http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/3391057-155/lds-gay-policy-came-from-god

We all do that to some extent. But doesn’t the parable of the Good Samaritan call on us to not look on the uncleanness of our brothers and sisters, but instead look to heal their wounds, to treat them like brothers and sisters

If, however, the situation is slightly different–my wife and I divorce, I have primary custody, but this time, instead of preaching the religion of Dr. Pepper I get married to another man–my children are not allowed to get baptized until they turn 18.

If we’re talking about treating everyone more equally, we could at least start by treating all apostates the same. Once we get that balance restored then we can debate whether or not everyone who enters into a same-sex marriage is necessarily always an apostate.

I suspect we’d all here agree on a lot that’s inappropriate. But it’s just not clear to me where you see the line should be. Even if the Church walked back the recent policy changes, I suspect you would still see much of Church practice as inappropriate. I’m curious as to where. (Honestly not trying to be argumentative here – I really am curious as where you see the limits)

As an institution, I think “love the sinner. Period.” starts with doing away with the policies implemented two months ago today. (Lumping SSM in the same category as murder, rape, and sexual abuse? Come on.) Even if the leaders had mostly good intentions in making this policy shift, it doesn’t change the fact that the policy is awful.

I think mirrororrim has chosen the harder path, because he cannot entertain a close, loving physical relationship with a person he may desire. I couldn’t do that, and I married my husband two years ago. We have been together for 33 years. I do not comprehend my gay orientation as being a moral flaw anymore than I would say that a heterosexual orientation is a moral flaw. They simply exist in us as human beings.

If you talk to lesbians, gay men, transgendered people and ask them about their stories as members in the LDS church, virtually all of them will tell you about countless hours on their knees in prayer hoping to escape their “affliction” as my bishop called it. Many of us tried to be pure as pure can be. And most of us failed that purity test. Some of us attempted or committed suicide. Many of us left the LDS church. Some of us married a member of the other sex. Many of those marriages ended in divorce leaving broken lives, broken hearts, and broken families in the wreckage.

My ward accepts me pretty well. They comforted me when the handbook change came to light. I appreciate their love and their concern about my place in their ward and in the LDS church. There is an answer in all this for me: God loves me regardless of my station, my sex, my orientation, or my sin. When I don’t have the patience or the love or the strength to continue with the LDS church, Jesus offers me the gift of his grace. The LDS church may be too small for LGBT members, but the Body of Christ, the grace of Jesus Christ holds me dear, and brings me back to the pews on Sunday.

I dissent from the church’s policy outlined in the handbook. I pray for a revelation to the church. I think it’s time to reexamine a policy position that in its practice forces LGBT people to forsake love, and after experiencing that emotional damage, ultimately causes them to leave their spiritual hope.

Love is not finding ways to make somebody feel safe and comfortable in continuing on the path of sin, or misleading them into thinking they are on the right path when they are not. Love is reaching out with concern for their eternal well being and helping them reach a point where they will change and give up their sin, even if that change is painful.

The Mormon LGBT community would do well to accept as a fact that the church is never going to see gay marriage or gay relationships as being morally acceptable, no matter what social/personal good or emotional satisfaction may result from it. None of that changes the laws of morality. I appreciate that it is a harsh and difficult situation to be in, but the question for everybody comes down to do you love God most or not? If the answer is yes, then you will have to do without some things that may be hard to give up.

I think not judging other people means ascribing pure or at least good, honest intentions unless proven otherwise…. also known as giving another person the benefit of the doubt. A Christ-like attitude doesn’t assume the worst about other people’s motivations; it tends to assume that the other person is at least being sincere. When viewed with any charity, one should describe the church’s motivations at least as Clark Goble has in #103. The church views the normalization of same sex marriage as a threat to the organization on par with polygamist groups. Defending these long established doctrines might be wrong, but I don’t think that is the same thing as hate.

Couple the new policy with the church’s other efforts in 2015 and the message seems to take shape: Concede gay marriage as the law of the land and support many of the gay rights laws but maintain the standards within our own community.

Mirrorrorrim, it seems undeniable that the brethren see gay marriage as a threat and attempting to normalize it within the church as a threat equal to polygamist apostate groups.

Please do not judge our leaders by saying they have pure intentions. It is not fair to them. Or, if you insist on judging them, please provide more information on how God has given you a special discernment to judge the motivations of everyone around you on behalf of the rest of the world. As you do, you will probably want to call for a sustaining to recognize you as a new prophet of our church, since that is essentially what you will be claiming. The performance of miracles may also be appropriate to reinforce your claim.

Ji, the same is true for gays and transgender people: you have no idea what is in any of our hearts.

As far as actions go, banning our children from ordinances including for remission of sins and to receive the Holy Ghost is as strong a sign of intense hostility as I can think of. And as Brad L says, such an action not only conveys a message of hate, but is also irrational.