https://askgramps.org/struggling-with-ssa/ Moral answers to everyday concerns, curiosities, and uncertainties. Gramps considers all questions on all topics from all sources. Sun, 24 Nov 2024 15:01:22 +0000 hourly 1 https://askgramps.org/struggling-with-ssa/#comment-35140 Fri, 01 Jul 2016 05:36:00 +0000 http://en.elds.org/askgramps-org/?p=12647#comment-35140 There have been a lot of gay members serve missions. They went on their missions in the hope that it would somehow change them from gay to straight. Same sex attraction is a difficult issue. Although there may be a few instances of people over coming their same sex attraction, but in most cases the person was bisexual and was able to turn off the same sex attraction. A person that has same sex attraction (with little to no attraction to the opposite sex) will most likely have that attraction for the rest of their life. I know church leaders will deny that, but it is the truth.
If this was my son or daughter, I would talk to him/her about why he/she wanted to go on a mission? If he/she wants to go and serve the Lord and then commit to living a celibate life thereafter, then by all means go on the mission. But don’t bargain with the Lord to change your attraction. In most cases it will not happen. It simply is a part of you and you have to decide what you are going to do with it.
Please don’t council gay people that they change their attraction. It is not that simple. For whatever reason God made them in his image, only gay and I do not know why. But there has to be a reason. And the Church should find a better way to help its gay members. The suicide rate for gay youth that are LDS is simply way too high. Imagine being born into a world (the LDS world) where you are considered a freak and viewed unworthy at every turn. And most gay kids know at a very early age that they are different, but they don’t why yet. There will be no support from the Church, but hopefully the parents and their family will make them welcome.
(From a parent of a gay child.)

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