Yesterday, I saw an article on my BBC News app: "Same-sex marriage now legal as first couples wed." The story was about same-sex "marriages" being performed in England and Wales, now that the practice is legal there.
 |
| Peter McGraith and David Cabreza's "wedding" in Islington |
That was the straw that broke the camel's back. It doesn't matter how much the world moves toward accepting homosexual relationships: God's truth does not change. Foreseeing our day, God has spoken through His anointed servants over and over again on this issue. His message has been clear and consistent. Though it is becoming more and more the norm to tolerate and accept gay relationships, we have to risk our reputations, our means, whatever it takes- to defend the Lord's position.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Too many of us are doing too little to oppose the advance of immorality in our communities! How will we feel when we meet these gay people in the afterlife, and we said nothing? We knew God's warning message, and did not tell them or discourage them from their sinful path. They may have smiles for the camera now- but rest assured, they will not be smiling later. As President Kimball said regarding those who chose to enter gay relationships: "there is no future for a homosexual… the day will come in his life when there is nothing left but chaff and dust and barrenness and desolation." Happiness cannot come from immorality: instead, it comes from obedience to God's law as spoken by His chosen servants.
God's mouthpiece has said: "Important as it is, building stronger homes is not enough in the fight against rising permissiveness. We therefore urge Church members as citizens to lift their voices, to join others in unceasingly combating, in their communities and beyond... the shocking developments which encourage the old sins of Sodom and Gomorrah." I feel called to do my part to combat this attack on the family, and its attendant incursion on religious freedom. I'm convinced that the single best thing we (and I) can do, is to preach God's truth on this issue without fear, and without reservation. The Holy Ghost will do the work of changing hearts that are prepared to hear the word: to us is the obligation to open our mouths.
To that end, I've compiled 69 authoritative quotes from God's mouthpieces to remind the world of the truth about homosexuality. Whether spoken 20 years ago or 2000, God's message does not change: these statements are as true today as when they were first uttered.
1. “To
the ‘misinformed’ who believe ‘God make them that way’… This is as untrue as
any other of the diabolical lies Satan has concocted. It is blasphemy. Man is made in the image of God. Does the pervert think God to be ‘that way?[i]’”
2. “There
appears to be a consensus in the world that it is natural, to one degree or another,
for a percentage of the population.
Therefore, we must accept it as all right. However, when you put a moral
instrument on it, the needle immediately flips to the side labeled
"wrong." It may even register "dangerous…" The answer: It
is not all right. It is wrong! It is not desirable; it is unnatural; it is
abnormal; it is an affliction. When
practiced, it is immoral.[ii]”
3. “Some
suppose that they were pre-set and cannot overcome what they feel are inborn
tendencies toward the impure and unnatural. Not so! Why would our Heavenly
Father do that to anyone? Remember, He is our Father.[iii]”
4.
“Satan tells his victims that it is a natural
way of life; that it is normal; that perverts are a different kind of people
born ‘that way’ and that they cannot change.
This is a base lie. All normal
people have sex urges and if they control such urges, they grow strong and
masterful. If they yield to their carnal
desires and urges, they get weaker until their sins get beyond control. ‘The knowledge that homosexuality can be
effectively treated must be made more generally known, to offset the effect of
organized groups of homosexuals who would have society accept homosexuality and
relieve them of the pressure to undergo the changes that can be effected
through appropriate treatment… It can be overcome and the case of difficulty of
overcoming depends largely upon the strength or weakness of the individual, the
depth of his entrenchment, the quality and quantity of his desire and
determination.’”[iv]
5. “Some
continue until, when the changing gets difficult, they admit their inability to
cope with it and yield. They rationalize
that they are of another class of people; that the Lord made them that way;
that they cannot change. The powerful
Lucifer has had his day.”[v]
6. “’God
made me that way,’ some say, as they rationalize and excuse themselves for
their [homosexual] perversions. ‘I can’t
help it,’ they add. This is
blasphemy. Is man not made in the image
of God, and does he think God to be ‘that way’?”[vi]”
7.
