Same-Sex Attraction: Loving, Respecting, and Including All of God’s Children

Experiencing same-sex attraction (SSA) or identifying as gay or bisexual is a reality for many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All mortal experiences, including same-sex attraction, can be a means through which Heavenly Father teaches and nurtures His children. For some people SSA may feel like an affliction while for others it feels like a blessing. But no matter how you feel about your sexual orientation, Heavenly Father loves you. Your Savior, Jesus Christ, understands how you feel and how to help guide you through this life.

Does experiencing SSA or identifying as gay or bisexual put an individual at odds with the gospel of Jesus Christ or make it impossible or unhealthy to be a member of the Church? No. Any circumstance of mortality that has the potential to drive us to our knees in humble prayer, to seek our Savior and an understanding of our place in God’s plan, can help us draw closer to our Heavenly Father.

Lasting happiness in this life and in the eternities is available to everyone who consistently strives to be faithful to God’s commandments (see Mosiah 2:41). We can progress and be refined and sanctified through our experiences in this life. Mortal experiences provide opportunities to exercise faith in and follow Jesus Christ, no matter what.

Although it may feel at times that our circumstances prevent us from doing, having, or understanding something, we can have confidence that through our Savior Jesus Christ, we can eventually become like Him, receive every one of Heavenly Father’s blessings, and understand all things. With intentional effort on our part, we can keep our hearts and minds open to what the Lord wants to give us—in His time and in His way (see Doctrine and Covenants 64:31–32). We limit ourselves when we make eternal assumptions based on our limited mortal understanding.

In a world full of so many differing opinions, we cannot lose our connection to three things that can help us understand our experience in the context of God’s plan for our eternal happiness: (1) the teachings of living prophets and apostles, (2) the scriptures, and (3) personal revelation through the Holy Ghost. These three points of light are spiritual guides that give us the divine truth needed to make decisions.

When we make mistakes and sin, we must repent—and learn and grow through that process. It can be helpful to consider sins and mistakes as wounds that need healing instead of crimes in need of punishment. God’s mercy is endless as we continue to work toward perfection through Jesus Christ.