I was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sept. 30, 1978, 45 years ago, the day at which members during General Conference sustained the earlier revelation that year about the priesthood being open to all worthy males.
My wife, Sally, and I joined the church when we were married teenagers. We now have six children and 23 grandchildren. Though we originally are from just outside of Washington, D.C. — married, baptized and sealed while living there — my work at Sutherland Institute brought us to Utah for 20 years.
Unless you were born after 2000, you probably know of me through my public policy work at Sutherland Institute — conservative, fearless, controversial and effective. I am an orthodox Saint.
Here is what most people do not know about me: I am perhaps the most authentically unorthodox orthodox Latter-day Saint you will ever meet. Sally and I now live in Las Vegas. I have long hair. I have three tattoos. We left Utah on purpose because we hate — yes, hate — Utah’s hyper-Latter-day Saint culture. We grew wearisome over living up to other people’s expectations for us. We have one God, why did we need 400 more every Sunday?
Of course, there were many other personal emotions involved in leaving Utah. Just as everyone reading this, we too are unique in our gospel and church experiences.
