March 9, 2006
The Mormon Alliance deplores this threatened disciplinary council in the
strongest terms. It exposes an essential hypocrisy in the Church's position
that everyone is being held to the same standard of chastity outside
marriage and fidelity within marriage. Buckley Jeppson and Mike Kessler
went to considerable trouble and inconvenience to make their union a legal
marriage. For Buckley to be threatened with church discipline for his
fidelity in this marriage is a shocking revelation that the LDS Church
really does have a double standard.
"It is particularly hypocritical for his leaders to invite him to quietly
resign. Such an action, given Buckley's faithful attendance and strong
belief in Mormonism, benefits, not him, but the Church alone. It would
relieve the Church from the need to confront its own brutal and
inconsistent policy and would allow it to further stigmatize Buckley as not
valuing his church membership.
"This is truly an opportunity for the Church to examine its policy against
the deeper, truer principles of Christ-like love. The Mormon Alliance hopes
it will do so."