“God made no man a pervert. To blame a weakness and transgression upon
God is cowardly.”[vii]
8. “Do
not be misled by those who whisper that it is part of your nature and therefore
right for you. That is false doctrine![viii]”
9.
“It was not God who made them [homosexuals]
that way....He gave all mankind free agency.[ix]”
10. There
is a falsehood that some are born with an attraction to their own kind, with
nothing they can do about it. They are just "that way" and can only
yield to those desires. That is a malicious and destructive lie. While it is a
convincing idea to some, it is of the devil.[x]
11. “God
did not make men evil. He did not make
people ‘that way.’”[xi]
12. “Since
homosexuals have become a nationwide entity, and have come out of hiding to
demand their place in the sun, many of them claim that they are what they are
because they were born that way and cannot help it. How
ridiculous is such a claim. It was not God who made them that way, any
more than He made bank robbers the way they are[xii].
13. “There is some widely accepted theory extant
that homosexuality is inherited. How can this be? No scientific evidence
demonstrates absolutely that this is so. Besides, if it were so, it would
frustrate the whole plan of mortal happiness. Our designation as men or women
began before this world was. In contrast to the socially accepted doctrine that
homosexuality is inborn, a number of respectable authorities contend that
homosexuality is not acquired by birth. The false belief of inborn sexual
orientation denies to repentant souls the opportunity to change and will
ultimately lead to discouragement, disappointment, and despair.[xiii]”
14. “When
I say this is sin, I am quoting the Creator of the world. Truth is truth and needs no eloquent tongue
nor brilliant brain to portray it.”[xiv]
15. “Next
to the crime of murder comes the sin of sexual impurity as expressed in its
many manifestations: adultery, fornication, homosexuality and related
transgressions. Man is created in the
image of God and prostitutes his God-given powers and image in such
practices. No amount of rationalization
can really neutralize the pollution. The
death penalty was exacted in the days of Israel for such wrong-doing.”[xv]
16. "Homosexuality
is an ugly sin, but because of its prevalence, the need to warn the
uninitiated, and the desire to help those who may already be involved with it,
it must be brought into the open. It is the sin of the ages....[xvi]”
17. “Reason
might also be employed to convince the individual that there is no future for a
homosexual… the day will come in his life when there is nothing left but chaff
and dust and barrenness and desolation.”[xvii]
18. “First,
far less is known about the causes of same-gender attraction than is claimed to
be known. Preliminary findings are
touted as proven facts while retractions or contradicting evidence about the
same issue receive little, if any, attention. The result is an abundance of
untruth and distortions worthy of Isaiah’s warning: ‘Woe unto them that call
evil good, and good evil…[xviii]”
19. "homosexuals
can be assured that in spite of all they may have heard from other sources,
they can overcome and return to normal, happy living.[xix]”
20. “If someone seeking your help says to you, ‘I
am a homosexual,’ or, ‘I am lesbian,’ or, ‘I am gay,’ correct this miscasting…
it is simply not true. To speak this way seeds a doubt and deceit about who we
really are.[xx]”
21. “Please
notice that I use [homosexual] as an adjective, not as a noun: I reject it as a
noun. I repeat, I accept that word as an adjective to describe a temporary
condition. I reject it as a noun naming a permanent one.[xxi]”
22. “First,
it is important to understand that homosexuality is not innate and
unchangeable. Research has not proved that homosexuality is genetic. Even more
important, many researchers whose studies have been used to support a
biological model for homosexuality have determined that their work has been
misinterpreted. What is clear is that homosexuality results from an interaction
of social, biological, and psychological factors. These factors may include
temperament, personality traits, sexual abuse, familial factors, and treatment
by one’s peers.[xxii]”
23. “Today
we are aware of great problems in our society. The most obvious are sexual
promiscuity, homosexuality, drug abuse, alcoholism, vandalism, pornography, and
violence. These grave problems are
symptoms of failure in the home—the disregarding of principles and practices
established by God in the very beginning.[xxiii]”
24. “For
centuries men have sought to find the cause of this condition… but it is not a
physical disorder. A most extensive physical examination will not reveal one
shred of evidence that it is. Physicians have never located any tangible
control center in the body that can be adjusted by medical or surgical means to
change this condition. The next obvious place to look is the emotional or
psychological part of our nature. Here we come closer.[xxiv]”
25. “There
is a reason why we in the Church do not talk more openly about this subject.
