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Salt Lake
City: A group of about 150 Mormons quit their church in
a mass resignation ceremony in Salt Lake City on Saturday in a
rare display of defiance ending decades of disagreement for some
over issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage.
Participants from Utah, Arizona, Idaho and elsewhere gathered in a
public park to sign a “Declaration of Independence from
Mormonism.”
“This feels awesome,” news agency Reuters quoted Alison Lucas, from West Jordan, Utah,
who took part in the rally amid soaring temperatures as saying. “I don’t
know if I would have had the courage except in a group.”
The Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is
known for its culture of obedience, and the mass ceremony was a
seldom-seen act of collective revolt.
After gathering in the park, participants hiked a half-mile up
nearby Ensign Peak, scaled in 1847 by church President Brigham
Young to survey the spot where his Latter-day Saints would build a
city.
At the top, those gathered gave three loud shouts of “Freedom,”
cheered, clapped and hugged.
“It’s been a hard journey and this is a symbolic end,” Reuters
quoted event
organizer Zilpha Larsen, of Lehi, Utah. “I just hope that it
boosts people up and helps them feel more comfortable in their
decision.”
The church bills itself as the one “true” Christian faith, and its
theology promises families eternal relationships among those who
remain faithful, sealing those gifts through special religious
rites.
Among the reasons cited by those resigning are the church’s
political activism against gay marriage and doctrinal teachings
that conflict with scientific findings or are perceived as racist
or sexist.
Others cite inconsistencies in the Mormons’ explanation of its own
history, including the practice of polygamy. The church renounced
plural marriage over a century ago as Utah was seeking statehood.
Asked about the resignations, a church spokesman said the church
loves and respects each member.
“People make their own decisions about the direction they will
follow in life,” spokesman Michael Purdy said in an e-mail. “While
there are very few who take this action, it is sad to see someone
choose to leave. We wish them well.”
The most recent figures show the Mormon church claims 14.4 million
members worldwide. The number of those resigning from the church
are not publicly reported.
Among prominent Mormons is Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican
presidential nominee facing off against President Barack Obama in
November. Should he win office, Romney would be the first Mormon
elected to the White House.
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