NOVEMBER 14TH 2008

Member records Office
Thirteenth Floor
50 E North Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-3684

FROM: JAMES ROBERT TIDMARSH
DOB/CITY: 4/12/74, CALDWELL IDAHO

To whom it may concern,

I was 12 years old when I first heard the story of Joseph Smith. Having come from a predominately 7th day Adventist family, they were adamantly opposed to my joining what they termed as a “cult.”

It took months and weeks of prayer, discussion and a little begging for my mom to give her consent for me to be baptized.

I joined the church alone, because I believed in the testimony of Joseph Smith and because I believed the church was truly a place that all were welcomed, loved and respected.

Over the years, I have learned that this is not the case.

I am now 34 and will always be grateful to the brothers and sisters of the church who more or less “adopted” and welcomed that newly converted 12 year old boy into their homes. To those members who helped me learn the strength of what a family could and should be, and to learn the moral lessons of honesty and courage, and standing up for the truth and for what is right, I say thank you.

Ironically, however, it is because of those same lessons and principles that I’m writing to inform you that this is my formal resignation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, effective immediately.

I hereby withdraw my consent to being treated as a member of the church. Since I am no longer a member, I am no longer subject to the rules, policies and ‘discipline’ of the church. I am writing this because I want my name permanently and completely removed from the rolls of the church.

I have given this action considerable thought. I understand the “seriousness” of my request. I know that having my name removed from the records of the church 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.

I request that the church-prescribed 30-day waiting period be waived and that this request be processed immediately, as my decision is unalterable. I am not going to be dissuaded and I am NOT going to change my mind. I will not participate in a church court or ‘disciplinary council’, and, because I have voluntarily left the LDS church, I expect that the term excommunication will not be used in any correspondence concerning this matter. I am asking for a simple administrative procedure under my Constitutional right to exercise freedom of, and from, religion.

You see, as a gay man who married another man in the state of California on July 5th 2008, I am now a husband and co-head of a family of my own, so it saddened me to see the church not only step into the recent debate over proposition 8 but that it also used its precious resources, membership, and communications muscle to lie and spread misinformation about the sacred bonds of not only my own marriage but also about the marriages of the other 18 thousand other same sex couples.

I understand what the church teaches and believes about homosexuality, however, the church has made little if any serious effort to understand the sociological, spiritual, and psychological needs and basic rights of myself and the millions of other gay and lesbians in this country.

That is perhaps the greatest tragedy in this debate over same sex marriage. The church asks the world for tolerance, respect and for understanding when it comes to its own beliefs, yet has the audacity to deny the members of the LGBT community those same courtesies.

Sincerely,
James Robert Tidmarsh