Some matters are best handled very privately. With many things, it is easy -
very easy - to cause the very things we are trying to avoid. On one occasion,
with a friend of mine, I went to the medical center of a large university to
see another friend who was a doctor there. In the waiting room before us was a
low table covered with pamphlets describing various diseases. My friend
observed: ‘Well, there they are. Read enough about it and you'll think you've
got it…’ and I have already said that we can very foolishly cause things we are
trying to prevent by talking too much about them.[xxv]"
26. “Is this tendency impossible to change? Is it
preset at the time of birth and locked in? Do you just have to live with it?
For example, the shutter of an expensive camera is calibrated at the factory
and cannot be adjusted in the field. If such a camera, by chance, is thrown out
of calibration or damaged, it cannot be fixed locally. It must eventually go
back to the factory, for only there can it be put in order. Is perversion like
that? The answer is a conclusive no! It is not like that. Some so-called
experts, and many of those who have yielded to the practice, teach that it is
congenital and incurable and that one just has to learn to live with it. They
can point to a history of very little success in trying to put whatever
mechanism that causes this back into proper adjustment. They have, to support
them, some very convincing evidence. Much of the so-called scientific
literature concludes that there really is not much that can be done about it. I
reject that conclusion out of hand.[xxvi]”
27. “The
chief psychiatrist at one of Washington’s largest hospitals says, ‘A normal 12-
or 13-year-old boy or girl exposed to pornographic literature could develop
into a homosexual.’[xxvii]”
28. “Having
same-gender attraction is NOT in your DNA…[xxviii]”
29. “First
is the misconception that same-gender attraction is an inborn and unalterable
orientation. This untrue assumption tries to persuade you to label yourselves
and build your entire identity around a fixed sexual orientation or condition.[xxix]”
30. “Some
who become tangled up in this disorder become predators. They proselyte the
young or the inexperienced. It becomes very important for them to believe that
everyone, to one degree or another, is "that way"… Do not be
deceived. If you are one of the few who are subject to this temptation, do not
be misled into believing that you are a captive to it. That is false doctrine![xxx]”
31. “There
are said to be millions of perverts who have relinquished their natural
affection and bypassed courtship and normal marriage relationships. This
practice is spreading like a prairie fire and changing our world. They are
without ‘natural affection’ for God, for spouses, and even for children.[xxxi]”
32. “Every form of homosexuality is sin.
Pornography is one of the approaches to that transgression.[xxxii]”
33. “[A]nimals
do not pair up with their own gender to satisfy their mating instincts.[xxxiii]”
34. “Now
it is not all that unusual for a boy or a girl, in a moment of childish play
with someone of the same gender, to enter into some mischief… two young men or
two young women, motivated by some attraction or responding to a desire for
affection - any kind of affection - sometimes are drawn almost innocently into
unnatural behavior. They can be drawn into some circumstances that makes them,
for the moment, doubt their identity. Do not be deluded into thinking that such
thoughts and feelings are normal for you. Just because you experience some
period of confusion, do not make of that thing something that it is not. Do not
order your life to conform to a transient thought or experience[xxxiv].”
35. “Find
a therapist who can help you identify the unmet emotional needs that you are
tempted to satisfy in false sexual ways[xxxv].”
