Dear Kathy's List readers, friends and acquaintances,

We are writing to inform you all that Kathy Worthington passed away a few days ago. Kathy’s life touched many, so many that we are already overwhelmed by the number of those who looked up to, appreciated, and loved her. We know that many of you will want to join us for a memorial in Kathy’s name. However, we are unable at this time to find an appropriate venue for this gathering – a gathering that we are assuming will require a large meeting center. Perhaps some of you have suggestions where we all may meet to celebrate Kathy’s life. Once we figure out the details of the memorial service we will send another email.

Thanks to you all,

Kathy's family.

Kathy Worthington 1950 ~ 2007 Kathy Worthington was born Oct. 20, 1950 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She died at her home in Taylorsville on February 22, 2007. The fourth child of six, Kathy grew up in Utah, Arizona and California. Kathy loved school and loved to learn about the world. She discovered her love of languages at the University of Utah. Never one to do anything halfway, Kathy went to Mexico in 1972 to study Spanish. While there, she met and married Rudy Ju rez (later divorced) and had two girls: Rita Lucia (Lucy) and Sonia Cristina (Cristy). Kathy also busied herself helping to build a community for the poor, and taught English for three years. Upon her return to the U.S., Kathy's hands were full raising two children and working full time. In 1989 Kathy came out as a lesbian. She immediately immersed herself in the gay community and soon gained celebrity status via her prominent role as a gay rights activist. She organized women's social and support groups, planned political rallies and was on the board of the Utah Stonewall Center in its early days. She founded the Womyn's Community Newsletter in April of 1991, which was published for four years. This influential publication played a pivotal role in creating a cohesive lesbian community in Utah. In 1992 Kathy's heart was utterly won over by Sara Hamblin, the woman whom Kathy described as her "wife, life partner and best friend." The two participated in political rallies, marched in Washington, and were married at "The Wedding," the huge group union ceremony performed at the 1993 March on Washington for gay rights. Kathy and Sara were legally married in Canada in 2003. In their 14 years together they traveled widely, visiting 17 countries as well as much of the U.S. Sara was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. They immediately became experts on the disease. Through their studies and determination, they successfully fought off the disease for 11 years. After a battle with the U.S. Postal Service, her employer from 1986 to her death, Kathy was granted leave in May of 1997 to care for Sara during her cancer treatments, a highly celebrated victory for the gay community. Sara died at home in Taylorsville on February 21, 2006 with Kathy and their family by her side. Kathy's reach extended beyond even her own imagining. Her name is everywhere, from her direct and poignant postings regarding Sara's battle with breast cancer on bcmets.org, to her prominent work in the ex-Mormon community. She was the founder and administrator of the preeminent website providing information on resignation from the Mormon Church, www.mormonnomore.com. Her work in the gay community cannot be overstated. Kathy's generosity reached even further. She agreed to translate for a woman who was shot by her husband. Once, while discussing this series of events, Sara summed up Kathy's irrepressible drive to reach out to others: "Kathy gets confused about words sometimes. Maybe in Spanish the word 'translate' means to take someone under your wing and do everything you possibly can for them, no matter what time of day or night, no matter the distance, no matter the danger. If that's what the word means, then Kathy did an excellent job of 'translating.'" Kathy was a healing and informative force unleashed upon the world. Kathy changed lives, from Sara's, who said she went from being in the closet to "out on the front porch with spot lights turned on," to close friends, to those she never even met through her work in the community and on her websites. Kathy is preceded in death by her wife, Sara Hamblin, their "Big Boy" Chiffy, mother Luella, father Dale and brothers Rick and Allen. She is survived by daughters, Cristy and Lucy, former husband Rudy Ju rez (Ronnie), sister Dolly (Larry), brothers Marty (Gayleen) and Craig (Debra), and her cats Missy and Squeaky. Jude, Dianna, Kathy, Annette, Chuck, Penny, Mandy, Marie and Misty are special friends who were very close to Kathy, and have been especially supportive in this last year. Marilyn knows what comfort she brought to Kathy, and her family is overwhelmed by their appreciation for her. Special thanks to Margie and Alma for their support. Kathy's family extends their thanks to those who loved and followed Kathy through her eventful and influential life. Kathy's wish was to be cremated and her ashes joined with Sara's. The two were never meant to be separated. A memorial for those who wish to celebrate Kathy's life will be held Sunday, March 4, 6-8 p.m. at the I.J. and Jeann‚ Wagner Jewish Community Center at 2 North Medical Drive, SLC; 581-0098. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Utah Pride Center (www.utahpridecenter.org) or Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (www.bestfriends.org). A tribute to both Kathy and Sara may be found at http://www.geocities.com/kathywut/hom.... "Sometimes I feel downright wealthy," Kathy once said. "We are managing to do so many things that are exciting and fun that I feel very fortunate." Those of us whose lives were touched by Kathy's spirit feel just as fortunate to have known her.

