Dear President ______,
I just received this eloquent and powerful message from an active and committed member of our church.
Dear Sam,
Thank you for your bravery in this very disturbing issue. What you are doing cannot be easy for you, your wife, or your family.
Both the children, and the church’s good name need to be protected by what you are doing.
I love the church and the gospel very much and I also care very deeply for the well being of our youth.
If policy is not changed as you suggest, I fear both our children and our church’s good name will be in jeopardy.
There are so many people who need to hear the gospel and may not be open and willing to allow their families to learn if these practices stay in place.
One of the main principles of the church is that families can live together forever. We are all working towards being together as a family with our Heavenly Father because we love Him and them so much. He has given us these perfect beings that are truly His children first. They are just on loan to us, but we love them dearly, and we are charged by Him to make sure they return home to Him, to keep them safe BOTH spiritually and physically.
It is my belief that this is the highest calling that we can have on earth.
What you are doing supports that work, the gospel, and the integrity of the church.
Thank you.
President, don’t let the Church’s good name be harmed. Don’t allow further damage to be done to our children.
National media are going to eat this up. Our non-Mormon neighbors are going to throw up. Bishops and many good members are already calling for these changes to be made…or making the changes themselves.
You are a good and righteous man! Join me at the news conference. Call for the protection of our children.
Love and best wishes,
Sam
Tocubit Is Invisible's Cubit 
Dear Sam,
What an amazing letter from a TBM!
Here is how that letter speaks to me:
It is beautiful evidence that the loving energy and core values of Jesus Christ are alive and well within the LDS Church.
Where in the Church?
In the hearts and souls of MEMBERS wlo truly love and value … not only their own children … but ALL children.
Where NOT in the Church?
The answer to that question is self-evident.
Hope for the future: That the Love of Christ that dwells in the heart of so many faithful members of the Church will turn out to be … contagious … and eventually infect The Brethren.
No sign of that happening so far, but never say never. Sam is serving up the Good Name of the Church to The Brethren on a silver platter. All they have to do is think about Jesus … and how Jesus treats children … and then do so likewise.
This is a NO BRAINER. Fortunately (or unfortunately … you pick) it is all about THE HEART.
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Afterthought …
If someone speaking to you from a heartfelt position of Truth and Love … makes you uncomfortable …
… you’ve got some work to do.
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Sam, That’s a great letter you received. I am a lifelong member of over 50 years. Because of your example, I wrote an email to my stake president today asking him to protect the children. I requested that we implement a policy of no one-on-one interviews with youth. Also that he give specific teaching to leaders and members on what is and is not appropriate to discuss so that everyone knows when things are out of hand and can alert someone to a problem should it arise. Keep up the push. This needs to happen. Why do people dig in their heels so much on this? This is so obviously needed so resistance to this makes no sense to me. Thank you!
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Dear Sam,
I have no doubt that the “Strengthening the Members” committee is not only carefully monitoring your online Petition List, but also watching you . . . including reading every word posted on your blog.
That being the case … well, why not? … I will take this opportunity . . .
Dear Strengthening the Members Committee staffer assigned to monitor Sam’s blog,
Thank you for reading what I am about to write. You and The Brethren need to hear this …
Now about your committee’s namesake purpose of strengthening the members …
When it comes to the protection of LDS children, many of your members, including Sam Young, have already STRENGTHENED THEMSELVES to the point where they are right now … in this moment … as we speak … more powerful and influential than The Brethren and the entire senior leadership of the LDS Church all combined.
Just HOW STRONG have Sam Young and all of those who support his courageous cause to PROTECT LDS CHILDREN become?
They are STRONG ENOUGH to have ALREADY triggered The Brethren to lead their own astonishing campaign to self-destroy whatever vestiges of “good name” the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has not already tarnished in the Open Court of Public Opinion.
And, please, staffers of the Strengthening the Members Committee who are reading this, please convey the following communiqué to The Brethren:
Dear Brethren,
YOU did this TO YOURSELVES! You brought Sam Young’s PROTECT THE CHILDREN initiative upon yourselves.
> How so?
Well, this revelation may surprise you, but YOU CREATED Sam Young. YOU created him!
> No way! Sam Young is a disobedient and rebellious APOSTATE! A loose cannon! We did not create him!
Yes, dear Brethren. You did. YOU created Sam Young. YOU are directly responsible for what Sam Young is doing … as we speak.
> That’s ridiculous! He is trying to destroy the Church and sully our good name. He is trying to harm the Church and its leaders! How on earth can you say what WE created Sam Young?
