The positions stated in the LDS news conference today, 27 Jan 2015, are consistent in every way that I know with the Mormon scriptures and their prophets’ charitable teachings and practices over the past 200 years.
As a practicing Mormon for the past 55 years (I plan to keep practicing until I get it right), I can say without equivocation that we have been taught consistently by the prophets to respect the agency of all of God’s children - never to harm or intimidate or force. We members do some strange, misguided things, often out of harmony with what the scriptures and the prophets have taught us. Mormons are just people - but we know that Heaven has called prophets in these days, and we are mostly trying to model our lives after the Savior who said, “If ye are not one, ye are not mine.”
Apostle Jeffrey R. Holland said today that nothing is achieved if we resort to bullying, political point scoring, accusations of bigotry or other forms of compulsion. I suggest that each of us look around and judge that statement against what we see in the world around us. He was, I believe, speaking to the great polity of good people on this earth, whose hearts yearn for thoughtful, courteous discourse and the good of all.
However, we all know that there are a few powerful people in this world, many of whom are at the highest levels of government, business and organized crime, who achieve their own selfish ends through bullying, accusations, and manipulation of the press and illicit political coercion.
Let’s all do what we can where we are to be active partners with the former group. Let’s each beware and resist the latter group. By their fruits ye shall know them.