National Mother of the Year Blasts Gay 'Marriage'
April, 1997
by Kent KaiserCarolyn Merrill Shumway, the American Mothers Association's National Mother of the Year, recently visited Minnesota to speak to a group at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Chapel in Crystal.
Originally from the mainland, Mrs. Shumway and her husband are rearing their children in Hawaii.
Referring to her home state, Shumway said in her remarks, "It's wonderful to be here from the state of Hawaii whose state motto is... [translated from Hawaiian as] 'the life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.' Now as you read the papers, you probably say 'righteousness!? -- same-sex marriage!'"
She continued, "But we want you to know that two months ago about 7000 of us marched on the state capitol in protest of same-sex marriage. Even though it passed in the [Hawaii State] House, they haven't allowed one marriage yet in our state, and we feel that we can stop them from doing that."
Continuing on the state motto theme, Shumway said, "Minnesota's motto is the northern star. As I looked at the map and I saw how Minnesota is scrunched right up in the top center part of the United States I thought how marvelous it is how Minnesota can be the northern star beaming down across all of the states, setting a good example and showing the way for what we believe in. What do we believe in for American mothers and even for all of the churches represented here?... We believe in traditional families."
Shumway warned, "The traditional family is being endangered. It is an endangered species right now. I read an article about two weeks ago in our paper in Hawaii that talked about how the family as we know it now will soon be dissolved. It s a trend that cannot reverse itself... So, we do need to realize what is happening -- those of us who are so busy raising our families... We need to join together to reverse this trend."
"I think it is important to realize there are other people out there who believe as we do," said Shumway, referring to the American Mothers Association. "And there's a way we can link arms in a larger network from what we might have right now. To me, the strongest part about it is that it is inter-faith, because no one religion can do by itself what all the faiths together can that feel the same way. So by linking arms across the United States, our little individual voice becomes magnified a thousand times because we can link up with a network, and we can take a stand. There's strength in numbers."
Shumway believes the movement to restore the traditional American family must begin at home.
She concluded, "When you think that families are God's only enterprise -- everything He does is for His children -- then that certainly sets a great example for us... My husband and I have tried to teach our children three main concepts through the years: how to pray, and all the things that encompasses; how to nurture others; and how to work. We feel that if they could learn those three great lessons in life, then everything else would fall into place."
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