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9 hours ago, decafdarcy said:

What is the churches stance on the LGBTQIA+ community, and people within the church identifying within that label? Researching for a short film I am currently writing that will deal with themes of sexuality and identity inside the Mormon faith

@Sunday21 beat me to the official links.  So I'll give the super-quick sum up: LDS believe sexuality is a wonderful gift from God to be shared between a legally wedded husband and wife for the purposes of bonding them and having children.  Having sexual relations with anyone else is a horrible abuse of God's gift.  Now, because we are humans and live in a fallen world, there's going to be times you're attracted to someone else- feeling those attractions is in no way a sin (it's just part of living in a fallen world) but taking actions contrary to God's plan is.

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LGBTQIA are children of God just like everyone else.  We should love them and let them live how they desire to.  IF they desire to come to our meetings they can attend and be welcome.  For those who are members of the LDS church, Wee DO NOT believe that being a homosexual sin, but acting upon those impulses to the point of participating in homosexual acts is a sin.  As such, the LDS church also does not promote or believe that members should participate in what many term as Gay Marriage.  If a member is involved in a Gay Marriage, it may be grounds for church punishment.

Also, in my perspective and opinion...

In addition, there are instances where children have been baptized without their parents consent.  This makes parents very angry.  This appears that it may have been occurring a LOT with parents where one was active in homosexual pursuits and the other was not, OR, when both parents were part of a "Gay Marriage" and the child wanted to be baptized.  Church policy is typically to not baptize any child without parental consent, but due to problems in regards to these situations where children of those in the homosexual community that were opposed to the LDS church being baptized, and the possible lawsuits that were ensuing, the LDS church took a more aggressive stance to stop this from continuing to occur.

A few years ago the LDS church made it clear with a new policy that children from homes that had Gay Marriage parents could not be baptized until AFTER they were 18 at the earliest.  If divorced, another parent could not over ride the wishes of the other parent that was involved in this type of marriage because of this new policy.  This has made some angry or upset from both sides.  Some who were part of a Gay Marriage are upset because they were in the minority who wished to have children baptized in the LDS church regardless.  Others, who were divorced from a partner (and said ex did NOT want the child baptized in the LDS church) but wanted to have the child baptized in the LDS church as the other parent were upset.  Finally, there were some that were upset just in principle.

The LDS church believes that people should have the freedom to make the choices they want to in this life.  Though we read the Bible and specifically the New Testament verses condemning homosexuality, we DO NOT condemn those who are homosexual.  We do state that participating in homosexual activities is a sin, but they are still welcome to come to LDS services.  We are supposed to love them as equals.  We are supposed to respect their choices and we believe making choices is a key component of why we are here in this life.  We believe in religious freedom, and the freedom to make choices about the direction of our lives.  We are ALL sinners, and as such, we all need the atonement of Jesus Christ.  We should realize his love for us, and for ALL his children in this life.  We all have different challenges and viewpoints.  When we respect each other and love each other, it makes us a better people than when we fight each other.  Thus, no matter what your sin (though if you have committed a crime, we believe that you should submit to the laws of the land and if punishment is required, submit to the punishment that is due according to the laws of the land) one is welcome to the LDS church and attend our meetings.

Hopefully that encapsulates a very large issue in a very succinct way (though some would say I tend to be long winded).

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49 minutes ago, Jane_Doe said:

@Sunday21 beat me to the official links.  So I'll give the super-quick sum up: LDS believe sexuality is a wonderful gift from God to be shared between a legally wedded husband and wife for the purposes of bonding them and having children.  Having sexual relations with anyone else is a horrible abuse of God's gift.  Now, because we are humans and live in a fallen world, there's going to be times you're attracted to someone else- feeling those attractions is in no way a sin (it's just part of living in a fallen world) but taking actions contrary to God's plan is.

Just to add clarity to this:

Jane Doe's summation above is for everyone - not just LGBTQIA+.  We all have the same pattern of righteousness - sex is righteous only within the bonds of marriage, so premarital sex, regardless of orientation is not righteous.

We, LDS, believe that marriage is an eternal union (not "til death do us part" but "for life eternal").  Marriage is the foundation of eternal families.  These familial relationships are not a mortal organization but an eternal organization whose purpose transcends mortal life.  Marriage, therefore, is not based on who one is attracted to in mortality but rather, who one wants to organize a family with that with last throughout the eternities.  As such, marriage is between Male and Female - without one of which it cannot bear eternal purpose.  The male and the female (gender) is also an eternal trait.  There are males and females in pre-mortal existence and there will continue to be male and female in the post-mortal existence.  Male and female - Father and Mother - have eternal purpose and they are not interchangeable.  A Father cannot be replaced by a female and be the same and similarly, a Mother cannot be replaced by a male and be the same.  Mortality, of course, is full of challenges and obstacles and imperfections so our goal is to do the best we can in the circumstances we find ourselves in.

The goal of every person is to be able to organize themselves into Eternal Marriages and Eternal Families in the pattern laid out by Christ so that we may bring each other into Joy.  Love, therefore, is one's deep, honest, humble, and consuming desire to bring another person with them closer to Christ - the perfect example of Joy.  Love, therefore, is not who one is sexually attracted to.  Rather, it is one who you would desire to spend the rest of eternity bringing closer to Christ, even as you make deep sacrifices to do so.  This desire may be expressed through physical intimacy within the bonds of marriage.  But physical intimacy is not the only way to express Love just as there are many ways that a person can bring someone closer to Christ.  I love my husband and I can express such love by helping him up when he is down, supporting him in his righteous goals, filling his belly with nutritious food so he has the health and energy to serve others - I SUPER DUPER LOVE the Incredibles II trailer when Mr. Incredible expressed to Frozone, "I have to succeed so that my wife can succeed!".  And then, of course, I can express it through physical intimacy.  I also love my best friend who I've been best friends with before I met my husband.  I can express my love for her in many ways as well - helping her when she's down, supporting her in her righteous goals, inviting her over to dinner so she can take a break, etc. etc.  But I can't express my love for her through physical intimacy even if I'm deeply sexually attracted to her (which I'm not, of course, because I'm not a Lesbian). 

Anyway, I can talk and talk and talk about Love and Marriage all day long so I better stop here.

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The two most powerful words in the english language and any other language is "I AM".  Jehovah is the great I AM had teaches us a pattern for living.

The LDS Church through it's prophets have counselled extensively against those who have unnormal attractions to NOT label themselves.  Labeling according to an attraction is severely mentally, emotionally, and spiritually damaging.

For those LDS members, Elder Eyring just recently in a Face-to-Face with young adults explained just as much. To label oneself by their attraction is ludicrous.  Unfortunately, the membership of the Church is not listening.

As a man thinketh, so is he; if one labels themself as xyz they will eventually become that and they will eventually act out on what they are; it is plain as day.

Edited by JoCa
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3 hours ago, JohnsonJones said:

Hopefully that encapsulates a very large issue in a very succinct way (though some would say I tend to be long winded).

I don't know about long winded... I'm long-winded.  You're on a class above that.  Like, loooooooooonnngg winded.  :D

 

Edit:  Which is why I like you.  ;)

 

 

Edited by anatess2
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