Ward holds a Sunday meeting with actively gay speakers

[_I have a question]

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/701 ... -3rd-hour/

We attended a Riverton ward today (don't remember the name.) They combined the SS and RS/PH, so the meeting was 1:45 long. I took a rough count. About 250 - 300 people. There were two cameras recording the meeting. The bishop started out by saying they were going to talk about loving and accepting LGBTQ people. A member of the SP gave the opening prayer.

First speaker: A gay man who had married a woman and has a child. They are now divorced. He tried to make it work, but he is gay. Did everything he could, but he is gay. Loves the church and its teachings, (but he is gay and that is never going to change.) In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen (ItNoJC,A)

Second speaker: A gay man. Teaches at BYU. Did everything he cold to not be gay. Dated women for 10 years, attended temple weekly, read scriptures, prayed, wrote in journal, but he is gay. He is the happy gay Mormon (for now) who is content to remain single (for now) and help gay people accept themselves and help family members and friends accept them. (ItNoJC,A).

Next speaker, the mother of a gay teen who took his life. His struggles and the unkind ways he was treated. (ItNoJC,A).

Next speaker, the husband of the above woman. Same basic thing. Very raw and gut wrenching. (ItNoJC,A).

Next speaker, a gay woman married to a woman. Her wife was also there and she made 3 or 4 references to her wife. Talked about her amazing mother who rejects her wife and their marriage. Read several letters to her mother (some of them not sent) seeking to re-establish their previously close relationship. (ItNoJC,A).

Musical number by two gay men.

Next speaker: A lesbian woman married to a woman. Told of her upbringing and her struggles with prescription drugs and her self loathing because -- she is gay. Now clean, happily married to a woman and has a child. (ItNoJC,A).

Next speaker: The mother of the above woman. She was TBM but has come to love and understand and accept her child. Talked about her faith journey. She is still in the church. (ItNoJC,A).

Last speaker: Bishop. We are out of time, but he gives some scripture references about loving and accepting. The meeting ends 4 minutes overtime.

Just wanted to get this on the record. This will happen more and more in the future in more places. Bottom up revelation is what is going to change the church. Of course many people will not change, but some will. Since I knew more than 90% of the LGBTQ people and their allies, I payed attention to who I thought were the regular ward members. Many of them thanked the speakers and offered encouragement or positive comments.

[_I have a question]

The video of the Sunday meeting about loving and supporting our LGBTQ brothers and sisters is still under works. Here is the outline for now that Bishop Augenstein followed for the meeting and the exact words he delivered. Please feel free to read and share with your loved ones and wards and stakes as a template of a discussion or a meeting that would promote more love and support for our amazing lgbtq friends.

January 28th, 2017

Intro

I would like to thank everyone for being at this very special meeting today. As many of you know, Susie and I have been very involved this last year in serving and getting to know many of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. We have spent hours at a place in Provo called The Encircle House which serves members of this community in helping to prevent teen suicide and homelessness. Believe it or not, these difficult circumstances not only exist but are currently skyrocketing. While tragic on one hand, it has brought so much love and joy into our lives as we have sat and really listened to our new friends about what it means to be gay. I am humbled and quite frankly in awe of some of the people you are about to meet today and their stories. In this meeting, we are going to hear from three different perspectives all of which need our love and support.

We are going to hear from people in the LGBTQ community who are active in the LDS church and need you all to understand what it feels like to be in a church where people still view them at times like they don’t belong and explain what they need from us.

We are going to hear from some who have stepped away from the church but still have beautiful ties and families in the faith and still desire to be loved and valued even though their viewpoints don’t coincide with LDS doctrine.

Lastly, we will hear from families in the church with LGBTQ children who desire love and support from their ward families and a great desire for their children and grandchildren to be loved and accepted by their ward members whether their kids choose to stay apart of the mainstream church or not.

The people within the LGBTQ community need us, and today I am giving you a chance to hear their stories and to ask yourself at the end of this meeting “what would my savior have me do? How would He have me talk about and treat people who are not exactly like me? What is it that Heavenly Father would have me learn? I pray that the spirit will be with all of us during this meeting and that we can not only listen with our ears, but really listen with our minds and hearts to gain a better understanding about those within the LGBTQ community. And from that, create an increased level of pure love for God and ALL of his children.

The agenda for the meeting will proceed as follows:

Kent Carollo – Graphic Designer and presenter at the annual “Affirmation” symposium which is an outreach program for Mormon LGBTQ families and friends
Ben Schilaty – Spanish Professor at BYU, also a presenter at Affirmation.
George and Alyson Deussen – Proud parents of their son Stockton who recently lost his life to suicide.
Musical Number “Nearer My God to Thee” by Cole Rasmussen and Max Eddington
Jordan Sgro – Chief Program Officer at Encircle House
Our concluding speaker will be Sister Debi Day and her daughter Morgan Burdi

Conclusion

Thank those who participated today in our program. I pray it was as informative, edifying, and faith promoting.

http://www.mormondialogue.org/topic/701 ... ur/?page=6

Bishop Paul Augenstein, Parkway Ward, Riverton Utah Summerhill Stake

[_Tom]

"There were two cameras recording the meeting."

