http://www.reformmormonism.org/

Please check out this website

After carefully studying LDS church history I know longer believe the church is “true” I never formally resigned from the church, as I knew I would still be counted as a member in the numbers of church membership. My reasons for not believing are atattached to this letter.

The Mormon church’s active campaign against civil liberties based on sexual orientation is now forcing my overdue resignation from the church. I can not in clear conscience have any connection with a church which causes such mindless hurt, senseless judgement and hatred. I feel it my moral obligation to do my part to help make this world more inclusive, caring and rational.

This letter is our formal resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it is effective immediately. I hereby withdraw my consent to being treated as a member and I withdraw my consent to being subject to church rules, policies, beliefs and ‘discipline’. As I am no longer a member, I want our names permanently and completely removed from the membership rolls of the church.

I have given this matter considerable thought. I understand what you consider the ’seriousness’ and the ‘consequences’ of my actions. I am aware that the church handbook says that my resignation “cancels the effects of baptism and confirmation, withdraws the priesthood held by a male member and revokes temple blessings” I also understand that I will be “readmitted to the church by baptism only after a thorough interview”. (quotes from the current Church Handbook of Instructions)

My resignation should be processed immediately, without any ‘waiting periods’. I am not going to be dissuaded and I am not going to change my mind.

I expect this matter to be handled promptly, with respect and with full confidentiality.

Sincerely,

Billie Christiansen
Alixander Lewis

For the past year or so, I have spent countless hours honestly, sincerely, studying church history and the lives of many of the early saints. I have only used the best possible books for my research, using church approved books as well as historical books, journals and, historical documents. I have stayed away from anything “anti”, as I only want the truth without any bias. While extensively studying the history and doctrine of the church, I have reached the conclusion, I do not believe in the LDS church. Coming to this conclusion has been very painful. I have spent countless hours studying and contemplating, this turn of events has in no way been a hasty decision. I have taken this very seriously. I have been upset and angry with all the deception on the church’s part. But, I am now finding a peace and self acceptance I have never had before. It feels good to be able to think for myself. The world finally makes sense. I don’t have to put anything “on the shelf”

The complete facts behind these issues are easily available from many sources for those that are willing to search them out and expand their education beyond church- approved documents. The church fails to disclose many facts that contradict its official version of its history. It is the policy of the church to teach only faith promoting history, and it hides away all the contradictory evidence. The church authorities have not been honest with us. “Truth can withstand scrutiny”

The Book of Abraham is a false translation. The discovery of the original papyrus at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967 has proven beyond doubt he did not have the ability to translate. It has Joseph Smiths handwriting, translating each line of the Egyptian, ordinary funeral documents.

There at least three contradictory documented versions of the first vision by Joseph Smith evolving over time?
1832-He said he had a dream that Jesus appeared
1842- two personages appeared
- many anglee appeared, which was deleted
After his death.
1935-added God the Father and Jesus.

Wouldn’t a visit from Diety, make such an impression that he would remember?

There absolutely no evidence backing up the Book of Mormon. DNA has proved the American Indians are decendants of Mongolin tribes of Siberia , not the decendants of Isralites. They are not Lamanites as we were taught. We have concrete evidence of Mayans, Incas, Aztecs, Egyptions, Romans, Greeks and hundreds of other civilizations, even dinasours. Where is there any evidence of the civilizations of millions of people in the Book of Mormon?

In the battle of Coriantumn and Shiz on the Hill Cumorah, Three to Four million people were killed in one battle on one small hill in New York . The second battle 240,000 Nephites and a larger number of Lamanites, for a total of about a half a million people died. There has never been any sword, shield, chariot, coin, anything found …

All the Americans killed in all the wars in history in under 700,000. The Book of Mormon says 6 times that number, were killed in these two battles on the Hill Cumorah. Hand to hand combat verses mass casualties in modern warfare from bombs, machine guns, tanks etc.

I was taught Smith translated from the Gold plates. When the reality is, he had his face in a hat with his magic peep stones and never used the plates. Smith was a treasure seeker and used the same tools for translating the Book of Mormon as he did for hunting for treasure. He believed in folk magic and used Occult practices.

Smith started the ‘translation’ of the fraudulent Kinderhook plates, that he thought were ancient brass plates.

