Mitch Mayne, Openly Gay Mormon, Takes LDS Leadership Role In San Francisco

By Peggy Fletcher Stack
Salt Lake Tribune

(RNS) Mitch Mayne is not the first openly gay person to hold a key leadership post within the all-volunteer clergy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but he may be the first to announce it from the pulpit.

On Sunday (Aug. 28), Mayne was installed as the "executive secretary" to the local Mormon bishop in San Francisco, a job that makes him highly visible as he assists the bishop in nearly every task.

Mayne will work in the church's Bay Ward, or congregation, which includes San Francisco's heavily gay Castro neighborhood.

Mayne's newly appointed bishop, Don Fletcher, said Mayne was chosen specifically to help build bridges between the Bay Area's Mormon and gay communities. The gap widened when the church lobbied hard for the passage of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage.

"I want to reach out to gays and let them know that they are welcome in the ward, wherever they're at," Fletcher said. "If they are, like Mitch, living the commandments, they'll be put to work."

Mayne was in a committed, monogamous relationship with a man that ended a year ago. Since then, Mayne said, he has lived by church standards, and his ecclesiastical leaders found him worthy to serve.

Mayne wrote on his blog, however, that he cannot promise a "lifetime of celibacy."

"I don't have a crystal ball or psychic powers," he said in a phone interview. "I don't know where the road will lead me, but my intent is to live my life according to the savior's will, with him by my side. That's embedded in my DNA as a Mormon."

Comments

[Inannawhimsey]

01:09 AM on 10/19/2011

So neat that a UFO cult (not being pejorative here) would be able to spread so far -- America definitely is the place where the Great Human Experiment continues

[Sheriff Creg]

08:38 PM on 10/18/2011

This is at least a good illustration of the Mormon doctrine - That is that it's not against the commandments to be gay (or to have feelings towards the same sex), but rather to act on those gay feelings.

Similar to someone who wants to have sex, but refrains until after they get married because it's against the commandments.

I know it's not totally comparable, but at least it's not the typical drivel you hear from the emotionally charged participants in the debate.

A good article in any case. I wish Mayne the best of luck in living according to his convictions.

[ZENNEPHI]

11:01 PM on 09/14/2011

..."Allow us to heed the Admonition of Sacred teachers, Songwriters, Apostles and
Prophets, less they Cry from the Dust..."
[Out of the Bishops Closet-Anthony Felez]-"A Time to Heal Ourseleves, Our Communitys"
San Fransisco Press.
Former Los Angeles LDS Temple Sealer

[Bob Kellerman]

05:03 AM on 09/10/2011

STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT MOREHOLE PROPAGANDA POST

-- meanwhile, truth is still truth, and lies are still lies

[COPESTIR3]

06:35 PM on 09/25/2011

Excellent post.

[liberal123]

05:23 PM on 09/07/2011

This is a PR move. The mormon church provided massive funding and manpower for Prop 8, shuns gay mormons, drives gay mormon teens to despair and suicide, and even opposes gay boy scouts. The liason is not a "pioneer" as the headline claims. He is an apparently confused and conflicted gay mormon who is agreeing to have no romantic love or sex in return for remaining in the mormon church. I hope he finds a partner, renounces mormonism, and reveals additional damaging information about the mormon church.

[Bob Kellerman]

05:54 PM on 09/08/2011

Oh, goodness me, how could you say that? Moreholes are such NICE people, always telling you to have a nice day and God loves you -- TO YOUR FACE, that is.

I am fond of posting this charming piece of their #2 man, last October, right after those well-publicized Gay suicides -- he wrote their anti-Gay pamphlet decades ago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zZ5YYfuSZQ

And the Prop 8 kinda stuff is NOT in the past -- NOM has put up billboards again NY State Legislators who voted for Gay marriage.
http://nomexposed.org/homepage-splash/

And Golly! Notice that some of the NOM board members sit on the board of the newspaper from which this article came. Such a co-incidence that "articles showing the modern progress of mormons on morals" seem to come from Salt Lake sources

[liberal123]

11:45 AM on 09/09/2011

Bob, I'd fan you again if I could.

I loved your comments on the article about the suicide of Marie Osmond's gay son. Keep exposing the mormon church's lies and machinations.

