This is a chronological account of statements by Church leaders regarding homosexuality, and incidents that have become public regarding members involved in homosexual activities. It begins with various statements on the centrality of marriage, including a Deseret News editorial comment that perhaps we should reinstate the Spartan practice of flogging bachelors. It includes: bizarre 1902 incident of a blood atonement ritual killing, by a boy (son of a prominent member) of man who committed homosexual acts; a more relaxed position at BYU in the 1940s; missionary case in 1951; gay RLDS apostle forced to resign in 1954; special assignment given to apostles Kimball and Petersen in 1959, who counseled about one thousand gay members; no compassion from the pulpit; decision in 1962 that missionaries were not to share beds; decision in 1962 to ban homosexuals from BYU; reparative therapy at BYU; homosexual acts added to causes warranting excommunica- tion in 1968; BYU ‘witch hunt” in 1968, leading 5 students to commit suicide; in 1969 apostle Kimball said the statement that “God made me this way” is a diabolical lie of Satan; lines harden in the 1970s; “mercy must never rob justice”; wording changed in temple ceremony; Packer: “Only a temporary condition”; Affirmation organized in 1978; “none were born that way, ” 1981; drive to urge bachelors to marry reversed in 1987; campaign against same-sex marriage began in 1987; San Francisco singles ward organized in 1988; Church manual in 1991—no conclusive evidence people born homosexual; Pres. Faust: no evidence homosexuality is inherited or inborn, 1994; Church strengthens lobbying against same-sex marriage; Proclamation on the Family; membership records tagged since 1998 for those involved in homosexual acts; Pres. Hinckley: marriage is not a civil right; bishop released for refusing to excommunicate, 2006; Barlow Bradford resigned as Tab. Choir asst. conductor to marry a man, 2008; Proposition 8 campaign in California given huge push by Church—half of all donations by members, some $20 million; resulting protests at temples; Packer: “Unthinkable that God would give his children homosexual tendencies,” 2010; apostle Cook presided over stake with 17 AIDS deaths; children of couples in same sex relationship barred from membership, and cannot be given name and blessing, 2015; 1,500 leave Church at rally; many leave worldwide; 32 gay teen suicides reported since 2015 ruling. A second section reports on likely LDS gays in the past, including Patriarch to the Church. A third section considers more recent incidents, and considerations on where we go from here. Size: 47 pages.
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