We are taught the Blacks are a cursed race, there spirits not being valiant enough in the pre-existence and were cursed by being born as members of the black race. The Book of Mormon teaches dark skin is a curse as a result of wickedness. Temple ordinances were not allowed to those with negro blood in there veins. In 1974 changes were made to this policy because of the threat of a NAACP lawsuit and congressional investigation. Under government pressure in 1978 the Blacks were allowed the priesthood. I feel badly about all the prejudices the church has and continues to bring into our world. The hurt this prejudice is now inflicting on the Gay community, all in the name God, is cruel.

The temple ceremony is a copy of the Masonic ceremony. Smith became a mason in 1842 and quickly rose to Master Mason, going 13 times in a six week period, before introducing the mason temple endowment ceremony to the Saints. Despite Smith’s claims the ceremony can’t be changed or tampered with the church has removed disturbing parts, such as blood oaths, oaths of vengeance against the United States government, covenants of obedience from wives to their husbands. The temple ceremony was not what was practiced in Solomon’s temple.

Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon was the” most perfect and correct book ever written”.
Revelations in the D&C have been edited over time with additions and deletions to hide problems with the original revelations. Official church historyies have been edited and deleted many, many times to remove details that are not “faith promoting”. Most of today’s LDS have no idea of some of the false doctrines Joseph Smith taught.
The book of Commandments which became our D&C has had many revelations changed and added to. There are hundreds of revelations Joseph Smith had, that we haven’t even heard of.
Since the Book of Mormon was first published, there have been nearly 4000 changes made to this “most perfect” book, many of these changes altering the meanings.
Joseph Smith said the Book of Mormon contains the “fullness of the gospel”, but there is nothing in it about the LDS gospel. Plan of Salvation- War in Heaven- Baptism for the dead- Three degrees of Glory- We can become Gods- God was once a man- Eternal Marriage- Eternal progression- Temple endowments- Aaronic priesthood- etc…

The ”View of the Hebrews” by Ethan Smith was published 7 years before the Book of Mormon. It has amazing similarities. Both speak of:
American Indians as decended from Hebrews.
Ancient book hidden and buried in the ground.
Destruction of Jerusalem and scattering of Israel .
New world being populated by migration from the old world.
New settlers making a journey to the north entering the valley of a great river.
Future gathering of Israel and restoration of 10 tribes.
Compare House of Israel to an olive tree.
Copy entire chapters from Isaiah.
Interpret Isaiah’s prophecies as referring to America .
Stick of Ephraim.
Tell of ancient Americans dividing into two separate nations, one civilized the other savage.
Say the savage nation eventually destroyed the civilized one.
Ancient inhabitants had written language.
Ancient inhabitants had iron.
Speak of a breast plate.
“watch towers” for military observation.
Denounce polygamy.
A great gentile nation that would occupy America .
The gospel was preached in ancient America .
“Altered” or “reformed” Egyptian
And many more similarities…

Why does Gordon B. Hinckley when asked about our core belief “As man is, God once was. As God is, man may become”, continually say“, I don’t know if we teach that?” We have all been taught that, it is one of our basic beliefs. Why didn’t Hinkley and other church leaders receive revelations and be able to discern that the documents they were buying from Mark Hoffman, to hide away form the members, were forgeries.
The Book of Mormon witness’s were unreliable.
Martin Harris stated publicly that none of the witness’s saw the plates with their physical eyes, but with spiritual eyes, like a dream,” Eyes of Faith”. He also changed religions eight times while in Kirtland . He was known as “deranged”.
David Whitmer claimed years later, that God spoke to him and told him to leave the church.
Oliver Cowdrey claimed to see both Christ and Satan in a vision. Once he saw Jesus in a form of a deer, and walked with him.
We have Joseph Smith’s prepared statement, which the witnesses signed. We don’t have any first hand accounts. We have a signed document written by Joseph Smith, if they would have written it their own words, it would have been quite different. I believe the charisma of Joseph Smith and the power of suggestion played a part this. After Joseph Smith’s death, James J. Strang claimed to be his successor and had a revelation from an angel and all living witnesses to the Book of Mormon except Oliver Cowdrey had accepted him as the true leader of the church. Strang went on to claim he had translated metal plates “The Book of the Law of the Lord”. Only Joseph Smith’s two brothers and his father remained steadfast in their commitment.

