I just had my piano tuned by someone I would consider a master of his craft. I found him by chance in the grocery store parking lot last Tuesday. He had a decal advertising his profession on his vehicle.
In conversing with him while loading groceries into my car, I found he comes to town once a year from Montana for a couple of weeks to stay with family and while he is here he tunes pianos to pass the time. I asked him to please come over. Continue reading
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Psalm 51:17
A familiar anthem rises universally in LGBT writings and speech. It is the triumphant declaration: “I am not broken!” Sometimes at our most vulnerable moments in life we need to hear from others “You are not broken” before the actualization of this powerful statement independently ignites in our soul.
So much surrounds us that wants to extinguish this idea. Perhaps no one knows this better than our LDS LGBT. While each coming out story is unique, every gay Mormon passes universal milestones common to every such journey. One common milestone is the point at which you realize you are different from your typical peers at church. Continue reading
Most LDS church leaders will agree with the official church position that a homosexual orientation is not a choice or a sin, though there are far too many bishops and stake presidents in the church who won’t even agree with that. But even in official church teachings, they always follow on by saying that acting on those attractions IS a choice and a sin.
For instance, talking about homosexual orientation, Elder M. Russell Ballard stated: “Let us be clear: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believes that the experience of same-sex 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.” (italics added)
While I agree that all members, straight and gay, have the God-given power of agency to choose how they respond to any situation, straight people are not qualified to make a judgement on this topic as it relates to gay members. Continue reading
I don’t have a problem believing a prophet received revelation when he decided men of all races should have access to priesthood. In fact I’m quite convinced he did. I’m not convinced however that God created the revelation that same day, at least not for the first time. If, in fact, revelations are individually packaged things I’d be surprised to find out God hadn’t sent that same revelation many times to many people. Continue reading
I recently finished reading Emma Lou Thayne’s spiritual autobiography, “The Place of Knowing.” Emma Lou was a deeply spiritual person with roots in Mormonism and a fondness for other forms of spirituality including meditation, card readings, and above all poetry. Continue reading
“Hmm, I don’t know where to begin. Do you mind telling me how you feel as a gay Mormon?”
That was the question a recently returned missionary asked me today — he’s only been home from his mission for two weeks. My friend (we’ll call him Tom) had never met anyone that he knew was gay. Continue reading
I have paid a price you cannot fathom
To claim an authenticity you but freely enjoy.
See me.
Lift the hands which hang down and be my rearward.
See me as I press forward.
I am not coming to join you in a great and spacious building
But as a brother and as a sister under the boughs of love.
Elder D. Todd and Sister Kathy Christofferson held a Face to Face interview on December 10, 2016, in Guatemala. It was broadcast in Spanish and Portuguese. During the interview one of the hosts posed to Elder Christofferson a question about homosexuality. I share below my own attempt at translating the question and response. You can view the video here. The question begins at the 56:25 mark. Continue reading
Church leaders are going to great lengths to defend what they are labeling as religious freedom. In our church history, members of the church (including my own pioneer ancestors) suffered great persecution and were denied their right to practice their religion according to our conscience. It only seems natural that church leaders would continue to be engaged in efforts to defend this God-given right. However, there is much more to this than meets the eye. Continue reading
“Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:16-20)
When I first heard a gay LDS man express his gratitude to Heavenly Father for blessing him to meet and marry his husband, I was amazed and very pleasantly surprised. Since then, I have heard several other LDS men and women testify of divine inspiration they received that led them to their relationship with their same-sex spouse. They acknowledge the Lord’s hand in bringing them into that relationship, and continue to include the Savior as part of their marriage. Not only does such a statement defy archaic stereotypes about gay relationships, but it challenges the common Mormon paradigm about what Heavenly Father accepts as a righteous family relationship. Continue reading
Out of Obscurity 