debor067

To: Abbottsville Stake From: Mitchell Knightly, President of the Abbottsville Stake Subject: New policy for full time missionary applicants Recently a 20-year-old young man was denied the opportunity to serve a full time mission when he told his stake president that he did not support the LDS Church's stand against same-sex marriage. While the local authorities acted in good conscious at the time, the incident sent shock waves through the missionary community. In the hours since the story broke, over 1000 potential missionaries have withdrawn their applications based on similar objections to church positions. Additionally, a growing number of missionaries in the field are requesting early release, complaining that they can no longer present the official views of the LDS Church with a straight face. Because of these unfortunate developments, the Brethren have decided to add a "don't ask, don't tell" policy to the missionary application process. From now on, all fu...

To: Abbottsville Fourth Ward Relief Society From: Margaret Spencer, Visiting Teacher and ward token feminist Subject: We've come a long way ladies! Dear Sisters, I've just learned that the  first woman to offer a prayer in General Conference  will be none other than the pioneering champion of gender equality, Sister Barbie Wooley! For those of you who don't know her, Barbie began her career as a "Mormon feminist"at BYU in the late 1970's when she was called before University Standards for wearing a pro-ERA button to her child development class. She was also cited for other high profile protests, such as wearing non-feminine-cut jeans in her dorm laundry room, refusing to make a Holly Hobbie jumper at a stake Homemaking activity, and turning down a marriage proposal from a returned missionary. In 1981, Barbie finally tied the knot with her fellow student, Wayne Midgely. However, their brief union ended abruptly when Wayne discovered that Barbie intended to stay...

To: Abbottsville Fourth Ward and the wonderful people who read this blog From: Donna Banta Subject: Hello and Goodbye Dear Gentle Readers, I'm sorry that I haven't been bringing you any emails from the A-4 lately, also that I've neglected to read and comment on some of your blogs. I've been preoccupied. First I, and the many who knew and loved him, mourned the death of our friend, Kerry . Directly after that, Mark and I travelled to Austin to say hello to our newest granddaughter! Keya and her baby sister, Maya Then as soon as we returned, we were called to Salt Lake City to say goodbye to Mark's excellent father, Roger Wade Banta . He led an amazing life, was loved by many, and will be dearly missed. At a time of such bittersweetness, I can't help but be reminded of how fragile and precious life is, and how essential it is to live one's life to the fullest. I intend to begin by committing to write every day, do good deeds, walk on the beach, spend time wit...

. . . makes some people prefer death.  My friend Kerry died on Monday. He was an ex-Mormon, a gay activist, and a talented graphic artist turned landscape architect. He was literally wrapped in love by his partner Olivier, his many friends, and the hundreds of people whose lives he touched. Among them were the participants on the Recovery from Mormonism bulletin board where he was a permanent fixture for many years, posting under the moniker Flattop SF, and later as xyz. He was 53 years old. He was raised in Chicago in a strict LDS home. He told me that when he left his Mormon mission in the late '70's and later came out as a gay man, his believing LDS family rejected him in the name of god. He also told me that his brother tried to kill him twice, and that his mother shunned him--until recently, when her bishop gave her "permission to love him." I have a hard time processing this sort of thing. This week, efforts to sum up my thoughts have ended in long and tearfu...