[Patrick Labbe]

07:36 PM on 10/01/2011

Friends of mine in Utah say it's an "open secret" that the current LDS Church President had many gay relationships in his younger days.

[gaboonviper67]

08:12 PM on 09/22/2011

The only damaging information that has been released is about gay people; that information being that temptations don't have to control a person's behavior. People can resist any temptation if following God's laws matter more than giving in to Satan's temptations just because it provides momentary gratification. Maybe Mitch has his mind set on a reward that will last beyond this life. I hope he can continue to walk the right path. That's the only way to receive the blessings he hopes for.

[Cheapthrills]

10:52 AM on 09/07/2011

So, has he paid for, I mean paid tithing (sarcasm), for the illustrious temple recommend?
And, where would he and his partner sit? The mormons separate the husbands and wives in their temple ceremony; men on one side, women on the other.

[PresReagan]

06:16 PM on 09/12/2011

Hence the problem with gay marriage. :)

[gaboonviper67]

08:30 PM on 09/22/2011

Name somebody that doesn't pay for what they believe in.

[jodieez]

11:26 PM on 09/05/2011

The mormons worked hard here in calif to defeat prop 8. Do you think they like LGBT folks?

It is just another ruse to convert gays to whatever the mormons are all about, which is what?

[PresReagan]

11:45 AM on 09/06/2011

Mormons are about:
family, faith in Jesus Christ and helping to bring that faith to those that are interested.

[Natuska]

01:31 PM on 09/06/2011

There's no scientific evidence at all - genetic, archeological, anthropological, linguistic - that anything claimed by the Book of Mormon ever happened.

Likewise, the genesis of the Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price is extremely suspect - the diagrams in that work (which are the origin for belief in the planet/star Kolob and the concept of the pre-existence) have been repeatedly and conclusively discredited by countless Egyptologists, as has the supposed translation made of this work (for those not familiar - it was allegedly in Reformed Egyptian and history really doesn't know what that is).

Lastly, there is the inconvenience that Joseph Smith tried to become a Methodist (but was rejected for necromancy) after his shifting account of his First Vision.

However, one defining feature of LDS faith is belief in the living "prophet" and the premise of "continuing revelation".

This has been used to cement faith in the First Presidency. For example, below follows the 14 Fundamentals of Following the Prophet, which Elder Benson sermonized about at length - just before he became the "prophet" himself. The 14 Fundamentals are taken from:

http://www.lds-mormon.com/fourteen.shtml

[jodieez]

07:00 PM on 09/06/2011

Yes and hating black people until recently in their history, and they still hate LGBT people

[Ben Ragunton]

05:45 PM on 09/05/2011

"I want to reach out to gays and let them know that they are welcome in the ward, wherever they're at," Fletcher said. "If they are, like Mitch, living the commandments, they'll be put to work."

As an gay Mormon (no longer active in the church) I find this rather peculiar. The concept that they are welcome to attend regardless of where they are at is actually not true. Some wards will not allow them to attend at all, let alone participate in any of the regular church service activities. Not only will they not be allowed to work in the church, but they will not be allowed to pray or even partake of the Sacrament.

I'm also surprised that he was even put to work in the first place. The church views homosexual activity as sinful, and if Mitch has even gone on record to say that he cannot promise a lifetime of celibacy then that would mean that he's not fully repented of such a serious sin, therefore he should not be allowed to actively participate in the church services until he has proven to the church leadership that he has turned his back on such sinful behavior.

[Bob Kellerman]

08:33 PM on 09/05/2011

YOU (AS AN EX) SHOULD REALIZE THAT EVERYTHING IS FOR PUBLICITY
-- look who wrote the article, and where it was published: basically a press release by the profiters, er "prophets"
-- they are trying to get the Gay Sympathisers off their back
--- and this is in the Castro District, where he is VERY unlikely to find right wing moreholes complaining about him at the meetings

WEEP FOR MAYNE, WHO IS WILLING TO BE AN "AUNTIE TOM"
TO STAY IN THAT WRETCHED "CHURCH"

[gaboonviper67]

08:33 PM on 09/22/2011

Why so confused? When he breaks the vow, he will be dealt with accordingly.

