Mormon Church Enters California Gay Marriage Fight

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is asking California congregants to join the effort to amend that state's constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

A letter sent to Mormon bishops and signed by church president Thomas S. Monson and his two top counselors calls on Mormons to donate ''means and time'' to the ballot measure. A note on the letter, dated June 20, says it should be read during church services on June 29, but the letter was published Saturday on several websites.

Church spokesman Scott Trotter said Monday that the letter was authentic. He declined further comment, saying the letter explains the church's reasons for getting involved.

The LDS church will work with a coalition of churches and other conservative groups that put the California Marriage Protection Act on the November 4 ballot to assure its passage, the letter states.

In May, California's supreme court overturned a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage, saying gay and lesbian couples could not be denied marriage licenses.

''The church's teachings and position on this moral issue are unequivocal. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and the formation of families is central to the Creator's plan for His children,'' the four-paragraph letter states.

''We ask that you do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to ensure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman,'' church leaders say in the letter. ''Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage.''

California Mormons -- there are more than 750,000, according to a church almanac -- have heard and heeded similar calls from their leaders before.

In 2000, a letter from the pulpit asked members to give time and money in support of Proposition 22, a ballot measure defining marriage in California as between one man and one woman. It passed with 61% percent of the vote.

The LDS church also fought same-sex marriage legislation in other states during the 1990s. As recently as 2006, it signed a letter to Congress seeking an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage as being between a man and a woman.

The latest letter is a disappointment to members of Affirmation, an international support group for gay, lesbian, and transgender Mormons. Last month, Affirmation called on the church not to meddle in California politics. ''This initiative will hurt so many people,'' executive director W. Olin Thomas said in a statement Monday. ''The California law affects civil marriage; it has no effect on any religious institution or official.''

Affirmation leaders are scheduled to meet with the head of LDS Family Services, a church social services agency, in August to begin a conversation meant to bridge the divide between Mormonism and gay members hurt by church teachings that homosexuality is a sin.

It will be the first meeting between any arm of the church and Affirmation, which was formed in secret in the 1970s by students at the church-owned Brigham Young University in Provo.

''We're not going to let this stand in the way,'' Affirmation spokesman David Melson said. ''The church has said they are open to finding new avenues and new solutions to minister to gay members, and we are taking them at their word.'' (Jennifer Dobner, AP)

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

Name: Bryan Parker
Date posted: 2008-11-13 12:47 AM
Hometown: Spokane, Washington

Comment:

So I wonder... what is the fear that the religious right has? If I 'marry' my boyfriend will my mormon neighbors' marriages be spontaneously annulled? I guess that they just want to keep the word 'marriage' to themselves. OK! That's fine. I don't look good in white lace and I'd hate for all the hair on my boyfriend's leg to get tangled up in the garter band! The point we're trying to convey to them, if I may speak here for the cause, is that we just want the same legal rights that married couples do! I'm spending the rest of my life with my boyfriend... I want us to be able to make important decisions for the other when needed. Why not require all eligible couples to obtain a civil union license from the court... then go have a bang up wedding at the faith-center of choice? Apparently, mormons don't want 'gays' getting hitched in their churches! That's ok with me! I don't want a mormon wedding. My church doesn't care who I love, only THAT I love.

Name: Sam
Date posted: 2008-10-09 12:10 PM
Hometown: Utah

Comment:

I just want to know something. If there is a God, and if this God sees homosexuality as an evil sin, then why did he create gay people to exist on the planet with the rest of us? If he is truly almighty and powerful and has the ability to do anything and everything, then he could've created humans and made it impossible for them to physically, mentally, and emotionally feel love for someone of the same gender. But there are gay people living and existing at this very moment. So that just shows that God wasn't too concerned about that aspect of the human race. He obviously allowed for it. If he truly has all the power in the universe, he could've ended it all a long time ago. But obviously he didn't. So he obviously has nothing againt gay people if he created them with his own hands. So if God can love them and accept them, why can't everyone else?

Name: Jason
Date posted: 2008-09-29 12:28 AM
Hometown: Oakley

Comment:

Legal recognition? thats called domestic partnership. Marriage has always been between a man and a woman. It recognizes the great sacrafice that is made when the two join in a sacred union. There is honor and sacrafice when a man and a woman marry. they are two deeply different creatures, when married they put aside the differences and make a sacrafice that a gay/lesbian couple cannot make. An honorable couple has two parts. The man sacrafices his strength and time to provide for a new family up to and including his life if needed. the woman sacrafices her body to bring the next generation to life, all of her time and energy is devoted to raising her children. This is not something a gay couple can do. they are the same and cannot bring children into a home that is how nature or god has always intended. There is no great sacrafice, with no sacrafice there is no honor, with no honor there is no worthiness of marrige.

