Open Letter to Mormon Church President Thomas S. Monson

June 14, 2012

President Thomas S. Monson
The Office of the First Presidency
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
50 East North Temple Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150

Dear President Monson:

I was honored to be placed on the June 26th Utah Republican Presidential Primary ballot by State GOP Chairman Thomas Wright. I have competed in other state primaries this year, Utah is my sixth.

I hired a small Utah campaign staff and made my second visit as a presidential candidate to the state last week.

We campaigned all over in our "Utah Express" mini-bus and had an official kickoff press conference last Friday, June 8th at the Salt Lake City Downtown Marriott. That is when I released my June 7, 2012 letter to you requesting a meeting.

On Monday I had a wonderful meeting in the Southern Utah city of St. George with the Washington County GOP Chairman Willie Billings. Then a few hours later I received this mean-spirited email from Nanette Billings, his wife.

From: nanette Billings (email address removed) Subject: running for president

Message Body:

you are an idiot. You met with my husband Willie Billings today about you being on the Utah ballot. He brought your frisby, and tshirt home and it is now out in the trash. I never want to hear from such a radical idiot again. you think you are conseritave? conseritave means you beleive in the values of founding fathers and God. Do you know you cant procreate right? Well thank goodness for that. Nanette Billings

This mail is sent via contact form on Fred Karger for President http://www.fredkarger.com

It felt like a knife had been twisted in my stomach. Was it real? Was she serious? Two journalists called Mrs. Billings and what she said about me to them was even nastier. Here is some news coverage:

Yahoo News by Chris Moody: Gay Republican presidential candidate Fred Karger gets a rough welcome in southern Utah
CLICK HERE

Huffington Post by Alana Horowitz: Fred Karger, Gay GOP Candidate, 'Only Running To Find More Partners', Says Nanette Billings
CLICK HERE

Los Angeles Times by Mark Z. Barabak: Requiem for a candidate: 'I could have been the gay Herman Cain!'
CLICK HERE

St. George Spectrum by Samantha Sadlier: GOP presidential candidate promotes equality CLICK HERE

I have been campaigning full time for the last 2 ½ years and am well aware that many people around the country are not happy with the fact that the first openly gay candidate is running for President of the United States.

Two years ago I was threatened in a late night email from Steve Scheffler, the head of the Iowa Christian Alliance.

Des Moines Register by Jason Clayworth: Iowa GOP committeeman to gay candidate: I'll sink you CLICK HERE

But I forged ahead from that experience and have not been attacked quite like that until this week. I am 62-years-old and can take the hate better now, but for so many millions of LGBT Americans it takes a far greater toll.

We must stop this Religion-based bigotry. I once again appeal to you as the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church) to sit down face to face and find common ground.

We all need to work together toward mutual love, respect and equality for everyone in this great nation.

Thank you very much.

Best personal regards,

Fred Karger

 

Follow Fred Karger on Twitter: www.twitter.com/fredkarger

Comments

[Maj Divine]

04:24 PM on 06/15/2012

You can put her name in Facebook and look both of them up to send messages.

[girona]

03:16 PM on 06/15/2012

How does this make National News? This GOP Chair represents a County of 2,000 people. He likely ran against nobody to get that appointment. This is like Green Acres!

[wesleypresley]

10:16 AM on 06/15/2012

Mormons in that area of the country massacred 138 pioneers bound for California in the 1860's.

[TheSimpleFarmer]

03:41 AM on 06/15/2012

Lets not forget the Mormons who marched beside "us" at a Gay Pride parade....this hateful women does not speak for all Mormons any more than the Pope speaks for all of us Catholics.

[TheSimpleFarmer]

03:38 AM on 06/15/2012

Big HUG to you friend....hang in there. :)

[DeanWormer]

09:35 PM on 06/14/2012

Never heard of this guy. I'm guessing the President of Mormon Church has heard of him either.

[Jeremy Bursac]

02:38 AM on 06/15/2012

You would be mistaken, because Karger has managed to get state authorities in CA and in ME to being looking into financing irregularities in the National Organization for Marriage's anti glbt activities there, including funding coming directly and indirectly from the Mormon Church.

They know who Karger is.

[Mark 14 51-52]

07:50 PM on 06/14/2012

The LDS Church is a Global Capitalist Corporate Enterprise specializing in the manufacture of dog whistles.

[jmiche]

07:29 PM on 06/14/2012

I just came out to my mom today around 1:13pm this afternoon, and I'm feeling quite sad right now. I can't stand her crying the way she has. I don't know how i should feel right now.

[rdariusxxxx]

09:37 PM on 06/14/2012

There's far too much that we don't know to be able to really give any advice. Sometimes moms cry because they really had no idea, or did but chose to repress those ideas. They are not necessarily anti-gay, but simply need time to digest this information. If that's your mom, then you don't have any worries. She will still love you, and support you. Good luck.

[jmiche]

10:10 PM on 06/14/2012

Thanks, seeing her in so much pain cause today to be one of the saddest day that I ever experience.

[Jeremy Bursac]

02:46 AM on 06/15/2012

At first I assumed the post was a hoax, but then I checked the (few) other comments by this poster at huff p.

[GeorgeFTL]

10:28 PM on 06/14/2012

No matter what, just always remember that you have no fault for who you are. If anything your parents created you the way you are. You have to find a way to come to terms with who you are and like yourself thatway. What the others say and think does not matter. It is Your life.

[jmiche]

12:01 AM on 06/15/2012

Thank you for you kind words... It'd just though at this moment... I'm trying to see the positive in it.

