560 East South Temple, C-103
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
July 3, 1997
Elder Richard Scott
Church Headquarters
47 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, UT
Dear Elder Scott:
Lola and I are in Salt Lake for the summer
As you will see from the enclosed exchange of correspondence, I was somewhat disturbed to see Senator Bennet described in a front page Deseret News article as a "former lay bishop in the LDS Church." The author Steve Fidel sent me numerous citations from Church sources in defense of his usage. Mr. Fidel's citations disturb me even more -- especially the use of "lay leader" in the Dictionary of Mormonism -- than the original DesNews article..
I've always been taught that the most important single element in the Restored Church was the restoration of the only valid priesthood on the earth today, with power to bind families through the eternities. Indeed, President Hinckley has asserted that we must become a temple-attending people.
I am of the view that ninety-nine percent of non-LDS readers will assume that the word "lay"as used by LDS writers and speakers has the same sense as that of other Christian churches, i.e . an unordained member of the congregation filling in for a minister or priest in certain limited capacities when there aren't enough ordained priests to satisfy all pastoral demands. To my mind, this demeans LDS priesthood.
All newspapers have guides to usage. I suggest that the DesNews be encouraged to avoid the use of "lay leadership" or "lay priesthood" however many sources can be cited by Mr. Fidel to show that such terms have been used by previous writers and speakers. Not even Catholic "working priests" are ever described as "lay". Would it take much more space to explain that The Restored Church, like the Prirmitive Church of Peter and Paul, has no paid priesthood, but that all worthy members are ordained, filling one or another priesthood calling during the remainder of their life, while at the same time pursuing a secular occupation to support their families.
As a final thought, I hope that future edititons of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism will be edited to replace the current description with a more accurate description for all future editions..
With prayers and best wishes,
David Timmins
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