LDS Church urges pro-Proposition 8 calls

Call it "Called to Call."

California-citizen members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently living out of the state are being organized by the LDS Church to make phone calls — if needed — in support of California's Proposition 8.

Responding to a request from the Protect Marriage Coalition, the LDS Church is making arrangements for these members to call friends, family and fellow citizens in California "to urge support of the effort to defend traditional marriage," stated a Tuesday church-issued news release.

On the Nov. 4 state ballot, the proposition calls for an amendment to the California state constitution that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

The LDS Church also announced a satellite broadcast tonight to be received in California meetinghouses.

Elders M. Russell Ballard and Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve and Elder L. Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy are to address the LDS Church's doctrine of marriage and its participation in the Protect Marriage Coalition.

Several Institutes of Religion in Utah told the Deseret News on Tuesday they would pick up the broadcast for California students attending colleges and universities locally.

Elder Clayton, who also serves as president of the church's North America West Area, said in the release the out-of-state efforts help on two fronts.

"We are looking at options to fulfill a request from the coalition to help with phone calls to encourage support of Proposition 8," he said. "We're also responding to the many requests we have had from students and others who want to help. Making phone calls is something they can do."

He added the coalition hasn't decided on whether to activate any additional phone volunteers outside of California.

While many LDS Church members outside of California have expressed a willingness to help, the out-of-state efforts for now will focus on willing Californians.

Out-of-state calls have yet to start, but the church anticipates a small test of its planned call system soon.

California members and leaders of the LDS Church have long been involved in coalition efforts in that state to protect traditional marriage, including what started as a grass-roots effort nearly a decade ago to help voters there in the November 2000 election pass Proposition 22.

That proposition resulted in a state law with similar language — only marriage between a man and woman is valid or recognized in California.

However, within a half-dozen years, lower courts were suggesting the law might be unconstitutional.