Mormon Church and Gay Rights

The stand of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on gay rights has been clearly stated. The standards of the Church regarding morality are unwavering and cannot be changed by any kind of petitioning voice. The Church is led by a prophet of God, and gets its information regarding what is moral and what is not directly from the Lord. The standard is as follows:

"As a church, our doctrinal position is clear: any sexual activity outside of marriage is wrong, and we define marriage as between a man and a woman." [1]

This standard is outlined in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. There can be no negotiation over this standard. It will always stand. This presents a special challenge for many people. There are some who will never marry simply because they never will find that special person. There are some who are handicapped who will never marry but long to do so. Others suffer from same-sex attraction. For these, it might be impossible to fall in love with someone of the opposite sex. A celibate life might be the only alternative in order to keep the laws of God. The Church acknowledges that this is a difficult path, while it urges discourse based on real science and real religious principles.

As far as civil rights are concerned,

"while the Church is strongly on the record as opposing same-sex marriage, it has openly supported other rights for gays and lesbians such as protections in housing or employment."

The laws of Utah were liberalized in order to meet this criterion. The Church upholds all civil rights for gays except those that adulterate the institution of marriage, namely, marriage and adoption.

The Church laments the suffering of gays over their trials in life and urges church members to be ever compassionate:

"Jesus Christ, whom we follow, was clear in His condemnation of sexual immorality, but never cruel. His interest was always to lift the individual, never to tear down....The Church’s doctrine is based on love. We believe that our purpose in life is to learn, grow and develop, and that God’s unreserved love enables each of us to reach our potential. None of us is limited by our feelings or inclinations. Ultimately, we are free to act for ourselves.

"The Church recognizes that those of its members who are attracted to others of the same sex experience deep emotional, social and physical feelings. The Church distinguishes between feelings or inclinations on the one hand and behavior on the other. It’s not a sin to have feelings, only in yielding to temptation.

"There is no question that this is difficult, but Church leaders and members are available to help lift, support and encourage fellow members who wish to follow Church doctrine. Their struggle is our struggle. Those in the Church who are attracted to someone of the same sex but stay faithful to the Church’s teachings can be happy during this life and perform meaningful service in the Church. They can enjoy full fellowship with other Church members, including attending and serving in temples, and ultimately receive all the blessings afforded to those who live the commandments of God....We join our voice with others in unreserved condemnation of acts of cruelty or attempts to belittle or mock any group or individual that is different – whether those differences arise from race, religion, mental challenges, social status, sexual orientation or for any other reason. Such actions simply have no place in our society." [2]