The Family: A Proclamation to the World

207 12 11
                                    

This chapter is about a very important piece of LDS scripture when it comes to the huge influx of discussion surrounding the LGBT community and gender roles in recent years. It was published in 1995 by President Gordon B Hinckley, the then-president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. 

(In my faith, we believe that there are still prophets alive and on the Earth today who receive revelation from God in order to guide us. The current living prophet is Russell M Nelson. We also believe that everyone can receive personal revelation directly from God. A lot of other Christian religions believe in a closed canon, or that the Bible is the only source of revelation from God, and my Church's belief of constant and modern revelation is one of the things that sets our faith apart. In any case, The Family: A Proclamation to the World is considered official scripture in my religion.)

I'm posting the Proclamation here in hopes that it will clarify my and my church's stance on marriage, family, and gender roles. If you have any questions about it or about other LDS-related things, feel free to ask in a non-contentious way. (If you're just here to pick an argument, I will simply block you.) 

This is the Proclamation:

*******

THE FAMILY

A PROCLAMATION TO THE WORLD

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

WE, THE FIRST PRESIDENCY and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

ALL HUMAN BEINGS—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

IN THE PREMORTAL REALM, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize their divine destiny as heirs of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

WE DECLARE the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.

HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalm 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, and to teach them to love and serve one another, observe the commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

THE FAMILY is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

WE WARN that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

WE CALL UPON responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society.

*******

Hopefully this helps explain my stance on things. If you would like me to clarify or go in to depth concerning terms used and such, I'd be happy to do so.

One potential question I'm anticipating is, Why? Why is the Law of Chastity the way it is? Why do you believe that homosexuality is a sin? 

My answer is this: I don't actually entirely know. I don't know all the answers. But I do know that God is my Father and that He set this commandment, and I know that if I follow it, I will be blessed. Following commandments requires having faith that, even if I don't know all the answers, it'll be worth it to trust in the Lord and follow His teachings. 

And trust me, I'm not one to go through life just accepting things without question. My personality type (INFP) uses Extroverted iNtuition as our secondary mental function, which basically means that I want to know everything there is to know about everything and why the world is the way it is. So I don't just accept these teachings because they were fed to me through a tube. I accept them because I've had the spiritual confirmation that they are true and that choosing to live a heterosexual lifestyle is the right thing to do.

I understand that a lot of people aren't going to agree with me, and some might even find my explanations of why I believe this to be stupid and illogical. And yes, this explanation doesn't stem from the world's definition of logic. It comes from the spiritual revelation from the Church and from my own spiritual revelation from the Holy Ghost. And to me, revelation from God is the best and truest logical explanation there is.

If you are a part of the LGBT community and you are reading this, I want you to know: 

You are a child of God who deserves love and respect. God loves you unconditionally no matter what you do, but He also hopes that His children will choose to follow Him in this life. Sins don't make anyone unworthy of love; if they did, we'd all be extremely lonely, because everyone sins. So even if I believe your choices are the wrong ones, that in no way stops me from loving you for who you are as a child of God. Don't let anyone tell you that your sexual attractions, gender identity, or lifestyle choices make you unworthy of love. They don't, and they never will. And even though I can't love you perfectly, God can. And He does.

ThoughtsWhere stories live. Discover now