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Leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will ask California members to join the effort to amend that state's constitution to define marriage as being between a man and a woman.
A June 20 letter sent to the Church's congregation bishops and signed by Church president Thomas S. Monson and his two counselors calls upon Church members to donate "means and time" to the ballot measure. A note on the letter says it should be read during church services June 29, but it was published on several Internet Web sites Saturday.
Scott Trotter, a spokesman for the Church, said Monday that the letter is authentic. Trotter declined to comment further, saying the letter states the church's reasons for getting involved.
A coalition of conservative groups and churches fighting gay marriage in Utah is happy to hear the LDS church is becoming more vocal. Pastor Chris Clark in San Diego says the support of hundreds of thousands of California Mormons will greatly help them work to pass a constitutional marriage amendment.
"To have that group now mobilized to work to pass this amendment is going to be a tremendous boost," he said.
There are 750,000 LDS church members in California.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
