Last night my 12 year old daughter and I rallied on a street corner with our “Vote Yes on Prop 8” signs….in a downpour! There was quite a crowd there, most with “Yes” signs, but a few with “No”, and despite the rain we had a great time. We sang in the rain! We waved and danced and paraded around the pedestrian lanes when the little green man let us know it was our turn to go. I thank my stars that I live in a conservative area as most of the people passing by were honking and giving the thumbs up! I don’t know if our stint of standing in the rain will make a difference in the outcome today. I like to think it will. I hope it will.

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we were asked by our leaders to support this proposition. The very foundation of our beliefs is in danger of being compromised. “Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and… the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.” The church itself has not given money, but the members were asked to donate money and time to help pass it. That has fired up some controversy in our congregations and some members have even come out against it and given time and money to the opposition. I am grateful for the gift of agency and that we live in an era where we are free to exercise that agency, but I am more grateful to live in an era with the gospel restored and a living prophet on the earth.

I am comforted by the following quote, given by Elder Neal A. Maxwell 30 years ago:

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'

"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.

"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."

It is hard doctrine sometimes to go against what the world teaches. The word “bigot” was yelled at us more than once during our stint. This is one skirmish that is in danger of being lost. My daughter doesn’t fully understand the implications of what will happen if this proposition doesn’t pass. She doesn’t realize how much harder it will be to raise her own children in an age where marriage and family values would be severely undermined. But she does know that she is a member of a church with a living prophet at the head. She understands that the prophet is the mouthpiece of the Lord. She understands that if she follows that prophet's counsel, she has no need to fear. She understands that she has been asked by that prophet to stand up for traditional marriage and family values. She has stepped forward and will continue to step forward, rallying for truth and righteousness.

Please pray for California, and those other states where marriage is on the verge of destruction. Because if we lose today we won't be "singing in the rain" and your state will be the ones needing the prayers!