This is an act of apostasy. Per Handbook 2, 21.2.10, "making video recordings in chapels is not permitted."

[_Madison54]

"There were two cameras recording the meeting."

This is an act of apostasy. Per Handbook 2, 21.2.10, "making video recordings in chapels is not permitted."

They held the meeting in the cultural hall so it could be recorded.

That thread on MD&D is amazing to read through. Scott Lloyd's posts alone make it worth reading. He's quite the guy!

[_moksha]

Assuming this report is accurate, it sounds like it was largely propaganda for the position that gay marriage ought to be accepted and normalized within the Church.

I think I would have gone home after sacrament meeting.

Including speakers on the program who were in a gay or lesbian "marriage" and thus were unabashedly engaged in apostasy and violating the law of chastity would have been the deal killer for me.

What an astounding glimpse into the apologetic mind. That thread presented the fun imagery of a coterie of MD&D board members dancing around a stuffed scarecrow and gently poking at it to test its rigidity.

[_Tuna_Surprise]

"There were two cameras recording the meeting."

This is an act of apostasy. Per Handbook 2, 21.2.10, "making video recordings in chapels is not permitted."

They held the meeting in the cultural hall so it could be recorded.

That thread on MD&D is amazing to read through. Scott Lloyd's posts alone make it worth reading. He's quite the guy!

https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... n/dthvky6/

From reddit - Kimberly Anderson is reporting that the church has now moved the goalposts and stated that no videotaping in the cultural hall is allowed.

[_I have a question]

https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... n/dthvky6/

From reddit - Kimberly Anderson is reporting that the church has now moved the goalposts and stated that no videotaping in the cultural hall is allowed.

Interesting that the Area 70 demanded a copy of the video. I’d have had to respond to him with “What video? Don’t you know video taping in the cultural hall isn’t allowed?”

[_Madison54]

Interesting that the Area 70 demanded a copy of the video. I’d have had to respond to him with “What video? Don’t you know video taping in the cultural hall isn’t allowed?”

Where did you read about the 70 demanding a copy?

Looks like they moved the goalposts regarding video taping in the cultural hall

What does it state exactly in the handbook about recording meetings? I know that just a couple of years ago, the leaders had requested that a 5th Sunday presentation on genealogy (with specific instructions of how to use the church's website, etc.) be video taped and given out to those who were not able to attend (including primary teachers and others). That meeting was held during the 3 hour block and in the cultural hall.

The leaders have got to be very afraid of these types of meetings. Did President Nelson mean what he stated in the press conference about loving the gay members and welcoming them?

Just not up close and personal or actually allowing them to speak to members, I guess.

ETA:
Just found this (in answer to my question about the 70)
https://www.reddit.com/r/exmormon/comme ... eeting_in/

Just spoke with my friend who was a speaker in the meeting last Sunday. He shared quite a bit with me, I'll try to remember it all and share it here.

The SP organized a Stake-wide LGBT+ outreach that he requested EACH WARD address this topic head-on. One of the wards showed the film titled 'Splitting the Sky: Meet Courtney and Rachelle'. He realized the ward had made a tremendous mistake and he approached a second bishop and asked if they would do it right. The video recording was arranged by the people who presented, but it was done at the request of the SP. The intent is to show it to all of the wards in the stake.

The SP got a phone call from a 70 and demanded that the church get a copy of the video. I do not know if that will happen. The Bishop's wife is ready to go down for this cause and she's a firecracker. I can't wait to meet her.

This event was NOT done at the request of TSCC. This was a SP who felt that this was something his stake needed to address and so he did.

I am anxious to see how this plays out. The people who spoke are glad they did. They are trying to make a difference in many different areas where they can. Some are working directly with church PR. Some are being asked to help in individual wards and stakes. Each is taking this charge very, very seriously. The person I spoke with today said it's the most important thing he can do to honor the memory of his son. I would agree.

I am sure you have lots more questions. I'm afraid I've shared everything I can remember. Our phone call was only 45 minutes, but it was packed full of goodness.

Speculate at will. I know you don't need my permission.

[_Madison54]

This video will get out. There's no way it won't get leaked, in my opinion.

Does the church have any rights on the video (copyright, etc.)? It was filmed in one of their buildings, but does the person who owned the video equipment and recorded it own the copyright, or the church?

[_Res Ipsa]

State laws can vary, but in general: the speakers have a copyright in their speeches; the person who took the video had a copyright on the video. I don’t believe that owning the building gives the church any IP rights in the video, unless the church required transfer of IP rights as a condition of permission to film on its premises.