Matthew Lawrence, 28, of Santa Ana, California is just one of approximately 500 people who have contacted Signing for Something ( http://www.signingforsomething… )in the last few days to announce his resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because of the Mormon Church’s handling of and involvement in the gay marriage issue.  Matthew is gay and is the son of Gary Lawrence, 67, who is the “State LDS Grassroots Director” for the state of California.  (See http://yesonprop8.blogspot.com… ).

Matthew Lawrence, in an e-mail interview with this diarist, said that although he is “extremely upset and frustrated” with his family and that he has “cut off communication with them,” that “at the end of the day, I do love them.”  The elder Lawrence was also the Mormon Church’s point man for the Prop 22 campaign in 2000.  Matt says, “I love my family so much, but it’s hard to not take this personally.  We had a brief falling-out over Prop. 22, but that got mended.  But two anti-gay initiatives in eight years, it’s impossible not to feel attacked.”

Matthew was particularly hurt when “my father said that opponents of Prop. 8 are akin to Lucifer’s followers in the pre-existence.”  (Printed in Meridian Magazine online, and reported in the Salt Lake Tribune http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_… and other newspapers). Matthew’s plea to his father and others is “We can all agree to disagree and respect each other’s informed opinions and decisions, but don’t put me and Satan in the same sentence please.”

“This issue isn’t about gay marriage,” writes Matthew. ” This is about certain religious factions that believe homosexuality is disgusting, immoral and wrong and needs to be stamped out. . . .  It’s a problem to be ‘fixed.'” Matthew writes that his family sent him to multiple counselors during his youth, and even sent him to live with relatives in Utah which he writes was an attempt to “straighten me out” by living with what he describes as “homophobic cousins.”  He said while in Utah it wasn’t unusual for his cousin to call him a “faggot” at school and that his “aunt and uncle did nothing to discourage his behavior.”

Matthew is at least a third or fourth generation Mormon, and said that even after he stopped attending church (about the time of his return from exile to Utah) that “I even found myself defending the church for years and trying to dispel the notions that polygamy was still practiced or any of the other misconceptions. And deep inside, I still believe certain truisms that can be found in nearly any religion, such as treating our earthly brothers and sisters with love and respect.”

Gary Lawrence served as a Mormon bishop while Matthew was a child, and is the President of Lawrence Research, http://www.zoominfo.com/Search… .  Matthew said that from his father he learned “the value of hard work and not making excuses. My father has worked hard his entire life and has done whatever it takes to provide for his family. He truly was a loving husband to my mother, which is why it saddens me he would work to deny others the same happiness that his family provided for him.”

Matthew says that about 95 percent of his family supported Proposition 8, but that “a few cousins that are strongly opposed to this Proposition and have let me know that they support and love me” and have insisted “that they get a wedding invitation if I ever marry in the future.”

But, as for his father, Matthew says, “My dad keeps telling me it’s not too late to ‘change.'”

Below are comments from other Mormons who have finally decided to give up on their church, and have their names purged from the rolls:

I have great love and affection for the members of the LDS Church, in particular the members of XXX Ward. I want to thank you and acknowledge all of the love and support that has been shown to me over the years. I truly appreciate it.

I am now requesting that you remove my name from the membership of the LDS Church. While it saddens me to do so, I can no longer be a member, even in name only, of a church that seeks to deny people the benefits of marriage. The LDS Church has been active in the fight to deny homosexuals the right to marry in the state of California and elsewhere and it deeply disturbs me that the LDS Church is using church funds and member’s tithing to support this hateful campaign. Even though I am not homosexual, I can no longer have my name associated with an organization that seeks to deny people a basic human right. This issue is not a religious issue, it is a human rights issue and the church should stay out of politics and instead focus on supporting the thousands of members of the LDS Church whose marriages are in danger.

Please discontinue my membership. . . .  Read more of this letter at: http://signingforsomething.org…

My family is one of the oldest Mormon families in Utah – one of my great-great-uncles actually drove Brigham Young’s wagon part of the way on the trek to Utah. . . . . I always considered myself culturally Mormon, due to my historical family connections with the Church. Now, I’m not so sure that I can even keep that bond. From our history, Mormons should know all about religious persecution – and look what the Church is doing now! Persecuting people just like Mormons were persecuted over 150 years ago! Jesus would be ashamed.  Read more of this letter at: http://signingforsomething.org…

I have thought about this a great deal, and I cannot in good conscience be affiliated with any organization that would use its resources to strip a minority group of its civil rights. Having been raised a Mormon since birth, my family has instilled in me a truly Christian sense of ethics and morals. This religiously motivated attack is profoundly immoral and is in direct contradiction to the teachings of Jesus Christ – love, compassion, freedom, unity, inclusion, and equality.  Read more of this letter at: http://signingforsomething.org…

I consider Propsition 8 to be contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ and no longer wish to have my name associated with the LDS church in any way, shape or form.

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25:40

These things I command you, that ye love one another. John 15:17

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Galatians 5:14  Read more of this letter at: http://signingforsomething.org…

I’m disappointed and ashamed to be a member of this church right now. . . . I wish I could understand, in any rational sense, the reasons a Christian would want to deny an entire group of people something that they themselves hold so dear. My Mormon upbringing always taught me that the things I value most in my life ought to be shared. . . . I couldn’t feel more disappointment and distance from those who fought so hard to pass this amendment. And why are they standing quietly by as families around the world are torn apart by poverty, war, famine, environmental injustices, AIDS, or any number of social and political issues that seem so much larger and truly threatening to families? This isn’t a version of Christianity I recognize or want to be a part of.  Read more of this letter: http://signingforsomething.org…

[W]ith the church’s recent involvement in the passage of Prop. 8, I felt that now was truly the time to resign . . . . And now it looks like most of my immediate family feels the same way . . . . my personal involvement with the church of today is through, and not a moment too soon.  Read more of this letter at: http://signingforsomething.org…

There are dozens more resignation letters, and hundreds more letters from Mormons stating their opposition to the Mormon Church’s position available at: http://www.signingforsomething…  These voices need to be heard.

