Todd Christofferson's brother is gay and just published a book about his journey back to the church. Being gay myself, I am absolutely pissed at this guy and the church. He sold out for a book deal and now many gay people are going to suffer because of it.

I can only imagine my family reading it and thinking, "oh, if we just love our son more he will come back". No, I won't. Why? Because it goes against every shred of moral decency and integrity that I have.


https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865688689/Gay-brother-of-Mormon-apostle-shares-his-spiritual-journey.html

I am really disgusted right now. Fucking cult!

"Eventually Christofferson's desire to return to the LDS Church resulted in him ending his relationship with his partner..."

And there you go. "Returning" to the cult meant giving up someone you loved, and who loved you. Because they're the wrong sex. Yes, such a loving, caring church.

You have every right to be disgusted. I am too. :(

That was the quote that got me too. Really disturbing.

I am seething.

This book will be used as a weapon against all of the gay Mormon kids who are terrified and lost and need anything but this. The Mormon church already has enough blood on their hands. This book is just one more way to spiritually and emotionally bludgeon their youth to death. My father would have loved to have such a book to give me and the loss of hope it would have inspired would have been unbearable.

Just like that post recently where the parents prayed for their gay child to be cured and then were happy when he was paralyzed because they saw that as an answer to their prayers. There are plenty of TBMs with the same mindset and this dangerous book will be the answer to their selfish ignorant prayers.

I can't see him as a victim. Tom Christofferson has created his own hell at this point and deserves his prison. He threw away his heaven which is fine, but the damage this book can do to others is without end.

Those were my thoughts exactly. I remember I was handed a similar book 20 years ago about a lesbian that came back to the church. It led me to wasting 5 years of my life going to reparative therapy and hating myself for not being successful.

And I agree about Tom Christofferson. He is a slime in my opinion. He sold out to the church. I wonder how much he was paid for the book deal?



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2017 10:46AM by Atari.

He was paid enough to consider it a blessing.

^^^ Yes!

The money changers are back in the temple.

In Mormon minds, God blesses in dollars. They always hold financial success up as a marker of Heavenly Father's favor. Tom would see money as a blessing no doubt.

I see it as Blood Money.

And people wonder why the suicide rate is so high in Utah?

Sure now that he is too old for sex he is going to throw a lot of young gay kids under the bus for some Judas gold.

yep. For the glory of God of course.

Once again the power of indoctrination is demonstrated in Tom Christofferson;s stoiry; indoctrination that is the opposite of critical thinking and education. Tom was stuffed with it growing up in the cult and then going on a mission. He was caught in a horrific whirlwind of being gay and being mormon. IMO, gaining critical thinking skills can be difficult and I think this would be especially the case when a person is told that who they are is evil and wrong and all they need to do is pray hard and attend their meetings for it to disappear.

I also can imagine that the church leaders have their radar geared to anything that might help "repair" their image with the world concerning the LBGTQ community. They are well aware of the opinions against them, so, at least for now, until the tide is too strong for them to butt against, they will play the game their way. I think they saw the opportunity for AN APOSTLE'S BROTHER to shout out his story in a book which I believe they would have TOLD him the Lord wanted him to write. And, for sure, the $$$$$ would have been dangled before Tom as more bait.

...and then the "faithful" will give the church's printer money for the book, they'll read it, and they'll feel oh-so-good about their church's bigoted policies -- because, LOOK! An apostle's brother came back from being full-on gay to being mormon-acceptable gay by dumping his loving, lifelong companion!

Sell Out

Judas Goat

Getting up there in age and maybe if the lds church is true (ha ha), then he needs to repent and "clean up his life" before he dies.

It is depressing that he would give up someone he had been with for over 20 years for the lds church. My ex would love to have found someone to be with for 20 years.

I am really bothered by this book. I'm torn because I really like the allies I've gotten to know lately, and yet I feel disposable in their excitement over this book.

I want to read the book because I feel reading it is important if I expect to react intelligently... but I don't want to contribute money to the cause. If I do, I'll find some way to share it so others don't have to waste money on it.

