The letter, dated June 20th and signed by LDS President Thomas S. Monson and counselors Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf, instructs members of California branches' leadership to read a prepared statement asking congregants to put their support behind Initiative 07-0068, officially called the "California Marriage Protection Act," which aims to undo marriage rights for same-sex couples affirmed by the California Supreme Court on May 15.

The letter notes the church's "unequivocal" position that heterosexual marriage is "ordained by God" and that being born to married, straight parents is a birthright. As the church will be active in promoting the initiative, it will ask its congregants to do likewise.

"We are extremely disappointed with the church's action," David Melson, Assistant Executive Director of Affirmation: Gay & Lesbian Mormons, told PageOneQ. "We believe that the respect of civil law and the acknowledgment of individual freedoms are sacred."

"We ask that you do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman," the church's statement goes on. "Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage."

"The church wants to deny the right for all families to be together in marriage, something we think is important," Melson continued. "This action is not in the best interest of the church or the community; the church should be working to keep families together, not break them apart. All couples are entitled to be together in a committed, loving relationship with the full measure of legal and civil protections of marriage."

"The church," Melson closed, "should not be interfering with California politics. Constitutional law has always been about protecting civil and religious freedoms, not the denial of those freedoms."

A PDF copy of the letter is available HERE.