Mitt could have mounted at least a nominal resistance, even if the Massachusetts juggernaut was poised to ultimately force its will on him. He failed sadly there.
However — I wouldn’t expect a governor who was also a church overseer (bishop) to wish equally stringent requirements on the general secular public as on his church.
Bishop Willard strongly advocated both. There was no reluctance either for promoting a culture of death among ‘gentiles’, and a culture of life among his coreligionists.
His actions were targeted and to a purpose, just as killing the newborn Hebrew males was a policy decision by Pharaoh.