I submitted this paper to the Stand for the Family Symposium on 19 May, and anticipate presenting it at the same in October 2011. I've posted on this subject before, but dressed it up a little differently in this version.

What Causes Homosexuality: LDS Statements

Outline:

A.    Introduction

B.     LDS Statements

C.     Conclusion

Abstract

Misunderstandings about homosexuality frequently strain family relationships.  Accurate understanding about the causes of homosexual orientation can lay a foundation for understanding, reconciliation, and peace in these conflicted families.  Through a religious (LDS) inquiry, I grapple with the question: what causes homosexuality? Included are over 60 statements by church leaders on the subject, the most comprehensive[1] compilation available. 

Introduction

Audi alteram partem.

-Latin, “Hear the other side.”

The theme of this conference, Engaging Issues with Courage and Civility, reflects a commitment to the value of civility.  One application of civility is to fairly present viewpoints, even of those who believe differently.  I submitted a paper to this conference about the question of what causes homosexual orientation (HO).  In that paper, I pointed out why the answer to that question is so important to strengthening the family.  However, that paper drew primarily upon social and natural science research in analyzing this question. 

There are two valid sources of truth approximations for a Latter-day Saint: revelation, and observation/science.  Joseph Smith taught: “one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.[2]”  Also:

“Diversity of opinion does not necessitate intolerance of spirit, nor should it embitter or set rational beings against each other. ... Our religion is not hostile to real science. That which is demonstrated, we accept with joy; but vain philosophy, human theory and mere speculations of men, we do not accept nor do we adopt anything contrary to divine revelation or to good common sense.[3]”

Thus, a scientific approach is a legitimate one that merits consideration for a Latter-day Saint.  However, in the spirit of civility, I would like to present here a religious, rather than scientific, answer to the question of what causes homosexuality.  Because many in this audience will likely be interested in what LDS church leaders have said on this subject, I focused on their teachings.  Presenting a comprehensive compilation of relevant statements is an effective way to fairly represent a viewpoint.  Thus, below, you will find a compilation of exhaustively researched LDS statements which may speak to the question of what causes homosexual orientation. 

LDS statements

To construct the revelation-based LDS view on the causation of homosexual orientation, I will cite approximately 60 statements by church leaders (I count 48 from those sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators) over the years that could reasonably be interpreted address the question of the causation of homosexual orientation.  I know of no more comprehensive compilation than this one.  To avoid the potential of casting an unfavorable light on any particular church authority, I have evidenced authorship in the endnotes rather than in-text. 

This effort will be difficult since it seems that sometimes terms such as homosexuality and perversion refer to either {homosexual behavior or homosexual orientation}, homosexual orientation itself, or just homosexual behavior.  I will leave it to the reader to decide how the terms are used, since I struggle.  I remind the reader that statements which bear on only homosexual behavior are outside the narrow scope of this paper. 

·         “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.[4]”  (2010)

·         “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.[5]" (1978)

·         “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…[6]” (2010)

·         "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.[7]”  (1970)

·         “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.[8]” (1978)

·         “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.[9]” (2010)

·         “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.[10]” (1978)

·         “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.[11]” (1999)

·         “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?[12]’” (1975)

·         “’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’?”[13]” (1980)

·         “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.[14]” (1982)

·         “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.[15]” (1978)

·         “Some people who seek help for homosexual problems may have concluded that experiences from their youth, such as perceived problems with a parent or some other older person, contributed to their inappropriate feelings.  Some may believe that they have not consciously chosen to have such feelings in the first place.  No general agreement exists about the causes of such problems.[16]” (1992)

·         “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.[17]” (1995)

·         “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.[18]” (1978)

·         “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.’[19]” (1970)

·         “Having same-gender attraction is NOT in your DNA…[20]” (2009)

·         “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.[21]” (2009)

·         “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![22]” (1978)

·         “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.[23]” (1971)

·         “In the two most common responses, 42% of this public sample said gay or lesbian people are born that way, and 36% said they choose to be that way.  Both of those responses are factually wrong… As two Columbia University researchers put it, ‘the assertion that homosexuality is genetic . . .must be dismissed out of hand as a general principle of psychology’… even though no universal explanation exists, some patterns do fit many same-gender attraction cases. For example, we know from the research that among women up to 80% who have same-gender attraction were abused in some way as children. Among men, especially during the years just before and during puberty, as President Boyd K. Packer has said, ‘What would have only been a more or less normal passing phase in establishing [your] gender identity can become implanted and leave you confused, even disturbed.’ In other words, before puberty, boys are typically more interested in other boys than in girls. Then their interest gradually shifts to girls, but a few boys don’t make this transition. Often these boys are emotionally sensitive, introspective, and, especially among Church members, perfectionistic. When puberty hits this group, they can be sexually aroused by many factors. When those factors include other boys, they can become fixated on the fear that they are “gay,” especially if they have male sexual experiences, including male pornography. Then their fixation can block their normal emotional-sexual development.[24]” (2009)

