If a Mormon senator or state representative publicly disagrees or even rebukes the top 3 or 12 leaders over a poltical disagreement,would he be automatically excommunicated?Sucha case is playing out now.

Gutsy! It will be interesting to see how this plays out...

I think Urquhart may be on his way out. It would be political suicide, but I think he sees through the hypocrisy & BS coming from the rulers in the COB. Calling them out in the media is encouraging. Just like Madsen on the Medical Marijuana issue. The old guys at 50 N.Temple must be grinding their dentures down.

I, for one, am glad to see(finally) our state lawmakers pushing back on some of the church abuse that goes on every year up on the hill. It is so disgusting to see how TSCC sticks its nose into these issues every single year.

<<"It is our church which has specifically rejected that balanced approach."

<<Mormon legislators seldom, if ever, are publicly that blunt.

I can see the senators point, the church wants Utah society to accept lgbt rights but within it's own walls that certainly isn't true, they have no rights.

The problem is that Utah is a theocracy through and through. it isn't just some vague influence, the church actively directs politics here. Most people don't realize this unless they live in Utah and pay attention. The Mormons don't care, they already live under the church's thumb so it seems perfectly normal to them that the church also directly controls the government.

Really the feds need to step in at the state level the way they are doing down in the plyg towns in southern Utah. A state with 60% Mormons in the general population shouldn't have a state gov with 90% Mormons. Non-Mormons literally have no voice here at all.

I agree 100%
There at least needs to be options for federal hearings on issues where Utah legislators are obviously influenced by the church. What is really sad is that Mormons (just like most people in this country) are perfectly fine with trampling on the rights of others. Once the tables are turned, they're not so keen on majority rule or legislators being influenced by special interests. I really don't give a damn what Mormons do or believe, but they don't have the right to force their morals and beliefs on everyone else.

As for this case, the church isn't stupid enough discipline this guy for speaking out. If they ever do, it will not be for this outburst, it will be years down the road, and for something else entirely.

The dirty little secret is the active church members are already a minority and we need to realize that and start acting like it and the political landscape will change. Right now Utah is 60% Mormon and 40% non mormon but if you take the 60% only half at best are active in Utah. That leaves a 65-70% non-mormon inactive mormon majority.The 35% run this state. Wake up people open your mouth and start acting like a majority and demanding representation.

One more thing. Make a call to the First Presidency's office, quorum of the 12 offices, Governors office, Senate and house offices you representatives and start bitching. This is like South Africa thirty years ago we need to take our great state back.

Utah needs non mormons to run for offices. The non mormon majority needs to vote for them. Until that happens, the church will continue to run Utah as if it's their own private little state.

I see this as a very slippery slope for the cojcolds. The members are no longer afraid to take them on. And it won't end with hate crime legislation. These law makers will go after their tax exempt status, claiming the church is a corporation (which the brethren freely admit) and that they are influencing the political process.

Now that their own members are no longer intimidated by the man behind the curtain the cojcolds is deep trouble.