The website Signing for Something http://www.signingforsomething… is registering resignations of Mormons who are quitting the church over Prop 8.  Many are also posting their letters of resignation for the world to read.  There is much anger within the Mormon Church directed at the hierarchy of the church for its generations of lying and misleading its own members.  For many, Prop 8 was the last straw.

Ouch:

Utah’s growing tourism industry and the star-studded Sundance Film Festival are being targeted for a boycott by bloggers, gay rights activists and others seeking to punish the Mormon church for its aggressive promotion of California’s ban on gay marriage.

It could be a heavy price to pay. Tourism brings in $6 billion a year to Utah, with world-class skiing, a spectacular red rock country and the film festival founded by Robert Redford, among other popular tourist draws.

“At a fundamental level, the Utah Mormons crossed the line on this one,” said gay rights activist John Aravosis, an influential blogger in Washington, D.C.

“They just took marriage away from 20,000 couples and made their children bastards,” he said. “You don’t do that and get away with it.”

[…]

The backlash against the church – and by extension Utah – has been immediate. Protests erupted outside Mormon temples, Facebook groups formed telling people to boycott Utah, and Web sites such as mormonsstoleourrights.com began popping up, calling for an end to the church’s tax-exempt status.

In my mind, John Aravosis and AmericaBlog are far more effective than the Human Rights Campaign. John Aravosis has more scalps on his lodgepole than most people have nails. Americablog doesn’t just blog, it gets stuff done. And an A.P. story is just the beginning, if history is any indication. Because Avarosis is known for fighting on something until he wins — and he isn’t known for losing.

“We believe ALL families matter and we do not believe in discrimination,

therefore, our family will vote against Prop 8.” — Barbara Young

Loved the gravestones, Barb.

RIP inequality, Nov. 4

RIP

May discrimination

be a thing of the past,

May hate and fear

be gone at last

RIP prop 8!

Those who forget

the past

are condemned

to repeat it.

No to 8!!!

And omens don’t get much clearer than Steve’s #8 getting retired last month, do they?

Thank you for doing the right thing and standing up for all families.

And this one’s special because a few years from now my daughter is gonna look a lot like Lily:

And Steve, thank you for the reminder that Family Comes First.

Always.

AP: Former 49er Steve Young voting No on Prop. 8

SF Chronicle: Steve Young lines up against Mormon church on Prop. 8

CBS5: Steve Young’s Home Displays ‘No On 8’ Signs

RIP prop 8!

Chino Blanco

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* The following email landed in my inbox a few hours ago. *

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Good Morning All,

I have spent some time working on these thoughts.  Please take some time reading them.  I hope you will feel inclined to pass them on to others not on this list.  The Brethren asked us to use the internet to share our thoughts and feelings during this election cycle.  This is my contribution.

Thank you in advance,

Brian L.

Elder in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Citizen of the United States of America

On the night of Wednesday the 22nd of October the youth of our ward showed their willingness to follow their priesthood leaders by placing nearly 300 signs for the Yes on Prop 8 campaign.  Fifty more signs were placed that night by others.  Less than twelve hours later all 350 signs had been taken, stolen, vandalized or destroyed.  I have had 4 signs stolen from my front yard and feel the need to take them in at night to prevent further theft.  In my mind this election is no longer about gay marriage.  It is no longer about fancy commuter trains or open space preserves.  It is no longer about the Office of the President of the United States of America.  It is about FREEDOM and LIBERTY.  The freedom to speak, worship and teach the truth.  Who’s civil rights are being trampled on with the stealing of 350 expressions of free speech?  Who lacks tolerance?  None of this is new.  As the saying goes, “Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it.”  Many voters this year will cast their votes based on misinformation and lies.  It saddens and angers me to think that so few have so much power to determine the future of our country.

When Elder Perry spoke in our last Stake conference he reminded us of the covenant we live under in this country.  He reminded us of the blessings promised, and the associated consequences.

Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. . . . But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord . . . . behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of Him that is just shall rest upon them.  Yea, He will bring other nations unto them, and He will give unto them power, and He will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and He will cause them to be scattered and smitten. . . And he hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence. (2 Nephi 1:9-12)

I am amazed and saddened as I learn of increasing numbers of the members of the LDS Church here and across the country who endorse candidates that do not stand for the ideals and morals of the gospel and deliberately and publicly speak out against the direction of the prophet.  In 87 B.C., only five years after King Mosiah instituted a system of judges to govern his people a man rose to power attempting to overthrow that system and the freedoms it provided.  Amlici was described as being, “. . . a very cunning man, yea, a wise man as to the wisdom of the world . . .”  He wanted to be king and he convinced many to follow him gaining much influence and power.

Now this was alarming to the people of the church, and also to all those who had not been drawn away after the persuasions of Amlici; for they knew that according to their law that such things must be established by the voice of the people.  Therefore, if it were possible that Amlici should gain the voice of the people, he, being a wicked man, would deprive them of their rights and privileges of the church; for it was his intent to destroy the church of God. . . And it came to pass that the voice of the people came against Amlici, that he was not made king over the people. (Alma 2:1-7)

The Nephites knew the question was not merely one of politics, but threatened their freedoms accorded them by God.  When instituting the system of judges King Mosiah said, “Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law-to do your business by the voice of the people.  And if the time comes that the voice of the people doth choose iniquity, then is the time that the judgments of God will come upon you; yea, then is the time he will visit you with great destruction even as he has hitherto visited this land.“  (Mosiah 29:26-27)  The time has come to see which side the voice of the people chooses.

