee at will.
By Elder Bruce C. Hafen

How the ACLU Uses Your Money
Did you know the ACLU is using your money to squash freedom of religion in America? It is time to get them to stop. Here's how to do it.
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Children and the Social Interest in Marriage
Divorce can inflict such psychic damage on children that its long-term consequences are in some ways similar to the damage of child abuse, which can last a lifetime.
By Elder Bruce C. Hafen

Family Leader Delivers 31,520 Signatures to Protect Marriage
The debate about same-sex marriage is not a debate about tolerance but a discussion about the future and purpose of the institution of marriage.

Urgent: Help Collect Signatures for Colorado's Marriage Amendment
Only two weeks to go to get enough signatures for a marriage amendment to be on the ballot in Colorado.

10 to 1:  Guess Who Congress is Hearing from on Marriage
The bottom line is that those who want to redefine marriage have a tenacious, undying political will. They count on us being apathetic and tired.
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Mocking the Rules in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts legislative leadership today has made the birthplace of American democracy its new graveyard, a family spokesman said.

Amendment Goes to the House: Sign the Marriage Protection Petition
This month the Marriage Protection amendment will be voted on in the House of Representatives. Can Meridian readers up our number of signatures to 40,000?
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Covenant Marriage: Our Ties to the Sacred Circle of Posterity
Covenant marriage especially includes our ties to that sacred circle we call our posterity — our children and their children. It also includes our ties to ancestors, extended families, and the larger community. Personal covenants lead to community covenants in the doctrine of building Zion. Come and explore these concepts.
By Elder Bruce C. Hafen

Saving Families and Saving the World
President Lee often referred to the Church as the "scaffolding" that helps us to build eternal families. If, indeed, all nine of the great forces of society became part of that great scaffolding, parents would be both empowered and motivated, and (it is not too bold to say) the world could be saved.
By Richard Eyre

Repairing the Breach and Turning the Hearts
Too many kids today can rap but cannot read. Too many know everything about drugs but can't pass chemistry. Too many have sex but have no love. In America today, more teenage boys go to jail than join the Boy Scouts. The world is in trouble, and we must not underestimate the gravity of the situation.
By Richard Eyre

Arizonans:  More Signatures Needed for Marriage
Protect Marriage Arizona, a coalition of individuals and organizations spanning a broad religious and cultural sector in the state, has been gathering 300,000 signatures to ensure a marriage amendment can be on the ballot for a July 1st deadline. If you live in Arizona, your help is needed now.
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

The Marriage Protection Amendment — A Fight We Can’t Give Up
The arguments we've heard in the Senate from opponents of the marriage amendment in the past few days come as no surprise. We've heard all this before.
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Religious Leaders Stand Together for Marriage Amendment
Elder Russell M. Nelson, of the Quorum of the Twelve, joined a cadre of religious and civic leaders in a press conference in the Capitol on Monday sponsored by the Alliance for Marriage to support the Marriage Protection amendment.
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Bravo, Mr. President!
George Bush Takes a Bold Stand for the Family
The President of the United States spoke out boldly for the family yesterday. "This week, the Senate begins debate on the Marriage Protection Amendment, and I call on the Congress to pass this amendment, send it to the states for ratification so we can take this issue out of the hands of over-reaching judges and put it back where it belongs -- in the hands of the American people." Come and read the entire text of The President's talk and see photographs from the event.
Photography by Scot Facer Proctor

Some of the People Who Attended the President’s Speech on the Marriage Protection Amendment
Here are a very few of the people in attendance at the President's speech on the Marriage Protection Amendment. This is just another way to bring you along with Meridian to these events.
Photography by Scot Facer Proctor

Thank You Meridian Readers for Supporting Marriage — 23,000 Signatures Delivered to Senate
We asked you to sign a petition to encourage the Senate to vote for the Marriage Protection Amendment. You delivered! And we delivered more than 23,000 of them to the Senate. Come and see.
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

How Same-Sex Marriage Weakens What Marriage Means
Because the First Presidency has taken a public position against same-gender marriage, President Gordon B. Hinckley has often been asked about the Church's attitude toward people who feel same-sex attraction. His response is personally compassionate and doctrinally clear.
By Elder Bruce C. Hafen

The Joy of Human Love
Being married isn't easy. It isn't supposed to be easy. But when a confused culture confuses us about what marriage means, we may give up on ourselves and each other much too soon.
By Elder Bruce C. Hafen

Ten Persuasive Answers to the Question, "Why Not Gay Marriage?" — Conclusion
The same-sex marriage proponents take a "Mr. Potato Head's" theory of humanity: There is no real difference between Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. They have the same central core, but merely external interchangeable parts. There's no real difference.
By Glenn T. Stanton

Ten Persuasive Answers to the Question, "Why Not Gay Marriage?"
How do you answer these questions: "How will my same-sex marriage hurt your marriage?" "Can't we all just get along by having religious marriage and civil marriage?" "Does gender really matter?" Focus on the Family has kindly consented to share their Ten Persuasive Answers to the question: Why not gay marriage?
By Glenn T. Stanton

Same-Sex Marriage:  A New Threat to Religious Liberty
Excerpts of Maggie Gallagher's article in The Weekly Standard
Scholars see a train wreck coming in our culture if same-sex marriage becomes reality — and it is religious liberty that may be severely damaged.

Stand for Something NOW
We've Been Asked to Contact our Senators about the Federal Marriage Amendment — Here's the Easiest Way.