Records with Annotations

In areas where the First Presidency has given authorization, an annotation may be placed on the ecord of a member whose conduct has threatened the well-being of other persons or of the church. An annotation helps the bishop protect Church members and others from such individuals. When a bishop receives an annotated membership record, he should follow the instructions in the annotation. Church headquarters will automatically annotate a person's membership record when the stake president or bishop:

1. Submits a Report of Church Disciplinary Action showing that the person was disciplined for incest, sexual offense against or serious physical abuse of a child, plural marriage, an elective transsexual operation, repeated homosexual activities (by adults), or embezzlement of Church funds or property.

2. Submits written notification that the person has been criminally convicted for one of these transgressions. Church headquarters also will automatically annotate a person's membership record when the stake president and bishop jointly submit written notification that the person has committed one of these transgressions before or after excommunication or name removal. In addition, the stake president and bishop may jointly recommend that a person's membership record be annotated for other conduct that threatens the well-being, of other persons or of the Church.

"My research has only involved studying church history and commentary, Mormon and Ex-Mormon Intellectual websites and not “evangelical Christian anti-Mormon lies.”

I didn’t realise for instance that Joseph Smith practised polygamy, and was married to 33 women, most under the age of 20, one as young as 14. That some of Joseph’s wives were already married to other men when he married them; a practice called polyandry. All of these facts can be confirmed by a simple look at the church’s own website, familysearch.org.

I didn’t know that all polygamous marriages were illegal in the USA. Yet we believe in “Obeying, honouring and sustaining the law. “

I have learnt an awful lot about the church which the General Authorities, though accepting as true, refuse to tell the general membership for fear of destroying faith!

There are many other issues, like; there are several accounts of the First Vision and Joseph Smith’s initial personal journal entry about the First Vision didn’t include seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ, but an angel. Then over the years the story got embellished till it changed to what we have today. Yet I was told it was the most momentous event to occur in this dispensation. Why didn’t Joseph initially record it correctly? And there are so many other things that have just dissolved my faith to the point I can no longer bear a testimony of the truthfulness of this church or even God."

"Excommunication of non-members: Norman Hancock

"The case of Norman Hancock is an interesting one. It establishes firmly that churches cannot excommunicate members who leave during discipline, based on the Marian Guinn precedent. That once someone quits instantly their legal protections against libel and slander are restored. The state has no authority over the the disciplinary process within the church, but the person has no longer given their consent and this changes things.

"The case is standard. In 1985 the Mormon Church excommunicated Norman Hancock after he submitted a letter of resignation to the Church. Hancock filed an $18 million lawsuit against the church, saying a person has a right to voluntarily resign from a Church. The suit was settled out of court. Church representatives agreed to change the records such that there would no longer be any record of an 'excommuication': the records would show that he resigned, that is he had asked his name be removed from the Church roll."

"Legal Precedent

"[The Hancock] case is important to establish the [Mormon] church's vulnerability to lawsuits when they refuse to honor resignations. . . .

