I guess this shows what the priorities of Focus on the Family are:

Focus on the Family is poised to announce major layoffs to its ministry and media empire today, just weeks after the group pumped more than half a million dollars into the successful effort to pass a gay-marriage ban in California.  Critics are holding up the layoffs, which come just two months after the organization’s last round of dismissals, as a sad commentary on the true priorities of ministry.

Not only does this video talk about racism in the church and scripture, it shows how the Book of Mormon does change and evolve, much more than you’d expect for something that they believe to be a work of god. I hope that they have plenty of anytime minutes in their communication link to heaven. How will mormon doctrine and positions of today, with regard to Prop 8 and homosexuality, look when reflected upon in 20 or 30 years? Will they have more “revelations” about gay and lesbian children of god?

This is a press conference that occurred during the campaign where the parents of the children being used in the infamous “San Francisco Field Trip” commercial by Yes on 8 object to their kids being used in the propaganda.  They explain the TRUTH: that parents were asked for permission and indeed two families did not allow their children to attend.  A principal explains more about the strength of California’s parental opt-out laws.

Mormon blogs are using this image either from the bible or book of mormon, seeing themselves valiantly standing up to the angry mob shooting arrows below.  The story talks about the arrows that all miss the good person on top, in this case holding a Yes on 8 banner, or maybe some arrows bounce off of him.  I’m pretty sure this is a book of mormon story but it’s not coming to me.  Can anyone provide the details? (Thanks to Steve Carroll for the info in comments).

I just got an email from my mother saying that Elton John comments from USA Today are being circulated among her Mormon friends.  Looks like the Yes on 8 campaign is using them to try to raise more money.

Of course, I wish he hadn’t said such things.  My guess is that these were a few off the cuff remarks on the red carpet and they do not fully explain where he stands.  Further speculating, I’m thinking he’s one of our gays who finds it undignified to aspire to or assimilate with anything hetero.

Things in California continue to heat up. KTVU San Francisco reports:

Members of the gay community said that almost every Friday night, a Christian group meets at the corner of Castro and 18th Streets. They try to convert gays and lesbians into a straight lifestyle.  This Friday night, the message didn’t go over well. Some gays and lesbians reacted by trying to chase the group out of the Castro.

UPDATE: I just came across this absolutely ABSURD account of what was going on here!

This conversation is certainly worth a listen! Wow.  From Michelangelo Signorile’s blog:

This was my conversation with Nancy from Amarillo, a Mormon who donated money to the Yes on 8 Campaign. She called in after hearing many callers from around the country talking about protesting the Mormon Church for its helping to raise 20 million dollars among its members for Prop 8.

Click here to listen to the call

I thought that I’d post a little fun distraction from all the Prop 8 talk while remaining on-topic of Mormons. Actually, this is a good example to show how they feel when others try to push beliefs on them.

I’ve been involved in a bit of a debate over on Jewish Journal.  My latest post was in reply to a Mormon who simply can’t see why it’s so scary when people try to invoke their God into the laws of man.   I felt it was sufficient to simply quote from this 1954 talk by Mormon Elder Mark E. Peterson at BYU.  More on the history of Mormon racism can be found here.   Here is a partial excerpt.

From the Deseret News in Utah:

Owners of a Web site that specializes in advice and information for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints say their site was attacked the day following passage of Proposition 8 by people they believe opposed the measure.

Scott Proctor of Meridian magazine said the site was hacked into early Nov. 5, and its home page was replaced with “horrible, explicit lesbians films placed all over the cover.” Engineers took the site down immediately after the break-in was discovered, he said.