The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as seen in this 2011 photo. Courtesy of Intellectual Reserve. 
 
 The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as seen in this 2011 photo. Courtesy of Intellectual Reserve. 
 
 IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - Update 6:55 p.m.: Nevada Senator, and member of the LDS Church, Harry Reid, says he supports Jan Chamberlin, a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir who resigned over the decision to perform at next month's inauguration of President-elect Trump. 
 
 In a statement to the Salt Lake Tribune, Reid said "I understand completely the difficult choice Jan had to make. She loves the choir, she loves to sing, she loves to promote the values she holds dear, and she loves her church — the same church that Trump's top adviser, Steve Bannon, mocked when he ridiculed Mitt Romney's sons." 
 
 ORIGINAL STORY: A member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir has resigned saying she cannot perform at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and look herself "in the mirror again with self-respect." 
 
 In a letter to the choir president that she later posted on Facebook, Jan Chamberlin said she has spent many sleepless nights dwelling over whether to perform or not. 
 
 "I have reflected carefully on both sides of the issue, prayed a lot, talked with family and friends, and searched my soul," Chamberlin wrote. "I have highly valued the mission of the Choir to be goodwill ambassadors for Christ, to share beautiful music and to give hope, inspiration, and comfort to others. I’ve tried to tell myself that it will be alright and that I can continue in good conscience before God and man." 
 
 The Mormon Tabernacle Choir accepted an invitation to sing at Trump's inauguration last week. The decision has sparked a firestorm of comments among members of the church and thousands of signatures on an online petition demanding the church reverse its decision. 
 
 In her Facebook posting, Chamberlin wrote the decision to not perform is based on her faith and moral standing. 
 
 "I only know I could never 'throw roses to Hitler'," she wrote. "And I certainly could never sing for him." 
 
 The church said in an announcement last week that participation in the inauguration is not required, and is not a political statement but rather a "demonstration of our support for freedom, civility and the peaceful transition of power." 
 
 Chamberlin says since her posting of the resignation letter, she has received several messages of hate. ||||| But she could not do it, Chamberlin said in the letter, she later posted on Facebook. "I could never look myself in the mirror again with self-respect." 
 
 The choir's participation in the inauguration would "severely damage" its "image and networking," she said, adding that many "good people throughout this land and throughout the world already do and will continue to feel betrayed. ... I know that I too feel betrayed." 
 
 For the singer, it is a moral issue, she wrote. "I only know I could never 'throw roses to Hitler.' And I certainly could never sing for him." 
 
 Chamberlin, who said she has been with the choir for five years, did not respond to interview requests and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints declined to comment on her status in the famed group or on how many others might have dropped out or complained. 
 
 "Participation in the choir, including the performance at the Inauguration, is voluntary," church spokesman Eric Hawkins reiterated in a statement Thursday. "Only a limited number of choir members are participating (the number is limited by the inaugural committee), and none are required to participate." 
 
 LDS leaders announced the decision to perform last week. Not all 360 singers will make the trip, but church officials have said about 215 are expected to volunteer. 
 
 The choir previously sang at swearing-in ceremonies for George H. W. Bush (1989), Richard Nixon (1969) and Lyndon Johnson (1965). It performed in inaugural parades for George W. Bush (2001), George H. W. Bush (1989) and Ronald Reagan (1981). 
 
 Soon after the announcement about the choir's appearance at Trump's Jan. 20 event, Randall Thacker, a lifetime Mormon and past president of Affirmation, a support organization for gay Latter-day Saints, launched a petition, arguing the choir's participation "does not reflect the values of Mormonism and does not represent its diverse 15-plus million members worldwide." 
 
 By Thursday, it had nearly 19,000 signatures, most of whom reportedly are Mormons from across the U.S. and around the globe. Many expressed being "saddened and perplexed" by the decision to send the choir and urged LDS leaders to reconsider. 
 
 Meanwhile, choir members who have concerns about Trump or their participation could opt not to put their names into the lottery used to select those to perform. 
 
 Response to the choir's appearance "has been mixed, with people expressing both opposition and support," Hawkins said last week in a prepared statement. 
 
 The choir's long tradition of performing for presidents "is not an implied support of party affiliations or politics," he said. "It is a demonstration of our support for freedom, civility and the peaceful transition of power." 
 
 pstack@sltrib.com 
 
 Twitter: @religiongal ||||| As President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has acknowledged, "...to be perfectly frank, there have been times when members or leaders in the Church have simply made mistakes. There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine." 
 
 
 
 We, as signers of this petition, believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' decision to allow the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to perform at the upcoming presidential inauguration of Donald Trump is a mistake and NOT in harmony with the values and principles of Mormonism and does not faithfully represent its diverse 15+ million worldwide membership. We believe the incoming president has demonstrated sexist, racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic behaviors that do not align with the principles and teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
 
 The Church's participation will harm this spectacularly talented and beloved choir's image, misrepresent the diversity of Mormons worldwide, and sends the wrong message to LDS children as they will perceive the Church's participation as endorsement of a man whose words and actions do not align with our values. 
 
 
 
 We also believe that an official LDS organization performing at any presidential inauguration gives the perception that the LDS Church and its diverse 15+ million members worldwide support an incoming president's values and behaviors. Performing at other government events would not be a concern (e.g. national holidays such as July 4th). As members and friends of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we strongly urge the Church to stop this practice. 
 
 
 
 NOTE: In addition to signing this petition and sharing your reasons for signing in the comments below, please consider calling LDS Church Public Affairs at 801-240-1000 and respectfully sharing your thoughts with them. They are keeping track of all responses. 
 
 Thank You 
 
 PLEASE NOTE: Comments that attack the LDS Church and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or their leaders and members will be deleted. Please demonstrate CIVILITY, KINDNESS and RESPECT in your comments. THANK YOU!
– It's not only the Rockettes who were upset to learn they'd be performing for the 45th US president. Thousands of people have signed a petition asking the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to rescind its acceptance of an invitation to perform at Donald Trump's inauguration next month, and now a singer says she's opted to quit the choir in protest, reports the Salt Lake Tribune. In a resignation letter posted to Facebook, Jan Chamberlin says she weighed the decision over "several sleepless nights and days [spent] in turmoil and agony" but determined "I could never look myself in the mirror again with self-respect" if she agreed to perform. "I only know I could never 'throw roses to Hitler.' And I certainly could never sing for him," she writes. Just as the Rockettes aren't required to perform, neither are the 360 choir members, only 215 of whom will perform based on a lottery system; it's up to members to submit their names. But Chamberlin—who's received hateful messages since her resignation, per KIFI—says "it will appear that [the] choir is endorsing tyranny and facism [sic] by singing for this man." The petition, signed by more than 20,000 so far, adds that the move "does not reflect the values of Mormonism and does not represent its diverse 15+ million members worldwide." A rep for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, however, says the performance is "a demonstration of our support for freedom, civility, and the peaceful transition of power" and "not an implied support of party affiliations or politics."