This is my much-less polite and anger filled resignation letter, as opposed to the message I sent to my immediate family. This was originally posted at The Friendly Atheist.
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Dear LDS Church,
It is amazing how much The Church has changed since my early Mormon upbringing. So many of the messages and teachings have changed and evolved over time. For example, when attending church:
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I was never taught about Joseph’s hat and stone used in the translation of The Book of Mormon.
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I was never taught that Joseph used to go treasure hunting with the same magic stone he used to translate The Book of Mormon.
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I was never taught about Joseph’s polygamy or underage brides.
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I was taught that Black people were less worthy than white people – and were related to Cain (and possibly “Bigfoot.”)
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I was never taught that The Book of Abraham was not a direct translation of the Egyptian papyri, but rather an “inspired translation.”
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I was never taught that there were several different and contradictory versions of The First Vision.
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I was never taught that The Book of Mormon had been repeatedly changed and altered from the original translation.
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I was never told that Our Heavenly Father and Jesus so hated homosexuals that They punish innocent children for the sins of their parents.
Yes. This last revelation was the straw that finally prompted this long overdue letter.
Although I have found other policies of The LDS Church hurtful, ignorant, and bigoted, this last policy change seems so malicious. So full of hatred. And I won’t be a member of a hate group, even in name only.
I received many odd and certainly unique lessons on sexual morality, and was frequently told in oblique ways that homosexuality was a sin, I was never taught that this kind of sexual immorality would damn the salvation of my children.
The LDS Church claims to be a loving, knowledgeable, and charitable representative of a just and loving god, but their actions speak louder than their empty words.
Potential converts to The LDS Church are asked to commit to baptism in the first discussion, then rapidly pushed through a shallow and superficial version of The Church’s doctrine and history in a mad dash to get them under the water and on the membership roles.
Eight-year-old children are encouraged, expected, and demanded to make lifetime commitments they cannot possibly understand, to a church which continues to hide, obscure, and deny it’s history and doctrines. Heavenly Fathers wants everyone, and quickly, before they start looking too deeply into the closet.
Except in this one special case; a child raised by same-sex parents.
Even if that child is raised in this fraud of a church by those loving, caring parents. Even if that child believes with all his/her tiny, pure heart that there is a Heavenly Father, and that Jesus knows and loves each of his beloved and innocent children. Even if all that child wants for their eighth birthday is to be washed clean of their supposed “sins.”
The LDS Church will tell them, “No. You are lesser in the eyes of Jesus and Heavenly Father.”
“Though you have done nothing wrong, your parents are the worst kind of sinners. Jesus does not want you as a member of His church, nor will He take you until you are old enough to curse the names of those who loved and raised you, and shake the dust off your feet at their doorstep.”
As of the writing of this letter, I am an atheist and an ex-Mormon. Should a Mormon member take my young child to be blessed into your twisted organization, however, my child would be accepted and blessed without pause or question because I am married to a member of the opposite sex.
This hate-filled policy is designed only to cause injury to an already injured population; the same-sex attracted people who The Church considers to be the loved children of Heavenly Father, who are doing their best to make it through this life whilst still maintaining some measure of belief in the deceitful message of eternity and love that you spout between vicious jabs at these wounded souls. It cannot and does not serve any other purpose.
This manipulative “guilt by association” is revolting behavior from anyone, let alone an organization which spends so much time talking out the side of its mouth about the importance and necessity of love, acceptance, and eternal families.
I have not claimed membership in this deception for years, but have never felt it useful or necessary to make it official. I do now. I cannot and will not allow you to continue to count me amongst your hateful, heinous, hurtful, and peculiar number any longer.
I hereby resign my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
In the last week there have been 2 significant changes to the LDS “Handbook 1” (which goes to the stake and bishop leadership levels), both relating to homosexuals.