The LDS Church and LGBTQ Members: Official Position, History, and Ongoing Conversation

The Church's Official Doctrinal Position

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints teaches that marriage is a sacred covenant between a man and a woman, and that sexual intimacy is reserved for heterosexual marriage. From this foundational position, the church's policies on LGBTQ members follow: the church does not perform or endorse same-sex marriages; members in same-sex relationships are not eligible for temple ordinances (the sealing of families for eternity); and LGBTQ members are not eligible for certain leadership positions. The church teaches that same-sex attraction itself is not a sin — having the feeling is not sinful — but acting on same-sex attraction is considered by the church to be incompatible with its sexual ethics. LGBTQ members are invited to remain celibate and participate fully in all other aspects of church life. This position has remained consistent for decades, though the church has worked to express it with greater compassion and clarity in recent years.

LGBTQ Members in the Church

Many LGBTQ Latter-day Saints remain in the church and navigate this position with varying degrees of peace, pain, and creativity. Some accept the church's teachings on celibacy and find fulfillment in other aspects of Latter-day Saint spirituality and community. Others remain in the church while disagreeing with the church's position and advocating quietly or openly for change. Still others remain in the church but do not practice celibacy, navigating a tension between their lived experience and official doctrine. Many LGBTQ members describe their experience of the church as profoundly lonely — wanting to belong to their faith community, their families, and their God, while feeling fundamentally unwelcome or restricted. The emotional cost of this position is significant. Many LGBTQ members have experienced depression, anxiety, and suicidality related to the pressure to suppress their identity or deny their relationships.

The 2015 Policy and Its 2019 Reversal

In November 2015, the church announced a policy change that restricted children of same-sex couples from baptism until age 18 and required them to disavow their parents' same-sex relationships in order to be baptized. The policy caused immediate and profound distress in many families. Parents with LGBTQ children felt their children were being rejected by the church. LGBTQ members felt their families were being directly attacked. Many members — both LGBTQ and allies — felt the church had crossed a line of cruelty. The policy became a significant factor in members choosing to leave the church. For three and a half years, the policy remained in place, and it became a defining point of pain in the modern church's relationship with LGBTQ members. Then, in April 2019, church president Russell M. Nelson announced that the policy was being reversed. Children of same-sex couples could now be baptized without waiting until age 18. The reversal was celebrated by many as a movement toward compassion, though it did not restore the ability of LGBTQ members to have same-sex relationships or participate fully in temple ordinances.

Resources from the Church

The church now runs several resources for LGBTQ members and their families. The site "Latter-day Saints and Same-Sex Attraction" provides information and testimonies from LGBTQ members and families navigating the church. "Life on the Covenant Path" is a site dedicated to helping members understand how to live faithfully according to church doctrine while managing other aspects of their identity. The church has also trained leaders on how to be more compassionate and inclusive to LGBTQ members. These resources represent an effort by the church to be more helpful and compassionate, though some LGBTQ members feel they still fall short of genuine inclusion and acceptance.

The Human Reality: Stories and Struggles

Behind all of these policies and doctrines are real human beings — parents, children, siblings, and friends navigating profound questions about faith, identity, love, and belonging. Many LGBTQ Latter-day Saints have stories of how they discovered their identity, how they struggled with church teachings, how they came to terms with the tension between the two. Organizations like Affirmation provide support and community for LGBTQ Latter-day Saints. Social media groups and in-person support networks allow LGBTQ members to find each other and share experiences. Many LGBTQ members remain in the church while also building lives that honor their identity — some in celibate friendships, some in same-sex relationships while maintaining spiritual practice outside of temple ordinances. The conversation within the church about LGBTQ issues continues to evolve. Some members work from within to advocate for change. Some leave the church to find communities more affirming of their identity. All are making conscientious decisions about their relationship with faith and their community. The church's role is to increase in compassion, honesty, and inclusion.