Line upon Line

This article includes excerpts from The Heart of Our Covenants: Temple Principles that Draw Us unto Christ by Valiant K. Jones. Used by permission. See www.valiantjones.com or www.cedarfort.com.

While addressing the conflict between same-sex marriage concerns and Church doctrine in August of 2021, President Jeffrey R. Holland admonished the BYU community to do better in teaching our doctrine, encouraging them to find “better ways to move toward crucially important goals in these very difficult matters—ways that show empathy and understanding for everyone while maintaining loyalty to prophetic leadership and devotion to revealed doctrine.” He then spoke of a “need to define, document, and defend the faith.”[i]

This series of articles is intended as a faithful response to that request. The first three articles in this series focus primarily on “loyalty to prophetic leadership and devotion to revealed doctrine,” and the final two articles focus primarily on “ways that show empathy and understanding for everyone.”

See the previous article in this series here. https://latterdaysaintmag.com/author/valiant-k-jones/

Come unto Christ, the Light of the World

The purpose of every challenge in life is to turn our hearts to God and our eyes to the light that shines from Jesus Christ. When Jesus and His disciples passed by a man who was blind from birth, the disciples apparently thought that his difficult life situation must have come about because of sin. They asked Jesus, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. . . . I am the light of the world” (John 9:2-5).

I believe that Christ’s answer applies to those who experience same-sex attraction. God may be using the lives of many faithful same-sex attracted followers of Christ in order to make manifest the works of God. Christ is the light of the world, and He will guide them if they seek that guidance with determination and persistence. Christ will shine His light into their lives not only for their own benefit, but also so that others can see the works of God made manifest in their lives.

BYU Religion Professor Ty Mansfield once identified as gay, but after years of struggle he determined that he wanted to live faithful to Latter-day Saint policies and doctrine. At the time, he thought he would never be married. He felt the Lord tell him, “I want you to focus on Me, and learn how to be full without being married.” Professor Mansfield commented, “There is such a focus on marriage as this act of completion, [yet] the act of completion is Christ. And the most important decision we can ever make is the decision to come unto Christ.”[1] He was later blessed with an eternal marriage and five children, but learning first how to live with a single-minded focus on Jesus Christ prepared him for that future step.

Jason Hill is a world-renowned professor of philosophy who lived for over twenty years in several same-sex relationships and as a self-described “intransigent atheist.” However, he experienced a powerful conversion to Christianity, after which his attractions “dissipated somewhat.” In an interview, he explained that since his conversion, on the rare occasions when he feels a desire to be with another man, “I just find myself running to Christ, and I just say, ‘Christ open your arms because I’m coming, and I’m going to run in there, and you’re going to have to fill a void that’s opening back up.’ And I just surrender myself to a rich prayer life, and before I know it, I have achieved a sense of equanimity and calmness and stillness–complete stillness–again.”[2]

One Christian organization that supports Christians living with same-sex attraction is called the CHANGED movement. Former lesbian Elizabeth Woning, cofounder of that organization, shared the following: “Jesus is the factor that is most overlooked in the Christian debate around LGBT. Relationship with Him is the treasure that we are willing to sacrifice for. But, it turns out that His journey is abundant. His ways overcome theory, psychology, and philosophy. . . .

“Jesus saved my life. He redeemed my mental and emotional health—rescuing me from suicidality. He redeemed my identity as a woman and ultimately my sexuality. As time goes on, He continues to reveal Himself to me in life-changing ways as I aspire to live as He lived and assume His heart within my own life. I am a woman, a daughter, a wife to my husband of 16 years… all because of Jesus. I no longer identify as LGBT. . . .

“For Christians, the way forward requires acknowledgment that sanctification through a relationship with Jesus restores our common human identity. We must invite believers into a way of life that emphasizes our new identity in Christ. . . .