36. “There
is a distinction between immoral thoughts and feelings and participating in
either immoral heterosexual or any homosexual behavior. However, such thoughts
and feelings, regardless of their causes, can and should be overcome and sinful
behavior should be eliminated. This can be achieved through faith in God,
sincere repentance, and persistent effort.[xxxvi]”
37. “Children
learn how to love in a stable, healthy family. Parents need to know that lack
of proper affection in the home can result in unnatural behavior in their
children such as homosexuality or inability to be an effective parent when the
time comes.[xxxvii]”
38. “"We
are told that as far back as Henry the VIII, this vice was referred to as 'THE
ABOMINABLE AND DETESTABLE CRIME AGAINST NATURE… We know such a disease is
curable… and promise him if he will stay away from the haunts and the
temptations, and the former associates, he may heal himself, cleanse his mind
and return to his normal pursuits and a happy state of mind. The cure for this malady lies in self
mastery…[xxxviii]”
39. “We talked of the influences that had put [a
young gay man] where he is, of the home from which he came, of associations
with other young men, of books and magazines read, of shows seen.[xxxix]”
40. “It
is easy to hypothesize that inheritance plays a role in sexual orientation.
However it is important to remember, as conceded by two advocates of this
approach, that ‘the concept of substantial heritability should not be confused
with the concept of inevitable heritability. ... Most mechanisms probably
involve interactions between constitutional predispositions and environmental
events… Satan “seeks to undermine the principle of individual accountability,
to persuade us to misuse our sacred powers of procreation, to discourage
marriage and childbearing by worthy men and women, and to confuse what it means
to be male or female.[xl]”
41. “Thus
prophets anciently and today condemn masturbation....While we should not regard
this weakness as the heinous sin which some other sexual practices are, it is
of itself bad enough to require sincere repentance. What is more, it too often leads to grievous
sin, even to that sin against nature, homosexuality. For, done in private, it evolves often into
mutual masturbation – practiced with another person of the same sex – and then
into total homosexuality…. Sin in sex practices tends to have a ‘snowballing’
effect. As the restraints fall away, Satan incites the carnal man to
ever-deepening degeneracy in his search for excitement until in many instances
he is lost to any former consideration of decency. Thus it is that through the ages, perhaps as
an extension of homosexual practices, men and women have sunk even to seeking
sexual gratification with animals[xli].”
42. “If
an individual tries to receive comfort, satisfaction, affection, or fulfillment
from deviate physical interaction with someone of his own gender, it can become
an addiction! At first it may fill a need and give comfort of some kind, but,
when that has faded, feelings of guilt and depression follow. A greater need
soon emerges.[xlii]”
43. “It
should go without saying that many of these problems would be alleviated if
parents would spend more time teaching and rearing their children. Related to
the story that I gave at the beginning of my talk is evidence of a clinical
researcher who, after studying 850 individual cases, stated: “Homosexuality
would not occur where there is a normal, loving father-and-son relationship.”
Any of our people living in righteousness would normally avoid being involved
in these problems.[xliii]”
44. “The
Lord defined some very basic differences between men and women. He gave the
male what we call masculine traits and the female feminine traits. He did not
intend either of the sexes to adopt the other’s traits but, rather, that men
should look and act like men and that women should look and act like women.
When these differences are ignored, an unwholesome relationship develops,
which, if not checked, can lead to the reprehensible, tragic sin of
homosexuality. In other words, we have a responsibility as priesthood bearers
to be examples of true manhood.[xliv]”
45. “There
are some circumstances in which young men may be tempted to handle one
another… When a young man is finding his
way into manhood, such experiences can misdirect his normal desires and pervert
him not only physically but emotionally and spiritually as well.[xlv]”
46. “Normal desires and attractions emerge in the
teenage years; there is the temptation to experiment, to tamper with the sacred
power of procreation. These desires can be intensified, even perverted, by
pornography, improper music, or the encouragement from unworthy associations.
What would have only been a more or less normal passing phase in establishing
gender identity can become implanted and leave you confused, even
disturbed. If you consent, the adversary
can take control of your thoughts and lead you carefully toward a habit and to
an addiction, convincing you that immoral, unnatural behavior is a fixed part
of your nature. With some few, there is the temptation which seems nearly
overpowering for man to be attracted to man or woman to woman. The scriptures
plainly condemn those who “dishonour their own bodies between themselves … ;
men with men working that which is unseemly” or “women [who] change the natural
use into that which is against nature…” The gates of freedom, and the good or
bad beyond, swing open or closed to the password choice. You are free to choose
a path that may lead to despair, to disease, even to death.”[xlvi]”
47. “Important
as it is, building stronger homes is not enough in the fight against rising
permissiveness. We therefore urge Church members as citizens to lift their
voices, to join others in unceasingly combatting, in their communities and
beyond, the inroads of pornography and the general flaunting of permissiveness.