Name: chad
Date posted: 2008-07-11 3:53 PM
Hometown: portland

Comment:

How ironic that the Mormon church should dare to comment on public morality. The church, as founded by Joseph Smith looked much more like the criminal, polygamist cult of Warren Jeff's than the corporate cult of today. I am a former member who has educated himself with the numerous academic investigations of the church's history that are now available on the internet and in bookstores. (The PBS special is a great place to start). The true story of the church and its beginnings is vastly different from what has been presented to the dogmatic "believers". Many church leaders are aware of this and continue to mislead their followers. The church should look to cleaning its own house before pretending to be a bastion of morality. The Mormon's sick brand of blind obedience and twisted view of reality is far more threatening to humanity than the legal recognition of love between two people.

Name: Scott
Date posted: 2008-07-03 1:24 AM
Hometown: Cincinnati

Comment:

Mormons believe that Christs church has been restored to the earth as it was formerly and is currently being run by Christ himself through prophets and apostles. They also believe that Christ will come again. One this basis, they feel that it is their responsibility to warn against sin (including homosexuality), and invite all to believe in Christ, repent of their sins, be baptized, and remain faithful to the end. No one is excluded from the invitation. They also feel that societies fundamental unit is the family as defined by a husband and a wife and their children. Expectations for the Church to stay quite about their belief would also assume that the Church is content with observing the deterioration of the family. The LDS Church is not an institution of complacency howbeit they are not looking to alienate anyone. I respect them for standing for what they believe despite our current trend of political correctness. And when Christ comes again they will be blameless.

Name: Paul Allen
Date posted: 2008-07-02 3:09 PM
Hometown: Rockfield

Comment:

I don't think it is wise to try to revoke their tax exemt status. Currently the LDS church mingles in civil and political issues very little. Once their tax exempt status is revoked, they will be free to enter the civil/ political arena full force. This is something you don't want. Their money and membership will make them by far the most influential political lobbiest in the country. They would become the whale in the bathtub. Although their involvement in this issue is irritating to some, it doesn't happen very often. Whatever you do, don't revoke their tax exempt status; the one thing keeping them mostly on the sidelines.

Name: Mercedes Manael
Date posted: 2008-06-24 5:30 PM
Hometown: Palm Springs, CA

Comment:

I just read different thoughs from prejudice people, but there are two that I like to make a couple remarks on. Some one is asking that the LDS Church be removed from its tax exempt status, are you or any of these groups against to the Mormons going to pay all the money that they expend helping people between mayor disasters? do you think that with the Mormons taxes our goverment will be able to provide this help? please don't be so naive. Are we liers when we say a Nation Under God? if we are and proclaim ourselves as this, that means we must be Under God's Law and it says Man and Woman. So please use all your talent to do something better for your comunity, your children and your own family instead to criticize Catholics, Mormons or any Religion which stand for these moral basis.

Name: Eric Kamm
Date posted: 2008-06-24 2:23 PM
Hometown: Van Nuys, CA

Comment:

It's high time for the LGBT community to actively press for the Church of Latter Day Saints to have it's tax exempt status as a religion revoked for what is and has been a consistent pattern of interfering with elections (electioneering)! The Mormon Church has displayed a consistent pattern of contempt for the laws barring interference in elections by religious institutions, especially where it concerns the lives of the LGBT Community! THIS MUST STOP! Between now and November, we must get every member of the LGBT community to register to vote and then get them to the polls. We must get our heterosexual supporters to do the same. In the meantime, we also need to write the FEC and demand an investigation into the activities of the Mormon Church. We've worked to hard to get where we are! We've spilled to much sweat, tears and our blood to let this stand! WRITE your Congressperson, Senator and the FEC and put and end to this tyranny! Eric K Van Nuys, CA

Name: James
Date posted: 2008-06-24 2:07 PM
Hometown: Lewiston

Comment:

Who will pay any attention to a cult that is as hookey as Scientology. ALL RELIGION is in direct conflict with individualism and individual freedom and the constitution of the United States. Hence why Separation of Church and State was created. They will ultimately fail, because if they win, Marriage will equal discrimination and the young wise children of today will have nothing to do with discrimination. We only need another 5 - 10 years for the old kooks to die off and we are home free. Nothing can justify the immorality of taking a persons tax money equally and then denying them equal benefits, it is unjust and will always be unjust. Homosexuality if a FACT of nature and like all religions why let facts get in the way of your bigotry? Jim George

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