Mormons Face A Painful Loss If The Church Severs Boy Scout Ties

Transcript

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Mormons are also processing a decision by the Boy Scouts of America to lift a ban on openly gay troop leaders. The move came as a blow to conservative religious organizations like the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Qin Monson is a Mormon. He's also a former Boy Scout, the father of a Scout and a political science professor at Brigham Young University. He spoke to me from BYU Radio in Provo, Utah and explained Mormons' deep roots in the Boy Scout movement.

QIN MONSON: Well, the Boy Scouts of America has been the official program for young men in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints within the United States of America for over a hundred years. So the church took the Boy Scout program and decided that its values and mission aligned closely enough with that of the church's program for young men that they just wholesale adopted it and have had local congregations sponsor or charter Scout troops. And basically, if you are a young Mormon male, you join the Boy Scouts.

MARTIN: And in those church-sponsored troops, is there teaching of church doctrine? Is it purely secular, or is there some overlap?

MONSON: I think it completely overlaps. In some senses, it's hard to tell the two apart. And if you're talking about religion and duty to God as it relates to Scouting, that's all with language and in a context that's very familiar.

MARTIN: Your son is currently in the Boy Scouts. Is that right?

MONSON: He is. And in fact, he's at Scout Camp. And in fact, I just returned from two nights at Scout Camp with him.

MARTIN: So I imagine you were doing Scouting things, not necessarily talking politics. Was there any conversation about this recent decision?

MONSON: There certainly was. It's clearly on the minds of the Scouting community in Utah, which is very heavily LDS.

MARTIN: Do you mind - are you able to share any of those conversations? Are people concerned?

MONSON: My sense is that there's not disappointment with the church as much as maybe disappointment with the Scout program and just disappointment that the relationship might be in danger because it's something that's valued and loved. So I think for most, you know, Latter-day Saint Scout leaders in particular, they're loyal to Scouting. But their loyalty lies with the church. And they'll ultimately go whatever direction the church asks them to go.

MARTIN: What is the root of the problem? What is the root of the tension?

MONSON: The BSA statement allows for leaders who are openly gay. And what that means in practice is, I don't think, exactly clear. But I think it very well could conflict with the church's own policy, which is you can identify as gay and be an active, faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The problem is acting on that same-sex attraction. So there's a distinction made between actions and orientation.

MARTIN: Have you talked with your son about this issue and the idea of allowing openly gay troop leaders? And what are those conversations like?

MONSON: We talked briefly about it up at Scout Camp actually, when I talked to him about the news. And his reaction was interesting. It's not a concern to him. He's a pretty deep thinker and a thoughtful kid. But his reaction was, well, I don't see why it matters, dad. Why is this such a big deal? And that's the hard part about all of this, is that it impacts a group of young men who don't - who don't necessarily understand why.

MARTIN: Will it make you sad if these two institutions have to sever?

MONSON: Well, I'm torn with that too. Yeah, it will. It would make me sad and mostly because of my own - my own history with the Scouts is filled with great memories.

MARTIN: Qin Monson is a political scientist at Brigham Young University and a former Boy Scout. Thanks so much for talking with us.

MONSON: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.