Same-sex attractions are not considered sinful but acting on those attractions is incompatible with God’s plan for families in the afterlife. There is no salvation is accepting false doctrines.
Line of Priesthood Authority. If someone receives revelation contrary to the prophet it is not of God. “seer stone in D&C”
“Seek ye first the kingdom of God” starts first with understanding and accepting his kingdoms doctrines and living by them.
It is an “Orientation” We have to decide, determine?
Paul had a thorn in the flesh, but he didn’t give up or justify it the responsibility away. Weakness is only worldly and not a rationalization for .
Many people struggle internally, they don’t need to come out in OPEN to flaunt it or to air their dirty laundry. No one standing in line for a second chance through the fiery furnace. Maxwell
Put Off the natural man, is the commandment. We are to become what HE wants us to BECOME. Not what we are, NOT for this life alone.
No unclean thing can enter into the kingdom of God…
It’s a Crisis of Faith for people, which creates a crisis of identity.
Church Position
Church does not know what causes same-sex attractions but does not believe sexual abuse and sexual experimentation in childhood are responsible. It declares that same-sex attractions are not considered sinful but affirms that acting on those attractions is incompatible with God’s plan for families in the afterlife. “God Loveth His Children”
No position on nature versus nurture by church.
“We do not believe people are not born with anything they cannot control.” Elder Oaks (people were born with major deformities, Chris healed them all)
“are people born gay? I don’t know, I’m not an expert.” President Hinckley Larry King.
God wants the best for all of his children, he does not give us anything we cannot handle (with him of course).
“Attractions alone do not make you unworthy.”
God wants everything, no matter what it is or how far you have to go. He wants to show forth miracles to shed light on his power.
They want to define compassion as acceptance of any lifestyle.
“the greatest miracle of all is the change of a human heart.”
No doubt, social circumstance and acceptance make breaking the commandments easier.
Why do you offer sacrifice? Adam proclaimed, “I know not save the Lord commanded me.”
It is not our position to provide evidence but to proclaim with boldness the restored gospel, increased light, living prophets that speak to God today just
Children of Israel wandering in the desert because of disobedience.
Without light, reason is rationalization. More of it doesn’t increase it’s validity.
Family, proclamation to the world. Acceptance anything else will bring about the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.
Gender is an essential characteristic of all stages of life
Homosexuality brings about deviance and destruction to society… God’s word proclaims it and history proves. Sodom and Gomorra. God’s stance has never changed and I submit in this world or any other.
Nature versus nurture?
President Boyd K. Packer also spoke of the recent trends of distorting tolerance:
“The virtue of tolerance has been distorted and elevated to a position of such prominence as to be thought equal to and even valued more than morality. It is one thing to be tolerant, even forgiving of individual conduct. It is quite another to collectively legislate and legalize to protect immoral conduct that can weaken, even destroy the family.
“There is a dangerous trap when tolerance is exaggerated to protect the rights of those whose conduct endangers the family and injures the rights of the more part of the people. We are getting dangerously close to the condition described by the prophet Mosiah [in Mosiah 29:26–27]” (“Children of God,” BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2006, 6).
There is no other plan of happiness, this is IT. “every man walketh in his own way and after his own God which is in the likeness of the world.”
What do the scriptures say?
Without natural affections. Romans 1:
Set your affection on the things above, not on things on the earth Colossian 3: (IT WILL NOT LAST PAST THIS MORTAL REALM, or will it?)
Without natural affection… 2 Timothy 3
No one is excluded from the circle of his arms. He is at the door knocking, but we must open the door. He saves us “from” our sin and not in our sin.
What is the church’s position, what is God’s position? What is our position? Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.
Official Church Policy. 1992, “understanding and helping those that have homosexual problems.” April 2007, “God loveth his Children”
Heaven is “organized by families, which require a man and a woman who together exercise their creative powers within the bounds the Lord has set. . . . Without both a husband and a wife there would be no eternal family and no opportunity to become like Heavenly Father.
Worthy to enter his temple, his kingdom.
If it’s good for one, it has to be good for everyone and society (the fundamental unit of society). None can survive with such a policy.
God’s foolishness is better than the world’s wisdom
Is it a commandment from the prophet?
Can someone change their orientation? Prophet says Yes. “gays could change their orientation through prayer.” http://www.dallasvoice.com/usu-holds-online-study-lgbt-mormons-1084906.html
Will it be fixed in the afterlife? Does a lack of position open the door that is will?
Is it God-given or man-made?
God does not judge us by our sexual orientation, that is only a means but anything used improperly and a main focus in life distorts all the other truths.
Jacob C – need to distinguish church doctrine from church public policy? REALLY. What is the difference? We don’t say one thing to the media than we do to our members. Jacob would rather talk about how they came to the decision instead of the decision itself.
Is this a free agency issue?
It’s a matter of social acceptance (Dinesh D’Souza) removing barriers. IF it’s just between consenting adults then incest, polygamy, or others should be accepted. If someone built a fence, understand why they were put up in the first place, don’t just go around knocking them down. Special privilege for those that nurture family (the basic unit of society) – serve society by holding it together.
You don’t believe in equality? Equal rights for everyone? Ben H.
The gay movement would not be happy with getting all the benefits of marriage, arguably they already have them. All of them afforded by the constitution. They want to discourage, distract the meaning of marriage. They want to own the term marriage.
How was it received? How was black and the priesthood received? Was the church now ready to receive it. IT DOESN”T MATTER. How they came to the decision . God gives more commandments than history lessons. We should treat is with an exclamation point instead of a question mark. JS.
Whatever a person thinks about it, the outcome is the same for those that believe and practice it.
It’s a sin to practice not to feel. It’s a sin to kill not to have the feeling.
To be learned is good IF they hearken until the council of God only.
Meet them where they are, but not accept the sin
“” If it’s a matter of meeting people where they are, in their imperfection and sin, and leading them humanely into full communion with the Truth, then it’s pastorally admirable and wise. But if it’s an excuse for moral indifference, then it’s disastrous.”
It seems to me this is where things fall apart and gradualism becomes scary for people; precisely at the line where people place their sense of entitlement before their willingness to try something as radical as obedience, which is strong, strong medicine, and must be taken with an IV of humility.
Pastoral Earthquake http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/rome-synod-family-catholic-pastoral-earthquake/
In the news
- Church backs protections of gay rights in SLC: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705343558/Mormon-Church-backs-protection-of-gay-rights-in-Salt-Lake-City.html
- Why? “The church supports this ordinance because it is fair and reasonable and does not do violence to the institution of marriage,”
- http://www.religionnewsblog.com/18866/mormon-homosexuality
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_9HwzgqA4g history and publications 12:00
Publications
- God Loveth His Children https://www.lds.org/manual/god-loveth-his-children/god-loveth-his-children?lang=eng
- “Same Gender Attraction.” Elder Holland
- “understanding and helping those that have homosexual problems.”
- The persistence of same sex attraction AKA Homosexuality
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“To the One.” In “that all may be deified.” By Boyd K. Packer
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Dallin H Oaks, Ensign Oct 1995 P10-11
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Elder Oaks CES fireside on tolerance, morality Sept. 11?
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Quentin L. Cook (Oct. 2013 Conference, Sunday Morning)
- Feelings not from before then or God now. Cleanse the Inner vessel, Nov 2010 Boyd k. Packer 9:00
- https://mormonandgay.lds.org
