Mormon Church Alters Boyd K. Packer's Anti-Gay Message
PUBLISHED: OCTOBER 08, 2010
Salt Lake City ABC affiliate ABC4.com is reporting that the Mormon
Church has altered Boyd K. Packer's anti-gay message.
In the original sermon delivered Sunday at The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints' (the Mormons) 180th General Conference in
downtown Salt Lake City, Packer told millions of followers that being
gay was not born of inbred “tendencies.” But in the church's online
transcript, the word “tendencies” was changed to “temptations.”
And the sentence, “Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone?”
was omitted entirely from the following passage: “Some suppose that
they were pre-set and cannot overcome what they feel are inborn
tendencies towards the impure and unnatural. Not so. Why would our
Heavenly Father do that to anyone? Remember, he is our Father.”
Packer, the president of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles, also railed
against gay marriage. “To legalize that which is basically wrong or evil
will not prevent the pain and penalties that will follow as surely as night
follows day.” At the behest of their leaders, Mormons donated millions
to the 2008 campaign to ban gay marriage in California.
In a statement released Thursday night, the church said it “recognizes
the right of groups to voice their opinion in the public square.”
“However, those familiar with the Church's doctrine on the importance
of marriage and family know it is based on principles of respect and love
for all of God's children. We have continually emphasized that there is no
room in this discussion for hatred or mistreatment of anyone.”
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation's largest gay rights advocate, called the apostle's statements “inaccurate” and “dangerous.” The group
told the AP that they'll deliver more than 100,000 letters to church
headquarters on Tuesday asking Packer to recant his statements.
BY ON TOP MAGAZINE STAFF
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