Polyamory Community of Christ & Sunstone w/ Evan Sharley

Join us today for a conversation with Community of Christ member, Evan Sharley! We catch up with her regarding the resolution that she brought forward to World Conference, briefly cover the nuances of gender and sexuality, and then speak about her upcoming panel at Sunstone. This panel, which explores the experience of polyamorous people within Community of Christ, has sparked a significant amount of dialogue, which Evan hopes can be focused to provide a more equitable church within the Restoration. We finish out by talking about what she sees in Commnuity of Christ's future.

#communityofchrist #polyamory #sunstone #mormonism

Be sure to catch Evan's Sunstone panel, "Faithful Disagreement" Polyamory in Community of Christ", on July 29th at 10:25!

For more information regarding Evan's advocacy work in Community of Christ, visit her facebook page, Heart of Discernment:

Links to support Mormon Book Reviews:
Venmo Link:
PayPal Link:
Patreon Link:
Channel Merch Store:

[AntonioAFelizJr]

I joined Community of Christ when we were Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Having been raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I served a full-time mission and served in several callings, including four Stake High Councils, Bishop and two Bishoprics, Temple Sealer, Ordinance Officiator, and represented The Presiding Bishopric to the Church Areas of South America, Central America, and North America regarding Church Welfare Services.

Community of Christ, former GALA, now, HARMONY origins were in my living room on the then, Park College Campus in 1982.

My point is, I understand from my own personal experience how difficult it is to be in the right religion, but at the time, the wrong personal reality for that community of faith.

My educated guess is that the history of polygamy and the whole energy of past schism is the underlying issue in this interesting case of polyamery in Community of Christ.

Blessings 🙌

[debluce]

I appreciate your questions Steve. Ive had some contact weith Evan after conference in the hopes that I can better understand so many aspects of LGBT commyunity. Hoping and praying that this not so young, Evangelist in Community of Christ can grow in understanding to better provide ministry to all of my church community.
Thanks for an interesting conversation.
I hope you and Evan have a wonderful experience @ Sunstone.

[Truthatallcosts]

Another great episode!! Evan is a good person, I hope and pray everything works out.

[weirdlanguageguy]

This is all really instructive and interesting to hear, and I greatly appreciate hearing from the perspective of polyamory, especially as I tend to lean conservative on most issues. Thank you both for this excellent conversation.
I was incredibly disappointed when I learned the resolution on creating Community of Christ scriptures freely available online failed, I think it would have done wonders, not only for members of Community of Christ to have greater access to their (at least nominal) scriptures, but also for curious outsiders like me to explore the teachings of the CoC doctrine and covenants and the different perspectives on the book of mormon. Hopefully this will change in the future!

[DanielWilliamsEli]

I'm a member of Community of Christ. I fully support Even. I think Community of Christ is going through a difficult situation, the church is slowly dieing out, and it's just bearly holding it's head above water, which is sad, it enduring principles and faith Community is beautiful and Christ centered Community, unfortunately I'm not sure if leadership really know the harm its causing in the longfun with some of these policies. It's my hope that things will true around, and we will continue to be more open and inclusive of all people and that the church would begin to grow again.

[Donnie-Lee-Gringo]

I watched the Community of Christ world conference online but was not a delegate or in person. Part of the arguements of the vote down of the universal scriptures online resolution conversation with the delegates on the conference floor, had to do with the translations of all three standard books into the three official languages, French, Spanish, and English. That has not been fully completed in the previously years for all three languages, for all three books. Part of that not being done, in my opinion, is partly because the Book of Mormon and the "Inspired Version" of the KJV Bible are not being used in many places of the church where it is currently established. The NRSV Bible for the English reading church is the one being promoted in recent years for church use. And the Book of Mormon use is not a test of faith for members of the church, and it's not heavily promoted or used, throughout the international church. So the cost/benefit factors are certainly a large aspect of putting the work into books that are not used by many members. But I also witnessed at that conference, delegates who are international leaders speaj against and for the resolution but each expressed concerns whether there is mony avaiable for the hiring of translators and IT staff. Community of Christ has been for a number of years struggling to "keep the lights on". Several mission orientated intitatives and processes have been set aside to keep necessary aspects of the church going. I think there just wasn't enough time during the conference week allowed for a complete education for the delegates about the benefits, how inexpensive, and easy process it would be to produce the three books online free for all who want to use them.

[Donnie-Lee-Gringo]

As an older gay man who came out over 40 years ago, and has been primarily monogamous in several relationships, I struggle with the concept that "polyamory" is an orientation, not just a choice of behavior. But I have only been involved with men who want only one partner, so it's not a topic I have fully studied and attempted to comprehend.

