This last weekend, Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the Seventy, gave the Saturday morning fireside address at the recent annual conference for Evergreen International. The following is a transcript of his address posted at the LDS Newsroom, as well as additional blogs and news stories that cover both the Evergreen and Affirmation annual conferences (Note: North Star does not necessarily endorse any of the blog or media commentary included below; it is merely provided for cultural reference.):
Elder Bruce C. Hafen Speaks on Same-Sex Attraction
LDS Newsroom – September 19, 2009In Defense of Elder Hafen: Brief Response to FMH
Thinking in a Marrow Bone – September 21, 2009Affirmation v. Evergreen
By Common Consent – September 20, 2009Don’t succumb to cultural confusion, Elder Hafen urges
By Lana Groves and Scott Taylor
Deseret News – September 19, 2009Homosexuality ‘not in your DNA,’ says LDS leader
Evergreen ? Conference held for Mormons with same-sex attraction
By Rosemary Winters
Salt Lake Tribune – September 19, 2009Gay Mormons seek to be LDS on own terms
By Lana Groves
Deseret News – September 19, 2009‘Gay Mormons’ Debate At SLC Conferences
One group urges acceptance, another believes gays and lesbians can change
Ben Winslow
Fox 13 News – September 19, 2009Mormons urged to stop shunning gay family members
Sexuality ? Affirmation official recalls how his aunt kicked him out.
By Rosemary Winters
Salt Lake Tribune – September 18, 2009Gay, ex-Mormon group starts site
Deseret News – September 18, 2009Words of love: ‘I don’t care that you’re gay’
After daughter pulled him back from the brink, Salt Lake City dad finds peace and joy.
By Rosemary Winters
Salt Lake Tribune – September 16, 2009
You need to add this one to the list of posts:
http://irresistibledisgrace.wordpress.com/2009/09/21/pincer-attack-the-double-bind-for-gay-mormons/#comment-2487
The Church position is so clear it is mystifying as to why Evergreen, where they claim to support the Church, would promote a talk which is so different from the Church position. Also, when we have statements from the Prophet, and official statements approved by Apostles and the First Presidency, anything new which contradicts those official documents will hopefully prompt corrections so alignment will occur with the Church position. See the summary below of quotes from this talk and how they contrast with the official Church position.
Elder Bruce Hafen: “Consider now four misconceptions…First is the misconception that same-gender attraction is an inborn and unalterable orientation.”
Elder Bruce Hafen: ?Having same-gender attraction is NOT in your DNA…
Elder Bruce Hafen: ?…the idea that there is a ?gay gene? has little scientific support….And even though no universal explanation exists, some patterns do fit many same-gender attraction cases. For example, we know from the research that among women, up to 80% who have same-gender attraction were abused in some way as children…”
Elder Bruce Hafen: “Among men…. before puberty, boys are typically more interested in other boys than in girls. Then their interest gradually shifts to girls, but a few boys don?t make this transition. Often these boys are emotionally sensitive, introspective, and, especially among Church members, perfectionistic.”
Elder Dallin Oaks: ?The Church doesn?t have a position on the causes of any of these susceptibilities or inclinations, including those related to same gender attraction. Those are scientific questions?whether nature or nurture?those are things the Church doesn?t have a position on.?
Elder Lance Wickman: “A preoccupation with nature or nurture can, it seems to me, lead someone astray from the principles Elder Oaks has been describing here.” Elder Wickman goes on to say the important thing is we can control how we behave.
First Presidency and Quorum of the 12. “God Loveth His Children” p. 10 “Do not blame anyone–not yourself, not your parents, not God–for problems not fully understood in this life.” and “…please understand that abuse by others or youthful experiences should not create a present sense of guilt, unworthiness, or rejection by God or His Church. Innocent mischief early in life does not predispose a youth toward same-gender attraction as an adult.”
In December, 2004, Larry King asked President Hinckley if gays ?are born that way?? The president answered, ?I don?t know, I?m not an expert on these things. I don?t pretend to be an expert on these things.? It is nice when the prophet makes clear that the causes of homosexuality have not been settled by revelation.
