Organization seeks unity on family issues

    Since its inception in 1935, American Mothers Inc. has worked to preserve the moral and spiritual foundations of the traditional family.
    The interfaith, nonprofit organization now has chapters in every state, with members who are women and men, single and married, parents and grandparents. Together they have fought what they see as filth on television and radio, promoting more "wholesome" fare. They deplore child and spouse abuse. They work for literacy and health care and against poverty. They oppose same-sex marriage. They sponsor Mother's Day and Mother of the Year contests.
    Now Utah's chapter of American Mothers is hoping to reach across the state's religious divide to find common ground on family issues.
    To that end, the group is hosting "American Families: Standing Together, Standing Strong," a Sept. 13 interfaith meeting at 10 a.m. at the LDS Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
    "We want this to be a unifying event that will remind everyone we are on the same page, striving for the same kind of goals," says Claudine Gordon, of Holladay, a former American Mother president and one of the event's organizers. "Hopefully, we all want the same things for our families."
    Father Val J. Peter, a Roman Catholic priest who directs the renowned Girls and Boys Town in Omaha, Neb., is the keynote speaker.
    Other speeches will be given by Thomas S. Monson, a member of the LDS First Presidency; Jan Saeed, a Bahai; and Masood ul-Hasan, of the Muslim community.
    Music will be provided by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as well as the International Children's Choir, the Interfaith Tongan Choir and Alan and Suzanne Osmond & The Osmonds -- Second Generation, to name a few. Former Brigham Young University and San Francisco '49ers quarterback Steve Young will be the event's emcee.
    The group has already distributed more than 16,000 free tickets to all the faith communities, social service agencies and minority groups in Utah.
    For more information, go to http://www.amiutah.org.

©Copyright 2003, The Salt Lake Tribune (UT, USA)

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