God has given us great blessings and freedoms.  It is not up to us to willingly give them up. In the early days of the LDS Church in Missouri during the height of persecution, some saints tried to sell their property rather than lose it to the mob for nothing.  Joseph Smith received the instruction that, “Let not that which I have appointed be polluted by mine enemies, by the consent of those who call themselves after my name;  For this is a very sore and grievous sin against me, and against my people, in consequence of those things which I have decreed and which are soon to befall the nations.”  (D&C 101:97-98)

Prophets throughout history have spoken on the subject of government.  Each modern day prophet has spoken on Gods involvement in the creation of this country and its constitution.  President Ezra Taft Benson gave two addresses at BYU devotionals on the subject, one in 1977, and the other in 1986.  He said, “And one of Lucifer’s primary strategies has been to restrict our agency through the power of earthly governments.”  Lucifer uses perverted or counterfeit versions of Gods plan to accomplish this.  “Another notable counterfeit system to the Lord’s plan is collectivized socialism.”  Because a government derives its powers from the governed, “It cannot claim the power to redistribute money or property nor to force reluctant citizens to perform acts of charity against their will.  Government is created by the people.  No individual possesses the power to take another’s wealth or to force others to do good, so no government has the right to do such things either.”  The following are quotations taken from these two addresses.

1) “As citizens of this noble land, we have marched a long way down the soul-destroying road of socialism. If you question that statement, consider the recent testimonial from the Nobel prize-winning economist, Milton Friedman. He indicated that government spending in the United States at all levels amounts to over forty percent of today’s total national income. If we continue to follow the trend in which we are heading today, two things will inevitably result: first, a loss of our personal freedom, and second, financial bankruptcy. This is the price we pay when we turn away from God and the principles which he has taught and turn to government to do everything for us. It is the formula by which nations become enslaved.“

2) “Today, two hundred years later, we must sadly observe that we have significantly departed from the principles established by the founders of our country. James Madison opposed the proposal to put Congress in the role of promoting the general welfare according to its whims in these words:  ‘If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may appoint teachers in every state, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasure; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor. . . . Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for [and it was an issue then], it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America.’ [quoted in Donald L. Newquist, Prophets, Principles, and National Survival, p. 342] That statement, given as a warning, has proved prophetic. Today Congress is doing what Madison warned about. Many are now advocating that which has become a general practice since the early 1930s: a redistribution of wealth through the federal tax system. That, by definition, is socialism!“

3) The constitution was designed to work with only a moral and righteous people. “Our constitution,” said John Adams (first vice-president and second president of the United States), “was made only for a moral and religious people.  It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

4) I have faith that the Constitution will be saved as prophesied by Joseph Smith.  But it will not be saved in Washington.  It will be saved by the citizens of this nation who love and cherish freedom.  It will be saved by enlightened member of this Church-men and women who will subscribe to and abide by the principles of the Constitution.”

If only we could follow the example of Captain Moroni and Chief Judge Pahoran as they met the crisis of freedom in their day by standing up for their principles as they raised the title of liberty.  “In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children. . .and he bowed himself to the earth, and he prayed mightily unto his God for the blessings of liberty to rest upon his brethren, so long as there should a band of Christians remain to possess the land . . . And therefore, at this time, Moroni prayed that the cause of the Christians, and the freedom of the land might be favored. . .  And he said: Surely God shall not suffer that we, who are despised because we take upon us the name of Christ, shall be trodden down and destroyed, until we bring it upon us by our own transgressions.“ (Alma 46:12-20)

Many did not respond to this call to freedom.  Of these we read, “And now, when Moroni saw that the city of Nephihah was lost he was exceedingly sorrowful, and began to doubt, because of the wickedness of the people, whether they should not fall into the hands of their brethren.  Now this was the case with all his chief captains. They doubted and marveled also because of the wickedness of the people. . . And it came to pass that Moroni was angry with the government, because of their indifference concerning the freedom of their country.“  (Alma 59:11-12)  In a letter to Pahoran Captain Moroni further condemns this attitude of apathy, “Behold, could ye suppose that ye could sit upon your thrones, and because of the exceeding goodness of God ye could do nothing and he would deliver you? Behold, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain.  And now behold, I say unto you, I fear exceedingly that the judgments of God will come upon this people, because of their exceeding slothfulness, yea, even the slothfulness of our government, and their exceedingly great neglect towards their brethren, . . . For were it not for the wickedness which first commenced at our head, we could have withstood our enemies that they could have gained no power over us.” (Alma 60:11-15)

There are only two sides to take.  Fence sitting is no longer an option.  It is raining.  Are you going to get on the boat?  We cannot be lukewarm on the issue of freedom and liberty.  I do not presume to tell anyone how to vote.  I only implore that you do vote, and that you use as your guide the cause of freedom and the morals and teachings of the gospel.  Do not pick your candidates because of what they promise to give you, the size of their health plan or any other insincere platitudes they may give to convince you of their worthiness.  Instead seek out those who best stand for the God given ideals of freedom and agency.  If we all stand together we can say as Mosiah did, “I desire that this land be a land of liberty, and every man may enjoy his rights and privileges alike, so long as the Lord sees fit that we may live and inherit the land, yea, even as long as any of our posterity remains upon the face of the land.” (Mosiah 29:32)

Thank you for taking the time to read.  Along with Captain Moroni I say, “I seek not for power, but to pull it down. I seek not for honor of the world, but for the glory of my God, and the freedom and welfare of my country. And thus I close mine epistle.”

