Sexuality and marriage

documented fact · current teaching

The 2022 For the Strength of Youth guide says sexual feelings are sacred, not sinful, asks youth to avoid anything that purposely arouses lustful feelings, and does not list specific acts.

Needs human verification

documented fact · current teaching

Since May 2019, couples married civilly may be sealed in the temple without waiting one year.

Needs human verification

documented fact · not applicable

Utah Code 81-2-402 makes first-cousin marriages void unless both parties are 65 or older, or both are 55 or older and a district court finds that either is unable to reproduce. General Handbook 38.3 on civil marriage does not mention cousins.

Needs human verification

documented fact · current teaching

The current General Handbook (38.6.1) says elective abortion for personal or social convenience is contrary to God's commandments and that members must not submit to, perform, arrange, pay for, consent to, or encourage one; the only possible exceptions are pregnancy from rape or incest, a physician's finding that the mother's life or health is in serious jeopardy, or severe fetal defects that will not allow the baby to survive beyond birth. Even then it calls for prayerful deliberation.

Needs human verification

documented fact · current teaching

General Handbook 38.1.1 says everyone is welcome at sacrament meeting, other Sunday meetings, and Church social events, provided they respect the sacred setting; it asks attendees to avoid overt romantic behavior, distracting dress, and political statements or talk of sexual orientation that disrupts worship.

Needs human verification

documented fact · current teaching

The General Handbook says how many children to have and when is a personal decision for the couple and the Lord, members should not judge one another, the Church discourages elective surgical sterilization but leaves it to the couple, and it discourages IVF or insemination with donor sperm or eggs while calling that a personal matter for a married couple.

Needs human verification

documented fact · not applicable

Surveys of LGBTQ current and former Latter-day Saints found that those in mixed-orientation marriages or celibacy reported lower well-being than those in same-sex relationships; the samples were not random.

Needs human verification

documented fact · historical event

In the spoken October 2010 address "Cleansing the Inner Vessel," Boyd K. Packer said some people suppose they were preset with inborn "tendencies" toward the impure and unnatural and asked "Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone?"; the official published conference text later changed "tendencies" to "temptations" and replaced that rhetorical question with "Remember, God is our Heavenly Father."

Needs human verification

religious belief · current teaching

The 1995 Family Proclamation teaches that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and describes gender as an essential characteristic of identity. That is religious teaching.

Needs human verification

documented fact · current teaching

In the indexed General Handbook chapter 38, feeling same-sex attraction is described as not a sin, the church says it takes no position on the causes, and sexual relations are reserved for a legal marriage between a man and a woman. The same chapter's marriage heading does not accept same-sex marriage as marriage under church teaching.

Needs human verification

Cleansing the Inner Vessel

Boyd K. Packer · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2010-10

President Packer's October 2010 General Conference address teaches that same-sex and other non-gospel relationships are among Satan's "substitutes or counterfeits for marriage," rejects the idea that people are "preset" with inborn temptations toward the "impure and unnatural," and urges repentance. The official published text differs from the spoken delivery: the spoken address used "tendencies" and asked "Why would our Heavenly Father do that to anyone?"; the printed version uses "temptations" and replaces that question with "Remember, God is our Heavenly Father." Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Couples Married Civilly Now Authorized for Immediate Temple Marriage

Church Newsroom · 2019-05-06

Event date discussed: 2019-05-06

The First Presidency announced in May 2019 that couples married civilly no longer need to wait one year to be sealed in a temple, ending a policy that had kept some families out of each other's weddings. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

First Presidency Shares Messages From General Conference Leadership Session

Dallin H. Oaks (for the First Presidency) · Church Newsroom · 2019-04-04

Event date discussed: 2019-04-04

The 2019 reversal: children of LGBT parents may be baptized without First Presidency approval, and same-gender marriage is no longer treated as apostasy for discipline, though the Church still considers it a serious transgression. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, 38.1: Church Participation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2026-10

