SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH – July 26, 2015 (Gephardt Daily)Â —Â The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has issued a written response to the mass resignation of nearly 100 church members Saturday in downtown Salt Lake City.
The disgruntled members said the LDS Church’s stance on gender equality and its alleged discrimination against the LGBT community are among the principle reasons for their decision to leave the church.
The organized event started with a march downtown and ended with the resignation letters being submitted at the LDS Church Office Building.
Kate Kelly, the women’s rights advocate excommunicated last year for insisting women be allowed into the all male LDSÂ priesthood, took part in the mass resignation event. The former co-founder of the group Ordain Women made headlines last week in a commentary in the Salt Lake Tribune when she told LDS women it was okay to leave the male dominated church.
“It’s not a sign of defeat or weakness to leave an institution that causes pain,” she wrote. “It’s quite the opposite … If the church does not “spark joy” in you, leave with your head held high.”
LDS Church spokesman, Dale Jones, issued a statement responding to Saturday’s mass resignation.
“Every person is valued and loved,” Jones said. “They are our brothers and sisters, colleagues and friends. Each makes their own decision about their participation and church membership. Regardless of their choice, we love them and wish them well, and hope they will find the support and answers they seek.”
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I also have a reply to the former members that have submitted a letter of resignation:
“Bye!”
so Christlike
Yikes, jerk.
So very Christ-like of you, thank you. But then again, the church focuses more on a pedophile than Jesus.
Best way to sum up the LDS Church in a sentence.
hmmm, sounds Christian like
A little bit of clarification.
1st. The word “Submitted” means just that, “Submitted.” It does not mean accepted or taken delivery. The letters were not left anywhere at any downtown church building. (If they were, they were not opened and immediately put into the bio hazard incinerator.) They will not accept even one letter, from anyone, for any reason. All correspondence must go through the U.S.P.S. (Period!)
2nd. All letters asking that their names be removed from the records of the church must come from the individuals own bishop. I believe these folks will come to find that they are still members of the church until the proper procedures are followed.
Oh but it is not a corrupt system. People cannot even leave when they want to. You have to go to your Bishop so he can send the missonaries and everyone in the ward to come knock on your door and try and change your mind and when they cannot change your mind you can be shunned by them and make your life harder living with all your neighbors shunning you.
Proper procedures? Funny, my letter was ignored by the local Bishop until received, yes in the mail, by the downtown office. It wasn’t easy to leave either: local leadership wanted to find every reason to blame me, wouldn’t believe I actually wrote the letter, nor could acknowledge I wanted to leave for no other reason than I no longer believed. Why is this so hard to grasp, or acknowledge?
Make it as hard as possible to leave: is that what you’re suggesting?
You’re fired!
You can’t fire me! I quit!
#byeFelicia
“Nearly 100” does NOT equal “Mass” anything. I’m sorry they feel the church was not what they needed but it’s their loss.
it was 165. But that was just on that day. People are leaving every day. I am in several social media groups with thousands of people in each group, that have left. That’s partly why we want our names off the records. The church inflates it’s numbers. Less than half the members are ever active.
I think it is hilarious that people need to resign. I am still on their “list” or whatever. Just never go, and never give any money. All they care about is the money. But at this point, if no member gave money again, they will never go broke because of their assets. I would think that people are leaving because Joseph Smith was a fake, and a con artist. In 10 years most churches will be so low on numbers, even more will close their doors. Just my thoughts.
Shun? Lol you are shunning yourselves… The gospel is true!
You may believe that but I don’t believe that the LDS church is the true anything. I am shunned by my neighbors I have grown up with my whole life because I no longer believe that the LDS church and gospel they preach is true. They show their true colors, and are not Christ-Like at all. Your comment also shows the closed minded state of mind that the LDS church ingrains in its members.
I am sorry that you are being shunned. I agree that many people in the church make rash decisions that ate not in line with what the church, or Christ taught. I am LDS, and it saddens me that people are treated like that. That is not what the gospel is really about whether you are no longer a member, aithiest, or of another religion, the doctrine of the church is to love and to show respect. Unfortunately, many people don’t understand how to live their religion, and follow the “culture” of the church, which are people making their own decisions, not the church, or its teachings. I guess it is called being human, but many people are pushed away because of it. However, I will say that we don’t all do that. I wish you luck!
What difference does it make to anyone? Why can’t people be left to believe how they wish without all the hype. And why all the negativity?
“We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may.” Period. That’s the right I claim and allow all other’s that same privilege.