Gay Mormon
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often misnamed the “Mormon Church” by the media) teaches that homosexuality is contrary to the plan of God for His children. A modern-day revelation titled “The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” explains further why homosexuality is in opposition to God’s plan:
Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose. . . .
The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife. . . .
Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity.
The first principle taught here is that men and women have different, inherent, divine characteristics. These traits are eternal and are complementary. Men and women help complete one another, and together, they have the potential to become their best selves. The differences are purposeful and meaningful.
The second principle taught in the quote from this revelation is that men and women are supposed to procreate, but only within the bonds of marriage. They are meant to go together to create a family unit, which is an eternal unit. In addition, sexual acts are meant to be employed only between one man and one woman who are married to each other.
The third princple taught in this quote is that children have the right to both a father and a mother who love them and who love one another. The scriptures have always taught that the best environment for a child is a traditional family setting, and modern studies are also showing this to be true: the best possible environment for a child to grow up in is to have his or her biological father and mother, who are married to each other and love each other, raise him or her with love and values.
A woman can be a wonderful mother on her own, but she can never be a father. The same is true of a man: he can be a wonderful father, but he can never be a mother. This goes back to the first principle taught in this revelation: gender is eternal and carries its own traits and characteristics. Men and women are meant to complement each other.
Mormon doctrine teaches that families are eternal units. They can literally be together forever, if they are bound together by eternal ties available in Mormon temples. Individuals must remain faithful to covenants they make to God and to each other in order to qualify for this great blessing, but it is available to all those who desire it enough to keep their promises.
Homosexuality makes a traditional family unit impossible. This is why Mormon doctrine teaches that it is wrong. This does not mean that those who practice homosexuality are evil people. It means they are acting contrary to the wishes and laws of God. There are gay Mormons. There are people who have been raised in the LDS Church who struggle with homosexual attractions. Beyond that, there are people who absolutely believe the doctrines of the LDS Church to be true who still struggle with these feelings. Being attracted to someone of the same gender is not a sin; it is a trial. Acting on those feelings does become a sin. However, it is important to remember that Mormon doctrine also teaches it is a sin for a heterosexual couple to be intimate outside the bonds of marriage. The standard is the same for everyone, and the promised blessings are the same for all who remain obedient.
If a heterosexual individual never has the chance to marry in this life, but remains faithful to the covenants he has made, he will still receive the promised blessings in the next life. The same is true of a homosexual individual. If he struggles with this attraction, but does not act on it, and he remains faithful to his other covenants, he will have exactly the same blessings in the next life as the heterosexual individual. Mormon doctrine teaches that there will be no homosexuality in the next life, because it is not of God. So, if someone struggles with it here, he will not have those same feelings in the next life.
In a world that is changing rapidly and is advocating homosexuality and freedom more and more, Latter-day Saints, or “Mormons” are being labelled as bigots for their stand against homosexuality, particularly gay marriage. Bigotry has nothing to do with it. It is based on a fundamental understanding of and belief in God’s plan for His children and of the importance of the traditional family unit.
Additional Resources:
Mormon doctrine on homosexuality
Learn more about Mormons’ Belief in Jesus Christ
Mormons Say Polygamy Morally Wrong
By Amy Choate-Nielsen
Deseret News
Published: Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012 7:00 p.m. MST
David Letterman knows how to get a laugh.Like most comics, he riffs on the day’s news, deadpans the camera and revels in audacity.”Oh, did you hear about this?” the host of CBS’ Late Show with David Letterman asked his audience recently. “A campaign staffer on the Newt Gingrich campaign was fired because he was making negative comments about Mormons. I thought, now, wait a minute — isn’t Newt in favor of multiple wives?”
Laughter rumbled from the audience followed by applause. The polygamy punch line is a familiar one when it comes to poking fun at Mormons — as though Mormons and polygamy are synonymous in mainstream media. Ironically, the practice that’s most linked to Mormons is a practice most Mormons oppose, according to a groundbreaking new study of Mormons in America released Thursday by the Pew Research Center‘s Forum on Religion and Public Life.
