Gay Mormons Seek Meeting With New Leader

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon08/02/021908mor.htm

A group of gay Mormons is seeking an unprecedented meeting with the new church president and his counselors, hoping to begin a conversation and find ways to address the concerns of its members.

Affirmation, with more than 2,000 gay, lesbian and transgender members, is not recognized by the church, which at one time labeled homosexuality as a problem that required help.

"Although there are many areas of hurt and disagreement that have separated us, there are many more areas on which we can find agreement, and in doing so, become a blessing in the lives of many of the Saints, both straight and gay," the group wrote in its invitation to Thomas S. Monson last week.

Monson assumed leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last Sunday following the death of its previous president, Gordon B. Hinckley.

[ZombieHorde]

1. Affirmation -

http://www.affirmation.org/

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This is the letter that they sent.

Dear President Monson:

Please allow us to extend our deepest and most sincere sympathies upon the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley. Our prayers go out to his family and to you and the other leaders who must guide the Church during this difficult time.

In addition, we extend to you an olive branch, a symbol of peace. We appreciate that the next several days and weeks will be extraordinarily busy for you, but when you are able, we would like to open a dialog with you to work together to find better ways to counsel and to support those Church members who are homosexual, as well as their family members and their Priesthood leaders. We believe that by working together this can be done in a manner consistent with Church doctrine and the teachings of the Savior. Although there are many areas of hurt and disagreement that have separated us, there are many more areas on which we can find agreement and, in so doing, become a blessing in the lives of many of the Saints, both straight and gay.

We hope that you might be moved to give serious and prayerful consideration to this invitation, and that you might do so in the spirit in which it is offered. Although the Church and Affirmation have had their differences in the past, and will probably continue to have differences in a few areas for some time to come, by seeking areas of agreement, we believe that all of us can better get on with the work of becoming more like the Savior and serving our fellow man. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,


AFFIRMATION: GAY AND LESBIAN MORMONS

W. Olin Thomas III
Executive Director

David W. Melson
Assistant Executive Director

James Morris
Assistant Executive Director

http://www.affirmation.org/media/2008_02_09.shtml