Let us vigorously oppose the shocking developments which encourage the old sins
of Sodom and Gomorrah, and which defile the human body as the temple of God.[xlvii]”
48. “Freedom
from this kind of enslavement is up to a trail that an individual must walk
alone. If you stumble, get up and move on. Soon your bruises will heal. You
will grow stronger. Your battle is two-thirds won, or three-fourths or
four-fifths won, when you take charge of your identity. Accept yourself as belonging in the
tabernacle that God has provided for you. Your body was provided as an
instrument of your mind. It has the purpose to bless others. Don't be mixed up
in this twisted kind of self-love.[xlviii]”
49. “A
1977 Sacramento Bee article “gave expert evidence that homosexuals certainly
are not born – they are made – further defusing claims that they ‘can’t help
it.’[xlix]””
50. “The
Church refutes the idea that homosexual orientation is genetically
determined.…Furthermore, a genetic/biological cause of homosexual attraction
has not found support in the scientific literature. “Science has never proved a
genetic link to sexual orientation. Moreover, the Church repeatedly, in nearly
every statement about homosexual relations, teaches that homosexual attraction
is not inherent to a person's particular genetic make-up and that they are
quite able to change.[l]”
51. “BYU
does not intend ‘to admit to our campus any homosexuals. If any of you have
this tendency and have not completely abandoned it, may I suggest that you
leave the university immediately after this assembly; and if you will be honest
enough to let us know the reason, we will voluntarily refund your tuition. We
do not want others on this campus to be contaminated by your presence.’[li]”
52. “[BYU]
will never knowingly enroll an unrepentant person who follows these practices
nor tolerate on its campus anyone with these tendencies who fails to repent and
put his or her life in order.[lii]”
53. “Once the carnal in man is no longer checked
by the restraints of family life and by real religion, there comes an avalanche
of appetites which gathers momentum that is truly frightening. As one jars
loose and begins to roll down hill, still another breaks loose, whether it is
an increase in homosexuality, corruption, drugs, or abortion. Each began as an
appetite that needed to be checked but which went unchecked.[liii]”
54. “'Homosexuality
can be cured if the battle is well organized and pursued vigorously and
continuously.' [This obviously refers to the condition of sexual
attraction to persons of the same sex.][liv]”
55. “The
words homosexual, lesbian, and gay are adjectives to describe particular
thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. We should refrain from using these words as
nouns [or pronouns] to identify particular conditions or specific persons. . .
. It is wrong to use these words to denote a condition, because this implies
that a person is consigned by birth to a circumstance in which he or she has no
choice in respect to the critically important matter of sexual behavior.[lv]”
56. “Usually,
there will be some resistance, particularly with the abandonment of the people
for many perverts will claim to have great "love" for some with whom
they have been involved, especially where there has been a sustained
relationship, but since the problem is in the mind more than in the body, it is
necessary to find a new climate and to make possible the elimination of the
evil thoughts which drive him back to his trouble.[lvi]”
57. “Sexual
immorality creates a barrier to the influence of the Holy Spirit with all its
uplifting, enlightening, and empowering capabilities. It causes powerful
physical and emotional stimulation. In time that creates an unquenchable
appetite that drives the offender to ever more serious sin. It engenders
selfishness and can produce aggressive acts such as brutality, abortion, sexual
abuse, and violent crime. Such stimulation can lead to acts of homosexuality,
and they are evil and absolutely wrong.[lvii]”
58. “When
one projects himself in some confused role-playing way with those of the same
gender in an effort to become more masculine or more feminine, something flips
over and precisely the opposite results. In a strange way, this amounts to
trying to love yourself. A male, in his feelings and emotions, can become less
masculine and more feminine and confused. A female can become, in her emotions,
less feminine and more masculine and confused. Because the body cannot change,
the emotional part may struggle to transform itself into the opposite gender.