Section 38.1 says all are welcome at sacrament meeting, other Sunday meetings, and Church social events, with attendees expected to respect the sacred setting (no overt romantic behavior, distracting dress, or political statements or statements about sexual orientation that disrupt worship). It covers becoming a member, that only members with a current recommend worship in the temple, promised blessings for unmarried members, and unwed parents under 18. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, 38.3: Civil Marriage

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2026-10

Section 38.3 says serving mission, stake, and district presidents, bishops, and branch presidents may perform civil marriages where the law allows, only between a man and a woman and only when one partner is a member in their unit; endorsed Latter-day Saint chaplains may also perform civil marriages under local law. It covers marriages in Church buildings and the ceremony. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, 38.4 (Sealing Policies)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2024

General Handbook section 38.4 sets sealing policies, including that a living man whose wife has died may be sealed to another wife, that a deceased woman may be sealed by proxy to every man she married in life, and that a living woman may be sealed to only one husband at a time. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, 38.6: Policies on Moral Issues

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2026-10

Section 38.6 states policies on abortion (elective abortion is contrary to God's plan, with possible exceptions for rape or incest, serious danger to the mother's life or health, or fatal fetal defects), abuse (never tolerated; report to civil authorities; youth protection training every three years), birth control (family size is personal; elective sterilization discouraged), the law of chastity, pornography, fertility treatments and IVF, the occult, prejudice, same-sex attraction and marriage, sex education, sexual assault, single expectant parents, suicide prevention, surrogacy, and transgender individuals. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, 38.6.23 (Transgender Individuals) and 38.2.8.9

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2024

General Handbook chapter 38 says Church records and ordinances follow a person's sex at birth, that members may attend Church meetings, and that those who pursue medical or surgical transition or socially transition face restrictions on some privileges such as temple ordinances and certain callings, which local leaders apply case by case. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, Chapter 14: Single Members

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2026-10

Chapter 14 defines young single adults as ages 18 to 35 and single adults as 36 and older, affirms that faithful members who do not marry in this life are promised all blessings, and describes ministering to single members in geographic wards, young single adult and single adult wards and stakes, bishopric meetings with each young single adult at least yearly, and related activities. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, Chapter 2: Supporting Individuals and Families in God's Work of Salvation and Exaltation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2026-10

Chapter 2 describes the family's role in the plan of salvation, says the work of salvation is centered in the home and supported by the Church, and quotes the 1995 Family Proclamation that fathers preside in love and righteousness and provide and protect while mothers are primarily responsible for nurturing, with spouses as equal partners. It says the promise of eternal marriage and family applies to members who are not currently married. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, Chapter 27: Temple Ordinances for the Living

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2026-10

Chapter 27 covers receiving the endowment and sealings. Members may choose to receive their endowment when at least 18, finished with high school or its equivalent, at least one year after confirmation, and desiring to keep temple covenants; a man must hold the Melchizedek Priesthood. Leaders should not use age or leaving home as the test. It also covers sealing of husband and wife (civilly married couples are encouraged to be sealed as soon as they are prepared, and a civil marriage may precede the sealing so family can attend), who may attend a sealing (endowed recommend holders), and sealing living children to parents. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

General Handbook, chapter 38, same-sex attraction and same-sex marriage

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2024

In the General Handbook chapter 38 copy reviewed for this seed, the heading on same-sex attraction and same-sex behavior says the church does not take a position on the causes of same-sex attraction and says feeling same-sex attraction is not a sin. It says sexual relations are reserved for a legal marriage between a man and a woman, and that members who do not act on same-sex attraction may receive callings, temple recommends, and ordinances if worthy. The heading on same-sex marriage says the church teaches marriage between a man and a woman as God's law. This is current published policy in that copy, not a judgment about any person, and the handbook is revised. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Loving Others and Living with Differences

Dallin H. Oaks · General Conference · 2014-10

Event date discussed: 2014-10

Elder Oaks urged members to love and live peacefully with people whose beliefs and practices differ, including on marriage, while holding to Church teachings and supporting religious freedom. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 1995

