Category: Archive

If you are a Mormon apostle you have two objectives in life: put bluntly and secularly, they are, one, protect the Church, and two, grow the Church. Both objectives are under a new kind of attack. Not from enemies, but from a nemesis – Internet. Because of this nemesis, religions have lost their ability to control their “massage – message.” The Mormon Church is no different, Mormonism has had its history scrutinized and criticized as no other religion in American history, except maybe for the Catholic Church . . . anyway it’s been taken to the woodshed a lot. Church members have been exposed to scandal about their history which has shocked even the deeply initiated. Hard to top Joseph Smith’s bizarre involvement In polygamy. Within a short time, he married young ones ( very young ones), old ones, already  married ones, in between ones, maybe even dead ones. The Mormon apostles have worked hard to catch up with  nemesis’ constant supply of painfully true messages. but it’s hard, really hard. Recently, Church members were shocked  anew. A private Church policy sent out by the apostles to local Church leaders worldwide  was  leaked onto Internet. The policy instructed these  leaders to search out, confront, charge, discipline, and determine excommunication for gays who were involved in a same sex marriage. Worse, the leaders were told to cut off all children of same sex couples from being blessed and given a name (christened), baptized, given the priesthood, and having the opportunity to go on a church mission unless at eighteen years of age they disavow same sex marriage, and move away from their gay parents. Embarrassed by the world’s negative reaction, the apostles quickly responded to the leak by having one of their own interviewed publicly to soften the insensitive and nativist tone of the policy. The apostle was “kinda” (tongue in cheek) soothing: same sex marriage is a grievous sin. Those involved are apostates. The children of these apostates are to be cut off to protect them from the stress of having to navigate their activity in the Church. A more complete explanation regarding the children might have read: The policy Is meant primarily to protect the Church by sacrificing the children. And by sacrificing the children, it indirectly protects the children. Protection assumes danger. These apostates and their children are considered a danger to the Church. The Church is not filled with members who are able to see themselves worshipping with same sex couples and their children. The apostles have gone as far as they think and feel they can go. If they thought and felt they could have gone further,  they would have gone further. They would go further in accepting same sex couples were it not for the  intolerance of the members. Really? Maybe it’s not the members. We’re not always the  cause of all the faults that befall the world. Maybe it’s God who told the apostles not to accept unclean same sex couples and their children. Really? I can’t see God making children outcasts no matter what explanations are given – at least not the God of the New Testament, maybe the God of the Old Testament, but not the New Testament. Ok, that’s a possibility if the Old Testament God gave the directive. At least the apostles have protected the homeland by supporting state legislation that guarantees and protects the civil rights of same sex couples. But you know the apostles have united with conservative Christian religions nationwide in saying no same sex married couples in their congregations. The apostles  are now sure they have  protected the Church – they have fulfilled their first mandate to protect the Church. The challenge now comes with the second mandate: grow the Church. In protecting the Church they may not be able to to grow the Church. The apostles should ready themselves to do a lot of protecting, for there may not be a lot of growing. So where am I? All are welcome at my table. I and mine need not be protected from them and theirs. You ask, how’s the family doing? Fine thank you. They keep growing.