From Despair to Hope
I’m a proud descendent of Mormon pioneers, who traveled from Scandanavia and the British Isles, crossed the American Wilderness, and settled in Utah — all because they wanted to have lives free of persecution, to live honestly and proudly about who they were and what they stood for. I hope that the tradition has worked its way down through the generations to keep us all proud of who we are and mindful of the importance of standing up for who you are.
A famous Mormon story tells of Brigham Young learning of a group of these pioneers stranded in snow, with no provisions, and only part-way along their journey west. Standing at the pulpit of the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City for a conference, he gave orders to people to leave the conference and prepare wagons and immediately travel to these people to “Bring them in from the Plains.” When the rescuers arrived, the survivors told of how their spirits turned from despair to hope.
It is fitting that a memorial service planned for Sunday in Salt Lake City carries this famous line as its title. We lose far too many gays and lesbians to suicide because they are so despondent, stranded in a lonely wilderness, starved for love and support from families and friends who have abandoned them, and they see no hope of rescue on the horizon. All of us, Mormon or not, know both those who have lost the struggle and those who have survived it. This memorial service, organized by the Foundation for Reconciliation, honors both.
One of the items on the program is a video by actor Will Swenson. (See a preview on the right.) I cannot be in Utah to attend it, but urge everyone who possibly can do so to arrange their schedules. The service is Sunday, October 4, at 7:00 p.m., at the First Unitarian Church, 569 So. 1300 East, Salt Lake City.
For more details, visit the Foundation’s web site.
