Tag Archives: same-sex
Mark E Petersen, LGBT Are Worthy of Death
Over time, the LDS Church’s perspective on homosexuality evolved from a stance of subdued disapproval to one of pronounced institutional homophobia. In the 1950s, church leaders increasingly characterized homosexuality as both a crime and a treatable mental disorder. In 1968, they further intensified their stance by including “homosexual acts” as grounds for excommunication, effectively aiming …
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LDS Church On Same-Sex Marriages
The Mormon church is famously (or infamously) known for not allowing or supporting same-sex relationships or marriages. There is a trail of history showing the church to be opposed to honoring same-sex couples in society. They vehemently opposed Prop 8, and mobilized membership to work on continuing to outlaw same-sex marriages in the state of …
Grace Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Grace’s journey out of the Mormon church was marked by profound personal struggle and self-discovery. From a young age, she grappled with her identity as a gay individual in a religious environment that condemned her very existence. Raised in the Mormon faith, she internalized the belief that her sexuality was sinful and spent years attempting …
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The Wives of Lorenzo Snow
Lorenzo Snow Lorenzo Snow was born April 3, 1814, in Ohio. He joined the church in June of 1836 at 22 years of age. In 1837, he was called on a mission, and while serving he missed the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society. He moved to Far West in the summer of 1838, and …
The Mormon-Canadian-BYU Billion Dollar Tithing Funnel
Investigation reveals more than $1 billion raised by the Mormon church in Canada has been funneled to the U.S. rather than going to charitable works in this country. We hear from former members in Canada and elsewhere who say concerns about how money is spent have led them to leave the church. – The Fifth …
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Kevin Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Kevin’s journey is a touching story about resilience, identity, and being a gay man in the context of Mormonism. With deep ties to handcart pioneers and a family history linked to Joseph Smith, Kevin experienced the challenges of being a gay Mormon in a community struggling to understand. His turning point, voting for gay marriage …
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Gordon B. Hinckley 2004 Larry King Live Interview
Gordon B Hinckley was interviewed on Larry King Live in 1998 (see Hinckley’s 1998 Larry King Interview, briefly in 2001, and then again in 2004. Here is the transcript of the 2004 interview. In this interview, Hinckley states that, as the prophet, the Lord speaks through him or makes his will manifest through him, even …
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Judging Past Leaders by Today’s Standards
Church members and leaders enjoy the refrain that we can’t judge Joseph Smith (and other church leaders) by modern standards. Nobody today should criticize them for living according to the cultural norms of the day. People thought and did things differently back then. This expands beyond Mormon church leaders into politics etc. There are many …
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Lucky was a Mormon | An Ex-Mormon Story Spotlight
Lucky was troubled with questions about the Mormon faith of her upbringing. She researched her questions and came to the conclusion that “Mormonism was not something that I could believe in.” She feels lucky that she left home and created her own life and is now loving the life she has and wouldn’t change it. …
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November Policy of LGBT Exclusion, The Reversal, and Mormon Mental Gymnastics
In November 2015 a new church policy was leaked and upset many members of the church and those outside the church. It became known as the November Policy of Exclusion. It affected those who are LGBTQ+ allies and family and friends by prohibiting children of same-sex married couples from being baptized or blessed at church …
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Reversing the November Policy
The 2015 November Policy of Exclusion The November Policy of Exclusion, or the LDS Church policy to ban LGBT, was a controversial policy change by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in November 2015. This policy update was initially leaked to the public and was later officially confirmed by the LDS Church. The …
President Gordon B Hinckley Interview with San Francisco Chronicle
Gordon B Hinckley, then church president, was interviewed by Don Lattin on April 13, 1997 for SFGate, the digital home of the San Francisco Chronicle. The interview was in his room at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel, just before he delivered an address to the World Forum of Silicon Valley. Here is the transcript of the interview as reported …
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The LDS Church and The November Policy of Exclusion – POX 2015
In November 2015, eight years ago, the church leaders intended to quietly institute a policy they had thought through deeply as a reaction to the United States deeming same-sex marriage federally legal in July of that year. The church had campaigned many many times against giving this recognition and civil equality to same-sex couples from …
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Men Of Their Times
Church leaders assert that they directly follow God’s guidance, exempting themselves from apologies and social pressure, like for example addressing racism within church doctrine and culture. Apologists claim that church leaders are merely “men of their times” and can’t be judged by today’s standards. These two ideas don’t work together. Either the leaders are led …
Oaks’ ‘No Apologies’ – The Church Doesn’t Seek or Give Apologies
In 2015 while speaking with Elder D Todd Christofferson, Elder Dallin H Oaks made a defacto statement that is still reverberating for many Mormons: among believers and non-believers. Elder Christofferson was asked what the church leadership thinks of church members who support same-sex marriage and stated that members can believe what they wish, but warned …
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Tim Was a Mormon, an Ex-Mormon Profile Spotlight
In Germany, Tim was raised in an atheist family but was intrigued by the church. He met with missionaries and wanted to get baptized at 16 years old. At this age, he needed parental permission, which they did not give but he continued to investigate the church for two more years. He was baptized right …
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Why Latter-day Saint Leaders Support the Respect for Marriage Act
Recently the US passed an act called The Respect for Marriage Act. This act requires the U.S. federal government and all U.S. states and territories to recognize the validity of same-sex and interracial civil marriages. It also protects religious liberty. Almost surprisingly, Latter-day Saint leaders supported the act. Support is a Dramatic Reversal Taylor Petrey, …
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Mormon Excommunication For Change – The September Six and More
The September Six were a group of six members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who were excommunicated or disfellowshipped in September 1993 for their intellectual and historical pursuits that were deemed contrary to the teachings and doctrines of the Church. The six members were: The excommunications and disfellowshippings of …
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Brendan Was a Mormon, a Post-Mormon Profile Spotlight
Brendan was raised in the church but from early on saw things that didn’t sit well with his soul. He recognizes many instances in his life where cognitive dissonance was telling him something wasn’t right. This led him to study deeply and even pursue a study of history, which led him to an internship with …
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Stop Paying Tithing and Challenge the Tax Exemption Status of the Mormon Church
Tax time in the US and as people are leaving the church, they are receiving real blessings. In many countries, donating money to a charitable organization is tax deductible, meaning this decreases your taxable income. This is a perk to tithing for some people, it can save you some money on your taxes, though not …
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Mormon Fearmongering & Marginalizing Liberal Agenda at BYU Devotional
BYU–Hawaii presented an international concert and devotional by recording artist, Dr. David Glen Hatch, on Thursday, April 4, 2023, in the McKay Auditorium. Brother Hatch, who has published sheet music as well as recordings at church-owned Deseret Book, performed some piano pieces and spoke to the audience in this devotional. Brother Hatch warns of the …
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Russell Nelson to receive the Gandhi-King-Mandela Peace Prize
Mormon Church President, Russell M Nelson is being honored by the Martin Luther King Jr International Chapel on Morehouse College Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. He is to receive a new award, the first recipient, which is to be called the Gandhi-King-Mandela Peace Prize. This is in coordination with the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Institute at the chapel. What …
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