Joseph Smith started polygamy, marrying at least 33 wives. Some believe it was much higher. Fourteen of those were already married women, including the wives of his twelve apostles in Nauvoo. Some of whom he sent away on missions before he married their wives. They were marriages that included sexual relations, as documented by histories, testimonies and journals. Two of the saddest stories were of Zina D Huntington. She was married to Jacob, whom she loved dearly. Joseph Smith told her she was to marry him or he would be struck down with a sword by an angle. She was pregnant with her first son of Jacobs. She and her husband, having blind faith agreed. She was able to stay living with Jacob, as Joseph didn’t financially support and provide for his wives. But when Joseph died, Brigham Young took her as one of his wives and while crossing the plains, he sent Jacob on a mission and told Zina she was his now and Jacob would have to find another wife. She and Jacob had two sons together. They loved each other and neither one ever had that love again. He wrote heartbreaking letters to her for many years. Zina spent her life without the one she loved and without someone to love her. Would the God you know, require this of a woman for her salvation? Another sad story, Joseph told, Heber C Kimball that he wanted his wife as his own. Heber and his wife loved each other so much that she would not agree. They offered up their 14 year old daughter, Helen Mar Kimball to Joseph, and he agreed. In her journal she later says, she thought she had no choice but to sacrifice herself for her family’s salvation. But if she had known it would have been more than a “spiritual” marriage, she would have never have done it. She said she was deceived. There were some of these women who had children fathered by Joseph. I have read many of these women’s journals and personal histories, they are heartbreaking and haunting to me, testifying of the horrors and degradation polygamy causes. The church is trying to change the history, teaching your generation, Brigham Young is the one who started it, and only to help the women who didn’t have husbands to cross the plains to Utah. Telling us there were many more women than men. Looking at the census from those years, you can see there were a little more men than women. Nineteenth century doctrine teaches that polygamy is necessary for exaltation and would always be so. Either this was a false doctrine, or we can no longer be exalted. Pressure to gain statehood, brought the Manifesto. It simply suspended the practice under the circumstances. The D&C 132 revelation authorizing polygamy is still part of LDS scripture. I believe Joseph Smith introduced polygamy to provide divine justification for illegal and immoral behavior.

I’ve learned about the doctrine of the Blood Atonement. Joseph Smith and Brigham Young taught and practiced this doctrine which teaches some sins cannot be forgiven from the Savior’s atonement, but need to be atoned for, by shedding your blood. They did this by slitting the throats of the sinners. Among the list of sins, requiring the Blood Atonement, being an Apostate, marriage to an African, taking the Lord’s name in vain, not receiving the gospel, lying, refusing to practice polygamy and others. There are many who were killed. As more Gentiles moved to Utah, it became impossible to continue the practice and it eventually stopped, but it is still Mormon doctrine. Would the God you know require this?

In 1838 Joseph Smith started the Danites, for the purpose of “plundering and murdering there enemies of the Saints”. They targeted, dissenters from the church, killing, robbing, taking from the Gentiles and consecrating it too the church.

I’ve studied the Mountain Meadow Massacre in depth and believe Brigham Young and other church leaders were involved and responsible for these 120 deaths. The Mormons also were responsible for the Aiken Massacre.

As I have spent countless hours studying the church. I’ve found mounting evidence the church is not true, nothing to substantiate its claims beyond blind faith.

We were taught to find our testimony using our feelings. We decide on its truthfulness by how we “feel”, when we should study and research using unbiased sources. I can feel the “spirit” during a hymn or even a Faith Hill song, but it is our emotions and feelings we are experiencing. Eternal families does make you feel good, but what about the other doctrines such as polygamy, we are then told not to use our feelings, we put those things on the shelf, thinking that someday they will all make sense All the religions in the world have people with testimonyies, it isn’t any different for them. They feel their church is right and have testimonies to back it up. The Islam fundamentalists have very strong testimony of their religion and scripture, they are willing to give up there life for it.

Billie Christiansen

I, David Johnson, formally resign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, effective immediately. As a legal adult, I have never consented to membership in the church and I withdraw any consent that can be inferred from my membership as a child. It has come to my attention that I am currently on membership records. I withdraw any consent to being treated as a member and I demand my name be permanently and completely removed from any membership records of the church.
The Mormon Church’s active campaign against civil liberties based on sexual orientation has inspired me to speak out. I once thought that distancing myself from the church was enough to demonstrate my disapproval of their actions, however, due to recent events, I now realize that my silence has been mistaken for support of Mormon oppression. My name is being used to demonstrate numerical support of church positions and beliefs. The Mormon Church’s campaign against gay persons renders it impossible to deny that this church is anything other than an extremist hate organization. I would not leave my name on the member list of the Ku Klux Klan or the Aryan Nation simply because I had the misfortune of being born a member.

