WAVE Statement of Compassion for Homosexual Brothers and Sisters

The Women’s Service Mission recognizes the struggle and hardship of members of the church who experience same-gender attraction. The hand of fellowship is extended to these, our brothers and sisters. In recent weeks and years, the topic of homosexuality in the LDS church has been a divisive one, leading to much heartache. We recognize this heartache and mourn together.

To those gay Mormons who are striving to remain faithful, the WAVE Women’s Service Mission offers encouragement to continue your efforts. Please know that we welcome you in our congregations and value your presence and contributions to our wards. We admire your faithfulness and humble submission to the commandments.

To those who are not keeping the Church’s standards in regards to homosexuality, you too are welcomed in our congregations and we value your presence and participation in our wards. For those who are trying to abide by the church standards, we hope that you will find what is right for you and continue to seek the guidance of the Spirit in your actions. We pray with you that answers and the peaceful assurance of the Spirit will be forthcoming to you.

There is much we still do not understand about the role of homosexuality in our heavenly parents plan in bringing “to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” [and woman] but we have hope all that will be revealed and God’s will be done.

In honor of Spirit Day, instituted yesterday October 20, 2010, and acting in accordance to the counsel stated in the October 12 press release issued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we join with the Church and many others who decry bullying and cruelty to our homosexual brothers and sisters. We appreciate the reminder: “Our parents, young adults, teens and children should therefore, of all people, be especially sensitive to the vulnerable in society and be willing to speak out against bullying or intimidation whenever it occurs, including unkindness toward those who are attracted to others of the same sex.”

We know the compassionate response is never to harass or belittle the efforts of others but to support, encourage and love them as they are. Gay Mormons deserve the respect from others to make decisions for themselves.

WAVE and the Women’s Service Mission invites readers and sympathetic church members to join with us in our message of support and encouragement to gay Mormons. Please add your name and location (ward and stake if you are comfortable) in the comments. Anonymous submissions are welcome though personal expressions of support are encouraged. You may also email service@ldswave.org to be added to the list of signees.

Comments

  1. Anne Peffer says:

    I agree.

    Revere 2nd Ward, Cambridge Stake. Boston, MA.

  2. Bonnie Flint says:

    I would like to thank you for this opportunity to support the homosexual people I love and those I don’t know who need our support now and always.

    Bonnie Flint
    Fruit Heights 6th Ward
    Fruit Heights Stake
    Fruit Heights, Utah

  3. CatherineWO says:

    My love and support to all my sisters and brothers, from Catherine Wheelwright Ockey, Helena 2nd Ward, Helena Montana Stake.

  4. Jenne Alderks, Seattle 3rd Ward, Seattle North Stake, WA

  5. Sydna Uteg says:

    Heavenly Father loves all of us he doesn’t require compliance. Forgive those that speak unkindly they will learn eventually that they are not your judge.
    You are loved,
    Sydna

  6. I fully support this statement. Only good can come of us working together and reaching out in love.

    Jessica Steed
    Crystal Shores Ward
    Gilbert, Val Vista Stake

  7. Vicky Tai says:

    Having witnessed the suffering of the homosexual brothers and sisters in the church, I’m so grateful for this statement. I would like to offer my support, love and encourage to those brothers and sisters and their families who have suffered any unkindness. I pray that they will have peace in their hearts and that they can feel whole.

    Vicky Tai
    Yale Mandarin Branch
    Irvine Stake
    Irvine, CA

  8. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?… Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.” (Rom. 35, 37-39)

    You are valued. You are loved. And nothing will separate you from the love of your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

    Kirsten Campbell
    Mishawaka Ward
    South Bend, Indiana Stake

  9. Thanks for being part of the movement toward better understanding and loving our gay brothers and sisters. Christ was radical in his ministry of love for everyone. What better example?

  10. I hope there will come a time where EVERYone is comfortable going to the church that they feel brings them closer to God by serving their brothers and sisters.

    There is so much that we don’t know. But what we DO know, that God gave us all life and wants us to be happy and to love and be loved, is all we really need to know.

    Courtney Cooke
    Blue Meadows Ward
    Meridian Idaho Amity Stake
    Boise

  11. Sara Katherine Staheli Hanks says:

    Absolutely.

    Sara Katherine Staheli Hanks
    Provo, UT
    BYU 25th Ward

  12. 100% support!!

    Provo, Utah

  13. Ask A Feminist says:

    “In essential things unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity.”

    “In necessariis unitas, in non-necessariis (or, dubiis) libertas, in utrisque (or, omnibus) caritas.” -RUPERTUS MELDENIUS

    Chelsea Shields Strayer
    Jones Falls Ward
    Baltimore, MD

  14. Sam Christensen says:

    I fully support this loving, Christlike message.

    Sam Christensen
    Edmonds, WA

  15. May all who struggle to reconcile their faith and sexuality receive peace and guidance from the spirit of the Lord, and may all who stand against the rights of others to partake of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness be given the understanding of the error of their ways through that same spirit. Just because a way of life conflicts with one’s views of morality, doesn’t give them the right to deny a person’s choice to live that way.

    Erik Kulick
    Central Ward
    Box Elder Stake
    Brigham City, UT

  16. Peter Williams says:

    At least I know someone,somewhere supports me.It is like finding a pearl of great price.
    Thank you.
    Peter Williams.

