A truth was claimed, and the line was redrawn in the same place as it had been so many times before.
“The laws that apply most significantly to the issues relating to those identifying as LGBTQ+ are God’s law of marriage and its companion law of chastity.” According to Dallin H Oaks, the church’s stance and treatment of LGBTQ+ is justified by divine legality.
Oaks continued further by quoting from an address of Russel M Nelson where he stated, “The truth is, however, that in the beginning—in the beginning—marriage was ordained by God! And to this day it is defined by Him as being between a man and a woman. God has not changed His definition of marriage. God has also not changed His law of chastity.”
A reference to “in the beginning” lays a claim on the foundation of creation itself for the first three words of scripture are exactly that, “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1). The only mention regarding anything of a sexual nature is found in Genesis 1:28 where “God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth.” Noticeably absent from the biblical creation stories is anything regarding LGBTQ+.
To assume that the instructions that God gives to two specific people, with specific needs, under specific conditions are also meant for the billions of people that would follow across the entire human spectrum would be myopic. If the church's current stance on LGBTQ+ is based on a divine legal precedent that was established “in the beginning” then I would expect there to be some form of scriptural evidence to support such a stance. This series encompasses my search for that evidence.
Considering that conservatively around 5% of the human population is LGBTQ+, I would expect to see something in the scriptures to confirm or validate the church's current stance or at least shed some light on a topic that impacts so many people.
I have long been unable to reconcile the church’s exclusionary policies regarding LGBTQ+ with Christ’s message of all-inclusive love. Nor can I condone any form of spiritual aggression; there is no place for metaphorical musket fire when actual lives are on the line.
Having grown up in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints I had never really felt embarrassed being Mormon. There were plenty of times when I was singled out or had a spotlight shown on my religion. In those moments, I may have been uncomfortable but I was never embarrassed; in some ways, I felt a sense of pride. I felt somewhat unique.
That all changed with Prop 8.
For the first time in my life, I was embarrassed to admit that I was Mormon. I have long had an uneasiness on the church's stance on homosexuality and the way that LGBTQ+ members (and non-members) are treated. It was Prop 8 that forced me to not only face it, but now I had to manage a public reputation perpetuated by the church that I had unwillingly inherited by being a member.
As much as I wish it wasn't so, the unfortunate reality is that our LGBTQ+ brothers and sisters are shamed, ridiculed, shunned, marginalized, and far too frequently treated as less than human both in and out of the church. These, our fellow brothers and sisters, these children of our Heavenly Father, are treated with such disregard and disdain that a study showed that 70% of LGBTQ+ Mormons met the criteria for PTSD. That high percentage of people experiencing trauma is just too high to ignore.
Church leaders say that all are welcome, but what do LGBTQ+ members have to look forward to with regards to the quality of life if they stay faithful to the church?
Very little, if anything at all.
Within the church’s teachings and culture, anything related to LGBTQ+ is labeled as a burden to bear, as a flaw, and sometimes as far as a product of Satan. Let's say that a completely faithful member realizes that they are attracted to the same gender. If they were to conform to the standards set by the church, that individual can never have an intimate personal relationship with someone that they are attracted to. Additionally, homosexuality is stigmatized as a burden to bear, as a flaw. Essentially, faithful LBGT members of the church are expected to live a life of stigmatized solitude devoid of fulfilling and intimate personal relationships. They will also not be allowed to fully participate and progress within the church; indefinitely kept at the fringes.
I have a hard time believing that a loving God would require around 5% of his children to live a life within His church alone and be labeled as unfit. At 2020’s reported church membership this would directly impact an estimated 833,000+ current members — all of them expected to live a life unfulfilled in stigmatized solitude!
This simplified calculation is only to demonstrate the magnitude of the issue at hand. Understanding that many LGBTQ+ individuals choose to no longer be members, perhaps a more accurate calculation would be new children of record. In 2020, of the 65,440 children born into the church, 3,272 will be expected to spend their lives in stigmatized solitude. If the gospel is truly meant for the entire world, then of the 7.8 billion souls living on this planet, this would impact over 389 million individuals. Keep in mind, these are conservative estimates.
This is no small issue. There is no room to be wrong about something that impacts so many people.
I am unable to reconcile the church’s standing, policies, and expectations with regards to LGBTQ+ children of a loving God, this is not a demonstration of Christ-like love.
Youth suicide rates in Utah have increased drastically above the national average over the last decade. 2008 saw a dramatic increase (the same year as Prop 8), followed by a significant spike in 2015.
Admittedly, correlating youth suicide to church policy is challenging, these are complicated issues. Coming to terms with either being LGBTQ+ or knowing someone who is LGBTQ+ is just one of many, many things that our youth need to address one way or another. It is difficult to establish a direct connection given that those who have died by suicide are no longer with us to tell their story, though studies have shown that there is a strong link between Mormon LBGT youth and higher levels of suicide.
Seeing these statistics and knowing of the negative impact that the church’s November 2015 exclusion policy had on many members made me wonder if there was a correlation — if church policy was killing our kids.
Because I am unable to reconcile current and recent church policy and rhetoric regarding LGBTQ+ as something that comes from a loving God, I decided to take a close look at the scriptures to understand the scriptural basis of such and to see if there was a connection between the scriptures and current church policy. Both Nelson and Oaks have recently stated that the current stance is based on a precedent that was established “in the beginning” so I would expect to find something to help me find an understanding that would allow me to reach a reconciliation for something that my own conscience is telling me is un-Christ-like and wrong.
Right?
~~~
In this series, I will be diving into each of the standard works (i.e. the approved scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) in search of any scriptural basis to support how LGBTQ+ individuals are treated in church policy, teachings, or culture. This series will explore each of the standard works — the Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants (with the Pearl of Great Price), the Old Testament (KJV), and the New Testament (KJV).
This will not be a mere surface reading of the scriptures. This is a breadth of material that has an authorship that spans centuries and a myriad of authors. As such, the following criteria and assumptions will be followed as best as possible:
- Language evolves and the meanings of words can change over time.
- Cultural and historical context matters.
- Who said the words matters.
- Who received the message matters. How would those that received the words have understood it?
- Don’t put words in God’s mouth.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. (1 Corinthians 14:33)
With regards to the examination of passages in the Bible, the primary source is the King James Version of the Bible as it is the approved version for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The 8th Article of Faith states:
We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Correct and accurate translation is important in understanding the intended messages contained within ancient texts. While the King James Version will be the primary source, other sources, such as the New Standard Revised Version (NSRV), will also be referenced when translations are not clear, with the goal of gaining the clearest translation possible.
It is important to note that the terms used with regards to LGBTQ+ are modern nomenclature that do not appear in any of the scriptures (gay: 1971, lesbian: modern usage in 1925 though used as early as the 1700s, homosexual: late 1800s). As such, scriptures that potentially address LGBTQ+ issues typically use language that describes actions rather than labels.
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