The Mormon Church has a long history of subordination and denigration of many minority groups including women, black persons, and homosexuals. These are my brothers, and my sisters, and I will not allow the Mormon Church to use my name for offenses against my family. I am acting today to reclaim my name, and I officially resign from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

My resignation should be processed immediately, without any ‘waiting periods’. I am not going to be dissuaded and I am not going to change my mind. I refuse to meet with missionaries or councilors of any sort. I expect this matter to be handled promptly, with respect, and with full confidentiality.
After today, the only contact I want from the church is a single letter of confirmation to let me know that I am no longer listed as a member of the church.

I was sent this website by a relative I am close to who is homosexual. I am resigning from the LDS church and here is part of my letter. I am so sad at the way he and every gay person has been treated and will no longer allow myself to be associated with the LDS faith.

I considered resigning from the church when the church would not allow black persons the priesthood. When this was changed, I was heartened to think that this was a living church that would change what was incorrect. I understand that the church has taken the stand regarding homosexuality because of the belief that this is God’s will. Any God who would create a homosexual would not condemn that same individual for being that creation. I am not homosexual, but I have seen what hate and discrimination can do to people who are condemned and misunderstood by society. I will not stand with a church who uses its’ power and platform to encourage the infliction of more pain upon the innocent. Just because someone is homosexual does not make that person a sinner. It is what a person does with the burdens given that determine a life well-lived. It is not the place of the church to judge. A religion that harbors this kind of hate is not a religion that I want to uphold as my own.

As a Californian, I am deeply ashamed to be associated with a church that would so openly condemn others and campaign for their rights as citizens to be removed

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is my formal resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it is effective immediately. I hereby withdraw my consent to being treated as a member and I withdraw my consent to being subject to church rules, policies, beliefs and ‘discipline’. As I am no longer a member, I want my name permanently and completely removed from the membership rolls of the church.

I have given this matter considerable thought. I understand what you consider the ’seriousness’ and the ‘consequences’ of my actions. I am aware that the church handbook says that my resignation “cancels the effects of baptism and confirmation, withdraws the priesthood held by a male member and revokes temple blessings.” I also understand that I will be “readmitted to the church by baptism only after a thorough interview.” (quotes from the current Church Handbook of Instructions)

Though I was born and raised a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have not been an active member for many years. Despite the fact that I have not attended church services these past years for reasons other than special occasions for members of my family (e.g. baptisms, mission farewells), I saw no reason to remove my name from the records of the church at the time. I believed it was harmless to have my name remain on the membership rolls of the church. However, with the recent actions of the Mormon Church in funding and promoting the passage of Proposition 8 in California, I realize now that to keep my name on the records of the Mormon Church is no longer an option for me. I have no desire to be associated on any level with a religion that uses its power and influence to spread intolerance and discrimination in this world.

I have many close friends and family members in the Mormon community who have always ‘accepted’ me as a part of their lives, regardless of the choices I made to disassociate myself with the Church. But now I can see the true hypocrisy of their actions, also representative of the Mormon community at large – actions that on the outside may preach love, acceptance, and tolerance of your neighbors and fellow citizens, yet on the inside are so full of bigotry and intolerance that the vast majority of you would vote to take away the fundamental rights of a minority group in the state of California (as well as, in slightly less publicized battles last month, in the states of Arizona, Florida, and Arkansas).

I am grateful for members of your church who are speaking out against the misguided leadership of your church, and you should be grateful for them as well, for they are the only hope you have left of mending the damage you have done to your reputation both in this country and around the world. I applaud those members who are not afraid to call you out on your shameful and reprehensible actions.

My resignation should be processed immediately, without any ‘waiting periods’. I am not going to be dissuaded and I am not going to change my mind.

I expect this matter to be handled promptly, with respect and with full confidentiality.

After today, the only contact I want from the church is a single letter of confirmation to let me know that I am no longer listed as a member of the church.

Sincerely,

Steven Ladd Jones

Many opponents of proposition 8 have said that it was based on hate and that the Church hates gays.