According to the study, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints unequivocally reject polygamy — only 2 percent said the practice is morally acceptable — evidence of a yawning gap in what Mormons believe and how they are perceived. Mormons’ opinions are overwhelmingly conservative, the study shows, but in many ways, their views are also surprising — especially when it comes to opinions on moral issues, divorce, homosexuality and polygamy. Read more
Mormon Beliefs and Attitudes on Immigration
A recent The Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted an in-depth survey of Mormons in the United States. Mormon is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The fourth article in a series that appears in Deseret News is evaluating the results of this survey and providing context for the results.
Immigration is a controversial topic in the United States. The survey asked one question on this topic. They were asked which of two statements most closely matched their view, even if they didn’t completely agree. They were asked whether immigrants strengthen or burden the nation. No distinction was made between legal and illegal immigration, leaving those polled to decide for themselves what the question meant.
In the general U.S. population, 45 percent of Americans feel that immigrants strengthen the country, while 44 percent burden it. 12 percent feel that neither or both are true or they have no opinion on the subject. Mormon views closely mirror these statistics. 45 percent of Mormons also believe immigrants strengthen the nation, although a smaller number, 41 percent, consider them a burden on society. The number of Mormons who accept both or neither or who have no opinion is higher, at 14 percent.
These numbers put them at odds with evangelical Christians, one of the few political areas in which they disagree. Within the white evangelical population, 59 percent believe immigrants are a burden, and 27 percent believe they strengthen the country. Like Mormons, 14 percent answered both, neither, or no opinion.
The statistics for Mormons shows a strong divide based on age, income, and education, as well as on religious commitment. Only 36 percent of highly committed Mormons see immigrants as a burden, while 50 percent of those who are less committed see them as a burden. This largely correlates with economic status. 84 percent of Mormons who are highly committed to their religion are college graduates. (The church strongly encourages Read more
LDS religious commitment high, Pew survey finds
Of all the numbers in the Pew Research Center’s recently released survey of “Mormons in America,” the highest, most overwhelming numbers are these: 98 percent of respondents said they believe in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, and 97 percent say their church is a Christian religion.
This comes on the heels of earlier surveys indicating that 32 percent of non-LDS U.S. adults say the LDS Church is not a Christian religion, and an additional 17 percent are unsure of LDS Christianity. The theological and semantic reasons for this can be complex, but for the 1,019 self-identified Mormons who participated in the Pew survey, their theological position is clear: Mormons believe in Jesus Christ, and they consider themselves to be Christian.
“Certainly in Latter-day Saint theology is this idea that if you understand who you are, you understand that there’s a purpose in life, you understand your connection to God, that certainly has an impact on how you live your life and what you do, but also how you feel about your life and what you are doing,” said Michael Purdy of the LDS Church Public Affairs office. Read more
Mormon Wedding
Mormon weddings, when performed civilly, like in churches or other venues, are no different than other denominations’ wedding ceremonies in western cultures. The only difference arises when Mormons are married in Latter-day Saint (LDS) temples.
Mormon doctrine teaches that families are eternal units and have the potential to remain together forever, when they are sealed together by the proper power and authority. Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called the Mormon Church) are the only place in the world where these sealings can be performed. In order to be married, or sealed, in a Mormon temple, a person must have been a faithful member of the Mormon Church for at least one year. Then, after an interview with one’s bishop and stake president (which interview is necessary for anyone entering the temple), if a person is found to be living a worthy life, he or she is given a temple recommend which lasts two years.
If a person wants to get married in the temple, this often requires sacrifice. Mormon doctrine teaches chastity before marriage and complete fidelity inside of marriage. This means abstinence from sexual relations before marriage. While the world is saying that sexual activity is normal and acceptable, the Mormon Church maintains that all sexual acts should only be exercised within the bonds of marriage. Thus, if a couple chooses to participate in this behavior before they are married, it will make it much more difficult to be married in the temple, though certainly not impossible. The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for each of us to repent of our sins and mistakes. If this process is gone through correctly, then individuals may become worthy to go to the temple.
Another sacrifice for those who choose to get sealed in the temple is that only those family members and friends who are also worthy members of the Church may enter the temple to attend the marriage ceremony. This may be particularly difficult for any people who have family members who are not members of the Church or who are not worthy to go inside the temple. This may also exclude many friends from being able to attend the ceremony. Most family members who cannot enter the temple wait outside and gather for photographs when the wedding party exits the temple. Since a ring exchange is an optional part of the temple ceremony, some couples schedule a ring exchange at their reception, thus making family members not able to attend the temple feel more a part of the union.
