ON THE RECORD ON NON-AMERICAN G.A.S are imposed. Q: What about gay people who Q: When The Chronicle did a feel God made them that way? series last year on the global impact You're saying they must lead a celi- of the Mormons, we spoke to bate liJe? Mormons in Japan, Russia and A: Well, yes, I suppose, essen- Mexico, and some say the church tially. A lot of people live a celi- MAIN MORMON" has not moved fast enough to give bate life. Lots of them. A third of power and authority to Mormons the people in the United States jrom other ethnic groups. are now single. Many of them A: It'll come. It's coming. It's live a celibate life. This spring, while in Northern CaliJornia to deliver an address to the World coming. We have people from Q: But what homosexuals say is Forum of Silicon Valley, ws Church President Gordon B. Hinckley was in- Mexico, Central America, South they don't have the opportunity to terviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle. These are excerptsfrom that America, Japan, Europe among many and be monogamous and published interview. the general authorities. And that faithful. This interview was published under the above heading in the 13 April will increase, I think, inevitably. A: We believe that mamage, 1997 San Francisco Sunday Examiner & Chronicle. Copy right 1997, As we become more and more a of a man and a woman, is that Sunday Examiner & Chronicle. Reprinted by permission. world church, we'll have greater which is ordained of God for the world representation. procreation of children. That's a very sacred thing and is ordained ON HOMOSEXUALITY of God and ought to be observed. Q: The church has issued a statement concerning the campaign ON ABORTION ON BECOMING A GOD pare to the Catholic Church? Do for legal recognition of same-sk I Q: On another issue, what is the Question: There are some sig- you see yourself as Catholics would marriages in Hawaii and other Mormon position on abortion? Are nificant diferences in your beliefs. see the pope? states. And the church has asked its you against it in all cases, or is it For instance, don't Mormons be- A: Oh, I think in that we're members to write to their legisla- more nuanced than that? lieve that God was once a man? both seen as the head officer of tures opposing this. A: Well, we make some al- Answer: I wouldn't say that. the church, yes. A: Yes. We've been involved lowance in terms of the health of There was a little couplet coined, Q: And this belief in contempo- in some action against same-sex the mother, when thatb deter- "As man is, God once was. As rary revelation and prophecy?-~s mamages. Now, we have gays in mined by more than one physi- God is, man may become." Now the prophet, tell us how that works. the church. Good people. We cian, and so on. We make that's more of a couplet than any- How do you receive divine revela- take no action against such exception in terms of that. We thing else. That gets into some tion? What does itfeel like? people-provided they don't be- make exception in terms of that. pretty deep theology that we A: Let me say first we-make an exception in don't know very much about. that we have a great body terms of rape. We have a Q: So you're saying the church of revelation, the vast "We don't need much narrow window of excep- is still struggling to understand this? majority of which came tion. But by and large, A: Well, as God is, man may from the prophet Joseph revelation. Mle neec we're opposed to this become. We believe in eternal Smith. We don't need wholesale business of progression. Very strongly We much revelation. We abortions. And particu- to pay more attentio - believe that the glory of God is need to pay. , more atten- larly to this practice that's intelligence and whatever prin- tion to the revelation to the revelation we'\ come to light recently of. ciple of intelligence we attain we've already received. 1 . what do they call it? unto in this life, it will rise with Now, if a problem already recc Q: Partial birth? us in the Resurrection. should arise on which A: Partial-birth abor- Knowledge, learning, is an we don't have an answer, I I tion. It5 a heinous thing. eternal thing. And for that we pray about it, we may I It's a vicious, evil thing. reason, we stress education. fast about it, and it comes. come involved in transgression, Life is precious. Life is sacred. We're trying to do all we can to Quietly. Usually no voice of any sexual transgression. If they do, And it ought so to be observed. make of our people the ablest, kind, but just a perception in the we do with them exactly what ON DEATH PENALTY best, brightest people that we mind. I liken it to Elijah's experi- we'd do with heterosexuals who can. ence. When he sought the Lord, transgress. Q: Of course, the Roman there was a great wind, and the We have a very strong moral Catholic Church has that same ON REVELATION Lord was not in the wind. And I teaching concerning abstinence feeling. They also extend that to in- Q: You are the president, there was an earthquake, and the before mamage and total fidelity clude their opposition to the death prophet, seer and revelator of the Lord was not in the earthquake. following mamage. And, regard- penalty and euthanasia. What are Mormon Church? And a fire, and the Lord was not less of whether they're heterosex- the Mormon Church's teachings on A: 1 am so sustained, yes. in the fire. But in a still, small I uals or otherwise: if they step those two issues? (Laughter) voice. Now that's the way it I over that line there are certain A: We have the death penalty Q: Now, how would that com- works. I sanctions, certain penalties that in the state of Utah. That's a PAGE 66 SEPTEMBER 1997 matter for the civil government. And it's so handled. With refer- NEWS ence to euthanasia, no, at this point at least, we haven't favored that. I'm not a fan of Jack Kevorkian. But we're sensitive to the feelings of people, when they have conditions that seem ter- minal or hopeless. But we want to keep them alive and as com- fortable and as well and as happy as we can. ON CLONING Q: What about this business of cloning? A: This business of cloning is getting so complicated now. Q: Yes, and people are looking to the churches for guidance. A: My position on that is simply that God ordained that a man and a woman should be- come the creators of children. A man and a woman properly mar- ried should become the lathers and mothers of children. I can't quite understand why or how Dancers pctfo~-rnat Zuacahn, near St. George, Utah you are going to pick the right one to clone? Who's he going to be? What are his particular char- acteristics that you want to clone? I don't expect to see any- MORMONS BLEND ART AND body try to clone me. (Laughter) ON EXCOMMUNICATING FAITH INTO WORK DISSIDENTS By Peggy Fletcher Stack Paxton, who wrote Tuacahn's in- heaven, you will be judged by Q: One more question: A few house musical, Utah! how your compositions brought years back, the church excommuni- This story originally appeared in For three days and nights par- people to God." cated some dissidents. Is the church the Salt Lake Tribune. Reprinted ticipants heard technical tips on Bruce Christensen, dean of large enough to put up with having by permission. how to get a play produced, sell the College of Fine Arts and a loyal opposition? paintings, use the Internet, bal- Communications at LDS Church- A: It has always had that. We MANY ARTISTS believe their ance family life with creative pas- owned Brigham Young believe in intellectual curiosity work glorifies God, but sion and network with other University, added an authorita- We carry it on constantly We Mormons seem particularly ob- Mormon artists. They heard and tive and church-conscious maintain the largest church- sessed with matching their faith saw works in progress as well as thought to that. "Art that testifies owned university in America. We and creativity polished productions. of Christ . fuses creativity with believe in education, in thinking, It is that compulsion, per- They were treated to a dance accountability, and it celebrates in doing things. But when some- haps, that drew more than 250 concert, a musical extravaganza, limits, working within the great body goes out and publicly fights Mormon artists, students and an art exhibit, fiction and poetry circle that proscribes all truth. It the church, opposes the church, hopefuls last weekend to readings, and an all-star music is art that places God first," he then we move in. Tuacahn, an arts facility situated concert. said in a keynote address. Now, we had six excommuni- beneath the sandstone grandeur But coursing through every "A community of faith pro- cations, as I remember. That of Snow Canyon in southwestern discussion were two questions: vides the venue for offerings to same year, in the state of Utah, Utah.