These Mysteries Are Not Yet Made Known to Me

Tyler Perry

When I make posts or comments about the intersection of LGBTQ identities and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), well-meaning and well-intentioned members often make statements that are best described by a single verse from the Book of Mormon. “Now these mysteries are not yet fully made known unto me; therefore I shall forbear” (Alma 37:11).  A similar verse reads, “I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things” (1 Nephi 11:17).  Members of the church use these scriptures as a basis for expressing acceptance and love of LGBTQ members, even when that love and acceptance runs into opposition with the doctrines and teachings of the church.

For the individual members, I understand why this may be the best that you can offer.  Inasmuch as you still show love and acceptance for your LGBTQ loved ones, this answer is fine.  You have, in a way, declared, “I love you and I love God.  I will not let the one get in the way of the other or vice versa.”  I understand and respect this position, for the individual member of the church.

However, this answer is inadequate, troubling, and dangerous when it is given by a member of the Brethren.  In the Gospel Topics essay “Same-Sex Attraction”, the church excuses its systemic lack of LGBTQ acceptance by saying, “We may not know precisely why some people feel attracted to others of the same sex, but for some it is a complex reality and part of the human experience. The Savior Jesus Christ has a perfect understanding of every challenge we experience here on earth, and we can turn to Him for comfort, joy, hope, and direction.”

This is not good enough.  Members of the church look to the Brethren to act as mouthpieces for the Lord, to speak in the name of Jesus Christ, and to deliver to the world the message He has for our day.  On this, one of the most important issues of our day, the Lord is silent?  For what purpose do we have this church if it will be silent on helping us to understand such critical issues?

I think it is noteworthy to look at the questions that Nephi and Alma did not understand enough to speak on in detail.  Nephi was asked, “Knowest thou the condescension of God” (1 Nephi 11:16)?  The “condescension of God” is cited as a reference to the Atonement of Christ.  The rest of the chapter details how the Son of God would be born to a virgin, take on flesh, and atone for the sins of the world.  Therefore, Nephi’s acknowledgement of his ignorance was in the matter of understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

As for Alma, in his conversation with his son, Helaman, he poses the question to himself, “And who knoweth but what they (the people of Ammon) will be the means of bringing many thousands of them (the Lamanites), yea, and also many thousands of our stiffnecked brethren, the Nephites, who are now hardening their hearts in sin and iniquities, to the knowledge of their Redeemer” (Alma 37:10)?  In other words, Alma is rhetorically asking Helaman, “Could it be that these new converts could help to convert a whole bunch of other people?”  A question he answers by saying, “Maybe, but I don’t really know for certain, so I won’t say one way or the other.”

In other words, Nephi did not understand the doctrine of the Atonement.  A doctrine that was taught to his father (see 1 Nephi 8 and 10).  A doctrine that was about to be taught to him in detail.  And Alma’s mystery?  Would a future hypothetical mass conversion scenario be carried out by a new group of converts?

Let me ask you, how do these questions and situations compare to the loss of health and life occurring among our LGBTQ youth today?  How do these questions compare to the marginalization of a group of God’s children from His plan?  How do these questions compare to the barbaric and cruel practice of conversion therapy that the church has still not denounced?  How do these questions compare to the question of why two boys or two girls cannot hold hands at BYU without fear of being kicked out of the university?  How do these questions compare?

To my eyes, there is no comparison.  One question already had an answer, the other was a rhetorical play to keep a motivated son motivated.  The question that these scriptures get used to deflect is one that has no answer and has real-world, tangible consequences.

If any of the Brethren hear of this, I hope that they will be inspired to wrestle with this question in the highest room of the temple, seer stones in hand, until the Lord reveals to them His purpose in creating LGBTQ children.  I hope that they petition the Lord until He speaks.

And if He refuses to speak, I hope that the members of the church will sincerely question why that is.  I hope that, in this instance, they will not “doubt their doubts”, but instead expect that true prophets of the Lord would actually bring teachings relevant to our day.  Otherwise, what is the point?  If they do not have the words of eternal life (see John 6:68), we may as well go to someone else.