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

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.

Morality

Mormons also take a significant stance on moral issues in other areas, such as divorce, sex outside of marriage and consumption of alcohol.

Although teachings from the LDS Church emphasize the importance and eternal nature of the family, only 25 percent of Mormons surveyed said divorce is morally wrong, according to the study. That means Mormons are slightly less morally opposed to divorce than the general public.

“For Catholics, divorce does not exist. They think it is not only wrong but it is impossible,” said Matthew Bowman, member of a board of expert advisers to the Pew Research Center for the study and author of “The Mormon People,” a book on the history of the LDS Church. “That has not been true for Mormons. There is theological space for divorce within Mormonism. It is undesirable, but Mormons recognize it is sometimes necessary and sometimes the right thing to do.”

Other moral views revealed in the survey — 54 percent said drinking alcohol was morally wrong, compared with 15 percent of the general public — set Mormons apart, Bowman says. The assumption on the part of non-Mormons is that if Mormons think drinking alcohol is wrong, then they must think everyone who imbibes is morally flawed. That apprehension can make people suspicious of Mormons, and wary of an elitist attitude, he says.

Differences in moral viewpoints can create a stumbling block for Mormon acceptance — not only in high-profile arenas, such as a presidential election, but also in communities.
“What you find throughout the report is a tension,” said David Campbell, assistant professor at Notre Dame and an adviser on the study. “Mormons like to use the phrase, ‘Be in the world but not of the world.’ They are certainly living their lives in the world. They are active and involved in their communities, but they have these beliefs and practices that set them apart a little bit, and sometimes there is conflict.”

Homosexuality

Mormons have some of the most conservative opinions when it comes to homosexuality. The survey asked Mormons if homosexuality should be accepted by society or discouraged by society, with an option for neither, both or “don’t know.” The response — 26 percent said homosexuality should be accepted, 65 percent said it should be discouraged — puts Mormons as the least likely to say homosexuality should be accepted by society. But a 26 percent acceptance rate, with roughly 1 in 4 Mormons saying homosexuality should be accepted, might be surprisingly high to some.

Of particular interest is the fact that only 8 percent of Mormons surveyed identified themselves as liberal, and 66 percent said they were conservative. That means some of those who said homosexuality should be accepted also identify themselves as politically conservative, Bowman says. That distinction illustrates the complexity of Mormons’ opinion on sexuality — that it is rooted more in religious precepts than politics.
Still, it’s difficult to draw a conclusion about Mormons‘ views on homosexuality based on the study, says Pew Research Center adviser Terryl Givens, professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond.

“Results need to be viewed cautiously,” Givens says. “Official LDS pronouncements insist there is a distinction between (sexual) orientation and behavior, but the survey blurs that difference, probably leaving many Mormons unsure how to answer that question. What is clear, however, is that Mormons are trending toward greater acceptance of same-sex relationships, just as society as a whole is, although by a much smaller percentage.”

Polygamy

At one point 120 years ago, some Mormons practiced plural marriage, hence the association between Mormons and polygamy. The practice was discontinued in 1890, but the cultural association persists, perhaps in part because Mormons are sometimes confused with members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church, a polygamist group not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In the October-November 2011 study of a national sample of 1,019 Mormons, 86 percent said polygamy is morally wrong. That’s a number that surprises Bowman.

Were it not for the confusion surrounding Mormons and the FLDS Church practice of plural marriage, Bowman says that statistic might not be as high.

“It’s my experience that Mormons have a fraught relationship with polygamy,” Bowman said of the study results. “There is a sense that rejecting polygamy identifies a member of the LDS Church and distinguishes us from the fundamentalists. That is a cultural signifier as much as a theological statement.”

Some who responded to the survey, 11 percent, said polygamy is not a moral issue.
Email: achoate@desnews.com

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 education, which may be a factor in this.) Only 50 percent of those with high school educations are strongly committed to their faith. This statistic is very unusual in the religious world. For most religions, the least educated are the most religious.

49 percent of Mormons under age 50 see immigrants as a strength. 39 percent of Mormons over 50 see it as a strength.

Beyond the study’s statistics, several other factors influence the Mormon view of immigration. Many Mormons serve missions for their church. For two years, they live wherever they are sent, learning the language and living as the people in that community live. They go into the homes, attend the churches, and do service work in addition to their missionary work. Many of those serve in Spanish countries and have a realistic view of the hardships faced by those people. They come home with a compassionate view of the world and an understanding that Americans have much easier lives than most. The love missionaries almost invariably develop for the people they served influences their views on immigration.

Finally, the church has taken very specific stands on the subject of illegal immigration in recent years. Mormons believe God has sent a prophet to lead His church, just as He has always done in ancient times, and so, Mormons are asked to sustain the prophet as the leader of the Church. Official statements from the prophet or the Church are considered to be from God.

The Church officially endorsed the basic principles of the Utah Compact, a law working to create a balanced legal approach to immigration. In November, 2011, L. Whitney Clayton gave an official statement from the church in honor of the first anniversary of the bill. The statement said in part:

The Utah Compact is consistent with three principles we believe should be carefully balanced when considering immigration:

• We follow Jesus Christ by loving our neighbors. The meaning of neighbor includes all of God’s children, in all places and in all times.
• We recognize an ever-present need to strengthen families. Families are meant to be together. Forced separation of working parents from their children weakens families and damages society.
• We acknowledge that every nation has the right to enforce its laws and secure its borders.

We continue to encourage lawmakers everywhere to consider laws that properly balance love of neighbors and the importance of keeping families together, within the framework of just and enforceable laws.” (See Utah Compact One-Year Anniversary Marked by Utah Community Leaders.)

