Friday, May 30, 2014

I am LDS: Same Sex Attraction

I follow and worship Jesus Christ. His living prophet whom he speaks to (as in times of old), guides the church I belong to. Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father watch over us, want to be intimately involved in our lives, and want to make our lives as meaningful and joyful as possible. They can do this if we keep our hearts open and teachble to the spirit of Christ we all have within us.

This is what Christ teaches about immorality, including same sex attraction:
Exodus 20:14:  "Thou shalt not commit adultery." Adultery is having sexual relations with anyone you are not married to. This would include with a man or woman.

1 Corinthians 6:18-20: "Flee fornication." "But he that committeth fornication sin etch against his own body..." "Know he not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you...?" Fornication is having any unmarked person having sexual relations with another person.

1 Thessalonians 4:3: "This is the will of God...that ye should abstain from fornication." Another witness that not committing sexual sin is the will of God.

Matthew 5:27-28: "thou shalt not commit adultery...but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on [anyone] to lust after [them] hath committed adultery with [them] already in [their] heart. And if the right eye offend thee, pluck it out..." Christ is very clear and strict. Don't commit adultery or even think about it!

What the living prophet and apostles teach:

Where the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints stands: "The experience of same-sex attraction is a complex reality for many people. The attraction itself is not a sin, but acting on it is. Even though individuals do not choose to have such attractions, they do choose how to respond to them. With love and understanding, the Church reaches out to all God’s children, including our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters."

Having same sex attraction is not a sin, acting on it is. Just like any and all temptations/tendencies and acting on them. 

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: "Have we forgotten to follow the Savior who taught that if we love Him, we will keep His commandments? (see John 14:15). If so, our priorities have been turned upside down by the spiritual apathy and undisciplined appetites so common in our day."

"We look on marriage and the bearing and nurturing of children as part of God’s plan and a sacred duty of those given the opportunity to do so. We believe that the ultimate treasures on earth and in heaven are our children and our posterity. ...Outside the bonds of marriage between a man and a woman, all uses of our procreative powers are to one degree or another sinful and contrary to God’s plan for the exaltation of His children."

"We know that through the God-given power of choice, many will hold beliefs contrary to ours, but we are hopeful that others will be equally respectful of our religious beliefs and understand that our beliefs compel us to some different choices and behaviors than theirs. For example, we believe that, as an essential part of His plan of salvation, God has established an eternal standard that sexual relations should occur only between a man and a woman who are married." (2013 October General Conference, No Other Gods, Sun. Morning Session - By  Dallin H. Oaks)

Elder Jeffery R. Holland: "Sadly enough, my young friends, it is a characteristic of our age that if people want any gods at all, they want them to be gods who do not demand much, comfortable gods, smooth gods who not only don’t rock the boat but don’t even row it, gods who pat us on the head, make us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick marigolds. 
Talk about man creating God in his own image! Sometimes—and this seems the greatest irony of all—these folks invoke the name of Jesus as one who was this kind of “comfortable” God. Really? He who said not only should we not break commandments, but we should not even think about breaking them. And if we do think about breaking them, we have already broken them in our heart. Does that sound like “comfortable” doctrine, easy on the ear and popular down at the village love-in? ...It is obvious that the bumper sticker question “What would Jesus do?” will not always bring a popular response."

"Christlike love is the greatest need we have on this planet in part because righteousness was always supposed to accompany it. So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it in others. Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once)."

"...Pure Christlike love flowing from true righteousness can change the world. I testify that the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ is on the earth and you are members of His true and living Church, trying to share it." (2014 April General Conference, The Cost—and Blessings—of Discipleship, Sat. Morning Session - By  Jeffrey R. Holland)

My testimony:
I believe that Jesus Christ is the savior and Redeemer of the World. I believe He loves me and wants the very best I life for me. I believe He won't lead me wrong. 

I believe He gave us all commandments and expects those that love and know Him to keep them. I believe I can't just ignore the commandments and disregard them and say I follow Christ. I believe that one commandment is to not commit adultery and another commandment is it love one another. I believe it doesn't matter how many of humandkind choose to not obey the commandments, God's commandments can't be changed by humans/His children.

I believe we need to love, encourage, and strengthen each other. We all commit sin, we all need love, and we all need the Savoir. I believe we can't accept sin as the way to live life even though it's easier. I believe we all need to be Christlike as we can and follow His commandments and then use the atonement as we slip up daily.

I believe we must change and humble our hearts daily to His will. I believe part of life is learning to overcome all ungodly/natural man trait. (Like laziness, overeating, being prideful and mean.) I believe Christ wants us to be happy, hopeful, and full of purpose and that is what His commandments and atonement help us to accomplish.

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