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* My reply to the author of the above email *

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Good Morning Brian,

When I saw where you were going with your rant (Prop 8 is no longer about marriage equality, but rather is now all about defending FREEDOM and LIBERTY against TAXES and SOCIALISM), a name popped into my head:

Timothy James McVeigh

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T…

In McVeigh’s own words:

Taxes are a joke. Regardless of what a political candidate “promises,” they will increase. More taxes are always the answer to government mismanagement. They mess up. We suffer. Taxes are reaching cataclysmic levels, with no slowdown in sight…Is a Civil War Imminent? Do we have to shed blood to reform the current system? I hope it doesn’t come to that. But it might.

I know in my heart that I am right in my struggle. I have come to peace with myself, my God and my cause. Blood will flow in the streets. Good vs. Evil. Free Men vs. Socialist Wannabe Slaves. Pray it is not your blood, my friend.

I’m very concerned, Brian, by the lack of daylight between what you’ve written above and the words Timothy McVeigh used to describe the “why” behind his hatred of our country.

And it pains me that the LDS church has allowed thugs like you such free rein to intimidate your fellow church members during this California election cycle.  You should know that it’s guys like you who’ve forced many Mormons to sadly admit that “the church has gone and unleashed its most fanatical, proud, boastful and ignorant California members on the rest of us.”  In the past, theocratic bullies like you, Brian, could be safely ignored at LDS church meetings, but now you hector and hound your fellow saints into submissive compliance with the Prop 8 program.  You apparently see it as your job to keep other members in line, presumably so as to achieve some kind of united Mormon front on the issue of Prop 8.  It would also seem that you enjoy your job very much.

And frankly, Brian, I worry about Mormons like you becoming a danger to yourself and to others if your leaders don’t step in soon and explain to you the reasons how and why your above email crosses the line.

And make no mistake, Brian, it does cross the line, but I also think that’s for your church leaders to make clear to you.

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* My message to the LDS leadership about this email *

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To the Brethren in Salt Lake City and all the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in California:  

Many members have become increasingly disturbed by the tone and rhetoric that’s being adopted in Mormon email forwards like the one above, but so many members feel so browbeaten at this point that few bother to mount a challenge.  

I believe it has become your responsibility to address the problem of paranoid and bellicose email forwards like Brian’s that are now in such heavy circulation among your members.

Chino Blanco

(This is a really interesting internal Mormon point of view about the experience of the Mormon hierarchy’s push for Prop 8. Overt and direct use of religious communities for secular political ends damages not only the reputation of the politicized religion, but also tears at the fabric of the community of faithful – promoted by jsw)

By California Mormon

Reposted at Calitics with Permission

I am a lifelong Mormon, a native Californian, and a descendant of Mormon pioneers. Like many other Mormons, I am anguished by my Church’s endorsement of Proposition 8, a ballot initiative which would eliminate civil rights to marry now accorded to gay and lesbian people in California.

I am anguished for what this campaign would do in abolishing rights and protections now belonging to fellow California citizens. But I am also anguished by the consequences of this campaign for Mormon families and wards throughout California. Since June, I have felt the profound effects of the “Yes on 8” campaign in our church meetings. In my own ward, it has dominated the content of our Sacrament Meetings and auxiliary meetings, as well as our hallway conversations. What does it mean that we are being asked to give and are giving ourselves so zealously to this campaign?

I have wondered how the “Yes on 8” campaign connects with the core principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ-love the Lord with all thy heart, love thy neighbor as thyself. I have wondered how it relates to the first principles and ordinances of the gospel: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and laying on the hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost? Does it contribute to any of the three missions of the Church: to proclaim the gospel, to perfect the saints, or to redeem the dead? I understand that according to Mormon doctrine temple marriage is an ordinance necessary to exaltation. Still, I do not understand how the elimination of civil marriage rights for gays and lesbians in the state of California will do anything to bring more souls to Christ.

Instead, I have seen many negative consequences to Mormon spirituality from the “Yes on 8” campaign. The “Yes on 8” campaign has fueled a spirit of fear and misinformation in our California wards and beyond. For example, many bishops and other Mormons have circulated the document “Six Consequences if Proposition 8 Fails,” which alleges that Mormon churches will be sued or legally penalized for opposing or refusing to perform gay marriages and that schools will be compelled to teach same-sex marriage to young children. Mormon legal experts affiliated with Brigham Young University have studied these claims and found them “misleading and untrue” (http://mormonsformarriage.com/?p=35). If the “glory of god is intelligence” (D&C 93:36), misinformation and rumor-mongering must chase the Spirit from our churches.

I have also witnessed how the “Yes on 8” campaign has unleashed and authorized broader expressions of anti-gay sentiment by Mormons, sentiments not in keeping with church teachings. The Church has come a long way in its treatment of homosexuality from the time our prophet Spencer W. Kimball described it as a base perversion in The Miracle of Forgiveness. But most members have not absorbed recent Church teachings that recognize same-sex attraction as an authentic form of sexual inclination that requires compassionate consideration and strict personal management. Just as many of us continue to hold unexamined, undoctrinal, prejudicial, archaic beliefs about African-Americans and the priesthood (false notions about the lineage of Cain, or “fencesitters” in the war in heaven which have no basis in gospel doctrine), we also continue to hold unexamined, damaging, prejudicial, archaic beliefs about homosexuality. From what I have seen, this campaign has become an opportunity for Mormons to feel triumphal in our antipathy towards gays and lesbians. In my own ward, my bishop started using the ward e-mail list to send several daily messages pertaining not to Proposition 8 but encouraging members to get involved in other campaigns in our area to oppose gay civil rights. Is it really the intention of the Church to systematically oppose the civil rights of gays and lesbians? Since the beginning of the “Yes on 8” campaign, I wonder how many of us have spoken uncarefully and uncompassionately about gay people, without knowing regard to recent Church teachings on homosexuality which ask us to have compassion for those inclined to same-sex attraction?