The official Mormon position is to encourage its members to stay in their homelands or to immigrate legally, but once they are here, however they came, they are to be treated with love, dignity, and respect, and laws should not separate families.

For a more in-depth look at the issue of Mormons and immigration, read the Deseret News article: Mormons’ immigration attitudes set them apart, by Eric Schulzke, Deseret News, published: Saturday, Jan. 14, 2012 8:12 p.m. MST.

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.

For the vast majority of Latter-day Saints surveyed, those life choices have much to do with their religious beliefs. Eighty-two percent of survey respondents indicate that religion is “very important” to them, 83 percent say they pray every day and 77 percent say they attend church at least once a week. Beyond that, a stunning 69 percent of respondents fit all three descriptions, saying that religion is very important to them, that they pray every day and that they go to church every week.

“By this measure,” the report says, “Mormons exhibit higher levels of religious commitment than many other religious groups, including white evangelical Christians.”

Part of the explanation for these high numbers may be that the survey focused only on those who self-identified as Latter-day Saints.

“The method they used tended to identify people who are strongly committed,” said BYU sociologist Marie Cornwall , who advised the Pew Forum on the new survey. “They don’t have the people who are kind of marginal. But that’s okay; we just have to be careful with the way we interpret the findings.”

One such finding is the relationship between religious commitment and education among Mormons.

David Campbell, a University of Notre Dame associate professor and another adviser on the survey, noted that the more educated respondents were, the higher their levels of religious commitment.

“I was a little surprised by that,” said Campbell, who is LDS and who has extensively studied on the role of religion in the public square. “The more educated a Mormon is, the more likely they are to be wholehearted in their commitment to the church and its teachings.”

That is different from other churches, he said, where more education tends to lead to more religious skepticism.

Pew Research Center officials also noted “a significant gender gap in religious commitment, with more Mormon women than men exhibiting a high level of religious commitment (73 percent vs. 65 percent).”

According to the Pew report, a similar “gender gap” is seen among the general public. A 2007 survey found 36 percent of U.S. women exhibited a high level of religious commitment, compared with 24 percent of men.

One series of questions asked about what it means to be a good Mormon. According to the respondents, in order to be a good Mormon it is “essential” to believe Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ (80 percent), work to help the poor (73 percent), hold regular family home evenings (51 percent), not drink coffee and tea (49 percent) and not watch R-rated movies (32 percent).

Combining those who said “essential” with those who said “important but not essential,” the order changes a little bit: working to help the poor (97 percent), holding regular family home evenings (96 percent), believing Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ (93 percent), not drinking coffee and tea (81 percent) and not watching R-rated movies (79 percent).

“I think that result is rather interesting,” said Cornwall. “Mormons are known for not drinking coffee or tea and not watching R-rated movies. But compared to believing that Joseph Smith saw God and working for the poor, Mormons don’t seem to focus on the coffee and tea as much as people probably think.”

Other manifestations of religious commitment in the survey included:

The number of respondents (65 percent) who say they hold a current temple recommend (a certificate from local ecclesiastical leaders, issued every other year, indicating that an individual has permission from the church to enter LDS temples and participate in temple rites and sacraments)

The number (79 percent) who say they pay tithing (donating 10 percent of their income to the church)

The number (27 percent) who have served full-time missions for the church (this number includes 43 percent of men and 11 percent of women and varies significantly according to the age and education of the respondent, as well as whether or not the respondent was raised Mormon)

The number (82 percent) who keep food in storage for emergencies or disasters, as they have been counseled to do by LDS Church leaders (This number includes 23 percent who say they have three months’ worth, 35 percent who say they have more than three months’ worth and 23 percent who say they have less than three months’ worth)

The percentage who pay tithing is especially interesting to break down. According to the survey tabulations, “tithing is most common among Mormons with the highest levels of religious commitment (96 percent) … fully 91 percent of college graduates say they pay tithing … compared with 66 percent of those with a high school diploma or less education. And among those whose family income exceeds $30,000, 83 percent say they pay tithing, compared with 69 percent of those with incomes of less than $30,000.”

While previous surveys have clearly established LDS agreement with certain key Christian doctrines — 90 percent of Mormons believe in God, 91 percent believe the Bible is the word of God and 98 percent believe in life after death — the new survey explores Mormon confidence in points of doctrine that are unique to LDS theology. And in these points of doctrine, Mormons proved to be unified and believing. They believe overwhelmingly that God and Jesus Christ are separate physical beings (94 percent), that the president of the LDS Church is a prophet of God (94 percent), that families can be bound together eternally in temple ceremonies (95 percent) and that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets and translated by Joseph Smith (91 percent).

Overall, 77 percent say they believe “wholeheartedly” in all of the teachings of the LDS Church. That number increases to 82 percent among Mormons ages 18-49, and to 85 percent among Mormons who are college graduates.

“Ultimately, I suppose other Americans will judge our church — and perhaps all churches — by their relevance in how they touch and improve human lives right here on Earth as well as what they offer in the life to come,” wrote Michael Otterson, Public Affairs director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in his “On Faith” blog in the Washington Post. “Meanwhile, we welcome the friendship and regard of all groups, even as we retain our commitment to a unique identity. In the end … Latter-day Saints will strive to be good Mormons, true believers, kind neighbors and faithful friends.

Pew Study Reflects Mormons’ Religious Commitment to Christ, Mormon Beliefs in Tithes and Temples

Mormons in America

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…

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:

Mormon beliefs

Other perspectives on baptism for the dead

LDS News on Church policy for baptisms for the dead