[A Better Amercia]

07:17 PM on 06/14/2012

You don't want to offend The CORPORATION of The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. They on the other hand can send out 50,000 missionaries to tell everyone that all other christian faiths are wrong and only the LDS Church is right with God. Heck, he (God) was so disappointed with all the "sects" of christianity he came down himself, with one of his sons and told Joseph Smith "They are all an abomination in my sight" and that he was starting over by having Joseph create Mormonism. If you study history, the foundation of this huge "missionary" force was as Joseph Smith's ELECTIONEERS when he ran for President. Which wasn't too long after he secretly declared himself King of Earth. It's all documented folks, just google it for yourself. You can get copies of ORIGINAL documents from pro-LDS authors very easily...

[eliasasm]

08:22 PM on 06/14/2012

And Joseph Smith translated the 'Golden Plates' by putting on magic glasses, sticking his head in a hate covered with a sheet and looked at rocks while another man sat behind a sheet and wrote down what JS said. Also true.

[tracerhaha1]

08:41 AM on 06/15/2012

He was illiterate.

[Robert J. Feldman]

05:42 PM on 06/14/2012

Nanette Billings exemplifies ignorance and hate.

"you think you are conseritave? conseritave means you beleive in the values of founding fathers and God".

How does one spell "semi-literate"?

"Do you know you cant procreate right? Well thank goodness for that."

Who says we can't procreate?

Kudos and props Fred for running a courageous campaign showing that people old and young alike can live their lives as they choose!

[GeorgeFTL]

10:34 PM on 06/14/2012

Yeah the "you can't procreate" part is the dumbest of all statements. Last time I checked all my genitalia is intact and my sperm count is above average, so yeah, I can definitely procreate.

[rdariusxxxx]

10:52 PM on 06/14/2012

I would find it hard to vote for any Republican, even a gay one, at this point in time. However, I commend Mr. Karger and wish him luck in what he must know is a lost cause. Despite what some people may believe, there needs to be gay Republicans. Some work from without, and some work from within.

IMHO

[garganto]

05:28 PM on 06/14/2012

well...the woman's email does say a lot about the Mormons.

[IAmForLiberty]

10:06 PM on 06/14/2012

1. Do we even know that Nanette Billings is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

2. Even if she is this doesn't say a lot about Mormons.

[silentangel6721]

11:22 PM on 06/14/2012

Do you know she's Mormon? Also then what does that say about every person who writes rude commentry proclaiming their from a particular religious or non-religious group? One person does not speak for a nation

[basilva1]

04:48 PM on 06/14/2012

I don't know about bigotry. Here is what I do know about a small sample of the differences between LDS and Christianity. Christ is not the brother of Satan. Jesus Christ and God did not have a plan B for the U.S. via an angle named Moroni. Joseph Smith, Brigham Young etc. were not the voice of God on earth while they were here. Faith in Christ does not require the Book of Mormon. I could go on, but what's the point.

So this is not bigotry, it is a difference in idiology. No matter how mainstream these and other differences are they are at the foundation of LDS. I have no doubt that some LDS are actually Christian believers, but they have given up on the tenets held within the Book of Mormon. After all the Centuiron that came to Christ for help with a sick servant was accounted to have great faith. I owuld be willing to be that at the crux of that the Centurion saw Christ's divinity and forsook his belief system, for what was clear before his eyes at that moment.

[Art Fewell]

07:07 PM on 06/14/2012

did you read that in the book of Jesus chapter 12 verse 9 where Jesus told you to go start your own theocracy and legally force people to live according to your beliefs? Your notion that this country is supposed to be a theocracy or else will get punished isnt biblical at all, at best that goes way back into the old testament which is filled with laws you dont even try to follow because you believe that Jesus abolished all the laws that you dont like, while apparently preserving the ones that you want to use to judge others with. This country is not a theocracy, your bible doesnt tell you to make it a theocracy, but it does tell you to leave other people alone and not judge them. It is absolutely about bigotry whether it is done in the name of joseph smith or in the name of jesus it is still bigotry.

[Nathan Brittles]

04:36 PM on 06/14/2012

Yet Karger ignores the increase in this bigotry aimed at Mormons by liberals which adds to this cycle.

www.buzzfeed.com June 14,2012: ''Study: Liberal Anti-Mormonism on the Rise''. [ the article adds a 2011 NEWSWEAK cover poking fun at Mormonism as displayed by Romney, something they would never do with Islam].

[Toddler]

08:17 PM on 06/14/2012

If you mean by "bigotry aimed at Mormons" educating people what Mormons actually believe and the history of Mormonism then guilty as charged.

[eliasasm]

08:50 PM on 06/14/2012

Far too many people seem to missing the important issue here. It's called Civil Rights. It is not necessary or required to get any church's or religion's approval. What's worse is religion is standing in the way of Civil Rights. Prop 8 would not have passed if not for the power and wealth of the mormon church. Religion is the reason for this whole unnecessary situation which has nothing to do with them. How anyone cannot see the obvious is baffleing. How so many "Americans" cannot see the obvious is baffleing. It is not helpful for Mr. Karger to seek common ground, it is enableing a situation that should not be in the first place. This is the United States of America a Democratic Republic where Man's Law comes before "God"'s Law. This is a Civil Rights issue, period. Been there done that. Let's move on.

I don't seem to see anywhere where Islam is standing in the way of Civil Rights in America like Romney and his people.

[Brady McElligott]

04:29 PM on 06/14/2012

Good luck with THAT one, Mr. Karger--but I really do wish you good luck in the long haul.