·         “Every form of homosexuality is sin. Pornography is one of the approaches to that transgression.[25]” (1974)

·         “[A]nimals do not pair up with their own gender to satisfy their mating instincts.[26]” (1992) 

·         “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[27].” (1978)

·         “Find a therapist who can help you identify the unmet emotional needs that you are tempted to satisfy in false sexual ways[28].” (2009)

·         “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.[29]”  (1991)

·         “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.[30]”

·         “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.[31]” (1975)

·         “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…[32]” (1964)

·         "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....[33]” (1977)

·         “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.[34]” (1975)

·         “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.[35]” (1995)

·         “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[36].” (1971)

·         “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.[37]” (1978)

·         “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.[38]”  (1977)

·         “So-called gays and lesbians...may have certain inclinations which are powerful and which may be difficult to control.[39]” (1998)

·         “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.[40]” (1971)

·         “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.[41]” (1976)

·          “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.”[42]” (2000)

·         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.[43]” (1976)

·         “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.[44]” (1977)

·         “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 it 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.[45]” (1978)

·         “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.’[46]”” (1978)

·         “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.[47]” (2001)

·         “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.’[48]” (1965)

·         “[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.[49]” (1965)

·         “A problem they caused, or they were born with?  Answer: I don't know. I'm not an expert on these things. I don't pretend to be an expert on these things.[50]” (2004)

·         “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.[51]” (1978)

·         “'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.][52]” (brackets part of quote,1984)

·         “There appears to be a consensus in the world that [sexual perversion] 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.[53]” (1978)

·         “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.[54]”  (1995)

·         “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.[55]” (1970)

·         “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[56].  (1978)

·         “Do not be misled by those who whisper that it is part of your nature and therefore right for you. That is false doctrine![57]” (1978)

·         “It was not God who made them [homosexuals] that way....He gave all mankind free agency.[58]”  (1978)

·         “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.[59]” (1994)

·         “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.[60]” (1978)

·         “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.[61]” (1897)

·         “When we understand fundamental moral law better than we do, we will be able to correct this condition routinely.[62]” (1978)

·         “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.[63]” (1999)

·          “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[64].” (1978)

·         “begin the ruinous practice of perversion through curiosity and then become entangled in its tentacles.[65]”  (1971)

·         “First, it is important to understand that homosexuality is not innate and unchangeable. Research has not proved that homosexuality is genetic.[66]” (1999)

·         “Many questions, however, including some related to same-gender attractions, must await a future answer, even in the next life.[67]” (2007)

·         “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. [68]” (1978)

The next collection of excerpts comes from two pamphlets published in 1970 and 1971 by the LDS church.  The first is for church leaders, entitled Hope For Transgressors (1970):

 “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 [sic] 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.” 

“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.”

“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.” 

From Horizons for Homosexuals, published by the church in 1971 (for the broader audience of homosexuals):

“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.”

“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.’ Psychiatric Spectator, Vol. II No. 4- January 1965.”

“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.” 

“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 angles know what is going on.” 

“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.” 

“God made no man a pervert.  To blame a weakness and transgression upon God is cowardly.” 

“Whether or not you believe those scriptures or the things written above, they are still true and they are still true and will ever be a testimony against you… Having read this letter, you will never in time nor eternity forget it, nor its message totally.” 

“God did not make men evil.  He did not make people ‘that way.’” 

Another way to represent the church’s stances on HO causation is through a table of authoritative statements (from only those sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators) on the subject[69]:

	pre-1969	1969	1970	1971	72-73	1974	1975	76-77	1978	1979	80-81	82-84	1985	1986	1987	1988	89-91	1992	1993	1994	1995	96-98	1999	2000	01-06
Abnormal, transgressive affliction
Aggressive acts
Avoiding domesticity
Biology
Combination of several factors
Constitutional predisposition
Curiosity
Disease/Contagion	3		4
Environment
Free agency
Ignoring sex roles	3
Learned
Masturbation											2
Molestation
Monogamy
Not biological									2		2										2
Not known																		2							2
Parental failure								2
Peer rejection
Physical perversion
Pornography
Powerful inclination
Proselyting
Satanic influence				2																	2
Search for psychosexual role
Seductive fathers
Selfishness
Social permissiveness
Speaking about it
Unchecked appetites
Unconscious biological compulsions
TOTALS PER YEAR	4	4	2	6	1	3	4	3	8	0	7	1	1	2	1	3	1	3	1	2	6	1	5	4	3

