First and foremost- I
am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have been
since I was baptized when I was eight years old. I believe the Church to be
true and that it is led by a loving Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ
through a living prophet today.
When the leaders of the
Church have put out their standings on issues, I haven’t always agreed, but I
know that when I ask why, I will receive answers. Yesterday, when I first read
the click bait headlines about the Church’s new policy about denying baby
blessing and baptism to Children of Same- Sex couples, I was deeply concerned.
However, after reading through the articles, I have personally found why such a
policy has been made and why Heavenly Father would have church leaders put such
a policy in place.
Here is my
understanding:
All of the ordinances
that members receive within the Church are part of the formal adoption process
into Heavenly Father’s family. Yes, we are all children of God, but at the age
of eight we are allowed to choose for ourselves if we wish to be baptized and
make a covenant with Heavenly Father to be a part of his family.
Those promises we make
at baptism can be found in Mosiah 18:9- 10: “Yeah,
and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that
stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in
all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may
be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that
ye may have eternal life-
Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your
hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a
witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will
serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more
abundantly upon you?”
Being baptized is not
just “Hey look! I’m a member of the church now!” It’s a promise that we will
obey commandments and follow the example of Christ. Baptism, on the surface, does
not seem like something to deny to a child of same-sex parents. However, we need to
understand all of God’s commandments in order to fully understand why having
same-sex parents is a concern.
The first commandment ever given to man is
stated in Genesis, and also reiterated in The Family: A Proclamation to the
World: “We declare that God’s commandment
to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that
God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only
between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife… Husband and wife
have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and their
children. ‘Children are and heritage of the Lord’. Parents have a sacred duty
to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical
and spiritual needs, and teach them to love and serve one another, observe the
commandments of God, and be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands
and wives- mothers and father- will be held accountable before God for the
discharge of these obligations.”
That’s quite a load of responsibility
for any parent to be accountable for. How hard would it be for a same-sex couple
to teach their children to live all of the commandments, if they themselves are not
observing the commandment of marriage between a man and a woman? That child
would have a model of a happily married couple at home, but would also know that
marriage should only be between a man and a woman. For a child, that would be
confusing. How could both their parents and the teachings of the Church be
right?
The Church’s policy on
denying children baptism into the church is one that is made out of love for
these individuals. Love for children who love their parents and the Lord. It is
better for a child to grow up not being accountable for decisions that were
influenced by teachings of their parents, than to be held responsible for their
own choices they make that are a result of those teachings.
The denial of a baby
blessing is a sad one. But when a baby is named and given a blessing, their
name will appear on church records and then there will be the expectations that
they will one day become a full member of the church when they choose to be baptized.
So again, it is not the denial that baby can be blessed or not. It’s the denial
of setting that child up for the heartache of issues that they may not fully
understand later.
I do not hate homosexuals,
nor do I think that they are evil or terrible people. They are lovable, kind,
and just as human as the rest of us. They are wonderful parents who love their
children.
Is it sad that they
cannot receive all the blessings that are available through the ordinances of
the Gospel? Yes!
But then again anyone who does not live up to the covenants and
standards of the Gospel can’t receive those blessings either. God loves
everyone but that doesn’t mean that there are exceptions to his laws and commandments.
Again, this is my understanding
both of the Gospel, and this new ruling. Feel free to share your thoughts and
understandings. All I ask is that you keep them respectful.
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