1,000 Mormons vow to leave church over 'gay' policy

(Photo: Facebook, "LDS Church Mass Resignation")

At least a thousand Mormons are planning to publicly quit the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Saturday after the Church announced a new policy stating children of same-sex couples cannot be baptized until they reach adulthood.

One-thousand Mormons in Salt Lake City have indicated on Facebook that they plan to protest the new rules by marching around the Church's Temple Square at 1 p.m. MST on Nov. 14 and sending letters of resignation to the LDS Church. Some protesters are planning to wear rainbow arm bands to the march, which is scheduled to take place on private property.

They're protesting a new policy in the Mormon Handbook that reads: "A natural or adopted child of a parent living in a same-gender relationship, whether the couple is married or cohabiting, may not receive a name and a blessing."

On Nov. 5, the Church also announced that children of same-sex couples may be baptized only once they reach "legal age" and no longer "live with a parent who has lived or currently lives in a same-gender cohabitation relationship or marriage," the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

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If a child of a same-sex couple wishes to be baptized or to do missionary work, after reaching adulthood, he or she must request permission from the Office of the Presidency. The individual must also be "committed to live the teachings and doctrine of the Church," and disavow "the practice of same-gender cohabitation and marriage."

Also, if members of the Church enter into a same-sex relationship, they will face disciplinary action.

"Under the new church policy, people in 'same-gender' marriage have been added to the list of those acts of circumstances that are considered apostasy and would be subject to disciplinary action," the Tribune reported. "Historically, the church has excommunicated some members who have acted on their same-sex attractions."

The Mormon Church announced that the policy is effective immediately and the rules "have been approved by the Council of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles," the highest leadership of the LDS Church.

"I just did something I thought I would never do. I resigned my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons) and asked that my name be removed from the records," wrote Kate Kendell, executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, in a Nov. 10 Washington Post commentary.

Kendell said she is being forced to "disavow the church" because the policy promotes "gratuitously cruel and stigmatizing treatment of children."

"It is impossible for me to be a part of a religion that would attack its own members and punish them by denying their children involvement in the church," she wrote. "The move is as clever as it is draconian. Members seeking to live lives of integrity as openly LGBT people must not only leave the church, but take their children with them. It requires a particular streak of evil genius to manufacture such a 'Sophie's choice.'"

Kendell added, "The church has just lurched to the extreme margins, far from its core values of love, toleration and mutual respect."

LDS Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah (Photo: YouTube screenshot)

She also criticized the Church for its promotion of Proposition 8 in California. In 2008, voters in the state passed the ballot proposition and state constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union of a man and a woman. A federal judge in California, who was reportedly living a homosexual lifestyle, overturned Proposition 8 in 2010.

Since the Church's role in passage of Prop 8, Kendell wrote, "legions of faithful Mormons left the church or expressed profound sadness at its unprecedented involvement."

Kendell said she attended a Mormon conference in Utah two months ago and met many Church leaders who supported LGBT congregants.

"I met a lesbian couple from Seattle who are married and who attend services with the blessing of their Mormon bishop. It was a happy conference, and there was a clear sense that the Mormon church had softened its positions toward LGBT members while still holding fast to its core doctrine opposing recognition of same-sex marriages."

She continued, "Against that backdrop comes this repugnant and deeply stigmatizing pronouncement. I can't help but think how crushing this news is to everyone who had begun to believe that they could both love their church and love themselves or their LGBT family. I can't help but think about that lesbian couple in Seattle and their bishop, who tried to do the right thing and now must turn this couple away. The consequence of these policy changes is emotional carnage to individuals and families who simply wish to live as their authentic selves and remain part of a religion they love, but which does not deserve them."

Nearly 2,000 people took to a Facebook page called "Mass Resignation from Mormonism Event" to express their support for the protest. It is unclear whether the individuals posting on the page are actually practicing Mormons. Some comments on the page  included the following:

• [T]his is not meant to disrupt anyone's night. Just a friendly demonstration, holding hands and wearing an identifier to show your support and love for the LGBT community and the Mormon LGBT community.
• I just really love your idea, and think it would be great if it were a movement that spread across the U.S. Or more on a show of solidarity against the BS.
• Also I was just thinking that it would be so cool to hold hands together, gay or straight and surround the square in solidarity
• They can't ban what color you wear! Temple square is far from holy ground! And if Jesus was there he would be wearing a rainbow arm band!!
• I'd rather cut off my arm than set foot in a church again. I haven't been active in 6 years.
• Why are you making nice? A friendly demonstration is not the correct response.
• Why you're wasting your time on niceties? What this movement needs is to dish out some heavy doses of ridicule combined with negative media coverage. Let the church know the entire country is looking on with disapproval.