[bryanzth]

04:28 PM on 09/05/2011

Hmmmm, recruiting, aren't they? ;0)

BZ.

[PresReagan]

11:56 AM on 09/06/2011

Yes, that would be one of the commandments that Mormons believe in. That is why we have 50,000 missionaries throughout the world trying to give people a chance to find Christ and learn of his plan.

[Natuska]

01:33 PM on 09/06/2011

Deuteronomy 13:1-6

[bryanzth]

02:37 PM on 09/06/2011

No, honey, I mean your gay Mormons are recruiting. That's a joke, but you tro[[ites do not deal with humour very well. {snicker}

Which Christ? How's about nipping into Beatitudes, Parables, Letter of James and especially the Lord's Prayer (up to "lead us not into temptation, amen" but not further). There are many things that can be considered temptation, but the greatest of all is hubris or pride. Got hubris? ;0)

BZ.

[frank day]

12:17 PM on 09/04/2011

So, It's OK to be gay as long as you don't do anything gay.

Phenomenal.

[Bob Kellerman]

08:42 PM on 09/05/2011

I think it's OK if you do their wives' hair, but don't have the temerity to act like you have the same rights as a straight person

--- and, of course, since you are spoiling your mormon family's display in the afterlife, mormon Gay kids are treated like garbage unless they marry in the church

Note the poor, adopted kid of Marie Osmond -- the "straightening camp" did not work, so he went to fashion school in LA, later tossed himself off a roof.

(Meanwhile, have you heard the old stories about Donnie and the soldiers?)

[Lucy Duck]

10:08 PM on 09/05/2011

Your getting your facts mixed up. The child that committed suicide was her son that had been fighting depression. It is her daughter who has been in a lesbian relationship for 3 years and Marie Osmond came out against prop 8 also in support of her daughter wearing a "NO TO PROP" t-shirt.

[bannorhill]

08:05 PM on 09/06/2011

Just like it's ok to be an alcholic as long as you don't get drunk.

Or it is ok to be and addict as long as you don't shoot up.

[frank day]

08:27 PM on 09/06/2011

Ummmm... NO

[KirkCLinn]

01:53 AM on 09/04/2011

If hell is where all the gay people are THATS MY HEAVEN!

[KirkCLinn]

01:50 AM on 09/04/2011

Must be one of the 8 log cabin republicans in SF.

[dbrett480]

06:00 PM on 09/03/2011

Good for him, but I don't think he will be very successful at spreading Mormonism to the gays in San Francisco.

[phal4875]

09:55 PM on 09/03/2011

You never know, dbrett480:

There may be a deep hunger among the gay people of San Francisco for a life in a church that disrespects them. I know that this liberal Massachusetts guy would be a perfect fit in a Rick Perry cabinet some day.

[iknowscottyknows]

03:33 PM on 09/03/2011

Let's hope in his leadership role he leads people to Jesus and His teaching; forsaking the ever-changing social and political climates which are as cyclical as the weather.

[Norcal2]

07:40 AM on 09/04/2011

doubtful...the mormon church is not in the business of helping gays....moreso attacking them.

[Bob Kellerman]

02:46 AM on 09/05/2011

You mean using them as cannon fodder to promote their world view and keep their own flocks in line

[shirleyn48]

03:20 PM on 09/03/2011

THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. Their religion does not recognize gay relationships as valid. All churches accept all people, including gays. But you cannot act on your desire's and have a gay physical relationship. That goes against all religious beliefs. Just stating the facts.

[catmandoozy]

04:20 PM on 09/03/2011

Nonsense. There are many churches that accept gay people who have gay relationships. Not ALL churches are as hateful and discriminatory as the LDS church is...

[COPESTIR3]

07:04 PM on 09/03/2011

Excellent post\

[vonric]

10:49 AM on 09/05/2011

oops, intended this for direct response to Shirleyn48....

[Bob Kellerman]

02:49 AM on 09/05/2011

Shirley, if you were born in 1948..

A-- you are WRONG, WRONG, WRONG, in stating that all religions do not want Gays to have sex, including outside of marriage

B-- notice that your children probably disagree, and your grandchildren think that point of view is antiquated and bigoted

Or maybe you are a mormon