“The goal isn’t ‘straight’; the goal is human, redeemed. Then we will be free from every life-dominating behavior that draws us away from Christ’s vision for human identity, whether in singleness or marriage. Only then can we become the family and the body of Christ that brings healing to the nations—together.”^[3]

The faithfulness of this Christian woman is remarkable. She attributes the changes in her life to being redeemed by Jesus Christ. She has aligned her primary identity with Him. Her declaration is consistent with the three identities President Russell M. Nelson said we should embrace when he declared, “No identifier should displace, replace, or take priority over these three enduring designations: Child of God, Child of the covenant, Disciple of Jesus Christ. Any identifier that is not compatible with those three basic designations will ultimately let you down. Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.”^[4] Elizabeth Woning understands this. She has been on both sides of this issue, and she has found peace through Christ. As she said, “The goal isn’t ‘straight’; the goal is human, redeemed.” Indeed! The way forward is with Jesus Christ.

C. S. Lewis taught the value of wholly submitting our identity to God and Jesus Christ: “Until you have given up your self to [God] you will not have a real self. . . . But there must be a real giving up of the self. You must throw it away “blindly” so to speak. Christ will indeed give you a real personality: but you must not go to Him for the sake of that. As long as your own personality is what you are bothering about you are not going to Him at all. The very first step is to try to forget about the self altogether. Your real, new self . . . will not come as long as you are looking for it. It will come when you are looking for Him. . . . Even in social life, you will never make a good impression on other people until you stop thinking about what sort of impression you are making. . . . The principle runs through all life from top to bottom. Give up your self, and you will find your real self. Lose your life and you will save it. . . . Keep back nothing. Nothing that you have not given away will ever be really yours. Nothing in you that has not died will ever be raised from the dead. Look for yourself, and you will find in the long run only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin, and decay. But look for Christ and you will find Him, and with Him everything else thrown in.”[5]

This will not be easy; however, suffering and struggle are part of the price of becoming like Jesus Christ. Elder Neal A. Maxwell asked, “How can you and I really expect to glide naively through life, as if to say, ‘Lord, give me experience, but not grief, not sorrow, not pain, not opposition, not betrayal, and certainly not to be forsaken. Keep from me, Lord, all those experiences which made Thee what Thou art! Then let me come and dwell with Thee and fully share Thy joy!’ ”[6] An easy path will not make us like Jesus Christ.

A friend of mine who experiences same-sex attraction told me that he has been blessed with many deeply spiritual experiences that have affirmed God’s love for him; however, at other times his challenges were very difficult and lonely as he faced desires that pulled at him in ways contrary to his covenants. He recounted that during one difficult period he complained to the Lord and asked why he had to struggle so much with same-sex attraction. In response, the Lord impressed upon him thoughts of the many early Christians in the first two or three centuries after Christ who were forced to fight lions in the Roman coliseums or experience other horrible tortures. My friend said that the Spirit whispered to him that those early Christian martyrs had come to earth knowing that they would suffer these horrible fates for the sake of Christ, and they felt honored to do so. My friend felt like the Lord was telling him that his situation was similar: He had agreed to come to earth in a way that would give him an opportunity to suffer for Christ’s sake. It left him feeling honored that the Lord would compare him with those early Christians, and he determined that he would move forward in faithfulness despite the unwanted sexual burden he carried.

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake” (Philippians 1:29). Similarly, to the saints in Corinth, Paul counseled, “Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17). That verse is worthy of long pondering, for weight and glory are words not often used together. However, both words apply in the lives of faithful saints who experience same-sex attraction. They often feel that they carry a heavy weight of affliction, but they also experience the glory of God’s abundant love for them.

Paul suffered many afflictions, himself, including his own unnamed “thorn in the flesh,” which he described as “the messenger of Satan to buffet me” (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul pleaded to God multiple times to take this personal burden from him, but the Lord would not, explaining, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). In response, Paul declared, “Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Paul’s words can help those who experience same-sex attraction find their own purpose and value through Jesus Christ. However, the lives of those who carry such challenges are not all suffering and struggle. The stories I have discovered of faithful followers of Jesus Christ who experience same-sex attraction tell of struggles, but they are also filled with hope and much happiness. The world is a better place because of their talents and perspective, and while some of their strengths and abilities may not be conventional for their gender, when we celebrate their gifts and encourage these brothers and sisters to share their talents with others, we all benefit. They are trying to follow the light of Jesus Christ.