I disagree………it’s even worse……….

The opposite of love is not hate….it’s indifference. They just don’t care

Their support of prop 8, they show the world that ……..

They don’t care if they are violating the scriptures.

They don’t care that they are going against the words of past prophets.

They don’t care if a stay at home partner loses insurance coverage.

They don’t care if the kids do either.

They don’t care that one partner could be kicked to the street if the home owner dies without a will.

They don’t care if a partner could lose a business of even the kids he helped raise by staying home.

There are so many things that they don’t care about, but the worse thing is that they don’t care…that they don’t care.

God cared so much that He sent his Son for us. The Church claiming His approval doesn’t care. Gays just don’t matter.

Dear Mormon Martyr:

I am exhausted with the martyr complex exhibited by some members of your church because they’re being called out for overt discrimination. Opponents of Proposition 8 don’t hate the Mormon church or its members, but we are extremely upset that our civil rights, and our ability to register for wedding gifts at IKEA, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond, have been stripped from us. Turn the situation around and imagine your outrage if people voted and succeeded in denying the rights of Mormons to marry in their temples and have their reception in the cultural hall under the basketball hoop. I, for one, would join in protesting such a decision because I believe in the America that stands for Liberty and Justice for all.

The public relations wing of the church indicates that they aren’t against gay rights, but stand to protect marriage. Protect marriage from whom? Would allowing two people who love one another to enter into the legal and social establishment of matrimony make anyone’s marriage less meaningful? Would it cause the 48% of marriages that currently don’t end in divorce to crumble? Be honest. Also, if you’re not against gay rights, then help us get them!

Gay people do NOT have equal rights. It’s still legal to fire me because I’m gay and a myriad of other wrongs that are still allowed by the laws of the land. I felt “lucky” that I was gay-bashed in Seattle because at least Washington state had a hate crimes law. Civil unions are still not allowed in most states. My lesbian friend isn’t allowed to adopt the biological children of her partner, even though the children were born during their committed relationship. These things are wrong!

Opponents of Proposition 8 simply want the church to stick to churchy things, such as acting as Jesus Christ taught, helping the homeless, feeding the poor, loving thy neighbor as thyself, not judging others, and sticking up for the disenfranchised (that would include women, people of all races, and, yes, the gay community). The $22 million given by members of the Mormon church to Yes on 8, as encouraged by the brethren, as well as the countless hours spent donating time to ensure its passage, would have gone a long way in helping the poor and others in need, and would have created enormous goodwill for the church in the process. If the church wants to get involved in political matters designed to deny equal civil rights to anyone, or any political matters at all, they should be required to pay taxes like the rest of us. I have many active Mormon friends who feel the same way.

The members of the gay community that I know are the most tame people in the world, and far too creative to send letters of white powder to temples, too intelligent to misspell bigot while applying graffiti to someone’s SUV, and too busy to waste their time stealing “Yes on 8” signs. We believe these acts are atrocious as violence and vandalism have no place in a civilized society. Do not jump to the conclusion that these acts are being committed by the LGBT community. Peaceful protests and rallies are an exercise of our freedom of speech and will continue until equality prevails.

I want to thank our courageous straight allies, particularly those members of the Mormon church who have followed their conscience at great risk to themselves. They have the most to lose and do the right thing anyway.

Eventually gay and lesbian couples will have full marriage equality in the United States and America will live up to its promise that all men are created equal.

Sincerely,
A Disgruntled Homosexual

This is my resignation I sent to the LDS church on July 6th 2008, shortly after learning of the the message read over the puplits of California’s LDS ward houses the prior weekend, of course they ignored my wishes to just receive a letter saying they accepted my resignation, but rather sent a copy to my stake president and sent me a letter to prayerfully reconsider. Needless to say it is December and I still haven’t received my resignation confirmation, but I know legally I was done when they received it:

My resignation should be processed immediately, without any ‘waiting periods’. I am not going to be dissuaded and I am not going to change my mind.

I expect this matter to be handled promptly, with respect and with full confidentiality.

