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The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-day Saints teaches that members must obey what it calls the '' Law Of Chastity '', which is a code of Morality and Modesty . Under this code, members are taught to be "morally clean in their thoughts, words, and actions" and to abstain from pornography.See Gospel Topics - Chastity {Link without Title} . Violations of this code include " Adultery , being without Natural Affection , Lust fulness, Infidelity , Incontinence Secondary Definition Incontinence : lacking in moderation or self-control, esp. of sexual desire. , filthy communications, impurity, inordinate affection, , Nov 1980 Though Celestial Marriage is the only form of marriage recognized as a Sacrament , the church permits sex within most government-recognized marital unions, the most notable exceptions being Common Law Marriage , Same-sex Marriage and Plural Marriage .The church is sensitive about its historical relationship with Polygamy , and entry into a polygamous marriage, even where legal, will result in excommunication. '' Church Handbook Of Instruction '' (1998). The church's teachings are ambiguous about the scope of allowable Sexual Behavior between legally married couples (i.e. the Church leaves it to the couples to decide what is appropriate).Some church leaders have taught that Oral Sex , Anal Sex , and Contraception are sinful, but there is no official policy. It is also unclear to what extent, if any, pornography or masturbation may be used as part of marital sex. The law of chastity has also been interpreted to include various standards of Modesty ,See Gospel Topics - Modesty {Link without Title} and varies according to Cultural Norms of the time. Serious offenses of the law of chastity may result in church discipline, including a possible Excommunication , in which a member loses their church membership and privileges, but may still continue to attend meetings. LGBT members of the church are expected to keep the Law Of Chastity .Hinckley, G. (1998, November). What Are People Asking about Us? ''Ensign'', 71. The church characterizes its church discipline policy as neutral regarding sexual orientation [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1997/04/13/SC36289.DTL Lattin, Don (1997) Musings of the Main Mormon] (Pres. Gordon Hinckley: “Now we have gays in the church. Good people. We take no action against such people – provided they don’t become involved in transgression, sexual transgression. If they do, we do with them exactly what we’d do with heterosexuals who transgress.”) If they desire to enter into a heterosexual marriage, they should first learn to deal with their homosexual feelings; otherwise, they must remain celibate. Interview with Elder Oaks and Wickman Gay or lesbian sex, in any form, whether the participants are married or not, is grounds for excommunication.Church discipline for members who have gay or lesbian sex is slightly more onerous than for heterosexual members who have heterosex. Gay or lesbian sex will result in an automatic special annotation to a person's permanent membership record. Church Handbook of Instruction (1998), p. 129. Also, gay or lesbian sex will normally bar a person, permanently, from serving a mission. Id., p. 81. The church has supported a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and polygamous marriage in the United States , and has stated that it "favors measures that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman and that do not confer legal status on any other sexual relationship." First Presidency Statement on Same-Gender Marriage . The church's position is that government recognition of such rights will "undermine the divinely created institution of the family". LAW OF CHASTITY See Also: Law of chastity MARRIAGE
SEXUAL ORIENTATION See Also: Homosexuality and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints STATUS OF TRANSGENDER AND INTERSEX MORMONS The LDS Church teaches that Gender is inherently linked to sex, but the church has no official policy on the status of Intersex persons. Transgender persons are accepted in the church and may be baptized, but may not receive the Priesthood or enter the Temple if they are considering or have undergone elective Sex Reassignment Surgery .'' Church Handbook Of Instructions : Book 1, Stake Presidents and Bishoprics'' (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2006) at 41, 78. REFERENCES |
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