Numbers inside black boxes indicate number of multiple references in same year

This table and the above collection of excerpts, mostly from the past 50ish years, paints a reasonable picture of the historical LDS view on the cause(s) of HO.  Many of my homosexually oriented LDS friends have read much of these quotes previously, having snapped up all church statements they can find on the subject in their search for hope and truth.  Some of these same friends have expressed to me the extreme pain they found in revisiting these quotes.  Said one (I will keep him anonymous):

“You've done your homework. You know the references that all of us (we being those who live with same-sex attraction) have read and memorized, and the pamphlets we've kept on our bookshelves… The sleepless nights in reading page after page of study and press conference and archived talks and letters.

And yet, ultimately, from my perspective as a Mormon who has lived with this all my life, being totally and completely truthful… the most depressing composition I've read since I was 16 and almost killed myself because of SSA [same-sex attraction].” 

It is my hope that most readers of this paper, regardless of sexual orientation, have a more positive experience.  To use another’s words which articulate my own hope[70]:

“I believe my approach can be faith-promoting for believers seeking to understand their religious community as led by fallible humans who struggle to achieve God’s will.  For religious believers who do not view the LDS church and its leadership through the lens of faith, I hope they will read this study with the charity they expect others to give to the humanness of leaders in their own religion’s history.  I would also expect secular readers not to hold LDS leaders to a standard of infallibility which secularists deny to everyone else.

Charity is a virtue I have often found among secular humanists as well as among believers in various religious traditions.  It has been my guide in appreciating an extraordinary people and in restraining personal judgments about many matters I have examined. ‘Of course, there are aberrations in our history,’ current LDS President Gordon B. Hinckley has publicly stated[71]. ‘There are blemishes to be found, if searched for, in the lives of all men, including our leaders past and present.  But these are only incidental to the magnitude of their service and to the greatness of their contributions.”

Conclusion

The apologist in me seeks to reconcile the inconsistent, contradictory, and bizarre picture of homosexual orientation causation painted by these 60ish statements.  In the presence of contradiction, and because it is more recent than many of the quotes above, I prefer this 2006 statement by Elder Oaks: “The Church does not have a position on the causes of any of these susceptibilities or inclinations, including those related to same-gender attraction. Those are scientific questions — whether nature or nurture — those are things the Church doesn’t have a position on.[72]”  Elder Uchtdorf spoke similarly in 2010: “Many questions in life, however, including some related to same-gender attractions, must await a future answer, even in the next life.”[73]

Thus, the conclusion best supported by a robust scientific inquiry is an appropriate one for a faithful Latter-day Saint to reach.  I conclude that HO is very likely caused predominantly by genes and pre-natal hormones, and not by factors such as parenting, infection, molestation, or choice[74].  Inasmuch as the above LDS statements contradict this conclusion, per Elder Oaks’s 2006 statement they may be summarily rejected in favor of a better-performing causation theory.

 

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[1] At least that I know of; please inform me of any more exhaustive compilation.

[2] History of the Church 5:499.

[3] ^ First Presidency (Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund), "Words in Season from the First Presidency", Deseret Evening News, 1910-12-17, sec. 1, p. 3.

[4] 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.

[5] 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. 

[6] Bishop Keith McMullin, Evergreen International Annual Conference, Saturday, September 18, 2010.

[7] First Presidency Circular Letter, March 19, 1970, LDS Church Archives.

[8] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[9] Bishop Keith McMullin, Evergreen International Annual Conference, Saturday, September 18, 2010.

[10] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[11] A. Dean Byrd, “When a Loved One Struggles with Same-Sex Attraction,” Ensign, Sep 1999, 51.

[12] "Dogma According to Kimball", August 13, 1975, pp. 14 and 16, available at http://www.connellodonovan.com/images/kimballdogma1.jpg

[13] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President,  “President Kimball Speaks Out on Morality”, Ensign, November 1980, p. 97.

[14] Ezra Taft Benson, Presiding Apostle November 1982, “Fundamentals of Enduring Family Relationships”, Ensign, p. 59.

[15] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[16] Understanding and Helping Those Who Have Homosexual Problems – Suggestions for Ecclesiastical Leaders, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1992.

[17] James E. Faust, “Serving the Lord and Resisting the Devil,” Ensign, Sep 1995, 2.

[18] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[19] Victor L. Brown Sr., 2nd Counselor in Presiding Bishopric, April 4, 1970, Conference Reports, April 1970, p. 31.

[20] 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

[21] 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

[22] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[23] Spencer W. Kimball, Delivered April 3, 1971, “Voices of the Past, of the Present, of the Future,” Ensign, June 1971, p. 16.

