a dividing line

This is a more serious and less idyllic post about what has weighed heavy on my mind this morning. The issue of people's reactions to the statement issued by President Thomas S. Monson of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the members in California about supporting the traditional view of marriage being between one man and one woman. Basically, being against gay marriages. I have spent considerable time reading various takes by journalists and opinionators in different parts of the country as well as locally. It was reported in an article from the Associated Press yesterday, that "Since the letter began circulating on the Web last weekend, hundreds of Mormon blog posts have expressed disbelief, disappointment and outrage at the church's decision to wade into politics." Other news articles(larger news groups) pointed out the same thing from a broader less inflammatory perspective.
I was surprised at how poorly a submitted opinion article from the American Chronicle was written. A full out attack on the Church for taking this stance. What I don't understand is that (and some journalists have pointed this out as well) the Church has taken this stance since The Family: A Proclamation to the World was given in 1995 by President Gordon B. Hinckley over the pulpit to a worldwide audience. There is no way they should be labeled as 'flip-flopping' over this issue. As 13 years have passed, the pro-gay marriage partisan has steadily increased in strength. In the same way, the Church has been steadily increasing their emphasis placed on supporting heterosexual marriage as the correct and only recognizable form of marriage. I am of the opinion that this is a personal moral choice that happens to be shoved into a political arena. The leaders of the Church are asking their members to make a moral choice. The statement has drawn a dividing line which will be reflected across the country as other states have dealt or will deal with the issue of being for (or recognizing) gay marriage or against it.
Also, it was very fitting that the 1st Presidency message in the June 2008 Ensign is called Safety In Counsel from President Henry B. Eyring which is verbatim of a talk he gave in April 1997 Conference (11 years ago!) called "Finding Safety In Counsel". He essentially said that if the prophets repeat counsel more than once, we had better listen up. I have a feeling that there will be a dividing of the herd within the next decade, of who stands with the Church and who doesn't and decides to leave. It will be bittersweet. Okay, I'm done with my piece.