After today, the only contact I want from the church is a single letter of confirmation to let me know that I am no longer listed as a member of the church. My name is Shawn Monson Atkins – DOB 11/11/67.
The efforts off the church to amend state and federal constitutions to define marriage as between one man and one woman, and encouraging members to donate their time and efforts to attain these political goals are both hypocritical and offensive, and frankly should cause the church to lose tax exempt status. The take home message of the Bible, in my humble opinion is that God abhors hypocrisy and that we are all imperfect and He will judge us – not that gay people should legally be harassed, shamed and treated as second class members of society. The religion that once deemed plural marriage as allegedly ordained by God via direct contact with a ‘prophet’ seems mighty sure God isn’t going to reinstate the ‘new and everlasting covenant’ in the future and is working to ensure one of their own initial doctrines will be illegal. I don’t even want to ask about the silly explanation(s) you may have for a widower being sealed to a second spouse. Apparently the church allows members to be married in temple polygamy, but publicly the church ostensibly promotes ‘traditional family values’ contrary to what goes on in the temple ceremonies. I pay equal taxes to the federal and state government as my straight counterparts and I deserve the same legal benefits. No matter how much the church tries telling me that being gay is a choice, or that it is just my lot in life and I can be celibate and happy, (like I was born without a dick or something), I am the one who knows what my personal experience is I know I have been attracted to men since before the age of 8, I know my own desires and can say that if we are all God’s children, this is how He made me, and the idea that any 1950’s philosophy or aversion therapy or Evergreen program can change me is silly, and refuted by any legitimate scientific evidence. I am proud and gay and you will never take that away from me. The tide is turning and you hypocrites are going to fail in your efforts to subjugate us.

Sincerely,

Shawn Monson Atkins

A copy of the letter I mailed to membership records last week. Along with all the required resignation gobbley-gook, I included this paragraph:

I had hoped when my husband and I stopped attending church three years ago that it would not come to this. Like many inactive families, we have many good memories of our years in the church—a mission, a temple marriage, youth dances, the works—and we have respect for our Mormon heritage. But the church’s recent hateful role in California on the issue of gay marriage is not something that I can bear. I have no desire to be counted among the membership of an organization that espouses hatred and has so clearly disregarded the teachings of Christ. As the past is prologue, I probably shouldn’t be shocked: I was once among those apologists who could talk myself out of the disappoint I felt in the history of the church’s treatment of women (think Equal Rights Amendment) and African Americans. In the words of Abraham Lincoln: “To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men.” I will not be a coward. Hence this letter of resignation. Your decision to insert yourselves into politics in such a divisive manner has hurt families, it has hurt wards, it has caused wounds that might never heal. The name of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been sullied, perhaps permanently. And I am immensely, immensely, sad about that.

When Mormons claim God told the prophet that Gay Marriage is an abomination and that their involvement in Prop 8 (which truly hurt thousands of people) was justified, it is really no different from a Muslim terrorist justifying suicide bombings or Warren Jeffs taking away a wife and children from a man he deems to be no longer worthy. Why is it the same? Because ALL three believe they are doing what God told them to do.

Whether a Mormon, a Muslim or a leader of the FLDS, all three are claiming divine guidance. It is impossible to say that any of these three are actually correct, because there is no way to prove it. A Mormon cannot claim to know his way is right because “the spirit testified it to him”, for that is EXACTLY what the other two will say.

This “proof” cannot be established in a court of law, and it cannot be determined in a scientific laboratory. Each of the three cases have an equal chance of being right - and all three are very likely wrong. There is good reason that “God Said” is not allowed as a defense in a court of law because there is no possible way to defend it. Yet, all three of these cases are trying to do just that. If for no other reason, religions should never be part of governmental affairs becuase someone ALWAYS gets hurt or discriminated against. Religious fervor is never fair or just to all people.

I wish Prop 8 supporters would realize just how much pain they have inflicted on innocent people, many of whom are children. Can these supporter even imagine losing one of their precious freedoms? Yet, they have taken one away for a minority group that has traditionally been mistreated throughout history. I am ashamed to be a Mormon these days.

Lastly, I would like to ask members of my church just how far they would go in “following the prophet”. Would they be willing to give up their family if asked to? Would they kill an enemy of the church if asked to? My guess is that many would say “YES”, and that frightens me. These same members would likely add something like “But the prophet will never ask me to do these things.” Well, don’t be so sure. A lot of bad things have been done in the name of God, even within our own church.

I didn’t think the prophet would ever ask me to reject my own gay son, but he did. Protecting my family is where I draw the line, like a good LDS father should.

Family first, right?