Then an individual is on a hopeless, futile quest for identity where it can
never be achieved.[lviii]”
59. “Only
be the destruction of those who practice them. Why, if a little nest of them
were left that were guilty of these things, they would soon corrupt others, as
some are being corrupted among us... how can this [sodomy] be stopped? Not while those who have knowledge of these
filthy crimes exist. The only way, according to all that I can understand as
the word of God, is for the Lord to wipe them out, that there will be none left
to perpetuate the knowledge of these dreadful practices among the children of
men. And God will do it, as sure as He has spoken by the mouths of His
prophets.[lix]”
60. “When
we understand fundamental moral law better than we do, we will be able to
correct this condition routinely.[lx]”
61. “Be
choosy about the professionals you enlist. Many are proponents of the “you were
born that way” philosophy. Ensure that the counseling is consistent with gospel
principles.[lxi]”
62. “Now it is not all that unusual for a boy or a
girl, in a moment of childish play with someone of the same gender, to enter
into some mischief that should remain essentially innocent and meaningless and
should be forgotten. And two young men or two young women, motivated by some
attraction or responding to a desire for affection - any kind of affection -
sometimes are drawn almost innocently into unnatural behavior. They can be
drawn into some circumstances that makes them, for the moment, doubt their identity.
Do not be deluded into thinking that such thoughts and feelings are normal for
you. Just because you experience some period of confusion, do not make of that
thing something that it is not. Do not order your life to conform to a
transient thought or experience. And
just because someone has stubbed his toe a bit, or just because someone did not
watch carefully where he was going and got off the track into some unnatural
behavior, or just because he may have fallen victim to some clever predator,
that is no reason to jump off the cliff into spiritual oblivion[lxii].”
(1978)
63. “begin
the ruinous practice of perversion through curiosity and then become entangled
in its tentacles.[lxiii]”
64. “First,
it is important to understand that homosexuality is not innate and
unchangeable. Research has not proved that homosexuality is genetic.[lxiv]”
65. “Many
questions, however, including some related to same-gender attractions, must
await a future answer, even in the next life.[lxv]”
66. “The
cause of this disorder has remained hidden for so long because we have been
looking for it in the wrong place. When the cause is discovered, it may be
nothing so mysterious after all. It may be hidden because it is so
obvious. Have you explored the possibility
that the cause when found, will turn out to be a very typical form of
selfishness - selfishness in a very subtle form? Now - and understand this - I
do not think for a minute that the form of selfishness at the root of
perversion is a conscious one, at least not to begin with. I am sure it is
quite the opposite. Selfishness can attach itself to an individual without his
being aware that he is afflicted with it. It can become imbedded so deeply and
disguised so artfully as to be almost indistinguishable. It is hard to believe that any individual
would, by a clear, conscious decision or by a pattern of them, choose a course
of deviation. It is much more subtle than that. If one could even experiment
with the possibility that selfishness of a very subtle nature may be the cause
of this disorder, that quickly clarifies many things. It opens the possibility
of putting some very sick things in order… When one has the humility to admit
that a spiritual disorder is tied to perversion and that selfishness rests at
the root of it, already the way is open to the treatment of the condition. It
is a painful admission indeed that selfishness may be at the root of it, but we
do not have much evidence that one can cure perversion by trying to cure
perversion. If unselfishness can effect a cure, we ought to be desperate enough
by now at least to experiment with the possibility. I repeat, we have had very
little success in trying to remedy perversion by treating perversion. It is
very possible to cure it by treating selfishness... you can understand unselfishness
and selfishness. You can learn to cure perversion. [lxvi]”
67. “In
the event that you have members who have homosexual tendencies or activities,
it will be your privilege and responsibility to assist them to effect a cure
and bring their lives back into total normalcy.
