‘Mormon Stories’ Founder Faces Excommunication for Supporting Marriage Equality

John Dehlin has been notified that the Mormon church may be planning on excommunicating him in part because of his support for marriage equality.

Almost one year after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon church) excommunicated Kate Kelly for her role in the Ordain Women group, the Utah-based church is now moving against John Dehlin, founder of a popular podcast and website called “Mormon Stories.”

According to Dehlin, the church has notified him of a pending disciplinary hearing on January 25, where an all-male panel of local church leaders will decide whether or not he should be excommunicated. Dehlin says he has been told that unless he disavows his support for same-sex marriage, and takes down several podcasts that are critical of the church’s position refusing to allow female members to receive the priesthood or serve in church-wide leadership positions, he will be charged with apostasy and be kicked out of the religion.

“I would prefer for them to leave me alone,” he said in an interview, “but if given the choice between denying my conscience and facing excommunication, I’d much rather be excommunicated.”

In June of last year, the Mormon church excommunicated Kate Kelly, a human rights lawyer whose Ordain Women group requested that the church open up a discussion about women being able to hold the priesthood.

A disciplinary hearing was held at her church in Virginia, even though she had since moved to Utah. The all-male panel notified her by email that she had been found guilty of apostasy and excommunicated.

Church spokesperson Jessica Moody said at the time that while the Mormon church was “founded on the basis of asking sincere questions,” church leaders become concerned when a person begins to share those questions with others and  “drive those conversations beyond discussion, and a person or group begins recruiting others.”

 

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