Difference between revisions of "Gender"

Revision as of 14:18, 27 November 2024

When The Family: A Proclamation to the World was given in 1995, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, proclaimed the doctrine of gender:

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

President Dallin H. Oaks has added, “Gender is eternal. Before we were born on this earth, we all lived as male or female spirits in the presence of God.”[1]

Gender, then, is understood as the biological sex at birth, specifically referring to male and female. However the issue of gender has become a complex one in the world. Some individuals consider themselves transgender, a general term meaning that gender identity, expression, or behavior is different from what is typically associated with their identified sex at birth.

The Church affirms “the Lord’s teachings that ‘gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose’ and that ‘marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.’”[2]

The Church has also defined the position all members of the Church should take with regards to love for everyone. In a worldwide devotional to young adults broadcast in May 2022, President Russell M. Nelson said:

Who are you?

First and foremost, you are a child of God. Second, as a member of the Church, you are a child of the covenant. And third, you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Tonight, I plead with you not to replace these three paramount and unchanging identifiers with any others, because doing so could stymie your progress or pigeonhole you in a stereotype that could potentially thwart your eternal progression. . . . Any abuse or prejudice toward another because of nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, educational degrees, culture, or other significant identifiers is offensive to our Maker! Such mistreatment causes us to live beneath our stature as His covenant sons and daughters! (emphasis added) [3]

There are various labels that may be very important to you, of course. Please do not misunderstand me. I am not saying that other designations and identifiers are not significant. I am simply saying that no identifier should displace, replace, or take priority over these three enduring designations: “child of God,” “child of the covenant,” and “disciple of Jesus Christ.”

Any identifier that is not compatible with these three basic designations will ultimately let you down. Other labels will disappoint you in time because they do not have the power to lead you toward eternal life in the celestial kingdom of God.

Worldly identifiers will never give you a vision of who you can ultimately become. They will never affirm your divine DNA or your unlimited, divine potential.[4]

President Russell M. Nelson has also taught: “The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children.” President Nelson said that Church members should “lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice. I plead with you,” he said, “to promote respect for all of God’s children.”[5]