This dread practice is becoming widespread in the country and there is
some of it even among our members which we deeply regret.”[lxvii]
68. “The entrenched homosexual has generally and
gradually moved all of his interests and affections to those of his own sex
rather than to the opposite sex and herein is another step. When you feel he is ready, he should be
encouraged to date and gradually move his life toward the normal. If they will
close the door to the intimate associations with their own sex and open it wide
to that of the other sex, of course in total propriety, and then be patient and
determined, gradually they can move their romantic interests where they belong…
Homosexuality CAN be cured.” [lxviii]
69. “You
might be able for a time to deceive your associates and leaders. But, you cannot lie to yourself nor to your
lord, for in spite of all the rationalization, you know deep in your heart what
you are. You may be able to convince
your mind that it is not so wrong but deep in your heart, you will always be
uneasy and unhappy and know that your sin is vicious and base. Remember there are no rooms with such tight
windows or with blinds so heavy but that the Lord and his angels know what is
going on.”[lxix]
[i] Spencer W. Kimball, August 13, 1975
[ii] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[iii] Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles, “Cleansing the Inner Vessel” October 3 2010. I report the version I heard from his lips
when I watched General Conference.
[vi] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President, “President Kimball Speaks Out on Morality”,
Ensign, November 1980, p. 97.
[viii] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[ix] Mark E. Petersen, Apostle, December 16, 1978, “Sin is
No Excuse”, Church News, p. 16.
[x] Boyd K. Packer, “To Young Men Only,” General
Conference Priesthood Session, October 2, 1976.
[xii] Mark E. Petersen, Apostle, December 16, 1978, “Sin is
no excuse,” Church News, p. 16.
[xiii] James E. Faust, “Serving the Lord and Resisting the
Devil,” Ensign, Sep 1995, 2.
[xvi] “The Foundations of Righteousness,” General
Conference, Spencer Kimball 1977.
[xviii] Bishop Keith McMullin, Evergreen International Annual
Conference, Saturday, September 18, 2010.
[xix] First Presidency Circular Letter, March 19, 1970, LDS
Church Archives.
[xx] Bishop Keith McMullin, Evergreen International Annual
Conference, Saturday, September 18, 2010.
[xxi] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[xxii] A. Dean Byrd, “When a Loved One Struggles with Same-Sex
Attraction,” Ensign, Sep 1999, 51.
[xxiii] Ezra Taft Benson, Presiding Apostle November 1982,
“Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships”, Ensign, p. 59.
[xxiv] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[xxv] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978
and published in 1978 by “Corporation of the President of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints”, popularly distributed afterward in this pamphlet
form.
[xxvi] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[xxvii] Victor L. Brown Sr., 2nd Counselor in Presiding
Bishopric, April 4, 1970, Conference Reports, April 1970, p. 31.
[xxviii] Elder Bruce C. Hafen,
Evergreen International Annual Conference, 19 September 2009. Available at
http://beta-newsroom.lds.org/article/elder-bruce-c-hafen-speaks-on-same-sex-attraction
[xxix] Elder Bruce C. Hafen,
Evergreen International Annual Conference, 19 September 2009. Available at
http://beta-newsroom.lds.org/article/elder-bruce-c-hafen-speaks-on-same-sex-attraction
[xxx] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[xxxi] Spencer W. Kimball, Delivered April 3, 1971, “Voices
of the Past, of the Present, of the Future, Ensign, June 1971, p. 16.
[xxxii] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President, October 4,
1974,”God Will Not Be Mocked”, Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 4.
[xxxiii] Boyd K. Packer, “Our Moral Environment,” Ensign, May 1992, 66.
[xxxiv] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[xxxv] Elder Bruce C. Hafen,
Evergreen International Annual Conference, 19 September 2009. Available at
http://beta-newsroom.lds.org/article/elder-bruce-c-hafen-speaks-on-same-sex-attraction
[xxxvi] Office of the First Presidency, The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, November 14, 1991. To: All Members of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints Dear Brethren and Sisters: Standards of Morality and
Fidelity. Available at
http://institute.lds.org/manuals/eternal-marriage-student-manual/m2-morality-4.asp
[xxxvii] Victor L. Brown Jr., BYU Instructor, “Two Views of
Sexuality”, Ensign, July 1975, p. 50.
