Mormon critic John Dehlin will have to wait to learn his fate

NORTH LOGAN, Utah (RNS) John Dehlin said he knew church discipline might be a “possible, even likely outcome” of his efforts. “I am not a victim. I don’t fault the church.”

John Dehlin, creator of MormonStories.org, is facing possible excommunication for his stance on LGBT Mormons.

NORTH LOGAN, Utah (RNS) John Dehlin will have to wait a little longer to see whether he still will be able to call himself a Mormon.

John Dehlin, creator of MormonStories.org, is facing possible excommunication for his stance on LGBT Mormons.

John Dehlin, creator of MormonStories.org, is facing possible excommunication for his stance on LGBT Mormons.

The “Mormon Stories” podcaster met with his local lay leaders Sunday night (Feb. 8) for more than three hours in a disciplinary council that ultimately could cost him his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.


Church representative James Jenkins said Dehlin will learn his fate by mail from North Logan Stake President Bryan King “in the coming days after prayer and deliberation.”

“I will be waiting anxiously for that letter,” Dehlin said.

Emerging from the closed-door hearing in a North Logan Mormon meetinghouse, Dehlin, striding hand in hand with his wife, Margi, addressed the remaining onlookers, thanking family members and supporters for their continued backing.

“I am deeply grateful to the LDS Church for my upbringing,” Dehlin said in a 10-minute speech, describing parts of his spiritual journey. “It is inextricably connected to who I have become.”

Telling personal stories “brings us out of the darkness,” he said. “But our journey does not end at self-discovery. We must find healing.”

While the disciplinary hearing took place inside the meetinghouse, Dehlin’s supporters prayed, gave short speeches about the importance of independent thinking and authentic faith, swapped stories, carried candles and sang the rousing Mormon pioneer hymn “Come, Come, Ye Saints.”

Dehlin was summoned to the council by King to determine whether the Mormon critic is guilty of apostasy.


“I started ‘Mormon Stories’ 10 years ago to support people struggling with their faith,” Dehlin told the crowd before the hearing. “I have made a lot of mistakes, but I just wanted to provide an open discussion and community so that people could support each other.”

He knew church discipline might be a “possible, even likely outcome” of his efforts, Dehlin said. “I am not a victim. I don’t fault the church.”

Dehlin, a frequent critic of Utah’s predominant faith, previously said he expects to be excommunicated. His lay LDS leaders also could choose to disfellowship him or take no action.

For years, Dehlin has publicly expressed doubts about core Mormon beliefs and history. He also openly supports same-sex marriage and women’s ordination to the all-male LDS priesthood.

(Peggy Fletcher Stack writes for The Salt Lake Tribune)

KRE END STACK

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