Honolulu--$600,000 donated by the Mormon Church (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is benefiting Save Traditional Marriage, a campaign that hopes to stop the legalization of same-sex marriages in Hawai`i.

Mormons, since the start of their American-born faith in the last century, have not been considered traditional Christians. Mormon doctrine teaches that Jesus Christ, during a three-day period following his crucifixion, showed up in North America to bring his message to the Lost Tribe of Israel. This tribe, according to Mormon doctrine, later became popularly known as Native Americans or Indians. These particular Indians, according to the Book of Mormon, are said to have originally sailed from Israel and are therefore of Jewish origin.

The Mormons have allied themselves with Christian Coalition members who are also involved in anti-gay activism directed from the U.S. mainland by cohorts of TV's 700 Club televangelist Pat Robertson.

Save Traditional Marriage received the $600,000 in four installments between September 24 and October 12 according to filings made by the church with the state campaign Spending Commission.

Recently, a similar contribution to ban same-sex marriages in Alaska was donated by the Mormon church.

Supporting a proposed constitutional amendment that would give Hawai'i's Legislature the power to ban same-sex marriages, Save Traditional Marriage hopes to circumvent a Hawai'ian court decision that ruled such a ban unconstitutional.

The state's lesbian and gay activists expressed dismay at the degree of the Mormon church's involvement in the campaign. There are approximately 50,000 converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Hawai`i.

Jackie Young, campaign director for Protect Our Constitution, says: "If people were worried about separation of powers, people ought to be worried about separation of church and state"

Contributions to Protect Our Constitution as of this date — $637,370 — have been for amounts of $100 or less. Save Traditional Marriage, until the infusion of Mormon cash, received $39,543 in contributions of $100 or less to date.