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The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, which has a primarily GLBT Mormon membership, was featured in a June 5 Salt Lake Tribune story. Excerpts from the story follow: In the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ… gay people can have sexual relationships while receiving the blessings of the gospel. For church members, chastity means sex between two people who have mutual love and respect. "The Lord can't require gay people to have sex within the bond of marriage if they can't get married," says Larry Tidwell, presiding patriarch of the church. "My own feeling is that those who have the law will be judged by it, and those who don't have the law will not." The Restoration Church performs "sealings" -- much like marriage ceremonies in the LDS Church -- in a room of the chapel that has been dedicated as a "temple." Like the LDS Church, Restorationists have endowment ceremonies but they do not do them as proxies for others nor do baptism for the dead. The church believes in the same scriptures used by the LDS Church, but also has its own book of scripture, Hidden Treasures and Promises, which contains revelations members believe were given to church leaders by God. Unlike the LDS Church, which limits priesthood membership to males 12 and older, the Restoration Church allows women to hold the priesthood and any church office, including president. Members believe in a Heavenly Mother along with Heavenly Father and speak openly about her. They believe in the Word of Wisdom, which forbids the consumption of alcohol and tobacco, but that it is a health guideline, not a requirement for church callings or temple recommends, documents that attest to a candidate's "worthiness" to enter the temple. It was in 1985 that six men in Los Angeles who had left the LDS Church founded The Church of Jesus Christ of All Latter-day Saints -- later changed to The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ to avoid confusion with the LDS Church -- as a haven for gay Mormons who feel estranged from the LDS Church but still keep the faith. In 1989, there were congregations -- called "families," not wards -- in Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Houston, Albuquerque and San Diego, but now only the Salt Lake City group remains. "Our mission is to those who feel outcast and lost," says Larry Tidwell, presiding patriarch of the church. "This church is an option, a choice for the marginalized." Angela Carter attends the Restoration Church with two of her kids and her partner Bonnie Workman. She enjoys being able to worship the way she learned in her youth in the LDS Church, but without feeling judged for her sexuality. "It's very different from the LDS Church," she says. "We accept one another." Carter and Workman are among only about 10 people who attend Sunday meetings regularly, and Tidwell recognizes this church is not an option that appeals to everyone in the gay LDS community, which likely numbers in the thousands. Some reject religion entirely when they come out, especially those who maintain Mormon beliefs, he says. "They've been burned [by the LDS Church], and they don't want to come here and be burned again," Tidwell says. The Restoration Church of Jesus Christ does not claim to be the only true church, but rather sees truth in all churches spawned by Smith, including the LDS Church and the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints). The Restoration Church has experienced a lot of flux in its 19-year history. Two years ago, McIntier and Tidwell were the only two people showing up on Sunday. Now a few more come regularly to meetings, and McIntier says he is in touch with about 50 people who are affiliated with the church but live too far away to be active members. "There are so many times when it would be easy to give up," says McIntier. "But little things keep happening to make me think this is still the right path, this is still what God wants us to do." For more information about the Restoration Church of Jesus Christ, call 801-359-1151 or visit <www.poboxes.com/rcjc>.
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www.affirmation.org