HRC Petition

Sex, politics, and religion are three topics that should not be discussed at the dinner table (or anywhere else for that matter.) It is very rare that one can express his or her opinion on one of these issues without accusations, disagreements, and plain misunderstanding from the opposing side. On October 4, 2010, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) filed a petition including 150,000 signatures, which spoke out against a talk given by Elder Boyd K. Packer, a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In his talk, Packer reinforced the Church’s viewpoint that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God. Although Packer intended for his words to inspire and remind Mormons to keep the commandments of God, many people misunderstood his intentions. His words were misinterpreted and many viewed his remarks as detrimental towards gays and lesbians.

In the HRC petition, David Melson, Executive Director of Affirmation: Gay and Lesbian Mormons, said, "Elder Packer's remarks in General Conference were not only ill-advised and contrary to fact, but were mean-spirited and will be perceived by many as bullying. We see no potential for good coming from his words and much possible damage, to the Church, to individuals, and to families. The LDS Church should be a source of love, compassion, and conciliation, and not of fear and unfeeling petty hatred."

Contrary to the Melson’s belief, the LDS Church is in fact a source of love and compassion. On October 12, 2010, Michael Otterson, a representative of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gave an address regarding the petition. Through his words, he successfully expressed the viewpoints of the Church and its’ position regarding the issue through a variety of rhetorical tactics. By focusing on love, using doctrinal references, and reaching a common ground between different groups in the audience, Otterson was able to deliver his address in an effective and successful manner.

Otterson states that the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is based on love and this become an underlying theme in his address. True to the Faith, an informational resource book published by the LDS Church, reminds that we are all children of God. The world is full of many different types of people, but if we remember that we are all brothers and sisters, this realization can “transcend all boundaries of nation, creed, and color.”

Because there are varying types of people, there are some who claim that they are attracted to the same sex and that those feelings were inborn. However, a key point to Otterson’s address is that there is a difference between having these feelings and acting upon them. Although the feelings may in fact be inborn, in the end, it is our decision whether or not we are going to act on those feelings and give in to temptation. Corinthians 10:13 says we will not be tempted more than we can handle. This means that even if someone is born with an attraction to the same sex then they are able to overcome these feelings. However, this is easier said than done. Otterson acknowledges this by saying, “There is no question that this is difficult, but Church leaders and members are available to help lift, support and encourage fellow members who wish to follow Church doctrine.” He emphasizes that although life is full of difficulties, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one to help others through these difficulties.

Despite the strict viewpoints of the LDS Church, Otterson recognizes that everyone is able to make their own decisions and not everyone will choose to follow the Church’s established guidelines. By doing this, he recognizes that the Church’s standards won’t be accepted by all, yet the Church will be acceptant of all people. Jesus Christ, whom member of the Church believe in and follow teachings of, commanded to love one another. Otterson reminds that this is one of the underlying concepts of the Church. Throughout the address, the example of Christ is brought up and the reminder that the LDS Church focuses on love is emphasized. Because a lot of people are in favor of showing love, this is a rhetorical strategy used by Otterson.

Throughout the address, Otterson establishes a ground of credibility that clearly gives justification for the words spoken by Elder Packer. He directly states the Church’s doctrinal belief which outlines to non-member’s why we have the viewpoints that we do. He says, “As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman.” These beliefs come from The Family: A Proclamation to the World. This proclamation given by leaders of the LDS Church blatantly says that marriage should be between a man and a woman. Members of the Church aren’t simply making up their own ideas of what’s “right”, they are following the words of counsel given by their prophets. This rhetorical strategy gives credibility to Otterson. Because he is a representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he is acting under the direction of the Church’s prophet and therefore the things he is saying are true.

Even though Otterson uses an abundance of religious references, he balances out his claims with mentioning the HRC as well. Because he is speaking to a wide audience, he is careful to appeal to each type of person. Otterson does a good job of staking a common ground between members of the LDS Church and the rest of the world, especially gays and lesbians. In his introductory remarks, he acknowledges that there have recently been “tragic deaths across the country as a result of bullying or intimidation of gay young men.” Although the Church does not agree with homosexuality, Otterson says that that should never be the cause of unkindness. The LDS Church does not support any level of cruelty “whether those differences arise from race, religion, mental challenges, social status, sexual orientation or for any other reason.” By making it clear that Mormons are accepting of all types of people, Otterson is able to get his point across in a more effective and all-encompassing manner. Instead of people simply being upset at the Mormons because they are Mormon, they can be more understanding that we have good intentions. After recognizing this, others can make a more educated stand on the viewpoints of the religion.

In Michael Otterson’s address in regards to the HRC petition, many rhetorical tactics were used to get his point across. He acknowledged that not everyone will agree with the Church’s standpoint but states that “We (as a Church) hope that any disagreement will be based on a full understanding of our position and not on distortion or selective interpretation.” By accurately explaining the viewpoints of the Church while focusing on love, using a doctrinal approach, and reaching a common ground between the members of the audience, Otterson is successfully able to deliver his address and increase awareness of the issue at hand.