Letter: Church protects freedom only for be..

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

I worry that Paul Sharp ("LDS Church is a protector of freedom of choice," Forum, Dec 5) has spent just a little too much time cooped up in his ward house. His claim — that the LDS church is "as fundamental a protector of freedom as exists" — is, well, mind-boggling.

We read that roughly 90 percent of Utah legislators are nominally LDS. Although it's possible that they are bad examples of what it is to be a Mormon, these legislators have greatly limited my ability to choose to a) purchase alcohol, b) buy a car on Sunday, c) marry someone of the same sex, d) obtain an abortion, e) adopt a child if I am gay/lesbian, f) learn about sex in school, or g) purchase "medical marijuana."

Mr. Sharp is not entirely mistaken, however: If I agree with everything that the LDS church teaches, then my freedoms are strongly protected!

Ken Roach

Salt Lake City

Letter: Church protects freedom only for believers