    Kenmore Ward
    Centenary Stake
    Brisbane
    Australia

  17. I fully support this message of love.

    Chelsea Griffith Watts
    Leesburg Ward
    Ashburn Stake
    Leesburg, VA

  18. I voice my support by sharing my new 165-page book, “Homosexuality: A Straight BYU Student’s Perspective.” https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B1u3K43P-3JoYTUzNjYwMGEtNzNmYi00ODkwLTllMzYtNjRlOTVlMWUwYTM2&hl=en

    Summary: The book has two parts: 1) homosexuality (chapters 1-3) and 2) same-sex marriage (chapters 4-7).

    In chapter 1, I argue that church members should have great compassion for homosexually oriented members of the church because of the personal difficulties they experience as a result of their orientation and how the Mormon community typically responds to that orientation. I quote a number of studies and give voice to the experiences of many LDS homosexually oriented people.

    In chapter 2, I explore causation, detailing both the religious voice and the scientific consensus. Elder Oaks noted how appropriate this type of an inquiry is: “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.” I detail 60 statements by church leaders on what causes homosexuality. On the scientific side, I discuss 32 separate subjects to juxtapose two opposing hypotheses for the causation of homosexual orientation: 1) biological factors such as genes and pre-natal hormones, and 2) factors such as infection, molestation, and choice. Some examples of the evidence addressed: homosexual men have, on average, measurably and significantly different ratios of the second to fourth digit of their hands than their heterosexual counterparts. The anterior commissure of their brains is gender shifted away from the heterosexual male norm and toward the heterosexual female norm. Their limb:trunk ratio is similarly gender-shifted, as is their performance on visio-spatial tasks, third interstitial nucleus (a region of the brain thought to be directive of male-type sexual behavior) size and density, left:right brain hemisphere ratio, brain response to sex pheromones, cochlear sound production, thalamic response to female faces, verbal abilities, physical aggressiveness, expressiveness, and childhood gender conformity to name just a few.

    In chapter 3 I examine how changeable sexual orientation is by considering relevant church doctrines and looking at the empirical evidence on both sides.

    In chapter 4 I show why homosexuals can reproduce, contrary to popular belief, and note that they are no different from inherently infertile heterosexual couples as to their reproductive capacity.

    In chapter 5 I argue why there’s a strong moral case in support of LDS same-sex marriage. For instance, I show how important family is to mortal experience and point out that celibacy does not provide a family experience, while same-sex marriage does.

    Chapter 6 contains rebuttals to common anti- same-sex marriage arguments, many of which are deeply flawed.

    Chapter 7 applies Elder Oaks’s recent speech on the Constitution. Many church members have said that Judge Walker should not have heard the Perry v. Schwarzenegger (Prop 8) case, but instead should have let the voice of the people of California decide the matter. I show why this view is antithetical to our constitutional system of governance.

    In closing, I explain my motivations for writing and make invitations to the reader.

  19. I support LGBT equality, and I am happy to support this excellent statement from WAVE.

    Kaimi Wenger
    San Diego, California

  20. Amen!!…I am thrilled to add my name to this list!

    Alicia McLean
    Stevensille 2nd Ward
    Stevensville, MT Stake

  21. My name is here, also. Love to all God’s children.

    Heather Farley
    Oakland 1st Ward
    Oakland, CA Stake

  22. Christ is love, we are followers of Christ devoted to the idea that he loves each one of us. Sex is only a small part of who we are. The more we encourage women and men to love everything about themselves the stronger we become.
    I don’t want to know about your sex life I want to know you as a child of God. I accept you as a child of God and only desire you to love yourself and love your life. There is no mold for male and female traits if there was most of us wouldn’t fit into any of them.
    Father bless us all to love one another.

  23. I recently came across your site and have been reading along. I do not know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading

  24. Umm see the thing is that GOD made homosexuals gay. If it was a choice then why are animals gay. Even the bible states that the difference between man and beast is our ability to decide for ourselves…… if those animals did decide to be gay then that means they made that choice (according to religion) and thus negating the fact that there is a difference between man and beast. It is scientifically proven that parts of the brain that are enlarged in hetero females compared to hetero males. If you look at a gay male brain those same parts of the brain are enlarged and engaged exactly how they are in hetero women. Im sorry guys but no one needs to change and no one needs to be forgiven. You dont tell mentally challenged people that were born that way if they strive hard enough they can be forgiven for being mentally challenged when they meet their maker. Doesnt happen that way. What i would like to be clarified for myself is this: when religion cant explain something, people state “its what GOD intended”. Why cant you say the same about homosexuality? Why would God want us to all be the same? even if you acknowledge the fact that he doesnt make us the same, why would you think there are certain ways that have to be forgiven. If thats the case God seems pretty hypocritical and has a dark sense of humor. Also, the bible is meant for interpretation. When you take it and apply it literally to this day and age it is extremely outdated to the point that its crippling the members of that religion. Why not learn from outside religion as well and apply it to the religion…. Im all for faith but when faith leads to someone telling another that the way they were born is wrong, it does far more damage than good. I hope this is a group that embraces who gays really are, and not one that tries to sabotage someone for being who they really are. I think if someone can truly not be afraid and love themselves, God will have plenty of love to return. Because i think God’s grand scheme is not having us trying to tell others what right and wrong, instead one that if truly interpreted and lived shows the entire planet how we can all accept one another regardless of what ANYone believes. Only then will we find peace, only then will we find God.

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