RECONCILIATION

PETITION REQUEST TO

THE FIRST PRESIDENCY OF THE CHURCH OF

JESUS CHRIST

OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS

"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. " -Jesus Christ

Petition Home Page

Personal stories, Rocky, Drew, Val & Ray

Gay & Lesbian Member Suicide List

We Can Change History For Gay LDS

Lifetime Celibacy or Excommunication Policy

The Etiology of Homosexuality from Authoritative Latter-day Saint Perspectives, 1879-2006

A Revised History of Homosexuality & Mormonism, 1840-1980

Chronology Of Mormon / LDS Involvement In Same-Sex Marriage Politics

Mormons for Marriage supports marriage equality for all, and stands in respectful opposition to California Proposition 8.

Mormon Politics & Member Opinion

ABC News- Gay Mormons Face Excommunication  

Foundation for Reconciliation

 

A Teenager's Gay Mormon Story

"When I first wondered if I were gay, I didn't see the problem. Why is everyone making such a big deal about it? I thought. If anything, it seemed like a gift, a heaven-sent shortcut that would take me past the more unpleasant aspects of LDS familial life. My first option was to be forever single and enjoy a life free of a wife and children and the accompanying worries—all the while remaining a member of the Church in good standing! My second, even better option was to find a woman who would tolerate marriage to a gay man—and what woman, I frivolously thought, wouldn't go for that? She would have a husband who would watch Oprah and The Bachelor with her, while other wives' hubbies tuned into ESPN and...golf. Her husband would share domestic duties with her—apron and all, if it came to that—while other husbands wouldn't deign to pick up a dishtowel. Just think of the possibilities—that would be my pitch. "We could go to the Relief Society Mid-Week Activities together and crochet side-by-side!" "If ever we got into an argument, my inner-feminist would force me to side with you!" And, "Along with a subscription to the Ensign with two copies of the General Conference issue, we would need to buy an extra copy of Vogue when the September Fall Fashion edition came out!" I pictured myself on bended knee. "Just imagine, for a minute, the decorating! The food! The poems! The shopping budget!"

...And then reality set in. I realized that maybe that special daughter of God wouldn't want a girlfriend—or even a sister—out of marriage. And perhaps I didn't want that, either. As I learned more about the lives of fellow gay Mormons, and as I learned more about myself, I saw that I probably wouldn't be able to swallow the form of marriage the Church prescribed.

My quest for information concerning homosexuality and the Church's position regarding it continued, and my findings were disconcerting. I had grown up in the Church, had loved it and trusted its leadership faithfully throughout my life, but now I saw, for the first time, contradictions. I saw positions that reversed themselves over time—suggesting that the Church's noble but mortal leaders were still trying to find the Truth on this issue, and that more revelation, in my opinion and belief, was and is necessary (a mechanism mentioned in the Church's fundamental Articles of Faith). Making clandestine trips to the library, I read about the Church's electro-shock program, about the disastrous results of "reparative therapy", about the promises listed in The Miracle of Forgiveness, and about the deeply troubling number of gay LDS suicides. After months of research, I decided that I needed to find the solution for myself. After all, I had not had problems with masturbation or pornography. I was generally no more selfish than other of my straight friends.

My family had the same ups and downs that all families experience, and I was not a rebellious youth. Things weren't adding up, and I needed to know the plan that God had devised for me.

Since then, I have aimed to do just that, trying to follow the oft-repeated scriptural invitation to seek, ask, and knock. I have prayed, studied the scriptures, and exchanged ideas and support with other gay Latter-Day Saints. This process has at times been one of pain and weariness, but while as a teenager my journey is an ongoing one, I have learned valuable lessons already. For instance, as I have sought to find my life's path, I have learned to accept those that others choose. I have also striven to rise above the narrow-mindedness that I grew up with—the prejudices both of others and of myself.

Most importantly, I have learned to pray for tolerance, understanding, and compassion, and to be open to the reception of these blessings. It is therefore my present prayer that all of God's children can open their hearts to one other—that we may follow Christ's example of sympathy, forgiveness, and love."-Frank Lee Scarlet

 

Please take time to read this petition, as well as read the stories and links provided, and pass this information on to your friends and link to us if you have a website or blog.

By doing so, you will be sending a message to the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that it is time for reconciliation between the Church and its gay and lesbian members. More importantly, you will be showing support for those who have been hurt by Church policies and practices because of their sexual orientation.

"Gay, lesbian and bisexual teens and young adults have one of the highest rates of suicide attempts — and some other health and mental health problems, including substance abuse. A new study suggests that parental acceptance, and even neutrality, with regard to a child's sexual orientation could have a big impact in reducing this rate."-NPR, All Things Considered, December 29, 2008

"I implore the students at BYU to re-assess their homophobic feelings," wrote Stuart Matis in The Daily Universe shortly before committing suicide. "Seek to understand first before you make comments. We have the same needs as you. We desire to love and be loved. We desire to live our lives with happiness. We are not a threat to you or your families."

"Thank you, Carol Lynn Pearson, for reminding us that the task of any religion is to teach us whom we're required to love, not whom we're entitled to hate." - Rabbi Harold Kushner

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