Just after the Mormon Church’s historian Elder Marlin K. Jensen, a member of LDS’ leadership council the General Authorities, got done apologizing for the group’s involvement in hurting gays by pushing through Prop 8, LDS leader Boyd K. Packer told Sunday’s General Conference nothing is going to change regarding its position on Prop 8 and same-sex marriage.

“To the full extent of my capacity, I say that I am sorry,” Jensen told an audience of straight and gay Mormons late last month. “I know that many very good people have been deeply hurt, and I know that the Lord expects better of us.” As Religion Dispatches noted:

Within a few days, news of the historic meeting and Jensen’s apology zoomed by email, text message, Facebook, and blog across Mormon networks from Oakland to Salt Lake City to Southern California and then to points throughout the Book of Mormon-belt and beyond. Some received the news of Jensen’s apology as an answer to prayers. Others hoped that it might serve as an occasion for renewed reflection among Mormons over what exactly happened in the fall of 2008, when entire congregations were mobilized as precinct-walkers and phonebankers in the service of a political strategy that portrayed gay and lesbian civil marriage rights as a threat to religious freedom and “traditional” families.

Heh. It was none of those things, because that sentiment was lost on Packer, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, completely: “There are those today who’d not only tolerate but advocate voting to change laws that would legalize immorality.”

That’s because homosexuality is not, according to Packer, “inborn.” After all: “Why would our heavenly father do that to anyone? … A law against nature would be impossible to enforce. Do you think a vote to repeal the law of gravity would do any good?”

Square one? It’s so good to see you!

[Fox 13 Utah, Herald Extra]