That light will guide us all. President Russell M. Nelson declared, “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Learn more about His Atonement, His love, His mercy, His doctrine, and His restored gospel of healing and progression. Turn to Him! Follow Him![7] He is the Light of the world.

Love and Law: Leave Not the Other Undone

As children of God, everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and love, regardless of the inclinations or other challenges they experience and the life path they choose to follow. Joseph Smith advocated for kindness, saying, “Nothing is so much calculated to lead people to forsake sin as to take them by the hand and to watch over them in tenderness. When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what power it has over my mind, while the opposite course has a tendency to harrow up all the harsh feelings and depress the human mind.”[8] This does not mean that our kindness should be motivated only by a desire to get other people to change, for Christlike love, which is charity, “seeketh not her own” (1 Corinthians 13:5). Charity allows for differences.

The General Handbook of the Church specifies the loving, respectful approach all members should take toward those who experience same-sex attraction: “The Church encourages families and members to reach out with sensitivity, love, and respect to persons who are attracted to others of the same sex. The Church also promotes understanding in society at large that reflects its teachings about kindness, inclusiveness, love for others, and respect for all human beings. . . . All members who keep their covenants will receive all promised blessings in the eternities whether or not their circumstances allow them to receive the blessings of eternal marriage and parenthood in this life (see Mosiah 2:41).”[9]

On the other hand, the General Handbook also says the following regarding the same issue: “God’s commandments forbid all unchaste behavior, either heterosexual or same-sex. Church leaders counsel members who have violated the law of chastity. Leaders help them have a clear understanding of faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, the process of repentance, and the purpose of life on earth. Behavior that is inconsistent with the law of chastity may be cause for holding a Church membership council. It can be forgiven through sincere repentance.”[10]

There is a balance to be found between emphasizing empathy and compassion on the one hand and teaching the boundaries of God’s laws and commandments on the other. That balance cannot be achieved by teaching only one of these principles while ignoring the other. We must teach both love and law. President Dallin H. Oaks said, “The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love.”[11] Love and law are both needed.

Jesus reprimanded the Pharisees who focused only on the law while ignoring principles such as mercy and faith. He said, “These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (Matthew 23:23). He wasn’t saying to forget the law and only show mercy. He was saying that both principles must be lived. He took a similar approach with the woman caught in adultery: He showed her love and mercy while directing her to “go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). As President Jeffrey R. Holland said of Jesus, “He is one who could administer grace and insist on truth at the same time  His love allows an encouraging embrace when it is needed and a bitter cup when it has to be swallowed.”[12] Jesus emphasized both love and law, declaring, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father” (John 14:21).

Our modern prophets and apostles have demonstrated this balance between law and love as they have addressed the sexual and gender challenges of our day.[13] We need to follow their example in our own public discourse and in teaching situations. Certainly, our personal communications with individuals may emphasize one side or the other, as directed by the Spirit in specific circumstances; however, our general communications and personal behaviors should always demonstrate adherence to both love and law.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “All the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ are weaved together to give it the necessary strength and totality. Any one of these doctrines by itself could go mad. Love without justice and truth goes wild. And mercy without the elements of the gospel that bring discipline to bear becomes maudlin and sentimental. Each doctrine needs each other doctrine. Just as the people of the Church need each other, the doctrines need each other.”[14]

President Oaks echoed this idea when he taught, “To balance our commitments to love and law we must continually show love even as we continually honor and keep the commandments. We must strive to preserve precious relationships and at the same time not compromise our responsibilities to be obedient to and supportive of gospel law.”[15] He later followed his own counsel when he admonished, “Anyone who does not treat individuals who face gender identity challenges with love and dignity is not aligned with the teachings of the first and second great commandments. Thus, on the subject of God’s law, we need to remember that God has revealed again and again that He created male and female. And on the subject of our duty to love our neighbor, we need to remember that God has commanded us to love even those who do not keep all of the commandments.”[16]

President Oak’s counsel shows that the balancing principles of law and love correspond to the two dimensions of the law of the gospel discussed earlier, which are to love God and to love our neighbors. When we demonstrate both principles, we are abiding by our temple covenant to keep the law of my gospel of Jesus Christ.