Event date discussed: 1995

The Family: A Proclamation to the World was issued in 1995 by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. It teaches that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and describes gender as an essential characteristic of individual identity. This is religious teaching. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Truth and the Plan

Dallin H. Oaks · General Conference · 2018-10

Event date discussed: 2018-10

President Oaks taught that the Church's family proclamation is the foundation for its teachings on gender and marriage, said gender in the proclamation means biological sex at birth, and acknowledged that these teachings are hard for some members. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Your Body Is Sacred (For the Strength of Youth)

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints · 2022

The youth guide says sexual feelings are not sinful but sacred, teaches that sexual relations belong in marriage, and asks youth to avoid anything that purposely arouses lustful feelings in themselves or others, including pornography. It does not list specific acts. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

From secrecy to openness: sexual satisfaction in couples from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Darrian M. McKiernan, Kristina Gaspar de Alba Clawson, and Brandon P. Eddy · Sexual and Relationship Therapy · 2022

A qualitative study of Latter-day Saint married couples describes how messages of secrecy and shame about sex before marriage affected their early sexual relationship and how couples moved toward openness. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Navigating Sexual and Religious Identity Conflict: A Mormon Perspective

John P. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher, William S. Bradshaw, and Katherine A. Crowell · Identity · 2015

A peer-reviewed study of how Latter-day Saints with same-sex attraction resolve conflict between sexual and religious identity, describing different identity paths and their relation to well-being. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Psychosocial Correlates of Religious Approaches to Same-Sex Attraction: A Mormon Perspective

John P. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher, William S. Bradshaw, and Katherine A. Crowell · Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health · 2014

A peer-reviewed survey of about 1,600 current and former Latter-day Saints with same-sex attraction compares paths such as celibacy, mixed-orientation marriage, and same-sex relationships, finding that those in committed same-sex relationships reported higher well-being than those who were celibate or in mixed-orientation marriages. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Same- and Other-Sex Aversion and Attraction as Important Correlates of Quality and Outcomes of Mormon Mixed-Orientation Marriages

Audrianna J. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher, Elizabeth Legerski, Anita Harker, and John P. Dehlin · Journal of GLBT Family Studies · 2019

A peer-reviewed study of Latter-day Saint mixed-orientation marriages finds that attraction and aversion to the spouse's sex are linked to relationship quality and to whether marriages last. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Sex guilt or sanctification? The indirect role of religiosity on sexual satisfaction

Nathan D. Leonhardt, Dean M. Busby, and Brian J. Willoughby · Psychology of Religion and Spirituality · 2020

BYU researchers find that religiosity relates to sexual satisfaction in two directions: through sex guilt, which lowers satisfaction, and through viewing sex as sacred, which raises it. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Among Current or Former LDS Church Members

John P. Dehlin, Renee V. Galliher, William S. Bradshaw, Daniel C. Hyde, and Katherine A. Crowell · Journal of Counseling Psychology · 2015

Peer-reviewed survey of 1,612 current or former members who had experienced same-sex attraction. Most had tried to change their orientation, often through personal and religious methods, and participants overwhelmingly reported these efforts as ineffective or harmful. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Tabernacles of Clay: Sexuality and Gender in Modern Mormonism

Taylor G. Petrey · University of North Carolina Press · 2020

A historian traces how Church teachings on gender, sex differences, and homosexuality changed after World War II, arguing that ideas presented as eternal were often revised over time. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification

Utah Code 81-2-402: Incestuous marriages void

Utah State Legislature · 2024

Utah law declares void from the beginning marriages between parent and child, ancestor and descendant, siblings, uncle or aunt and niece or nephew, first cousins, and relatives within the fifth degree of consanguinity. First cousins may marry only if both are 65 or older, or both are 55 or older and a district court finds that either party is unable to reproduce. Renumbered and amended in the 2024 General Session. Summary, not a quotation.

Summary, not a quotation · needs human verification