It is my observation that the zealousness of the “Yes on 8” campaign has unleashed a spirit of pride and political opportunism in our congregations. The “Yes on 8” campaign asks us to eliminate the current legal rights of thousands of actual families in California. Even though we have described the initiative as a “protection” for heterosexual marriage, the actual language and impact of the law (considered strictly and soberly) have nothing to do with strengthening heterosexual families. Instead, Proposition 8 eliminates the legal protections of marriage for same-sex couple families. Through our Mormon doctrinal lenses, we may not see gay families as families that will survive into the eternities. But to gay spouses, children, and other relatives, gay families are vital families. If we are to act with honesty and integrity, we must take sober responsibility for the fact that “Yes on 8” eliminates the rights of actually existing families. The “Yes on 8” campaign, strictly and honestly considered, is a mission of destruction. We must consider carefully what it means to undertake a mission of destruction in the name of God. In the Old Testament, Jonah asked God to destroy the city of Nineveh, and God gently rebuffed him, reminding him that even Nineveh was beloved (Jonah 4:11). The scriptures caution repeatedly that when we engage on spiritual errands, and especially those that bring judgment against our neighbors, we are at great risk of indulging our own self-righteousness and spiritual pride. We must do so with a great spirit of repentance, caution, and humility. And yet nothing in the spirit of the “Yes on 8” campaign as I have witnessed it obliges us to undertake this kind of repentant self searching. I have seen instead a sense of accomplishment, triumphalism, and pride in the reach of our financial and worldly power. I have not seen the humility and godly sorrow God expected of Jonah. Our God is also the God of gay and lesbian people; they are as beloved of him as we are. Their needs and sorrows are as real and meaningful to God as our obedience to the directions of our prophet.

I believe the “Yes on 8” campaign has distracted us from addressing our own internal matters of morality. The Savior plainly tells us to seek the “beam” in our own eye before we seek out the “mote” in our brother’s (Matthew 7:3). Does the zealousness with which we undertake the “Yes on 8” campaign lead our attention away from our own spiritual lives and attending to our own failings? We all know that there are serious problems of morality within Mormon communities too, including sexual abuse of children in Mormon settings and knowing negligence by Church leaders that has caused the Church to payout millions and millions of tithing dollars in legal settlements. Even with increased direction from our leaders, patterns of sexual abuse continue in Mormon communities (http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_10548248). Have we cleared the “beams” from our own eyes?

I know that the “Yes on 8” campaign has created deep divisions within Mormon families. As Mormons, we are obligated to search ourselves, to ask if our relationships with our family members are loving and appropriate. Do we reject or deny our family members because they are gay? Is the zealousness of the “Yes on 8” campaign an outlet for our own feelings of shame, revulsion, disappointment, and failure in having gay children or family members? Some of the leading Mormon figures with the California Mormon “Yes on 8” campaign have gay children. Does God want us to sacrifice our relationships with gay children and relatives in order to serve Him? God led Abraham to Mount Horeb to teach him that child-sacrifice, a common practice among pagan peoples, was no longer warranted. It was no longer acceptable to Him. Henceforth, only God would sacrifice His son, Jesus Christ, to atone for the sins of the world. Now, after that great and atoning sacrifice, the only sacrifice we are asked to commanded to offer is that of a “broken heart and a contrite spirit” (3 Nephi 9:20). Do we sacrifice our gay children to impress God?

I know that the zealousness of the “Yes on 8” campaign has created an intolerable atmosphere in many wards and stakes for thousands of gay Mormons, their relatives, and friends. What is our obligation to care for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters? Has the zealousness of the Yes on 8 campaign brought a spirit into our wards and families which makes it impossible for our gay brothers and sisters to find a loving refuge in their own church? I believe it has.

The “Yes on 8” campaign has directed more than $10 million dollars (so far) from Mormon donors to a narrow political campaign. Much of this money was raised after the Church reviewed its tithing records and identified wealthy Mormons to recruit even larger donations from, using special conference calls with Church elders. Why are tithing records being utilized this way? What does this reveal about the way the wealth of individual members has played a growing role in church leadership decisions? How many lives could this money save through the Church’s Humanitarian General Fund? How many educations could this money pay for through the Church’s Perpetual Education Fund? Why does our concept of morality focus so zealously on gender and sexuality at the cost of efforts to end death by disease or starvation, proclaim peace, relieve the debtor, or show stewardship for God’s creation?

Finally, the “Yes on 8” campaign allies us with openly anti-Mormon churches, while alienating us further from other people of faith. As the Wall Street Journal reported, “Jim Garlow, pastor of the evangelical Protestant Skyline Church near San Diego and a leading supporter of Proposition 8, said, ‘I would not, in all candor, have been meeting them or talking with them had it not been for’ the marriage campaign.” Why are we attracted to the same divisive political battles that have been the hallmark of the Christian Right, when the churches of the Christian Right have long expressed their disdain and enmity for our beliefs?

Mormons are a religious minority trying to maintain our faith in a rapidly changing secular world. Our pioneer ancestors were killed and chased by mobs from the United States in part because their plural marriages were deemed unacceptable by the society they lived in. Why do we now turn with such zealousness to eliminate the marriage rights of other minorities?

I present these thoughts only because I believe that a record must be made of how our actions as a Mormon community are affecting not only the lives of gays and lesbians but also the spiritual lives of our wards and families here in California.

Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Chino Blanco

MORMONS TO DELIVER LETTERS, PETITION OPPOSING PROPOSITION 8

Not all Mormons agree with their church’s decision to forcefully support Proposition 8, the constitutional amendment that would eliminate the right to same-sex marriage in California. Now they’re speaking out.

Hundreds of Mormons and friends of Mormons have written letters and signed a petition at SigningForSomething.org to oppose the church’s inappropriate political posturing in California. The letters and petition will be delivered to church headquarters at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17, after which Mormon dissidents will be available to talk with the media about their reasons for opposing the church’s political stance. Copies of the letters and petition will also be available for the press.

Signing For Something supporters will meet at a public park in downtown Salt Lake City across from the Church Office Building. It is on the northeast corner of State Street and North Temple. (This is the southernmost part of Memory Grove Park.)

People in attendance will include:

— Peter and Mary Danzig, who resigned their LDS membership after facing church pressure for writing a letter to the editor in support of same-sex marriage rights.

— Andrew Callahan, a Mormon high priest from Nebraska who has been threatened with excommunication over his opposition to Proposition 8.

— Members of Affirmation, a support group for gay and lesbian Mormons.

— Other active Mormons who are facing potential backlash for speaking out against the church’s political position.

“The Mormon church has emerged as the largest single backer of Proposition 8 in California, and we think it’s important for the public to know that not all Mormons support what our church is doing politically,” said Derek Price, a lifelong Mormon who helped create the Signing For Something website. “For a variety of reasons, many Mormons think it’s wrong for our church to work to eliminate an existing right to marriage equality in California.”

“We hold our political independence sacred and don’t appreciate our church telling us which causes we’re supposed to support. We’re perfectly capable of making those decisions on our own,” Price said. “We also don’t think churches should try to write their doctrine into civil law, especially while feigning ‘political neutrality.'”

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Derek Price

[email protected]

256-338-9692

Andrew Callahan

[email protected]

402-461-6355

Peter Danzig

[email protected]

801-865-9029

Mary Danzig

[email protected]

801-322-2972

*******************

Michelle Obama talks about fear:

“Fear is the reason this country is where it is today.”

“Fear is a useless emotion.”

“Don’t ever make decisions based on fear.”

Pictured above: Elder Quentin L. Cook, Michelle Obama, Elder M. Russell Ballard

Excerpt of a comment at Mormons for Marriage regarding the October 8th broadcast of fear-inciting messages from LDS Apostles Cook, Ballard, et al:

It was a pre-taped presentation with Elder M. Russell Ballard, Elder Quentin L. Cook and Elder L. Whitney Clayton giving the presentation. They were sitting around a small round table and reading from teleprompters, with no live audience which made it look “robotic” at times. The presentation didn’t seem inspiring and it didn’t appear to me that those attending felt inspired.

Much of the presentation was geared toward young adults and even Elder Ballard (who admitted he didn’t understand what it meant) was encouraging them to “go viral” on the Internet. On more than one occasion they implored that the conversations and web chats, etc. not be antagonistic. They showed a sample of YouTube videos and encouraged those with the know-how to post their own. A portion of the presentation was college age students asking an Institute Director questions about the proposition and its consequences.

It was obvious that the Church has gone full bore political machine on this issue with all the attendant lies, half-truths and exaggerations in an attempt to spread FUD [ Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt ] to get people to vote yes. They laid out the schedule of “phases” up through election day, and it looked like any other political campaign strategy (I’ve been involved in a few myself, so I know what they look like).

I was curious to see if they would bring up any of the “Six Consequences if Prop 8 Fails.” Sure enough they brought up the first three several times. Although they added the disclaimer that these consequences wouldn’t all happen right away, they nevertheless emphasized these consequences will surely befall us. I was a little surprised that two of the Apostles would compromise the integrity of the Quorum of Twelve by repeating these lies and encouraging members to repeat these lies in their “Get Out The Vote” campaigns … But as they say, politics is politics and apparently the only way to get your side heard is to lie. After all, the Church is clearly on the wrong side of equality on this issue and they have to present some sort of scary story.

A complete transcript of The Divine Institution of Marriage Broadcast (official title given the campaign instructions beamed from LDS HQ on October 8) is available here.

Michelle Obama: Be Not Afraid

The place to be this Friday, October 17th, at 2:00 p.m. is at the northeast corner of State Street and North Temple in Salt Lake City, where a few brave souls will be demonstrating to the rest of us what not being afraid looks like.

Chino Blanco

Jennifer Kerns has stepped down from the Yes on 8 effort in order to devote more time to her blog.

Please note contact details for the campaign’s new spokeswoman below:

Sonja Eddings Brown

Deputy Communications Director

Protect Marriage

Tel:  818-723-9446

Mobile: 916-446-2956

Email:  [email protected]

Sonja’s husband, Lowell Brown, is also involved in the campaign as an Area Director in charge of organizing the LDS (Mormon) Yes on 8 ground game.  

Sonja Eddings Brown and Lowell Brown
The Yes on 8 campaign’s Mormon Power Couple

To their credit, no matter how busy they might be in their professional lives or with the Yes on 8 campaign, they both still manage to find time to blog.

Lowell is the chief spiny mammal over at The Hedgehog Blog, and Sonja is a regular contributor over at the Article VI Blog.

In fact, it was Sonja’s interview of Cecil “Chip” Murray (posted over at Article VI) that first got me interested in learning more about Dr. Murray:

A6 (Sonja Eddings Brown): As a respected long-time member of the Christian ministry, how do you feel we are doing as a country when it comes to the actual separation of Church and State?

