Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid keeps a copy of the Book of Mormon in his office just off the chamber floor. There’s a second copy handy to give away to someone in need of spiritual guidance.

“I’ve had more than that,” says the Nevada Democrat, pulling the extra edition from his desk drawer. “I have one left.”

The Temple-recommend-carrying Reid is very active in his church, say fellow members in the Washington area. But that may come as a shock to some Mormon critics who contend that the Senate leader’s political stands put him at odds with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

by Dan Aiello
Bay Area Reporter
Reprinted with permission

Chino’s Preface: Fred Karger, of Californians Against Hate fame, recently marked the launch of his new Mormongate.com site with the publication of several never-before-seen internal LDS documents regarding a 1990′s contest in Hawaii over the issue of marriage equality.

In the course of reading through Fred’s docs, one name in particular caught my attention: Debi Hartmann. Could this be the same Mormon mom whom I’d recently seen speaking in support of her Local 5 union and its affirmative stance re marriage rights for all? Indeed it was, and here’s Debi making her case around the 4:25 mark:

The Mormon church claims to have only spent a few thousand dollars on the campaign, but ANP has uncovered evidence that may expose a gaping hole in that claim.

By MATT SCHAFER, Southern Voice | Jan 12, 5:17 PM

From the pulpit of Tabernacle Baptist Church on Sunday, Rev. Al Sharpton called out the Mormon Church and other conservative faiths for mobilizing to support Proposition 8 to ban gay marriage in California while refusing to be as involved in any other social concerns.

INTRO BY JOCELYN LOREN, PHOTOS BY BRENT DUNDORE

Reposted from Frontiers Magazine (Los Angeles)

The rainbow-striped flag proudly serves as a reminder of the diversity that makes up our community — the colors, faces, personalities, interests, propensities and … denominations. The upheaval from the subsequent passing of Prop. 8 has fostered a great Mormon/gay divide — fueled by difference, ignited by politics. On these pages, Frontiers gives voice to those least heard, whose dual identities vehemently, so it seems, oppose each other. We asked three “gay Mormons” to share their personal thoughts and experiences, and though the views expressed are not necessarily that of Frontiers, they’re among a small sample of a voice that needs to be heard. We ask only that you listen before trenching deeper into the growing rift. Three perspectives: pain, hope and love.

Admittedly, I got busy with the holidays and fell behind in my reading at some of my favorite websites. I figured I could bookmark, spend a couple days getting reacquainted with the wife and kids, and then catch up later.

Later was apparently too late:

No longer available? Now that’s disappointing.

Boycott Utah? Absolutely. I still think it’s a no-brainer response to Prop 8′s Mormon-funded passage and something that has to happen.

Granted, some folks will hem and haw, but the reality is that it’s already happening and currently ongoing. And here’s my request to those of you reporting on the boycott: next time you feel the impulse to deliver instant gratification to your readership re how the boycott is faring, please first take a moment to pause and consider what a sad joke it is for professionals like you to expect boycott proponents like me to be available to quantify the impact-to-date after one friggin’ month, given the current national economic situation, and the fact that Utah’s peak ski season hasn’t even started yet, not to mention that every Utah official who you might query will have a vested interest in disavowing any impact.

The author, Sheldon Rampton (center) in a photo from his days as a Mormon missionary.

BY SHELDON RAMPTON

Reprinted with permission from PRWatch.org

I posted a brief item [on PRWatch.org] recently about the PR nightmare facing the Mormon Church as a result of the prominent role it played this year promoting Proposition 8 to ban same-sex marriage in California. At the urging of church leaders, Mormons spent about $20 million on the effort, which probably provided the margin that enabled the proposition to pass.

Steve Gomez is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and he has done a couple of columns on the situation with El Coyote. The first is an interview with Margie Christoffersen, the El Coyote manager and daughter of the owner of the restaurant.    The second is a summary of the feedback that was sent along with his commentary, and decision to stand by his first article.   Below is a letter that I just sent to him, though I doubt he’ll continue the saga in the Times.

BYU NewsNet, the BYU campus newspaper, did a story on December 10th that frankly talks about the energy around Prop 8 on campus before the election. The reporter also reviews the infamous “Six Consequences” document and scratches the surface of the claims, including the top line pro and con arguments against them.