On the first day of the 182nd
Semiannual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, Mormon leaders reaffirmed the church's opposition
to gay marriage.
LDS Apostle Dallin Oaks affirmed the
church's belief that being gay is abnormal and that gay sex is
sinful, though he added that teens struggling with their sexuality
need “loving understanding.”
“Young people struggling with any
exceptional condition including same-gender attraction are
particularly vulnerable and need loving understanding, not bullying
or ostracism,” Oaks said.
In a broader message, he condemned
abortion – calling it a form of child abuse – and said children
are the victims of no-fault divorce.
“The most powerful teaching of
children is by the example of their parents. Divorcing parents
inevitably teach a negative lesson.”
“We also need politicians,
policymakers and officials to increase their attention to what is
best for children in contrast to the selfish interests of voters and
vocal advocates of adult interests,” Oaks said.
“For children the relative stability
of marriage matters.”
“We should assume the same
disadvantages for children raised by couples of the same gender,”
he added, calling such unions a “social experiment.” (The video
is embedded on this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)