Additional Concerns (Bonus List from Mom!)

LGBTQ issues

• Offensive language used to describe homosexuals (getting better, but still a long way to go!)
• Involvement in Prop 8 in California (2008)
• “Conversion therapy” at BYU
• Past direction to marry person of opposite sex regardless, and current direction to remain unmarried and celibate if gay
• Extremely high rates of LGBTQ suicides throughout the years, including today
• November 2015 church policy announcing that members in a same-sex marriage are considered apostates and their children would have to denounce their marriage if they want to be baptized
• Reversal of that awful 2015 policy just over 3 years later in April 2019 (which is great, but why did it occur in the first place? Do we not have prophets for this kind of thing? Also, the reversal still was not accompanied by an apology or an admission that it was wrong, even though so many people were harmed by it)
• See lattergaystories.org (specifically on that website, you can download “On the Record,” which is a chronology of LGBTQ messaging in the church)
• Watch Imagine Dragon’s amazing documentary called “Believer”
• Also watch David Archeletta’s (davidarchie) heart-breaking Instagram video from January 15

Racism

Patriarchy and sexism

The idea of anybody being able to speak for God

The idea of anybody being able to deem another person to be “worthy” (we are all inherently worthy!)

Excommunication of people for speaking out on things (i.e. problematic history, harmful policies, etc)

Temples, need for ordinances

Families being together only if they are all Mormon, pay tithing, etc

Exclusivity

Tithing and church finances (no transparency, Ensign Peak)

Manipulative policies (i.e. temple recommend only if you pay, etc)

Basic character and goodness of early prophets

Gold plates (why were they even there?)

Problematic BOM stories (i.e. Laban getting his head chopped off, Ammon chopping off arms and piling them up, God cursing the wicked with black skin!!, etc)

Church deception and hypocrisy

Harmful tactics – shaming, guilt, fear, control