Reverend Murray: I think the separation of Church and State is a basic policy that we simply must follow. Not to follow that separation, that line in the sand separating church and state is to flirt with danger. Now of course when you separate church and state that doesn’t mean that you weed religion out of those who are in politics, not that you weed politics out of those in religion, but you can’t customize it, you can’t structure it, so that you have the bully pulpit dictating to Congress. You can’t give God a stick and you be God’s agent and you are whipping people into line in your religious context.

You have your religion, your religion is personal. And even though religion is personal but never private, it cannot be public to the extent that it’s “my way or the highway.”

It isn’t American and it isn’t sensible to make the bully pulpit the bully. The bully pulpit at best deals with conscience and conscientiousness. Not consensus and not control. People have the right to believe as they believe. The Pure Charity Trust says that 87% of Americans believe in God but now when we look at how these Americans look at God, you have the Abrahamic faiths. Judaism, Christianity and Islam. You have the faith that comes out of the Mormon Church, you have Bhuddist and Daoist. These people have the right to their individual beliefs, but no one has the right to a collective belief that sweeps and demands and says you believe as we believe … or you get hurt.

Sadly, I’ve not been able to find the video for the above portion of Sonja’s interview.

However, I did manage to find the contact info for all the folks running the ground game for Lowell.

Once I’d compiled that information, I fired off the following email to the entire group of Yes on 8 volunteers under Lowell’s command:

Subject: Please avoid using falsehoods to achieve a political victory

Some of you may have already enjoyed the opportunity to read the attached commentary from a BYU law professor.

For those who have not, I sincerely ask that you please take a few minutes to read and consider his remarks.

For those who’ve already read the attached, perhaps you could spare another moment to read this recent editorial from the Contra Costa Times (09/30/2008):  

“ADVOCATES OF Proposition 8 claim it is simply a marriage protection measure that does not discriminate against gays. They argue that it would not diminish domestic partner rights but only reinstate a statutory initiative passed by 61 percent of the voters in 2000.

However, that is hardly the case. Prop. 8 is a constitutional amendment that would reverse a decision earlier this year by the California Supreme Court. Prop. 8, like the 2000 measure, states that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

That is a clear discrimination against homosexuals. Domestic partnerships and marriage aren’t the same. If they were, there would be no issue and no motivation for promoting a constitutional amendment that actually delineates the difference.

Only marriage guarantees the certainty that couples count on in times of greatest need such as in making life-and-death decisions, with no questions asked. Marriage also confers a special social status upon couples that legal partnerships do not.

To its credit, the state’s highest court understood that there is a real difference between a domestic partnership and a marriage. That is why it ruled that to deny one group of people the right to marry is discriminatory and thus a violation of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution.

The court did not create a new right for anyone. Instead it logically expanded the scope of a basic right to accommodate the social changes regarding homosexual relations.

Few Californians, including supporters of Prop. 8, would seek to outlaw gay partnerships or keep gays from teaching or charge them with a crime. Yet in the not so distant past, such discrimination was the norm in much of the nation.

Fortunately, there has been considerable progress over the past few decades in eliminating bias against sexual orientation. Removing the ban on marriage was an important step in that direction.

Prop. 8 would negate that progress, perhaps for many years, by adopting a needless exception to the basic constitutionally protected right of equal protection under the law.

Regardless of how one feels about homosexual relationships or one’s personal religious views, it would be a grave mistake to pass an initiative that reduces liberty by returning gay couples to second-class status.

We strongly urge voters to carefully consider the harm Prop. 8 would do not just to gays, but to all Californians, and reject the initiative.”

http://www.contracostatimes.com/opin…

Attachment: A Commentary on the Document “Six Consequences . . . if Proposition 8 Fails” (PDF)

Here is a sampling of the responses that came back from these Yes on 8 volunteers:

Please don’t send me any more emails.  Thank you.

Let’s be honest, opponents of Prop 8 want one thing….to force religion to change and accept gay marriage or to shut them down.

I don’t know where you obtained my email address but would greatly appreciate it if you would NOT contact me ever again!

I don’t care what your political values are! You don’t need to share them with me! I could care less what your thoughts are and it is very presumptuous of you to think I care anything about what you think!!!!

DO NOT SHARE MY EMAIL ADDRESS WITH ANYONE ELSE EITHER!!!!!

DO NOT EVER EMAIL ME AGAIN!!!!!

And from Lowell Brown himself:

Please stop.  Thank you.

To the Yes on 8 activist who was upset that I’d obtained her email address, I would like to point out that your contact info was made public by someone on your own team:  here, here, and here.

All I’ve done is to compile it all here.

And in response to Lowell Brown’s request to “please stop” … the best I can muster is a clip from the greatest sci-fi flick ever made:

And just in case this reference might be too arcane for the Yes on 8 crowd, what I’m suggesting here is that we No on 8 folks are the guy holding the screwdriver … not because we want to be holding that screwdriver, but because there’s obviously been a serious system malfunction once a machine that we built has arrived at the conclusion that the mission objective takes precedence over any one of our lives.

In terms of the present malfunction (i.e., the lopsided support for Prop 8 among California Mormons), this comment over at Mormonsfor8.com struck me as a useful insight for those of us interested in evaluating this latest version of the LDS anti-gay program:    

When Knights of Columbus or Focus On The Family makes a large

donation, one recognizes these names and one knows immediately what

they stand for. Ten years ago, the LDS Church suffered some bad

publicity when they gave 500K (out of 600K raised total) to an Alaskan

effort to pass a same sex marriage ban.

That’s right, an out of state church organization gave 83% of the

funds to promote a ballot measure in Alaska. While legal, the donation

gave many the impression that an out of state religious entity was

trying to manipulate an election in Alaska.

Having learned this lesson in Alaska, in 2002 the LDS Church asked

members to donate individually. The result was that few people

realized the extent of LDS Church involvement in arm twisting those

donations out of the members.