Very good question. I commend you for wanting to know the answer. This gesture of actual humility will serve you well.
Let me tell you a story … the story of how The Brethren created Sam Young.
You created Sam Young, starting back in the 1950’s when he was a bright-eyed little Mormon kid … showing up for Sunday School and Primary with the other kids in his ward. You created Sam Young when your Sunday School and Primary Teachers started teaching little Sam from YOUR lesson manuals … telling little Sam about what? … telling little Sam the stories of Jesus.
Your teachers taught a dumb kid going to Church that Jesus loves the little children … and that Jesus invited ALL little children “to come unto me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Many of Sam’s classmates might have been bored with the stories, but not Sam. He paid attention. And those stories of how much Jesus loves the little ones … and loves little Sam, too … found their way like little tiny seeds … that wafted into the heart and soul of that little boy … where those tiny seeds … those stories of Jesus … found some very warm and very fertile ground … right there inside that dumb little kid’s heart … and then started to grow. The powerfully strong and loving soul of Jesus and His love for all creation, not just the little children, took root and began to grow in Sam Young’s very young … and very tender heart.
Guess what happened next, Brethren?
> No idea.
Sam grew up. That little Sunday School boy is now a man. And as you are now painfully aware, Sam Young ain’t no ordinary man. He ain’t no ordinary man because the heart beating in Sam Young’s chest ain’t no ordinary heart.
What kind of heart is powering Sam Young?
The photo Sam chose for his graphics theme shows a lioness protecting her cubs, and in another scene, the lioness is roaring fiercely … defending her babies. With those photos, Sam is communicating to all with eyes to see … just what kind of heart beats in his own personal chest. It’s a heart that not only loves the children as Jesus loves them, but is fueled by a depth of empathy and compassion that does not hesitate to go to battle if necessary … to do what, dear Brethren?
To protect the children … from anything and anyone who has harmed them in the past … is now harming them as we speak … and if left uncorrected, will continue to harm the children in the future.
Yes, dear Brethren. Sam’s heart is all grown up. Those stories of how Jesus loves the little children are all grown up as well. They grew up in Sam’s heart over the years … along with the powerful love of Jesus intertwining and resonating within the core of the man, Sam Young. It’s who he is today … and what he is all about.
So … Brethren … do you understand now … just how YOU created Sam Young?
You taught little Sam the teachings of Jesus and told him about the powerful love that Jesus feels for all of God’s children … especially including the little children … innocent and defenseless.
Not that long ago, Sam was shocked to learn that LDS children … (the same children that YOU taught little Sam are dearly loved by Jesus) … are being egregiously shamed and humiliated on a regular basis … by many of YOUR local Bishops … acting under your direction and guidance.
… a word to those who hath ears to hear and eyes to see . . .
Dear Brethren, has it occurred to you that you might possibly have drifted off course over the years … to the point where LDS children ARE indeed being harmed … and that Jesus might be sending you a COURSE CORRECTION?
Has it occurred to you that the messenger of that course correction … might be Sam Young?
And after all, do you now see how YOU created him?
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Gary …your comment is the final word on this issue…brilliant, concise and to the point ! What I admire most is your ability to sustain your thoughts, never deviating and always supportive of Sam. My cup is empty …they are not going to change; may as well tear up those smiling photos of the 12, who failed to respond to Sam in SLC.I imagine you are Sam’s Kris Kristofferson, from start to whenever.On 2 April 1969 we were /sealed/married for time and eternity in the London Temple. I now feel nothing but revulsion for that date…would that it had never happened. Instead we can celebrate our civil marriage on the 29 March.This organisation has done this to itself as you point out, not as a consequence but rather by the failure of its leaders to accept the consequences of their actions…passive or active. As for paying homage to Jesus Christ …well by facilitating the many baptisms of Jesuis Christ in the temples, and excommunicating the whistle-blower, and disregarding Jesus Christ in “The Second Anointings”, and then including the name of Jesus Christ in the name of this organisation, there is nothing but blatant mockery of Jesus Christ. The Lord God is not to be found in the LDS / Mormon Church …not one whit. He is accessible to everyone directly.
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“My cup is empty …they are not going to change.” Oh man, I often feel the same. Then I get news that fills that cup. Three significant pieces of information have come my way this week. I’ll be writing more on these soon. In a nutshell, bishops and stake presidents are making changes. Good changes. Not everything we’ve been asking for. Nevertheless, it’s big. I have been super tied up this past week and will be for a few more days. I’m itching to blog and share the good news. Love you, my friend!
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