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I can foresee a time, waaaay in the future, when society finally advance to a point where there is significant pressure on organizations to allow equal rights to gays. There may even be threats of removing tax exemptions for non-profit organizations that don't comply.

I would be willing to bet that when this day comes, and sufficient pressure is placed on the LDS church, that the prophet will receive revelation that God created some men and women with same gender attraction, and that He wishes for all of His children to enter into the sacred covenants of marriage for time and all eternity. The temples will be opened up for gay couples to be sealed. Temple work may even be done for deceased gay couples.

Major doctrinal changes have happened at least twice before, with pressure from the government prompting revelation to stop polygamy and lift the priesthood ban.

How about you guys. Do you see this as a possibility?

Not really. But seeing the trend, which I find incredibly hard to believe, of the church downplaying and seemingly abandoning longstanding doctrine, it's possible, I suppose, that the whole "let's get married (to members of the opposite sex) in the temple and become Gods and Goddesses" could be downplayed enough to allow for that.

But consider this in the light of the apparent 2nd Annointing ceremony. Notice how part of it involves the wife washing her husband's feet and then blessing him? And notice that there's nothing there about the husband washing his wife's feet in return? It's pretty apparent from that, and from the fact that a man is pronounced a King and Priest to God but the woman is pronounced Queen and Priestess to her husband, that the role of the male, and the role of the female, in Mormon Heaven, are still locked in stone. I rather doubt that could give way enough to make room for gay couples.

Hell will freeze over first.

Sethbag wrote: It's pretty apparent from that, and from the fact that a man is pronounced a King and Priest to God but the woman is pronounced Queen and Priestess to her husband, that the role of the male, and the role of the female, in Mormon Heaven, are still locked in stone. I rather doubt that could give way enough to make room for gay couples.

This illustrates the major problem with homosexual issues. Who is going to be the man of the couple? And it is a little difficult to multiply and replenish the earth unless procreation is possible.

It will never happen.

Scottie wrote:I can foresee a time, waaaay in the future, when society finally advance to a point where there is significant pressure on organizations to allow equal rights to gays. There may even be threats of removing tax exemptions for non-profit organizations that don't comply.

I would be willing to bet that when this day comes, and sufficient pressure is placed on the LDS church, that the prophet will receive revelation that God created some men and women with same gender attraction, and that He wishes for all of His children to enter into the sacred covenants of marriage for time and all eternity. The temples will be opened up for gay couples to be sealed. Temple work may even be done for deceased gay couples.

Major doctrinal changes have happened at least twice before, with pressure from the government prompting revelation to stop polygamy and lift the priesthood ban.

How about you guys. Do you see this as a possibility?

I am not sure your presuppositions about societal trends or so-called "advancements" are correct.

You may be too young to remember the late sixties and early seventies, when the notion of "free love" was in vogue, and governments began reflecting its popularity by loosening various morality laws/policies and accomodate all sorts of life-style choices--like communal living and common law "marriages".

During that time, one may have conjectured a point in the future when marriage may become somewhat obsolete, and the Church would bend to social and governmental pressure and jettosing its stance on chastity and its doctrine about eternal marriage.

However, with the growing body of social science reports looking into the practice, increasingly showing the delitarious social affects of "free love", the pendulum of public opinion and governmental interventions have since swung back the other direction, marked in part by a proportional increase in formal marriages and the decline in divorce, out-of-wedlock babies, STD's, etc.

I am of the belief that, while the homosexual lifestyle, and the notion of gay "marriage", has gained in favor and increased acceptance over the last several decades, as social and health studies continue to look more indepth into the practice, the pendulum will eventually begin (if it hasn't already) to swing back somewhat in the opposite direction. In terms of the health and welfare of gays and children, as well as society as a whole, I hope for all our sakes that it does.

We'll see.

Thanks, -Wade Englund-

Perhaps society will get there, perhaps not.

However, if it does, it won't be for a long, LONG time. Long after you and I are dead.

But, think about it. Don't you think that members in the mid 1800's scoffed at the idea of letting a black man hold the priesthood?

Polygamy was an eternal principle that was required for exaltation. A world without polygamy was outside of the realm of rational thought. There was just no way that God could do away with such an important part of His plan.

Why should this be any different?

charity wrote:Who is going to be the man of the couple? And it is a little difficult to multiply and replenish the earth unless procreation is possible.

I don't think the first is too tough to figure out usually. lol. Also, it's difficult for old people, handicapped people, and infertile people to replenish the earth as well, yet they still get married in the temple.

harm wrote:It will never happen.

I agree. The only way I could see it happening, and it's still a long-shot, is if the church got rid of the exaltation in its doctrine period. Now could that happen? yes. Hinckley already tried to deny that God was once a man. The church wasn't ready for it. But if Internet Mormonism becomes more popular, and if someday, the GA's basically let FARMS decide on doctrine, which I think is possible, then FARMS might also start influencing Mormon culture, in time.

And if I remember right, the FARMS crowd on ZLMB were exploring "godhood" in the context of the "divine council" discussions (which I don't follow closely because for me it's a sleeper) where, trying to make Mormonism appear compatible with ancient religions, it was being said that Elohim is the head God, and that we'd be gods under him, but almost like married angels rather than gods who'd go out and procreate.

So given Hinckley, who is the prophet after all, and some ideas that FARMS explores, it is possible the church will scrap Eternal Progression one day.

Scottie wrote:I can foresee a time, waaaay in the future, when society finally advance to a point where there is significant pressure on organizations to allow equal rights to gays. There may even be threats of removing tax exemptions for non-profit organizations that don't comply.

I would be willing to bet that when this day comes, and sufficient pressure is placed on the LDS church, that the prophet will receive revelation that God created some men and women with same gender attraction, and that He wishes for all of His children to enter into the sacred covenants of marriage for time and all eternity. The temples will be opened up for gay couples to be sealed. Temple work may even be done for deceased gay couples.

Major doctrinal changes have happened at least twice before, with pressure from the government prompting revelation to stop polygamy and lift the priesthood ban.

How about you guys. Do you see this as a possibility?

It’s possible. But in spite of all the politicians cozying up to God presently, by the time arrives of which you speak, most all religious superstition will be regarded as irrelevant.

What will be retained are laws which attempt to elevate the human condition and elevate how we consider every human should be treated.

If the sea level rises a foot or more, all bets are off as to what will be regarded as important.

JAK

charity wrote:

Sethbag wrote: It's pretty apparent from that, and from the fact that a man is pronounced a King and Priest to God but the woman is pronounced Queen and Priestess to her husband, that the role of the male, and the role of the female, in Mormon Heaven, are still locked in stone. I rather doubt that could give way enough to make room for gay couples.

This illustrates the major problem with homosexual issues. Who is going to be the man of the couple? And it is a little difficult to multiply and replenish the earth unless procreation is possible.

It will never happen.

Oh Charity,

Don’t be ridiculous. The human species is entirely unlikely to be threatened by a large number of homosexual arrangements.

6 billion people now are too many people. Global warming is at our door. More people mean more green house gases. That means more global warming.

A far greater threat to the human species is that prospect than a reduction of human numbers because of homosexual arrangements even if they were fully protected and encouraged by law.

JAK

I can foresee a time, waaaay in the future, when society finally advance to a point where there is significant pressure on organizations to allow equal rights to gays.

That time is already upon us.