How the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints navigates shifting views on homosexuality.
In short: The LDS Church maintains that same-sex intimacy violates its moral code, yet its approach to LGBTQ members has evolved significantly. From past attempts to cure attraction through aversion therapy to modern rhetoric emphasizing sympathetic concern, the institution continues to balance rigid theological requirements with changing cultural landscapes and internal dissent.
For decades, the LDS Church treated same-sex attraction as a condition that could be medically or spiritually reversed. Under the leadership of Spencer W. Kimball, who became president in 1973, the church actively promoted conversion efforts. Between 1959 and the mid-1990s, Brigham Young University even operated an electroshock aversion program. During this era, church handbooks equated homosexual attraction itself with severe moral failings like child molestation, and celibate gay members faced the threat of excommunication. These policies were rooted in the belief that homosexuality was a curable illness, a view that mirrored the American Psychiatric Association’s classification of the time.
The church’s stance underwent a notable shift as global medical consensus changed. Following the removal of homosexuality from the DSM in 1973 and the WHO’s similar move in 1990, the church gradually abandoned its official pursuit of cures. By 1992, internal guidebooks removed references to homosexuality as a disease. Today, the institution acknowledges that individuals do not choose their attractions and has officially opposed conversion therapy. While the church remains firm that same-sex sexual activity is a serious transgression and a barrier to the highest tier of heaven, it now permits gay members to attend services and, in some contexts, serve as missionaries, provided they remain celibate.
Despite these changes, tensions persist. The church’s theology of exaltation—which requires heterosexual marriage—remains a central point of conflict. Critics and some scholars argue that the church’s modern, softer tone is a strategic facade designed to maintain institutional authority while still enforcing a hierarchy that subordinates LGBTQ individuals. This is reflected in disciplinary policies, where same-sex transgressions often carry stiffer penalties than heterosexual ones. Surveys show that while member support for LGBTQ rights has grown, a significant portion of the congregation remains divided on issues like same-sex marriage, illustrating the ongoing struggle to reconcile traditional doctrine with evolving societal norms.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Homosexuality and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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