[24] 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

[25] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President, October 4, 1974,”God Will Not Be Mocked”, Ensign, Nov. 1974, p. 4.

[26] Boyd K. Packer, “Our Moral Environment,” Ensign, May 1992, 66.

[27] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[28] 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

[29] 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

[30] “Church Responds to HRC Petition,” 12 October 2010.  http://beta-newsroom.lds.org/article/church-mormon-responds-to-human-rights-campaign-petition-same-sex-attraction

[31] Victor L. Brown Jr., BYU Instructor, “Two Views of Sexuality”, Ensign, July 1975, p. 50.

[32] Spencer W. Kimball, July 10, 1964, “A Counseling Problem in the Church” – BYU Devotional for LDS Seminary & Institute Instructors.

[33] “The Foundations of Righteousness,” General Conference, Spencer Kimball 1977.

[34] Gordon B. Hinckley, “Opposing Evil”, Ensign, November 1975, p. 38.

[35] Dallin H. Oaks, Apostle, October 1995, “Same-Gender Attraction”, Ensign, pp. 7-8.

[36] “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.

[37] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[38] J. Richard Clarke, 2nd Counselor in Presiding Bishopric, “Ministering to Needs through LDS Social Services”, Ensign, May 1977, p. 85.

[39] Gordon B. Hinckley, Church President, October 1998, “What Are People Asking About Us?”

[40] Victor L. Brown Sr., 2nd Counselor in Presiding Bishopric “The Meaning of Morality”, Ensign, June 1971, p. 55.

[41] Boyd K. Packer, “To Young Men Only,” General Conference Priesthood Session, October 2, 1976.

[42] Boyd K. Packer, Acting Presiding Apostle, October 8, 2000, “Ye Are the Temple of God”, Ensign, Nov. 2000, p. 72.

[43] Boyd K. Packer, “To Young Men Only,” General Conference Priesthood Session, October 2, 1976.

[44] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President, “The Foundations of Righteousness, Ensign, November 1977, p. 4.

[45] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[46] Mark E. Petersen, Apostle, January 14, 1978, “The strong delusions”, Church News, p. 16.

[47] 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.

[48] Ernest L. Wilkinson, “Make Honor Your Standard”, Deseret News, Church News supplement, November 13, 1965, p. 11.

[49] Spencer Kimball, “Love versus Lust,” 5 January 1965, later published in BYU Speeches of the Year.

[50] Gordon B. Hinckley, Church President, December 26, 2004, interview with Larry King, on CNN’s “Larry King Live”; transcript available on cnn.com.

[51] Spencer W. Kimball, Church President, “Listen to the Prophets,” Ensign, May 1978, p. 76.

[52] 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.

[53] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[54] Dallin Oaks, Apostle, Same-Gender Attraction,” Ensign, Oct. 1995, 9.

[55] Spencer Kimball, Hope for Transgressors, pamphlet published by the church in 1970.

[56] Mark E. Petersen, Apostle, December 16, 1978, “Sin is no excuse,” Church News, p. 16.

[57] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[58] Mark E. Petersen, Apostle, December 16, 1978, “Sin is No Excuse”, Church News, p. 16.

[59] Richard G. Scott, “Making the Right Choices,” Ensign, Nov 1994, 37.

[60] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[61] 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).

[62] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[63] A. Dean Byrd, “When a Loved One Struggles with Same-Sex Attraction,” Ensign, Sep 1999, 51.

[64] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[65] Spencer Kimball, New Horizons for Homosexuals pamphlet, 1971.

[66] A. Dean Byrd, “When a Loved One Struggles with Same-Sex Attraction,” Ensign, Sep 1999, 51.

[67] http://lds.org/topics/pdf/GodLovethHisChildren_04824_000.pdf (2007).

[68] Elder Boyd K. Packer, To the One, delivered at 12-stake regional conference March 5, 1978.

[69] Abridged table received from Connell O’Donovan, October 2010.  Used with permission.

[70] D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, pg. vii-ix.

[71] Sheri Dew, Go Forward With Faith: The Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley, pg. 391, qtd in D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, pg. ix.

[72] Description: “The following interview was conducted in 2006 with Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church, and Elder Lance B. Wickman, a member of the Seventy. These senior Church leaders responded to questions from two members of the Church’s Public Affairs staff.”  Available at http://beta-newsroom.lds.org/official-statement/same-gender-attraction.

[73] Elder Uchtdorf in Peggy Fletcher Stack, Salt Lake Tribune 29 October 2010, “High-ranking LDS leader weighs in on same-sex attraction.”

[74] See chapter 2, Homosexuality: A Straight BYU Student’s Perspective, bradcarmack.blogspot.com