If you subscribe to the Church News, you probably read the recent article by Elder Oaks in which he says that the free exercise of religion -- as protected by the U.S. Constitution -- is under attack and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are being called upon to rally in its defense.
"There is a battle over the meaning of that freedom. The contest is of eternal importance and church members must step up. Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms. The Constitution contains a prohibition against "an establishment of religion" intended to prohibit a government-established church and avoid the types of national churches still found in Europe. The free 'exercise' of religion, he added, involves rights to chose religious beliefs and affiliations and to practice those beliefs."
What do you suppose Elder Oaks meant by "....church members must step up."? Generally speaking, there is a lot more church members can do to preserve freedoms. But to preserve specifically the free exercise of religion at this time, I'm caught off guard with this one.