[triplekillpack]

The main issue of universal access is not finances but language. Past World Conference resolutions (WCRs), specifically WCR1285 International Church Language and Resources, charge the church with making critical resources available in as many languages as feasible. In practice, that has turned into making resources available in English, French, and Spanish at a minimum. Leaders and members who speak and serve parts of the church that use French and Spanish resources have repeatedly said they need other resources that are more critical to mission rather than the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible. I think we could find common ground around the Doctrine and Covenants, but nothing has been determined at this point.

[deannawendt]

Sorry I missed your meet up at Crown Burger!

[HermeticPatriot]

I’m a conservative CoC member, and I support Evan. I was deeply upset when the scripture resolution went down. To be blunt, I saw it as an act of institutional cowardice. Stand by your scriptures! Stop hiding!

[jaimevarelaredmormon]

Gender Non-Conforming people have always been there. Recently I heard a podcast celebrating Trans day of resistance that talked about the story of Joan of Arc. THEY was burned for the heresy of "dressing and acting like man". Gay polyamory existed among 19th century gay men and lesbians in North America and Europe. In the late 19th and early 20th century (pre-1914) it was fashionable among lesbians and gay men to be involved in three or four way relationships. No doubt gender non-conforming people found their place in these type of relationships or hybrids of both; although they were seen as being "bisexual". Polyamory is the anti-thesis of polygamy; the former is anti-patriarchal and non-hierarchical, while the latter is premised upon the patriarchal dictatorship of one cis-man over several women and their children.

[amandabartlett]

How will polyamory turn the fortunes of the church around?

[Donnie-Lee-Gringo]

The Community of Christ First Presidency statement on polyamory and the priesthood that was issued earlier this year, was actually not a "new policy" but a reinforcement of an unspoken understanding that ordained priesthood would be either single or married to one partner. That is based scripturally in Community of Christ Doctrine & Covenants sections 49, 111, and 150 which mandates monogamy. Polyamory is a concept that almost all traditionally religious people know nothing about, and immediately connect with polygamy as practiced within the Latter Day Saint movement and other cultures. Evan and other poly minded/practicing members of the church have a difficult road ahead of them to educate other members of the church just what Polyamory is and is not, and how it is practiced in their lives. Of course, polyamorous people ought to be fully welcomed into the life of the church in local churches, and at the world church level of leaders, but Community of Christ does not ordain all people to priesthood so, the priesthood matter is another topic. I do realize that poly people have not been fully welcomed into congreational life in at least two locations I am aware of. That is completely wrong in my opinion.

Evan mentions having a conversation about polyamory idea and practice. I have been with Community of Christ since 1990 (formerly a Mormon/LdS and a Lutheran). That church conversation about LGBTQ people was in process when I joined in 1990. But it required more years of Listening Circles and conversations until Doctrine & Covenants section 164, and the subsequent 2013 USA National Conference and other church jurisdictionsconferences that allowed for same gender marriage and priesthood ordinations of LGBTQ people in some areas of the cburch but not all jurisdictions of the church.

[pigetstuck]

I don't find the direction that mainline protestant churches went to be very compelling. Perhaps that is part of the reason they are cratering in membership.

[Crustapher]

The reason why i left the rlds or coc is this whole world view. It is just woke nonsense. Hate to say it

[Idk]

It would definitely be ironic for the church that reorganized, (among other things) to reject the doctrine of plural marriage, then turns around and embraces polyamory lol

[StevenRetz]

LDS D&C 42:22 Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else.

[jacobsamuelson]

Evan is right. Polygamy and polyamory are not the same thing. Polygamy or plural marriage involves authorized commitment in binding marriage and covenant relationship with all parties to God to build families. Polyamory merely requires communication and consent between all parties to have sex or enjoy one another. One wouldnt lead to the other as one is of God and the other isnt. Polyamory in a theological perspective has no weight except as a counter except if one resorts to popular or personal opinion as their mode of belief. The LDS Church doesnt need to make Evan an example as to where many Churches are headed, we need to be more firm in defending the truth and not turning our fortresses into Jello by our overwhelming tolerance to others behaviors in promoting sin. We need to prepare the way of the Lord as the Baptizer did. We need to stir the pot and swim against the secular winds. We will be the last stronghold of Christianity as promised by Jesus to Peter long ago.

[lucyjackson]

Hmm…I cannot relate…NOT my cup of herbal tea! 🤷🏻‍♀️