Gay Mormons Petitioned Church

The Foundation for Reconciliation, a group that seeks to improve relations between gay people and the Mormon Church, marked the first anniversary of the passage of Proposition 8 on Wednesday by delivering a trunk filled with 2,000 petitions to church leaders in Salt Lake City.

The demonstration aimed to bring attention to the harmful effects the religion exerts on families with LGBT members, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.

"About two dozen people joined in the two-hour, downhill walk from This Is the Place Monument to City Creek Park for a short rally, where attendance grew to about 40," the Tribune reported. "The group then delivered a trunk, filled with the signatures and other materials, to Mark Burton, a member of the church's public affairs staff, outside the Church Office Building downtown."

Inspiration for the event was drawn from Mormon history. "The trek drew its inspiration from the famed efforts of LDS Church leaders to rescue members of the Martin and Willie handcart companies, who struggled to reach Utah late in 1856, suffering from food shortages and cold-weather exposure. Modern Latter-day Saints often hold trek re-enactments to honor the determination of their ancestors," reported the Tribune.