| Anthesian |
10-02-2008 04:36 PM |
My Letter of Resignation
This letter was requested by my current stake president after a long 'talk' he called me in for. He didn't want to excommunicate me for my conviction so he asked for a letter of resignation and to state the reasons for it.
To the Local and General Leadership of the LDS Church:
It is with a heavy, broken heart and broken spirit that I must write this letter. I am informing the church of my request for the removal of my name from the records of the church.
I am requesting this action due to my grievances against current leadership’s policy concerning their gay and lesbian members. This has stemmed from the consistent teachings against homosexuality. I recognize the lack of understanding and the misconceptions on the behalf of the Brethren concerning this matter. In Boyd Packer’s talk to the all coordinating council he stated that the three greatest threats to the church are intellectuals, feminists and homosexuals. I am all three. Oddly, I don’t feel as though I’m a threat. I disagree with the denigration of homosexuals to second-class church members. I hold the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints responsible for the spiritual and ecclesiastical abuse inflicted on these faithful members. The church’s stand against them is out of harmony with the peace and justice found in Jesus Christ’s atonement. Any ‘moral’ standard that drives a member of the church to do harm to others or to themselves is NOT a moral standard. This can be observed in the suicides of gay and lesbian Latter-day Saints.
Another grievance that I have is the denigration of women. The Prophet Joseph Smith ordained women to offices of the priesthood because he believed that they were absolute equals in every form to men. Paul the apostle recognized Junia, a female apostle, in the final chapter of his letter to the Romans. The consolidation of power to a male authoritarianism is a grievous sin against the very daughters of God. In this same right, it is necessary to recognize and pay tribute to God the Mother. She is just as important to our theology as the Father. Without Her, we would not be here.
My next grievance is that of the ‘witch hunt’ against intellectuals and scholars. The excommunications of Margaret and Paul Toscano, Maxine Hanks, D. Michael Quinn, Avraham Gileadi, Lavina Anderson, and Janice Allred, etc. were unnecessary. In their literary works, they gave a message of individual faith and spiritual progression. These men and women are the promulgators of individual thought and spiritual enlightenment. To them, I pay tribute for inspiring me to stand by my convictions and be unapologetic.
Finally, the white-washing of history to promote current church policy and dogma is the heresy. As many have said before, the church is what needs to be saved.
I love this church and I will continue to defend it through out my life. It is my history and my heritage. I pray for a day when there can be reconciliation. I pray for a day when peace and social justice break down the viral infections of elitism, authoritarianism, the oligarchy, narcissism and arrogance. I pray that the leadership of the church will bless and promote the individual spiritual journeys of each of its members. May we heed the counsel of President Stephen Veazey of the Community of Christ:
10 a. Collectively and individually, you are loved with an everlasting love that delights in each faithful step taken. God yearns to draw you close so that wounds may be healed, emptiness filled, and hope strengthened.
b. Do not turn away in pride, fear, or guilt from the One who seeks only the best for you and your loved ones. Come before your Eternal Creator with open minds and hearts and discover the blessings of the gospel anew. Be vulnerable to divine grace. (Community of Christ Doctrine & Covenants Section 163: 10a-b)
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