I’m not here to point fingers, to blame, or to criticize. There are plenty of people who do enough of that. Nor am I here to impress anyone, to be that guy who has it all figured out. Mostly because that couldn’t be farther from the truth. No, I merely am here to add my voice to what I hope is a swelling rally cry in favor of another path. A path that strays far from the commonly accepted script of the homosexual experience to what I believe is a future so much better than what anyone else has offered.
Now, I will be the first to boldly declare that homosexuality is not a choice. I did not choose to have these feelings for other men. I did not wake up one morning and think that this would be a fun thing to try out with the notion that I’d be able to switch back later if it didn’t appeal me. Trust me, I would have chosen differently. It is simply a card we have been dealt. What we do with it is completely up to us. We must make a choice.
Lehi, in his final days, counseled his sons about the nature of Creation and the meaning of opposition. He teaches that God “hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon” (2 Nephi 2:15). This often overlooked passage teaches something very important about ourselves. As children of God, it is presumed we belong in the first category as things that act. But so often, we let ourselves fall into the latter category and permit other things to act upon us. To let third parties—whether they are other people, unfortunate events, or our own passions—drag us around, powerless. I struggle to accept that this would be the life our Heavenly Father intended for us. We are dynamic beings with boundless potential to build for ourselves whatever life we desire. We are meant to be creators of our circumstances, not victims to them.
So we have a choice to be made. But what are the options? I could decide to fully embrace my homosexuality and live according to those desires. Some would argue that this track would be the most fulfilling for me, that by living true to my attractions, I achieve some form of self-actualization. From their perspective, they are probably right.
But something amazing happens when we turn ourselves to Christ. He asks that we give up everything for him. Our loftiest wishes, our highest hopes, our deepest desires, our entire selves. Elder Lawrence Corbridge of the Seventy taught:
"Just give it up. Surrender…to Him. Unconditionally. Withhold nothing. Turn it all over to Him; all of your desires, wishes, dreams and hopes. Be true and faithful in your head and in your heart, not just in your behavior. Trust in Him. Trust Him who knows all things. Trust Him who has all power. Trust Him whose love for you is perfect. Trust Him, who alone suffered, paid and atoned for your sins, and for your weaknesses as well. Trust Him that He will make of you, immeasurably more than what you will ever, in all eternity, make of yourself. He will create of you a masterpiece. You will create of you only a smudge. You will create an ordinary man. He will create a God."
"Just give it up. Surrender…to Him. Unconditionally. Withhold nothing. Turn it all over to Him; all of your desires, wishes, dreams and hopes. Be true and faithful in your head and in your heart, not just in your behavior. Trust in Him. Trust Him who knows all things. Trust Him who has all power. Trust Him whose love for you is perfect. Trust Him, who alone suffered, paid and atoned for your sins, and for your weaknesses as well. Trust Him that He will make of you, immeasurably more than what you will ever, in all eternity, make of yourself. He will create of you a masterpiece. You will create of you only a smudge. You will create an ordinary man. He will create a God."
Read the entire article at: http://www.millennialmormons.com/a-voice-on-choice-and-homosexuality/
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