Why the Mormon church speaks out on 'moral' issues

On the church's opposition to the Equal Rights Admendment: We don't need a constitutional amendment to provide what women ought to have. They have it under the 14th Admendment. It's there, and as far as I'm concerned I want legal provisions concerning women and their equality to come of their peers who were elected in their legislatures and not be mandated of the courts, who happen to interpret constitutional admendments.

We have been kicked around about that a good deal. I don't feel worried about that. . . .

Nobody has emphasized the equality of women more than we have. Our position with reference to women traditionally has been that a women neither walks behind her husband nor ahead of him, but at his side. They are companions, sons and daughters of God, each with a divinely given responsibility and birthright to be enlarged and enhanced.

On the church's role in politics: An English visitor said to (founding prophet) Joseph Smith, ''How do you govern so heterogeneous a group of people?'' He said, ''I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves.'' Now that's the essence of it.

We urge our people as citizens to exercise the rights and prerogatives of citizenship.

Now on some issues where we feel there are definite moral implications - and only on the basis of moral implications - we have taken some institutional stands. But those have been very limited in number.

On Salt Lake City's future: Let's hope it doesn't get too big. It's just about right. It's small enough that you know people, and it's large enough that you can get here almost anything that you can get anywhere in the world.

Salt Lake City, with its advantageous location as the hub of the great intermountain area of the West, will continue to be a good city and a great city , and as it grows in numbers, it will retain that wholesome environment which is conducive to good family living and neighborly relationships.

On church businesses: You have to understand the evolution. These business interests that people like to dwell on so much are simply the outgrowth of things that started in pioneer days. In the early days of the church, there was no bank here. Then the church started a bank here to accommodate the banking needs. In the early days there was no newspaper, no means of communication with the people. In 1850 Brigham Young founded the Deseret News. We've held on to it. It keeps us on our toes on what is going on in the technological field. Now, as an outgrowth of that, we know what's going on with reference to transponders and satellites . . . and all of those things.

On the church's ownership of television and radio stations in US cities: The purpose is twofold, one, to serve the church, and two, to serve the public. Our broadcasting properties are commercially operated under FCC regulations, subject to all the qualifications imposed by the FCC in terms of serving the public interest. The public interest is the public interest! What the church does in the use of those facilities, we do it as any other user would do. But we do have it available.