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Mormons and gays

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Sexual relations between a man and woman who are not married, or between people of the same sex, violate one of our Father in Heaven’s most important laws and get in the way of our eternal progress. Blaire Ostler is a philosopher who works at the intersection of queer, Mormon, and transhumanist thought.

Personal Accounts and Comments From Church Leaders

Mormonandgay.lds.org features five personal accounts from multiple perspectives — including those who experience same-sex attraction, as well as their family, friends and ecclesiastical leaders.

Sexual relations are reserved for a man and woman who are married and promise complete loyalty to each other. The intended meaning of gender in the family proclamation is biological sex at birth. People of any sexual orientation who violate the law of chastity can be reconciled with God through repentance. As followers of Christ, we resist immoral behavior and strive to become like Him.

We seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the help of the Savior, who knows how to succor us when we are tempted. Church leaders have typically used this term to be inclusive of people who are not comfortable using a label, not to deny the existence of gay, lesbian, or bisexual identity.

Translations of two sections of the website—Church Teachings and Frequently Asked Questions—as well as the Same-Sex Attraction entry in Gospel Topics at LDS.org are in progress for Spanish, Portuguese and 35 other languages.

Learn more at mormonandgay.lds.org.

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The site “does not offer a comprehensive explanation of everything related to same-sex attraction,” he adds, “but it does reflect the feelings of Church leaders as to how we should treat each other as part of the human family.”

In addition to firsthand narratives, the new site includes encouraging comments from Elder L.

Whitney Clayton of the Presidency of the Seventy. When we create a supportive environment, we build charity and empathy for each other and benefit from our combined perspectives and faith.

The Church provides resources at ChurchofJesusChrist.org/topics/gay to help individuals and families live the fulness of the gospel and seek the Spirit while navigating this aspect of mortality.

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Notes

  1. See 1 Corinthians 10:13; Doctrine and Covenants 62:1.

  2. See Alma 7:11–12.

  3. See Romans 8:16–17.

Church Updates Official ‘Mormon and Gay’ Website

"Even though I still don't understand everything, I know that I don't have to.

Taylor Petrey is an associate professor of religion and chair of the Religion Department at Kalamazoo College. The experience of same-sex attraction is not the same for everyone. Patrick will be joined by authors of two recent and important books on these subjects. Some people may feel exclusively attracted to the same gender, while others may feel attracted to both genders.

The Church distinguishes between same-sex attraction and homosexual behavior.

No matter what challenges we may face in life, we are all children of God, deserving of each other’s kindness and compassion. People who experience same-sex attraction or identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual can make and keep covenants with God and fully and worthily participate in the Church. She is the author of Queer Mormon Theology: An Introduction (By Common Consent Press, 2021).

Speaking directly to Latter-day Saints who experience same-sex attraction or identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual, Elder Clayton says, “We want you to know we love you. All I am asked to do is love as God would love."

This comment, and many others like it, is included in an updated version of "Mormon and Gay,” an official website from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Each story is unique and vulnerable and ultimately hopeful, reflecting the complex and uncertain reality that it is to experience same-sex attraction or know someone who does.

The website is “a place where the people whose lives are impacted by attraction to the same sex can find inspiration to work through difficult challenges while remaining faithful to Church teachings,” says Elder D.

Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

S2 Eps3 | LGBTQ Mormon History and Theology

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Blaire Ostler and Taylor Petrey

No other issue is as publicly prominent or as vexing for contemporary Mormonism as the relationship between the LDS Church and the LGBTQ community.

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mormons and gays

We want you to be part of our congregations. If we give in to sexual temptations and violate the law of chastity, we can repent, be forgiven, and participate in full fellowship in the Church.

We may not know precisely why some people feel attracted to others of the same sex, but for some it is a complex reality and part of the human experience.

The Savior Jesus Christ has a perfect understanding of every challenge we experience here on earth, and we can turn to Him for comfort, joy, hope, and direction. The site reinforces the reality that, in the words of one Mormon scripture, God “loveth his children” (1 Nephi 11:17), and seeks to help everyone better understand same-sex attraction from a gospel perspective.


The first version of this website launched in December 2012 under the title "Mormons and Gays." The new appellation, "Mormon and Gay," reflects the reality that a person doesn’t need to choose between these two identities — one can, in fact, be gay and live faithful to the teachings of Christ.