Temple sealings are very simple ordinances. There is no fanfare, no organ playing, no bride walking down the aisle and being given away by her father. The priesthood holder performing the ordinance does just that; he performs the ordinance. He may choose to say a few words to the couple, but the ordinance itself takes only a few minutes. The couple kneel at an altar and look into reflecting mirrors, which cast infinite reflections. This symbolizes the eternal nature of the covenant they make to God and to one another to commit to their spouse forever. It is a unique and wonderful experience.
Reading this, one may wonder what the big deal is and why anyone would choose to get married in a Mormon temple if it would exclude any loved ones from attending such an important event. The answer is simple. Those who have a true understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ recognize that there is no greater blessing than an eternal family. If that blessing can be obtained in no other way and in no other place, it is worth any sacrifice to be the recipient of that blessing. All civil marriages are performed for the balance of this life only. Mormon temple sealings are the only marriages which have the bond placed upon them, by power and authority of the priesthood, for time and all eternity.
When a couple is sealed in the temple, all children born to them afterwards are automatically part of that covenant and are sealed to them eternally also. If a couple decides to get sealed after having been married civilly, any children they had previous to the ordinance must be sealed to them in an additional ceremony in the temple. The blessings which come to those who choose to get sealed in Mormon temples are numerous and powerful. Any family who is sealed has a bond of protection among them, if they are faithful to the covenants they have made. It is easy to see, when one understands the sealing power, why Mormons choose to be sealed in the temple. Read more…
Baptisms for the Dead
When Mormons go to the temple, they receive the Mormon endowment only one time for themselves. Yet, Mormons are encouraged to go to the temple often. So, why do they keep going back? Each ordinance performed in a Mormon temple is only done once per person. These ordinances include the initiatory, the Mormon endowment ceremony, and the sealing to spouse and family. Living members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly called Mormons) are baptized at age 8 and above. If a child is born into a family whose parents are members, he or she may choose to be baptized at age 8, which is known as the age of accountability in Mormon doctrine. At this age, children are old enough to tell the difference between right and wrong, can understand the process of repentance, and may be held accountable for their own actions. If a person is converted to the Church later in life, he or she may be baptized at any age.
Mormon doctrine teaches that “confirmation” — to bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands — is an essential part of the ordinance of baptism. One without the other is ineffective. Thus, the first work done in the temple is baptisms for the dead. Worthy Latter-day Saints age 12 and above may go to the temple to perform baptisms and confirmations, by proxy, for people who died without a chance to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Plan of Salvation teaches that families are eternal units and need to be sealed together for eternity. However, since the gospel was restored in 1830, there have been millions of people who did not have a chance to do these ordinances for themselves. Mormons are encouraged to do their personal family history work, tracing their genealogy as far back as they can. Once enough information is gathered for each ancestor, names can be brought to the temple and work can be done for them. Members of the Mormon Church must obtain special permission to bring names to the temple for anyone other than direct ancestors, and permission must be obtained from the nearest living relative of a person in order to complete work for them, if they died in the past 100 years.
Some people are angered when they hear about the work done for the dead in Mormon temples. They feel that Mormons are taking a choice away from people about whether they want to actually belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or not. Free agency is honored, however. Mormons believe that the ordinances performed in the temple—baptisms, initiatories, endowments, and sealings—are ordinances which can only be performed on this earth, with physical bodies. Thus, those who died without this knowledge are in a tough spot. Byperforming these ordinances by proxy, Mormons believe people who have already left this earthly life then have the opportunity to choose whether or not they want to accept that work. Thus, temple work is giving freedom to our ancestors, not taking away a choice.
Temple work is one of the most selfless things a person can do. To do proxy work takes a lot of time, and it is nearly entirely a selfless service. By returning to do work for the dead in temples, people can be reminded of the ordinances they have received and the covenants they have made with God; they can be reminded of the blessings promised to them if they are faithful, but other than that, they are giving freely of their time to help those who cannot help themselves.
Additional Resources:
Other perspectives on baptism for the dead
LDS News on Church policy for baptisms for the dead