As lay leaders and covenant members of the Church, we are obligated to teach true doctrine, including the laws and covenants set forth by God. These are not up for negotiation. And at the same time, we have an equal obligation, as well as an opportunity and blessing, to respond in love and empathy to those who, through no choice of their own, experience same-sex attraction or other related challenges. Our love and compassion toward others need to be as broad as the many life experiences of those who must tread these difficult life paths. We can sit with others in their pains and celebrate with them in their joys while making clear our love for and allegiance to the laws of God and the doctrines of His Church. We can show love and compassion while also living our covenants and supporting the doctrine of the eternal family. These covenants and doctrines are eternal and will never change. Likewise, our love toward others should be eternal and unchanging. We can teach both, and we can live both. Our faith requires this.

President Nelson taught. “Because the Father and the Son love us with infinite, perfect love and because They know we cannot see everything They see, They have given us laws that will guide and protect us. There is a strong connection between God’s love and His laws   Just as the rules that my wife and I developed for our children were motivated by love, God’s laws reflect His perfect love for each of us. His laws keep us spiritually safe and help us to progress eternally. . . . Divine laws are God’s gifts to His children. . . . Abiding by God’s laws will keep you safe as you progress toward eventual exaltation. . . . God’s greatest blessings are reserved for those who obey His laws, as He explained: ‘For all who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing’ (D&C 132:5). God’s laws are motivated entirely by His infinite love for us and His desire for us to become all we can become.”[17]

The Doctrine of Christ Leads to Exaltation

The latter articles in this series have described how the seeming exclusivity of Latter-day Saint doctrine of the family and temple marriage can be overcome by the inclusivity of the doctrine of Christ. After teaching His doctrine, the Savior declared, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them” (3 Nephi 11:39). As quoted earlier, President Nelson similarly declared, “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”[18] The doctrine of Christ is also called the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and our promise to live it is a central covenant of the temple.

We have reviewed testimonies from some individuals who, while living with same-sex attraction, have formed a deep connection with Jesus Christ as an anchor to their souls to help them remain true to their covenants. They have been further strengthened through personal connections with loving friends. We can all join that cadre of support by inviting those who face sexual or gender challenges into our circle of brotherhood or sisterhood in an emotionally intimate way. This does not mean that their challenges will go away, but with connections to Christ and connections to friends, their burdens will be lighter. We can remember these two dimensions of the doctrine of Christ whenever we go to the temple and commit to follow the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We have also reviewed the teachings on love and law from latter-day apostles and prophets. These teachings have influenced the approach of this series of articles in dealing with sexual minority issues: The earlier articles in this series focus primarily on law, while later articles focus primarily on the need for love. Together, these articles have tried to provide a balanced approach within the boundaries of our doctrine.

Like the ancient Israelites, we Latter-day Saints are a people of prophets, scriptures, temples, and covenants who follow the Lord God, Jehovah, who is Jesus Christ, toward the goal of entering into His divine presence and gaining our eternal exaltation. When we commit to keep the law of the gospel of Jesus Christ, also called the doctrine of Christ, in both of its dimensions, we affirm that we will follow Jesus Christ on the covenant path, arm in arm with our fellow Saints, as together we face the challenges and adversities of this mortal life. By supporting one another and staying focused on the Son of God, with an eye single to His glory, we will eventually find eternal joy and happiness in the presence of our heavenly parents and our Savior Jesus Christ, with beloved family members and friends at our side.