Whatever it says, I can't see anyone I know reading it and suddenly deciding to love me too much as a result.

If this were to be an important book to me, it should have been written by Todd Christofferson or the family 30 years ago when Tom wasn't back in. Now, it's too late. And I don't even believe the story of the Christofferson family. If they had loved Tom like any of their other children, they would have treated him and his partner like a straight couple and encouraged them to get counseling to stay together... NOT to separate. What his family did was treat them decently, but not in any extremely gracious or equal way. I'm personally tired of being told I should feel excited when I'm treated with the basest of human decency and that I should not expect too much more than that.

Also don't forget that Tom was only "successful" because he didn't follow the church's plan for 20+ years. It's those of us who did that bear the scars and I'm sorry but he doesn't get to be the poster boy for a righteous gay because I did it far longer than he has.

Tom's book is like a Vietnam War memoir written by a kid who fled to Canada and avoided the draft. Comes back years after the war is over, joins the US National Guard and tries to set himself up as a Veteran.

I wonder if there is anything to the timing of the book release being around the Affirmation Conference? I'm going for the very first time in 12 years and I swear if it's just one big circle jerk over this book I'm going to be pissed.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/2017 10:11PM by dadsprimalscream.

dadsprimalscream, your sentiment is my sentiment. This book just makes me angry. The way Mormons gloss over the issue is infuriating, dangerous, and immoral.

I have not been to Affirmation in 15 years. From what I have heard, it has changed a lot. It was very instrumental in getting me out of the church; however, I understand they have become much more sympathetic to the church. I would love to know what you think. Come back and report!

The only people the church accept are white robots. I was called a freak and a rebel back in the day and they dont like me one bit no matter how hard i tried in the cult. I could be the lord's best friend and they still would reject me. But its a great thing to be rejected by the cult i have learned.

I'm finishing up at BYU right now with a degree in psychology. Taking a gender class where it's less about the science of gender and more about shitting on gay people. My professor is reading tearfully from Tom's book right now. I might leave.

That is my biggest fear; this book being used as a weapon against gay people, especially kids.

Mormons can hold up the book to gay people and say "see, he did it" and then feel justified in their prejudice.

It makes me really sick that a psychology class teaches against gay people when these are the people that will be talking to gay people. Fucking goddamn religion.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/2017 02:57PM by Atari.

This book is revolting in so many ways. In addition to the points the other posters have made so well; I'm going to add this thought.

If Tom decided to return to the Mormon Church and break up a relationship--that is his choice to do so. BUT, it is a personal choice that should not be publicly trumpeted by his brother to strengthen a cult.

Love and hugs to our LGBQT sisters and brothers! The Boner.

I am not going to read the book or even the DN article.

More basic than one's sexual identity is the question of whether or not the Utah church is true. If it were really true, I would definitely go back. But I already know that it is not.

Why would I waste any time on reading what some members, gay or straight, think about gay issues or church issues?

If a gay Mormon asks me for advice, I would tell him or her to first address the question of whether or not the church is true.

When they find out that it is a sham, there is no reason to consider what the church might think about gay issues.

My mom asked me if I would come back to the church if they accepted gay marriage. I nicely said, "no way in hell." The church is a fraud and if they harm gay people now, who will they harm next?

tscc's PR machine will stop at nothing! This is sad on so many levels :(

Without meaning to generalize, just stating a fact of life: after 20 years together, sex becomes rare or non-existent in MANY relationships. (Both gay and straight.)

And maybe his relationship was no longer that great in other ways. (20 years together is not for everyone.)

So maybe divorcing was not that that much of a pain for him. And the prospect of getting money and attention with a tear-jerking book may have been another factor.

People his age don't have the libido of a 18-year-old. Retirement money may be more important that having a sex life at this stage. I can understand that, even though I do consider his book a potential source of harm for gay Mormon youth.

Deplorable.

That thought crossed my mind. It may have been a very lame excuse for him to get out of the relationship.

And years from now when he realizes his mistake and retreats from the church will he then write another book or will he quietly fade away and never say a peep as the book continues to be used as another poster said so accurately, "a Weapon"?