God's Commandments

I recently read a story about a controversy where homosexual woman who were kissing in the stands of a Major League Baseball game were asked to stop by an usher who had received a complaint from another woman in the stands. The debate in this article was really about whose rights are being infringed upon, or what is more important, the homosexuals being free to do as they wish in a public setting or those who prefer to not be exposed to homosexual behavior in a public setting.

As this is not a political blog, I am not going to get into the controversy here of whose rights trump whose. Rather, I am going to talk about the more fundamental issue—homosexuality.

Homosexuality is wrong.

The statement that stuck out most to me in the aforementioned article was this:

"Certain individuals have not yet caught up. Those people see a gay or lesbian couple and they stare or say something.”

Do not get me wrong, I do not hate homosexuals. I love them, as I do my best to love all of Heavenly Father’s children. However, there is no “catching up” to do. Simply because some people have chosen some morals are now okay does not mean the rest of us need to “catch up”. God makes it clear through his prophets in the Bible where he stands on homosexuality three distinct times:

Moses taught: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (Old Testament | Leviticus 18:22).

Paul taught the Colossians: “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (emphasis added), (New Testament | Colossians 3:5).

Paul taught Timothy: “THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good” (emphasis added), (New Testament | 2 Timothy 3:1-3).

Now if you are a believer and believe this commandment has changed, you must believe one having authority through Jesus Christ—meaning a prophet or an apostle (which is a prophet)—has spoken for God and changed it, making homosexuality acceptable. If you do not believe God speaks to men on Earth any more, then you must believe that this commandment—homosexuality is wrong—is still in force.

I will tell you what I believe. God does continue to speak to men on this Earth. There is a true and living prophet. However, since God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith to restore the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness on this Earth, none of his prophets have rescinded the doctrine that homosexuality is wrong. They have only reinforced it.

There is no “catching up” to do. Homosexuality is against God’s commandments. It is a weakness no doubt many have. However, we were put on this Earth with weaknesses so we could gain strength, knowledge, and power by overcoming those weaknesses. All of our weakness, or rather the combinations of our weakness, are unique to each of us, as we are unique children of God. Concerning this mortal state where we have weaknesses, King Benjamin taught:

”For the natural man is an enemy to God, and has been from the fall of Adam, and will be, forever and ever, unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, and putteth off the natural man and becometh a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord, and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Book of Mormon | Mosiah 3:19)”

I testify that as we seek to “yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit” and “putteth off the natural man” we will become more saintly “through the atonement of Christ the Lord”. I know that however difficult challenges and temptations are, even when the world says “it’s alright, everyone is doing it”, through Jesus Christ we can overcome those challenges, gaining greater control over our natural selves. I testify that this will only bring us closer to our Father in Heaven and his Son, Jesus Christ. This is my testimony, in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.