church policies
Links and resources for LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints, their loved ones, friends, and local leaders who want to reference the official church* materials regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender individuals. Please note that the information referenced on this page are official Church* policy / current teaching and may not necessarily reflect the mission of Lift+Love.
church teachings / policy - lesbian, gay, bisexual
current material on the church* website
church teachings / policy - transgender
current material on the church* website:*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saintscurrent material on the church* website:*The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsHow Can I Help Gay Church Members Feel Loved, Welcomed, and Inspired at Church? (Source: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website)
(transcript) “It is so important that we understand, first of all, that everyone is in a different place along the path and that we develop an awareness of the people that are around us.“I know people who come to church every Sunday so that they can be inspired and uplifted and who just simply walk away feeling judged and unloved and unneeded, like there is no place for them at church. We need to do this differently. We need to be deeply aware of what the purpose of coming to church on Sunday is and make sure that everyone who comes feels loved, needed, accepted, and lifted. Everybody has struggles we don’t even know about. And it’s so important that we be aware that everyone around us is loved of God and that we need to see them through Christlike eyes. And we cannot allow judgment to dictate the way we interact with people. It’s just simply not right. I feel that the Lord places us where we are and connects us with the people around us for a purpose. Because it’s not only about our own progression but about helping others progress. And I have come to recognize that we are placed where we are so that we can love and lift others. We just cannot be, or even call ourselves, a disciple of Christ if we are not helping others along that path. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not marginalize people. People marginalize people. And we have to fix that. We need to be sensitive and love them and allow them the opportunity to grow and to blossom and to be their best selves. They have talents and abilities and personality that is needed in the kingdom of God. And if we are going to build the kingdom of God on the earth, we need everyone to come, to come and do their part. And we need to recognize that. When anyone’s shadow darkens the door of the chapel, they ought to feel immediately embraced and loved and lifted and inspired, when they walk out that door, to go and be better. Because they know the Lord loves them. And because they have friends in their faith” (Carol F. McConkie, “Lifting Others,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org).Church of Jesus Christ/study/manual/same-sex-attraction-church-leadersHow Can I Help Those In My Ward/Stake Feel Loved/Valued/Needed? (Source: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website)
(transcript) “As Church members, we all have a responsibility to create a supportive and loving environment for all our brothers and sisters. Such a support network makes it much easier to live the gospel and to seek the Spirit while navigating any aspect of mortality.I don’t believe I’ve ever met anybody who didn’t want to belong to something that made them feel worthwhile, that made them feel that they had value. When people wonder, Is there a place for me? it may be any number of things behind that, and now they ask themselves, Do I fit? Do I belong here? Do they really need me? And I want to say emphatically, ‘Yes!’I think of the metaphor of Paul, which I love very much, [where] the Church is the body of Christ. And he says we are baptized into that body. And he says it’s one body. Many members but one body.I understand people’s feelings at times that they may not be needed. And sometimes others are guilty of saying we don’t need this person; we don’t need that person; we are fine as we are. Neither one is true. That’s not the Christian way. That’s not the way Christ sees us. He sees all of us with infinite worth. And whatever our condition at the moment may be, the body of Christ is there to sustain each member. When a person feels isolated—I don’t deny the reality of the feeling and why it’s so natural to feel that way—but each of us, whenever that sense may come upon us, needs to stop and think, Jesus Christ died for me. Jesus Christ thought me worthy of His blood. And He loves me. He has hopes for me. And He can make a difference in my life. His grace can transform me. And maybe this person sitting next to me, ignoring me, or even wanting to move away, maybe he or she doesn’t. But that doesn’t change the reality of what Christ feels toward me and the possibilities I have in Christ.It breaks my heart if someone comes and is very vulnerable and says, ‘I want to try it. I want to be here,’ and then get a cold shoulder or a lack of interest. And that’s tragic. It really is tragic. We have to be better than that.The diversity we find now in the Church may be just the beginning. Frankly, I think we will see greater and greater diversity. In the ancient Church there was tremendous diversity. And it’s not just diversity for diversity’s sake but the fact that people can bring different gifts and perspectives, and the wide range of experience and backgrounds and challenges that people face will show us what really is essential in the gospel of Christ. And that much of the rest, that has been perhaps acquired over time and is more cultural than doctrinal, can slip away and we can really learn to be disciples” (D. Todd Christofferson, “Is There a Place for Me?” ChurchofJesusChrist.org) Church of Jesus Christ/study/manual/same-sex-attraction-church-leadersAre there restrictions on Church participation for members who identify as gay or experience same-sex attraction? (Source: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website)
(transcript) “Someone who is adhering to the norm of chastity—someone who is following the covenants and the standards, teachings of the gospel of Christ, though they may be dealing with same-sex attraction—really there is no reason they cannot be fully participative, that they can’t be a full-fledged member of the Church and hold callings and speak and enter the temple and serve there, and all the other opportunities and blessings that can come from Church membership will be available to them.
“There are examples of this among Church members. There are multiple examples. And though no one would say that it is always easy, all of us are endeavoring to maintain those norms and keep our covenants. And we’re all in the same boat, in the same company, in that regard. So I’d say there are many, relatively speaking, who are finding that success in their lives and that happiness” (D. Todd Christofferson, “Purpose of This Website,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Church of Jesus Christ/study/manual/same-sex-attraction-church-leaders