LGBTQ

The following questions and answers come directly from the Church’s website to help clarify the latest “General Handbook” updates.

Updates include more instructions on caring for the temple garment and medical conditions that may prevent members from wearing the garment.

How do I partner with the Lord in supporting and loving my LGBTQ child? A mother answers this and other poignant questions from a faith-filled perspective.

“Efforts to protect religious freedom as Congress sought to codify the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage decision are both historic and commendable.”

The Church released the following statement with regards to the United States Congress Respect for Marriage Act.

Courses are taught by experts in their fields and range from how to improve your scripture study to overcoming doubts to talking to your kids about tough topics like pornography.

Church leaders have joined with others to call for legal protection of the rights of LGBTQ individuals in Florida.

One man is adding a recovered addict, a mental health hero, and an LBGTQ+ mediator to his list of pioneers to honor this year.

“I never would have believed it, but I am seriously grateful that God has blessed me with a gay child.”

The following statement was made after the bill’s announcement and expresses the Church’s view of the proposed legislation in Arizona.

As a bishop I had the privilege of helping all of my ward members build a more unified community, no matter what they were experiencing.

The article speaks directly to members who identify as gay or lesbian or experience same-sex attraction.

In 2014, I returned to Tucson after spending weeks at my parents’ house trying to figure out how to move forward. I had few answers, but one thing I knew was that I needed to stop hiding. I had decided not to force my experiences on anyone, but to be honest with people when my orientation came up organically. Dianna and I had carpooled to a young single adult activity on Mt. Lemmon, just north of Tucson, and as the two of us drove down the mountain I felt a prompting to come out to her. I mentioned our friend Laura whose nickname is Fun Laura. Dianna asked, “Does Fun Laura have a nickname for you?”

As my social work program came to a close, I remember a distinct moment walking across campus to the Marriott Center for a Tuesday devotional. I realized that BYU had become my home and that I wasn’t ready to leave.

A few weeks ago, I walked into Deseret Book and was overwhelmed to see a large poster declaring “You are Loved” displayed proudly over two books by gay authors. As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has struggled to find resources, hope, and visibility within my community, this was a visual representation that brighter days are ahead.

On this week’s episode of This is the Gospel, three storytellers share what it means to them to “act well thy part.” Among these guests is Charlie Bird, who speaks of his wrestle with coming out as gay to his brother, Sam, for fear of damaging their close relationship. But as they were climbing Mount Kilimanjaro together, something clicked. “I have to tell him,” Charlie realized. Read Charlie and Sam’s account of what happened next.

Following a peaceful protest and rally outside the Church Office Building of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Friday afternoon, Church spokesman Doug Andersen made the following statement:

“If a patient comes into your office saying they are having the worst headache of their life, you send them to the hospital!” If I had a dollar for every time I heard that from my professors in chiropractic school, I probably could have graduated debt free.

"What are some concrete ways members of our church can be more accepting of those who do not share our beliefs?"

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is deeply concerned that the ongoing conflicts between religious liberty and LGBT rights is poisoning our civil discourse, eroding the free exercise of religion and preventing diverse Americans of good will from living together in respect and peace. Lawmakers across the nation, including members of Congress, are working to enact or strengthen laws that ensure LGBT persons fair access to important rights, such as nondiscrimination in areas like housing, employment and appropriate public accommodations. The Church is on record favoring reasonable measures that secure such rights.

Latter-day Saint Matt Easton's powerful valedictorian speech has been shared across the nation, and he recently appeared on Ellen to share more of his remarkable story.

Pride is often referred to as the universal sin. From the perspective of Latter-day Saint theology, this seems pretty accurate; pride caused Satan to rebel against heaven, pride led to the downfall of ancient civilizations, pride is the driving factor that has caused evil individuals throughout history to come to power, and anyone who has studied the Book of Mormon has probably heard of the pride cycle. However, for this discussion, I’d like to move away from the archetypal, “big picture” idea of pride to focus on the perspective of it as an individual characteristic, that is, of personal pride.

CNN. Washington Post. Fox. Huffington Post. CBS. One Latter-day Saint's powerful valedictorian speech has been gaining traction as it reaches headlines across the nation.

Latter-day Saint author Tom Christofferson shares how the Church policy change regarding membership for children of same-sex couples should remind us to love one another this Easter season.

I am not in a same-sex relationship. I have no plans to marry a man. I have no children. The November 2015 policy said nothing about gay Latter-day Saints like me. And yet when I read about the policy, I felt pain and confusion. You see, the hurt came from wondering if the church didn’t want people like me. The hurt came from feeling excluded. The hurt came from fearing that if I chose to be in a same-sex marriage that I would be erased from my people.

Religious leaders and followers have long grappled with paradoxical points of doctrine. Thursday’s announcement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints relating to the baptisms and blessings of children of LGBT couples is no exception.