Follow the Prophet
It is rare, perhaps unprecedented, for the First Presidency to ask the members to contact their senators about an amendment. Here are the simple instructions about how to do it.
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Sign the Marriage Protection Petition
We asked for 10,000 signatures on the marriage petition from Meridian readers. You responded with 10,000 in under 54 hours! Thank you! We could use more, many more. We'll be printing petitions all weekend. Can you help us deliver 20,000? Please help.

Multi-Faith Women’s Conference to be Held in Virginia, Utah
The conference will focus on the healing and rebuilding of Iraq coming from the inside out, as women share with women on family, home, and community building.

American Scientists Announce Intent to
Clone Humans for Research
Scientists from Harvard and California announced at a recent conference their intent to clone human embryos and destroy them for their stem cells and are hoping to succeed where disgraced South Korean scientist Woo-Suk Hwang dramatically failed.
By Mark Adams

Take Action Today: Targeting the Way School Children View Gender
Californians, please read this urgent message. A call is needed this morning on a bill that will be voted on today in the Senate.

You’re Invited: Virginians Organize to Protect Marriage
If you live in Virginia, this is your opportunity to take a stand for marriage. Details here for this week's organizing meeting.

National Update
Take Action:  Broadcast Indecency Bill
You'd never invite a guest into your home who exposed your family to lewdness and indecency. Yet, every day Americans invite the television into their lives — and are exposed to lewdness that assaults their moral values.

National Update
Take Action:  Help Stop Ed Programs that Encourage Sexual Activity
Congress is at it again. Now 22 members of Congress are trying to decide whether to spend tax dollars to teach children how to engage in sex play without actually having sex. Tell your representative what you think about this scheme!

Day of Silence
If you live in California this is vital information for you about what's happening at school. Your voice is needed.
By Christine King

National Update
The case against Abdul Rahman, who had faced execution for converting from Islam to Christianity, was dropped last weekend and he has been released.
By Maurine Proctor

France Rejects Same-sex Marriage to Protect Children's Rights
Considering the rights and best interests of children, a 30 member parliamentary commission of the French National Assembly has recently rejected same-sex marriage.

Rain Dances and Reality TV
Each time the college instructor opens a new edition of an anthology of world literature or American literature, she discovers more pages from those like Milton and Dante cut.
by Mary Grabar

Poll of Values Voters
The values voters flexed their muscles in the last national election, and now the questions is: How do the values voters feel about Congress two years after the election of 2004?

How the States Line Up on Marriage
This promises to be a big year as constitutional amendments protecting marriage are being considered in several states. Your help is needed.

Urgent: Petition to Get Marriage Amendment on Florida Ballot Needs Your Help
The drive to get enough signatures to get a marriage amendment on the ballot in Florida is about to end — and they are short of signatures.

Family Values and Minority Rights: Canadian Voters Sort through the Issues
Two Latter-day Saints — from opposite ends of the political spectrum — discuss the issues related to Canada's upcoming election.
By Rebecca Hudson

Curbside at the Alito Hearings
A Brief Photo Essay
Come with us to the steps of the Supreme Court; meet Judge Samuel Alito and his family as they arrive for the Senate hearings; go to the Heritage Foundation to hear a constitutional expert. Come and see.
By Scot Facer Proctor

Alito: A Modest Proposal
While the questions at stake in the Alito confirmation concern abortion, religious freedom, the nature of marriage, they all hinge on something else. How do we regard the Constitution of the United States?
By Maurine Jensen Proctor

Judge Sam Alito: A Man for All Sessions
Two Latter-day Saint lawyers who were clerks for Judge Alito give us a behind-the-scenes look at the man.
By John and Hannah Smith

Your Help Needed to Support Alito Confirmation
It's A+ for Samuel Alito as the Supreme Court nominee received a unanimous well-qualified rating from the American Bar Association on Wednesday, but abortion advocates won't to stop the confirmation. Your help is needed.

SOS California
Californians have been working to get 850,000 signatures on petitions to put a constitutional amendment protecting marriage on the November ballot. With only two weeks to go, not enough signatures have been gathered. Your help is urgently needed.
By Mark Jansson
Protect Marriage Coalition

‘Twelve Rules of Christmas’ Guidelines for Public Holiday Celebrations
There is an irrational bias against anything remotely religious unless it's sanitized and secularized, and unfortunately far too many parents, students and teachers erroneously believe they cannot do anything to celebrate Christmas in the public schools.

Maryland Parents Fight Homosexual Curriculum
What People Who Care Can Do
A handful of parents are making a difference in Maryland, and if you live there, they need your help.

How You Can Explain Why Our Society Should Preserve Marriage
When we're asked why we support traditional marriage, most of us stammer without a good explanation. Here's the best article yet that can help you tell why.
By Monte Neil Stewart

Parents Should be Outraged
What if, by law, you couldn’t protect your child from something you felt would hurt him or her? What if the state said you had no right to control what enters your child’s life? In California's 9th Circuit, the nightmare has arrived.

Protecting Marriage in Texas — Your Help Needed to Vote For Prop 2
Texas is a state where more than 70% of the voters are in favor of traditional marriage, so you’d think that passing a constitutional amendment protecting marriage would be a slam-dunk. Not so, because of a deceptive campaign being waged. Please pass this article on to all of your friends in Texas.
By Maurine Proctor