Salt Lake City, UT -
A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' (LDS) Quorum of Twelve Apostles claimed last week that the Mormon Church has "no homosexual members."
During a Q&A in Chile, Elder David A. Bednar was asked: "How can homosexual members of the church live and remain steadfast in the gospel?"
"First, I want to change the question," Bednar answered. "There are no homosexual members of the church. We are not defined by sexual attraction. We are not defined by sexual behavior. We are sons and daughters of God. And all of us have different challenges in the flesh."
"Simply being attracted to someone of the same gender is not a sin," he explained. "It is when we act on the inclination or the attraction, that's when it becomes a sin."
"We do not discriminate and we are not bigots. We extend Christ-like love to all sons and daughters of God," he added.
Last year, the Mormon Church, a vocal opponent of marriage equality, announced that it considers gay married Mormons apostates, which could lead to excommunication.
(Related: Thousands quit Mormon Church to protest anti-gay policy.)
During a Q&A in Chile, Elder David A. Bednar was asked: "How can homosexual members of the church live and remain steadfast in the gospel?"
"First, I want to change the question," Bednar answered. "There are no homosexual members of the church. We are not defined by sexual attraction. We are not defined by sexual behavior. We are sons and daughters of God. And all of us have different challenges in the flesh."
"Simply being attracted to someone of the same gender is not a sin," he explained. "It is when we act on the inclination or the attraction, that's when it becomes a sin."
"We do not discriminate and we are not bigots. We extend Christ-like love to all sons and daughters of God," he added.
Last year, the Mormon Church, a vocal opponent of marriage equality, announced that it considers gay married Mormons apostates, which could lead to excommunication.
(Related: Thousands quit Mormon Church to protest anti-gay policy.)
Article provided in partnership with On Top Magazine
