Utah Gov. Huntsman Excommunicated

Jon Huntsman, two-term Republican Governor of the state of Utah was excommunicated Sunday evening after a 6-hour heater, tense LDS Church Court session. Known for recent skirmishes with the Mormon faith, he went too far recently in defending same-sex couples at his home, and at two banquets.

“I warned him, as his Priesthood leader in January," said his Stake President, wishing anonymity, "he simply wouldn't listen to my counsel. His non-support of Mitt Romney was just the tip of the iceburg for this rebellious man."

The official letter cutting Huntsman's ties with Salt Lake City-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will arrive in about two weeks, according to Greg Dodge of the LDS Member Services Office.

Some of the 82 attendees at the recent banquet, many from Brigham Young University, will soon be tried in similar disciplinary hearings, in their local Stakes.

Huntsman was semi-active sixth-generation Mormon who stopped paying the required tithing and stopped wearing the sacred holy undergarments six weeks ago.

The dynamic governor admitted that he always struggled to accept doctrinal constraints upon gays, women and intellectuals, a contention begun years ago when the church branded many BYU professors as heretics and excommunicated them for teaching details about early church history, contrary to what authorities had allowed.

The governor said he will be submitting his letter of resignation as governor next Monday, and he will move his family to Colorado City, where he plans to be baptized into the FLDS church, which is the parent religion from which the LDS broke away from in 1890, over the polygamy issue.

Governor Huntsman defiantly stated that he was proud beyond words of his 4 wives and 26 children. Two of his wives, aged 19 and 21 are expecting in October and November.

"It'll be great to live my heart, and stop hiding my testimony from the world," he said tearfully Sunday, "I encourage other closet polygamists to find the courage to come out and be honest with the world. This (plural marriage) is an eternal precept." The Governor expressed outrage about the tactics used last year againdst the FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs, and the round-up of innocent families at their Texas Temple site.

Many Utahns are stunned by the news. A special election will be scheduled by the Legislature, likely to take place in April.

Recent donors named on released rolls of Proposition 8 contributors revealed that Huntsman gave $5,000 to the No on 8 Campaign in California. The LDS Church had worked hard for passage of the ballot measure, much to the dismay of many liberal Mormons.

The Mormon church declined comment when called about this story, due to a policy respecting the privacy of those who are excommunicated.

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