Elder Jeffrey Holland: In answering a young man asking why he is this way. “As for why you feel as you do, I can’t answer that question. A number of factors may be involved. and they can be as different as people are different. Some things, including the cause of your feelings, we may never know in this life….Unfortunately, some people believe they have all the answers and declare their opinions far and wide. Fortunately, such people do not speak for the Church…”
Elder Bruce Hafen: “A second misconception the activists promote is that therapy cannot treat, let alone change, same-gender attraction.”
Elder Bruce Hafen: Quoting therapist Jeffrey Robinson: ?Find a therapist who can help you identify the unmet emotional needs that you are tempted to satisfy in false sexual ways.?
Elder Bruce Hafen: Quoting an Evergreen leader??The client?s level of commitment to the treatment process is probably the most significant variable in successful outcomes.?
—-This, unfortunately, is a way of blaming an individual if they don?t change.
The three quotes above are in sharp contrast to the statements below—
Elder Jeffrey Holland: “No one, including the one struggling, should try to shoulder blame.”
Elder Lance Wickman: ?This is an issue on which those in the psychiatry, in the psychology professions have debated. Cases studies I believe have shown that in some cases there has been progress made in helping someone to change that orientation, in other cases not. From the Church?s standpoint of concern for people, that?s not where we place our principal focus. It?s on these other matters.?
Elder Dallin Oaks: ?Amen to that. Let me just add one more thought. The Church rarely takes a position on which therapy techniques are appropriate, for medical doctors or psychiatrists or psychologists and so on.?
I find it troubling that Ron Schow and his associates are constantly speaking up to contradict General Authorities of the Lord’s Church. Elder Hafen’s talk was given with a very good understanding of what the homosexuality issues mean doctrinally as well as of how they affect people’s lives. It was laid out very well, and people would do well to learn from it (and not make conclusions that were not made by Elder Hafen).
No time today to correct what Ron has said point by point, but please be aware that most of Ron’s sharing of ideas is done among people who loudly question what the prophets have always taught. I was a bit surprised and shocked to see him try to take an active role in a North Star blog.
Ron,
That is a great summary of points that should be presented to Elder Hafen. Are you willing to send him a letter with this same summary? I think he needs to consider each of those points; I’ve not seen them laid out so well anywhere else. A kind letter with this summary may get his attention. I think it would be wonderful if he were to issue a statement retracting some of his more troubling statements. I can’t help but think that after reading this, he would have to be concerned that he has spoken “beyond the ken” of what his senior brethren have said in the past.
Anonymous
I don’t really want to write to Elder Hafen because these are delicate matters and I am confident the Brethren will eventually bring everything into alignment. For my own understanding, I was just trying to summarize what I think is pretty consistent in the most official Church statements of the past few years and look at those in comparison to this new talk. Although the new talk seems to make strong statements about DNA and specific therapy ideas like the ones by Jeff Robinson, I did notice that it does acknowledge that a good many fine and courageous people have tried to change and could not and may not change orientation in this life no matter what they do. In that way he agrees with Elder Wickman and Apostles Oaks and Holland, and that is very good, indeed.
Thanks, Ron, for your good example and your careful and kind discipleship. I appreciate it.
Elder Hafen did acknowledge that same-sex attraction can be caused by both nature and nurture:
“So much individual variation exists with so many possible explanations that there is simply no scientific consensus about what causes homosexual tendencies. As the American Psychological Association has stated, ?No findings have emerged that permit scientists to conclude that sexual orientation is determined by any factor or set of factors. ? Nature and nurture both play complex roles.? [xvi] So, even though natural personality traits do influence one?s inclinations, the idea that there is a ?gay gene? has little scientific support. As two Columbia University researchers put it, ?The assertion that homosexuality is genetic ? must be dismissed out of hand as a general principle of psychology.?”
To me, this supports the church’s official position that does not point to one cause or the other. In my mind, saying that there may be biological and natural personality traits that lead to homosexuality is different than saying homosexuality is hard-wired in your DNA. Elder Hafen admits that the exact causes are complex, and largely unknown, but the idea that you are born with it in your DNA at birth is a misconception and not held up by science. I think he had every right to say what he did and call it out as a misconception that many in the gay community try to tout around. On a personal note, I have seen changes in my sexual orientation, so the idea that it is in my DNA is ridiculous to me.