Following are statements from leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on LGBT topics:

At this wonderful general conference time, it is our privilege to bring together senior leaders of the Church from around the world to provide instruction and to unify our effort to bring God’s children closer to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This morning in a leadership session the First Presidency provided instruction on several important topics. We are pleased to share with our members and friends some very positive messages from that meeting.

No matter who we are or where we are, the Savior is always there for us, and it is by His grace that all the children of God are made perfect.

As I integrate my sexual orientation with my church activity and faith in Jesus Christ, my future sometimes seems bleak and overwhelming. The family and friends who have shown me Christlike love and support, however, give me hope.

The older I get the more I realize life is an interesting journey. It is a journey that will consistently and constantly teach us if we are willing and open to learn in the areas of unconditional love and acceptance. When I was at Ricks College a long time ago, I met and fell in love with an amazing individual, Ivan. We dated until he left on his mission. Then we dated after he returned from his mission and before I left on my mission. After the missions we lost contact with each other. He went to Utah State and I went to Brigham Young University.

When we interact with our LGBTQ members in the Church, are we showing them the respect they deserve as fellow brothers and sisters in the gospel?

Years ago, before the Church instituted the three-hour block schedule for our Sunday meetings, we used to go to the chapel for meetings three times every Sunday—once in the morning for priesthood meeting, a second time for Sunday School opening exercises and classes, and finally a third time for a ninety-minute sacrament meeting. When I was a very young man, our ward’s Sunday School superintendent, Brother Marchant, came to our class one Sunday to ask for volunteers who would be willing to give the prayer, the 2½-minute talks, and the sacrament gem (a verse of scripture shared before the sacrament was passed) in the following week’s Sunday School opening exercises. My strategy was to quickly volunteer to say either the prayer or the sacrament gem. I was motivated by the desire to avoid having to give a talk at all costs! Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t the only person in the class with that strategy, and I missed out on my first choice, the prayer. I was quick enough, however, to score the sacrament gem assignment. Given the other alternative, I felt lucky.

Latter-day Saint and original Studio C cast member Stacey Harkey shared a Facebook message on December 19, 2018, in which he came out as gay.

For daily gospel-based relationship insights, join Jonathan’s Facebook group. To submit a question for Jonathan, click here.

“I fear that our society is losing its ability to come together with respect and civility and to find solutions when we see things differently,” said Elder Craig C. Christensen, area president of the Utah Areas, who welcomed the NCAA Common Ground Executive Committee to Temple Square.

Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints isn’t always easy—especially if you or a loved one identify as LGBTQ or experience same-sex attraction. The Church's official website, mormonandgay.lds.org, is a great place to start. In addition, here are four valuable resources for Latter-day Saints who are personally experiencing same-sex attraction, or for those who need help knowing how to support someone close to them who is. These books, written by gospel scholars and individuals who experience it personally, are meant to provide hope, help you move forward with faith, and help you understand God’s unconditional love for you as you figure out your individual path in the gospel with His help.

The following is an excerpt from That We May Be One, A Gay Mormon's Perspective on Faith & Family by Tom Christofferson.

“Our relationship to God and the purpose of earth life are explained in terms of the family," President Dallin H. Oaks said as he addressed young married couples from 11 stakes in the Los Angeles area. "We are the spirit children of heavenly parents. The gospel plan is implemented through earthly families, and our highest aspiration is to perpetuate those family relationships throughout eternity."

After Cal Burke wrote his heartbreakingly honest story about the moment he first told someone he was gay on Twitter, it immediately began making an impact. Receiving nearly 1,000 likes and over 100 retweets, this story about a mission president's beautiful response to one missionary's worries demonstrates deep love and compassion worth emulating.

"Because we love our school, we hope it reconsiders and lets religious groups continue to authentically reflect their religious groups," said InterVarsity's student president, Katrina Schrock, in a statement.

“As aspiring Christians but still imperfect saints, we may not always understand the struggles of others or know how to help, but we can always love them, creating safe spaces where others — and often we ourselves — can struggle with the ‘hard sayings’ in life,” BYU professor Eric D. Huntsman said.

In November 2017, Elder M. Russell Ballard said, "We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing. Certainly, we must do better than we have done in the past so that all members feel they have a spiritual home where their brothers and sisters love them and where they have a place to worship and serve the Lord."

A Provo family has made its home a sort of sanctuary for members of the LGBTQ community, especially those who need something to eat and a place where they can escape from suicidal thoughts.

As an English major, I have enjoyed taking several classes on ethics and social justice that address issues like implicit bias, racism, and sexism. I love the way these classes opened my eyes to things I had never noticed before about the world around me. While I had always known that equal rights were important, I became more sensitive to the importance of these issues in a way I never had before. I felt that gaining this wisdom was invaluable—that it would make me a stronger, more sensitive voice, both in my career and in my service in the Church.