[xxxviii] Spencer W. Kimball, July 10, 1964, “A Counseling
Problem in the Church” – BYU Devotional for LDS Seminary & Institute
Instructors.
[xxxix] Gordon B. Hinckley, “Opposing Evil”, Ensign, November
1975, p. 38.
[xl] Dallin H. Oaks, Apostle, October 1995, “Same-Gender
Attraction”, Ensign, pp. 7-8.
[xli] “The Abominable and Detestable Crime Against Nature: A
Revised History of Homosexuality and Mormonism, 1840-1980” by Connell
O’Donovan. Available at
http://www.connellodonovan.com/abom.html
Quoting chapter six, “The Crime Against Nature,” of The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer Kimball, pg. 77-78.
[xlii] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[xliii] J. Richard Clarke, 2nd Counselor in Presiding
Bishopric, “Ministering to Needs through LDS Social Services”, Ensign, May
1977, p. 85.
[xliv] Victor L. Brown Sr., 2nd Counselor in Presiding
Bishopric “The Meaning of Morality”, Ensign,
June 1971, p. 55.
[xlv] Boyd K. Packer, “To Young Men Only,” General
Conference Priesthood Session, October 2, 1976.
[xlvi] Boyd K. Packer, Acting Presiding Apostle, October 8,
2000, “Ye Are the Temple of God”, Ensign,
Nov. 2000, p. 72.
[xlvii] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President, “The Foundations
of Righteousness, Ensign, November
1977, p. 4.
[xlviii] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[xlix] Mark E. Petersen, Apostle, January 14, 1978, “The
strong delusions”, Church News, p.
16.
[l] Dean Byrd, October 2001, Homosexuality and the Church of
Jesus Christ: Understanding Homosexuality According to the Doctrine of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Cedar Fort Press.
[li] Ernest L. Wilkinson, “Make Honor Your Standard”, Deseret News, Church News supplement,
November 13, 1965, p. 11.
[lii] Spencer Kimball, “Love versus Lust,” 5 January 1965,
later published in BYU Speeches of the Year.
[liii] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President, “Listen to the
Prophets,” Ensign, May 1978, p. 76.
[liv] Dallin H. Oaks, "Principles to Govern Possible
Public Statement on Legislation Affecting Rights of Homosexuals," Memo
proposing “general principles to guide those who prepare the text of a public
statement if one is needed”, 7 August 1984,
http://affirmation.org/pdf/oaks_paper_02.pdf.
[lv] Dallin Oaks, Apostle, Same-Gender Attraction,” Ensign, Oct. 1995, 9.
[lvi] Spencer Kimball, Hope
for Transgressors, pamphlet published by the church in 1970.
[lvii] Richard G. Scott, “Making the Right Choices,” Ensign, Nov 1994, 37.
[lviii] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[lix] D. Michael Quinn, Same-Sex
Dynamics among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example, (Urbana and
Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1996)
p. 417; and O’Donovan, “Abominable”, p. 144- George Q. Cannon, 1897. Also available on pg. 53, The year of
jubilee: A full report of the proceedings of the fiftieth annual conference of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, held in the large tabernacle,
Salt Lake City, Utah, April 6th, 7th and 8th, A. D. 1880 ; Also a report of the
exercises in the Salt Lake Assembly Hall, on the Sunday and Monday just
preceding the conference, Volume 1. Also
October 1897, Report of the 68th
Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, 65-66.
By Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day
Saints, George F. Gibbs, John Irvine (reporter).
[lx] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[lxi] A. Dean Byrd, “When a Loved One Struggles with
Same-Sex Attraction,” Ensign, Sep 1999, 51.
[lxii] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
[lxiii] Spencer Kimball, New
Horizons for Homosexuals pamphlet, 1971.
[lxiv] A. Dean Byrd, “When a Loved One Struggles with
Same-Sex Attraction,” Ensign, Sep 1999, 51.
[lxv]
http://lds.org/topics/pdf/GodLovethHisChildren_04824_000.pdf (2007).
[lxvi] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5,
1978.
