Go and Sin No More: Same sex attraction and Gender roles

 This week, I experienced the incredible power of the Atonement, time and time again.  It led me to understand, that Christ's suffering in the Garden was much more than a physical show of His love for us.  It allows us to become clean, to become whole from our sins and iniquities.

Christ's Atonement enables those who are experiencing same-sex attraction to recover, a feat that many claim impossible.  They say, "They are born that way."  I do not believe that any child of a loving Heavenly Father is "born that way."

What causes same-gender attraction?  Many studies have shown a lack of affection shown by parents, siblings, and peers lead many to have a wounded gender identity.  "Using a nonclinical population, Tomeo, Templer, Anderson, and Kotler noted that 46% of gay men and 22% of lesbians were sexually abused as children, compared to 7% of the matched heterosexual men and 1% of the matched heterosexual woman."

Same-sex attraction increases HIV infection, substance abuse, depression and anxiety, hepatitis, STD's, prostate, testicular or colon cancer, alcohol dependence and abuse, tobacco use, and eating disorders.

There are states that now BAN gay conversion therapy: California, and Pennsylvania, leading Caleb (one who overcame same-sex attraction) to say: "banning that therapy would abuse human rights." 

The Atonement enables each son and daughter of God to reach their divine potential as a son and  a daughter respectively.  Gender differences do not contrast each other, but compliment each other!  We are reminded in the Family: A Proclamation to the World that "gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

Fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families.

Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.  In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners.

My belief is one in which God knows all.  He made us different so we could be happy!  We CANNOT be truly happy unless we abide by His laws and commandments: 1 being marriage between a man and a woman.  Another being the fulfillment of our roles as male and female.

I testify that these things are true and leave my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.