President Russell M. Nelson taught: “God . . . sent His Only Begotten Son to atone for us and to show us the way. The godly power available to all who love and follow Jesus Christ is the power to heal us, strengthen us, cleanse us from sin, and magnify us to do things we could never do on our own. Our Savior is the Divine Exemplar who marked the path that we are to follow. . . . Exaltation is not easy. Requirements include a focused and persistent effort to keep God’s laws, rigorously repenting when we don’t. But the reward for doing so is far greater than anything we can imagine, because it brings us joy here and ‘never-ending happiness’ (Mosiah 2:41) hereafter.”[19]

Armed with power from the Atonement of Jesus Christ and with the loving support of fellow Saints who are His body, we will be able to return to the presence of our loving heavenly parents and partake of that never-ending happiness. This is what is modeled in the temple and is the purpose of our covenants there. By focusing on Jesus Christ, His eternal doctrine on the family, and our covenants with Him, we will be able to gain that eternal happiness.

Valiant K. Jones is the author of The Heart of Our Covenants: Temple Principles that Draw Us unto Christ. For more information, see www.valiantjones.com or www.cedarfort.com.

[1] Jared Halverson and Ty Mansfield, “Y Religion Episode 97 – The Power of Stillness (Ty Mansfield),” YouTube, February 1, 2024, timestamp 52:02-52:56, youtube.com/watch?v=TnBcWT85dPg.

[2] Becket Cook and Jason Hill, “And I Have Come Home–at Last: Jason Hill Testimony – The Becket Cook Show Ep. 173,”  Becket Cook, YouTube, September 12, 2024, timestamp 25:18-27:43,  youtube.com/watch?v=XNGmoRHXvIM&t=905s; see also Jason D. Hill, “No, I Wasn’t Born This Way,” Front Page Magazine, August 30, 2024, frontpagemag.com/no-i-wasnt-born-this-way/.

[3] Elizabeth Woning, “A Better Way Forward with LGBTQ,” Essays, elizabethwoning.com/essays/2021/1/30/f2o3kflgwwj7c5ocd1oh5jnq5ra23b.

[4] Russell M. Nelson, Instagram post, July 20, 2020, instagram.com/p/CgPQLh0OqiH/; see also, Russell M. Nelson, “Choices for Eternity,” Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults with President Nelson, S&I Broadcasts, May 15, 2022, churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2022/05/12nelson?lang=eng.

[5] C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, p. 120. See samizdat.qc.ca/vc/pdfs/MereChristianity_CSL.pdf for a Canadian public domain version of the text.

[6] Neal A. Maxwell, “Lest Ye Be Wearied and Faint in Your Minds,” Ensign, May 1991, churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1991/05/lest-ye-be-wearied-and-faint-in-your-minds?lang=eng.

[7] Russell M. Nelson, “The Answer Is Always Jesus Christ,” Liahona, May 2023, churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2023/05/58nelson?lang=eng.

[8] Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 240.

[9] General Handbook, 38.6.15; formatting modified.

[10] General Handbook, 38.6.15.

[11] Dallin H. Oaks, “Love and Law,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 26.

[12] Jeffrey R. Holland, “I Am He,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 78.

[13] For many specific examples, see Valiant K. Jones, the Heart of Our Covenants, Cedar Fort, 2025, pp. 128-130.

[14] Neal A. Maxwell, “The Simplicity of the Gospel” (Brigham Young University devotional, May 4, 1969, 8, https://radiobeloved.wordpress.com/wp-content/ uploads/2012/04/maxwellsimplicityofgospel.pdf.

[15] Dallin H. Oaks, “The Paradox of Love and Law” (Brigham Young University– Idaho devotional, Oct. 30, 2018), byui.edu.

[16] The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “May 2023 Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults with President and Sister Oaks,” YouTube, May 21, 2023, 42:06, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wull4cTXUTk; see also “Combine and Apply Both Law and Love, President and Sister Oaks Encourage Young Adults,” Church News, May 21, 2023.

[17] Russell M. Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God” (Brigham Young University devotional, Sept. 17, 2019), 2, speeches.byu.edu; formatting modified.

[18] Russell M. Nelson, “The Answer Is Always Jesus Christ,” 127.

[19] Russell M. Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God,” 2; formatting modified.

[i] Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Second Half of the Second Century of Brigham Young University,” ibid.