LDS Church 'grateful' for Prop. 8 support

Gay marriage will again become illegal in California after the nation's most

hotly contested citizen referendum ended in victory for Proposition 8

supporters, backed by major fundraising and grass-roots organizing by members of

the LDS Church.

Elder L. Whitney Clayton, a member of the church's Presidency of the Seventy

who helped lead the church's support for Proposition 8, told reporters during a

press conference Wednesday that he doesn't have a monetary total for how much

money was donated by Latter-day Saints. He did say it was "considerable and

generous" and that church leaders are "grateful for the sacrifice" made by

members who participated in the campaign.

He said the church, as an institution, did not contribute directly, but did

pay for hotel and travel expenses for himself and other leaders who participated

in the effort.

The California vote was considered too close to call late Tuesday, with word

coming Wednesday morning that the referendum to amend the California

constitution — defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman — had

won.

The victory for supporters leaves questions for thousands of gay couples who

married in the past few months after the California Supreme Court struck down a

previous voter referendum on the issue and legalized gay marriage there earlier

this year.

Prop 8 supporters maintained that the court's 5-4 ruling did not reflect the

will of California voters, and would put their children at risk for

indoctrination by putting gay marriage on par with traditional marriage.

In recent weeks, several news organizations have said The Church of Jesus