"THE NORMAN HANCOCK LAWSUIT (Mesa AZ 1985)

"In 1985 the Mormon Church 'excommunicated' Norman Hancock AFTER he submitted a letter of resignation to the church. Hancock filed an $18 million lawsuit against the Church, saying a person has a right to voluntarily resign from a church. The suit was settled out of court and the settlement was sealed. An account on line reports that Hancock filed the suit himself, without the aid of a lawyer, after studying the Guinn case [see the link below for an explanation of that particular case]. The same account says that [Mormon] Church lawyers started discussing with Hancock just how much money he wanted, but he told them he didn't want their money, that what he wanted was to have his name cleared. Church representatives agreed to change the records such that there would no longer be any record of an 'excommunication': the records would show that he resigned (that he asked for 'name removal').

"The Hancock case shows that the [Mormon] Church is willing to settle out of court when someone sues because the Church 'excommunicates' them after they've resigned their membership. There were some defamation issues in the Hancock case that do not apply to most other cases, however.

"The Guinn and Hancock cases were the end of the era when the [Mormon] Church told members that there was no way to stop being a member except by excommunication. The Church began having a process it calls 'name removal.' However, the Church still tells bishops and stake presidents that a member who is 'transgressing' should not be allowed to resign, that 'name removal should not be used as a substitute for Church discipline.' If you've paid attention to the Guinn case, you already know that the [Mormon] Church is wrong about that and they can be sued for 'excommunicating' someone who already resigned. At Church headquarters they know this very well and they will usually put a quick halt to 'discipline' proceedings if they find out that the former members knows what his or her rights are."

1. There is no Church beyond what DC 10:67-68 says. Literally, legally there is no Mormon Church.
2. There used to be a Church, but it was dissolved by the Edmunds-Tucker Act over the polygamy issue. It was never reorganized as a Church with members.
3. Typical American protestant churches have members. Leaders in those Churches have fiduciary duties to their members. Members have legal rights in their Church.
4. "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" is a registered trademark owned by Intellectual Reserve, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Corporation of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It isn't an organization. It is like a slogan ("Just Do It") or brand ("Coke Zero") or d/b/a ("Kentucky Fried Chicken" owned by YUM! Brands, Inc.)
5. The COTPOTCOJCOLDS is what is called a corporation-sole. It has only one shareholder/member. Currently Thomas S. Monson is that shareholder/member. He owes you no duty. You have no voice, rights, or say of any kind regarding the operation of the corporation. (Note: There is also a Corporation of the Presiding Bishop OTCOJCOLDS and various other local Corporations of the President of the ________ Stake that are also set up as corporation-soles. I understand that the Oakland Temple property is owned by the COTPOT Oakland Stake OTCOJCOLDS. In addition to the corporation-soles there are a bevy of subsidiary corporations like Intellectual Reserve, Inc. which holds the intellectual property rights of the Church.)
6. The COTPOTCOJCOLDS (probably, it could be a subsidiary) owns and maintains a computer system. That system includes records of all people who have been blessed as a baby in a Mormon meeting. Confusingly they call these people "members", which they are not. (Note: Not even "members" by their own doctrine which requires baptism and confirmation--but blessed children are counted as "members" in the computer system and resulting published and reported statistics--and none are legal "members/shareholders".)
7. Once you are in that computer system, you will never be out of that computer system. Ever. If you "resign" your "membership" what you are actually doing is asking them to annotate your record in the computer system to say you do not submit to them (they call this apostasy). When they excommunicate you they are simply annotating your record to memorialize you as a sinner (one of the sins could be apostasy). (Note: This is true in America. In the UK they have a statute saying that if a person wants out of a religion, the religion has to really remove all record of them. The Church was sued and lost a suit on this point about a decade ago and now actually remove the names of UK members who resign--at least from computer systems in the UK, I'm fairly certain they keep a separate record in the US. The two guys who won that lawsuit were awarded damages of some-odd thousand pounds.)
8. Mormon leaders clearly teach and believe, based on scattered scriptural teachings (maybe most clearly set forth in DandC 128, really you should check it out) that the record that they keep is sealed on earth and sealed in heaven, it will be presented to God as an offering of the Sons of Levi (them) and if your name is not found in good standing therein, you will be damned in your progress and not found in the sealing chain back to the literal Adam and Eve. If your record is annotated, God cannot accept you, he is bound by their annotations. Your salvation depends on their approval, they believe.