Since most of the LDS donors are not celebrities, few people outside

their stake would realize the extent of the church’s involvement. As a

California voter, I reserve the right to know the source of all

funding for state ballot measures and candidates. And when ten million

dollars comes from one particular source, yes the voters have a right

to know before they choose.

For some reason, this comment seems important.  That said, I’m admittedly interested in understanding the extent to which Mormon efforts to pass Prop 8 are tactically distinct from those of other groups in the Yes on 8 coalition.  To the extent that I’m probably one of only half a dozen folks on the planet who could give a damn about fleshing out such a point, I’ll leave it at that for now.

So, moving on to the data dump, here’s what the Mormons have planned for The Golden State:

. . . Org Chart . . .

. . . Job Descriptions . . .

Phoners . . .

Walkers . . .

Schedulers . . .

Emailers . . .

Networkers . . .

Monitors . . .

Registrars . . .

Distributors . . .

. . . Timeline . . .

. . . Step 1 . . .

. . . Step 2 . . .

. . . Step 3 . . .

. . . Talking Points . . .

Sorry about all the scrolling involved in reading this diary.  It was supposed to be all about Sonja Eddings Brown, the new (Mormon) spokeswoman for Yes on 8, and I probably could’ve done a better job maintaining the focus on her and her new role in the campaign.

That said, where I have managed to discuss Sonja’s new role in the campaign, I hope the commentary has not given the impression that I have any desire to demonize her personally.  Depending on the issue, she’s proven herself capable of delivering the kind of cogent analysis that would otherwise make me a fan, e.g., in Sonja’s own words:

Several dozen judges have now reviewed the Schiavo case and have ruled in favor of the rights of her husband as principal guardian. Whether we side with her husband or not, we must not fail to recognize his rights and more importantly his responsibilities under the law. In the future, the government should act to spare families, friends, medical professionals and other caregivers from vague customary practices and place the responsibility for life or death decisions on the individual and his or her trusted representative.

Amen, Sonja.  We’re all born into families of one sort or another, but we all choose our trusted representatives, and that’s a choice that we both agree needs to be respected.

And now, just for fun, a few bars from my favorite Sonja Eddings Brown tune to accompany this link to my favorite Sonja Eddings Brown story:

And I’m so glad to have found this story from a Granada Hills Charter High School graduate.

P.S. If you do decide to contact the Zip Code Supervisors whose email addresses I’ve posted online here, please do make an effort to be civil.  All we need to bring is the truth, let them worry about bringing the hate.  OK?  

Milk.  Screenplay by fellow Mormon Dustin Lance Black:

No matter how hard you try.

Chino Blanco

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) has just released a 42 page poll (PDF).

Frank Russo comments on what this latest PPIC poll found regarding Proposition 8:

The results here are almost a carbon copy of the Field Poll and show California voters rejecting Prop 8 which would eliminate same sex marriage rights in California by a margin of 55% to 41%. It is extremely difficult for a measure that has majority opposition in polling at this point to win.

There is a partisan divide here-and the numbers are as lopsided as they are because independents join Democrats in opposing this proposition. Democrats by a 71% to 25% margin oppose it and independents oppose it by 53% to 42%. Republicans support Prop 8 by 62% to 34%. Democratic and Republican voters have the same level of importance to the outcome here whereas it is not as important to independent voters. There is no gender gap. Evangelicals are as likely to vote in favor of Prop 8 (64%) as all others are to vote against it (63%).

And here are the findings of the latest SurveyUSA poll: Yes: 44% / No: 49%.

Jennifer Kerns, spokeswoman for the Yes on 8 campaign, endorsed previous SurveyUSA polling in widely-reported comments made just last month: “We believe polling numbers are more aligned with the recent results of the Los Angeles Times poll and SurveyUSA poll, which shows that Proposition 8 has a slight lead.”

No comment yet from Ms. Kerns on this month’s SurveyUSA poll.

No such reticence from Ken Boyd, the area director for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who steps up to suggest a possible silver lining for the Yes on 8 side: “Just a week or two ago, we were approximately 10 percentage points behind, now we’re 5 percentage points behind. So as people gain knowledge, and understanding, especially when they understand the effects, they’ll vote ‘yes’ on Prop 8.”

Nice try, Ken. Here’s a clue just in case you truly are unaware of the major problem with your spin: suggesting a trend by comparing two different polls makes you a very poor candidate for guiding others to a greater knowledge and understanding of the real challenge facing Prop 8. If your intended audience knew anything about polling, they’d understand how misleading you’re being here, and they’d rightfully resent you for stringing them along.

In terms of the ‘effects’ you mention … Ken, I’ve noted the response from rank-and-file Mormons who’ve picked up on your messaging (i.e., that infamous ‘six consequences’ alarmist claptrap that you’ve had a hand in distributing):

Beth Swann said…

Jill, I received the same document but I have it being from Ken Boyd, an Area Director from Kerman. I will e-mail it to you since it has his contact info. on it and you can ask him questions if you like.

Jill said…

BETH…I would very much appreciate that contact info. I’m trying to get to the bottom of this mystery…”who wrote that and where did they get their information?” Protectmarriage.com did have it on their website but they have since pulled it. They said they would contact me yesterday or today and let me know why. So far I have not heard…so yes Beth I would really like to contact this Ken Boyd. Thank you Beth!

In any case, here’s my bold prediction: The tally on Nov. 4 will show less than 40% support for Prop 8 from actual voters.

And here are four (very Mormon) reasons why:

I, for one, am looking forward to hearing a lot more from thoughtful Latter Day Saints like the outspoken quartet assembled here (who practice what they preach) … and a whole lot less from “Mormons” like Ken Boyd and this clown…

Chino Blanco