1st Presidency Letter – supposed to read to all members

[Anonymous]

Dark Jedi – maybe I am just gun shy or reading too much into the BSA thing. I hope so. I know there are huge divisions in families, wards, other churches and communities in general. Maybe I am just letting all the aftershocks scare me more than I need to.

I guess time will tell.

I doubt though that anything will happen in GC. I am beginning to think GC is just for Sunday talk filler stuff. Everything else comes in weird letters, Proclamations, and press conferences.

[Anonymous]

It would be nice if people could understand that liking, appreciating, loving, supporting, etc. your friend/co-worker/neighbor who happens to be in a same sex marriage does not mean you accept it as ok in a religious sense. It would be a lot easier if we could get from the mystical “them” and realize they have names and faces and the right to some happiness in this world.

Things went well in our ward though I had to point out the difference between gender as in xy, xx, and same sex attraction. The PoF unfortunately used the phrase gender is eternal when they meant homosexuality.

[Anonymous]

It was a non-issue in our ward. The letter was read; everyone was excused; nothing was related in the third-hour meetings.

[Anonymous]

hawkgrrrl wrote:

I’ve got mixed feelings about this whole thing. I keep thinking of the quote from Joseph Smith: “It feels so good not to be trammelled.” That letter made me feel trammelled, yet again, as if it’s required (at least in some people’s minds) for me to be cannon fodder in a culture war that feels wholly unnecessary and ill-conceived to me. I felt both anxious and angry about it.

Right before the letter was read, a friend of mine turned around and said something like “Oh boy.” I said, “It’s just that gay marriage letter.” She said she knew, and she wasn’t happy about it because she doesn’t agree with the letter. She’s married to one of the counselors in the bishopric. If it wasn’t inspired for her to tell me that, I don’t know what is. It was as they say a “tender mercy.” Our bishop read the letter per the instruction. He also encouraged people to go to the website mormonsandgays.org. But he then said if we found the stance “confusing” that we should rely on scriptures, what the current prophet has said and pray to basically get in line. I’m clear what the stance is (although it is certainly in flux and relies on a celestial lobotomy for gay people to suddenly become straight when they die).

I just don’t see how that advice is really going to do it. It didn’t work for the temple either. I can’t pray to accept sexism that the spirit has told me (while in the temple) is not from God. I can’t pray to become homophobic. I can’t pray to change my political views. This idea that if we pray we will agree with people who disagree with us is just such a privileged perspective. If you hold a majority opinion (a majority which they only hold inside the church at this point), then it’s acceptable to spiritually bully others by implying that they lack spiritual enlightenment and haven’t prayed or else they would agree with you. And yet we know that the Q12 often have disagreements and don’t always vote exactly the same. Why can’t we allow for disagreement and diversity of thought?

So, I wish I could say like Joseph Smith that it feels so good not to be trammelled. But I do feel trammelled right now.

I guess it’s good that Elder Christofferson’s statement is out there on the record. In the meeting I attended one person mentioned it and he seemed to be the only one leaning in favor of SSM. (I was visiting so I didn’t chime in.) And it’s good that we have more civil discussions about this in the church.

What I don’t like, what is such a disheartening turn-off about the whole thing anymore, is the church characterizing my thoughts, opinions and beliefs as “doctrinal questions” that need a certain treatment.

[Anonymous]

They read the letter to our ward 3rd hour combined RS/PH to all adults.

It was read word for word and emphasis on supporting members, even if differences.

I was pleased with the discussion because even older members of our congregation shared stories of embracing others, and there shouldn’t be fears about things that in years past people didn’t understand. Lots of stories of knowing people who are homosexual who are outstanding citizens in the community and with families.

I don’t like the letter and the feeling there is always a “but…” in the church about SSM. However, the people who talked openly were showing signs of people trying to be open and accepting and realizing things are changing.

It was better than I expected. Still kind of that same feeling HG expressed.

[Author]

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