By Jenna Platt
Home schoolers reacted with embarrassment and understanding as they were asked to not hold classes or activities in LDS Church buildings.
With the letter concerning home schooling written, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes no further comment on the issue, said Scott Trodder, public affairs manager for the church.
?The church encourages education, but this is one of those situations where it becomes a liability,? Trodder said.
This past Sunday the letter was read from pulpits all over the world. The First Presidency stated in the letter that churches have been, ?dedicated for the purposes of worship, religious instruction, and other Church-related activities.?
?I was surprised to hear this issue addressed over the pulpit,? said Stephanie Freeman, a public speaking teacher at BYU. ?I am the only member of my ward who home schools and I was a little embarrassed by the attention the letter brought.?
The letter also surprised Rachel Gardner, a former home school student, from Cumming, Ga.
?I was shocked when they read the letter in sacrament meeting,? she said. ?But I see their point.?
Knowing the letter was from the First Presidency, Gardner said she agreed with them because there are plenty of other places for home-schooled students to go for activities.
?I fully support the brethren in their decision to limit the use of the church houses and have personally found no need to use the church building in our home school experience,? Freeman said.
Freeman said she was unaware the churches were used for home school reasons.
?In our home school we utilize the parks and each other?s homes,? she said. ?We have also used a local veteran?s hall during inclement weather for our activities.?
Freeman?s group never really expected to use church buildings for activities.
?I know that we are not to use the church house for our activities,? she said.
Andrea Urban, district leader in Provo for Utah Home Education Association, has found that she now has to find other places to hold activities.
?The theater and performance groups will be most affected,? Urban said. ?We are now looking for alternate venues.?
Urban said district leaders plan to speak with other churches to use their buildings because the cost of using commercial buildings is too expensive.
?We are just going to have to be resourceful and do what we have to do,? Urban said.