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Show 2nd of A Series Of The Letter To Mw Professor the mormon church faces ifs moist horrendous problem today, homosexuality among ifs members, with pictures of nude women shock therapy, a student ofBYU questions the effectiveness and t churcWs attitude M. thepx 3 a fit 'h' , , Closely tied to the concept of choice is the proposition of cure The same possibility holds for the homosexual as for the You can no more become homosexual than I heterosexual. Why? I dont know. I have gone over and over this with a comb, hoping beyond hope for the change, the cure. I have chased down doctors and counselors who claim cures and have questioned many cures. I have to yet meet one who has changed from being a homosexual to a heterosecual. Oh yes, I have met men who have claimed at one time or another to have been qired. Some of them have written letters testifying of their cure. These are now in the files of the Brethren in Salt Lake and in your counseling department files. These letters are held up as proof of the proposition of choice, cure, personal responsibility and the power of some strange mixture of the Gospel and psychology to bring about change. Perhaps you have had some of these men as your clients. I wish their letters were true. It has been a disheartening experience to discover the reality behind them. I wish these letters had not het-etrosecu- fine-toothe- d self-proclaim-ed been motivated by fear, social pressure, wishes, or pride, and that the writers had courage eventually to retract them. These unfortunate men have become parties to a horrendous travesty. Many of them felt it was the only thing they could do in the fact of the Churchs insistence that they change. Others could not face the fact that for them, at least, therapy had failed. You are aware that the Church generally takes two approaches on curing the homosexual. The first is a sort of positive thinking approach where supportive counsel is given to encourage the young man to think manly thoughts, do masculine things, date, even some cases mess around" a little with girls and to put all notions of homosexual-it- y out of his mind. He is urged to be prayerful, repent of any past transgressions, be faithful, get married and settle down, this method is encouraging to the naive but quickly runs into difficulty. If the young man goes along with the persistent urging of almost everyone around him to get married, his predictament becomes much more complicated. If he candidly reveals to the Brethren that he remains homosexual in spite of all efforts to change, he is made to feel guilty and his intentions are doubted. Most, quietly and simply withdraw from this kind of destructive counselling: Many are embittered permanently against the Church while still others feel that the only practical way to take off the pressure for cure is to devise a convincing cure story and escape any direct confrontation with the Brethren. Most of these men leave the Church against their own wishes. Having been raised a Mormon, it is impossible ever to separate oneself emotionally from the Church. For many, it remains an irresolvable antahomosexual friends have often observed gonism in their lives. My that breaking from their hostile church was one of the more positive things they had done, but the Mormon homosexuals they have known remain inextricably tangled with the Church. When they realize the extreme position the Church takes, they are incredulous that I would continue to be active. Their religious background does not give them an adequate perspective of the profound effect which being raised a Mormon has on the lives of its members. Those Churches disposed towards a more positive view of mankind .have come to realize that their original knee-jercondemnation of homosexuality as sinners have been counter productive. They could not, in clear conscience, reject a member who, except for his sexual preference, was living a life of complete accord with the teachings of Christ. In those instances where churches have refused to allow for homosexuality, the homosexual members have formed their own churches which only shows that homosexuals take the message of the Gospel and the issues of morality seriously. Painting a picture of homosexuals as being ungodly is as spurious as the old agrument that Mormons are not Christians. The therapy is encapsulated in President Kimball s Miracle of Forgiveness and New Horizons" approach. Through all of this, the young man may change his ways. that is, he may no longer be actively involved in homosexual activities, but he remains, without question, homosexual. He moves in a uplicious world where abstention parades as cure and heterosexual affections are feigned. The fact that he become involvmay ed with a girl and marry is touted as additional proof of being cured. In spite of the many cure letters on file, not one single homosexual has Been cured through this approach. I once questioned very closely one of the Brethren on this very point. He steadfastly claimed the ability to cure the homosexual, pointing to a stack of letters on his desk from men who had been cured. When we finished a long and rather pointed questioning and cross questioning, he slumped to his chair and said, Well. I guess in this strict sense, none of these fellows have actually been cured. non-Morm- on k positive-thmking-repentance-gu- V T V. relationships with both sexes. His ority and office. Go back and read his instructions to the bishops and emotional isolation, unwittingly prosexual. They do not retract these moted by his therapist, was pathepresidents in counseling the homoletters for obvious reasons. They feel tic. It took many hours with another sexual in Hope For Trangressors." By virtue of its oversimplification, they must protect not only themselves more understanding and informed but their families and loved ones from doctor to bring this young man back the uninformed "position articulated those who are quick to judge and pun- from the emotional impairment he in this pamphlet will be the first ish and very slow to understand. had suffered in attempting the cure. last and only consideration many Mormons will give to one of the most President Kimballs may writings and My conversations with a psychiaon this are whose consists speeches largely trist friend, subject complex of human experiences. practice viewed by the Mormon homosexuals mainly of working with homosexuals, Homosexuality is summarily Miid with bewilderment or contempt He have been most enlightening. He has an evil habit. What or where is the claims to be an authority on homo- had over the years many clients who evil habit of my homosexuality, but his perception is that have attempted the cure with other sexual friend who has never had any of a heterosexual scriptorian. The therapists, some of whom had conkind of sexual experience? His behavBrethren remain unaware of the vinced their former doctors that they ior, even in private, is totally within fallaciousness of their position and were cured. He has never yet come the standards of the Church. Yet, he remain so because they are entranced across a cured homosexual nor have is unquestionably homosexual as he in a doctrinal position that insists on any of his patients ever been able he will tell you himself. Even more the curability of homosexuality. him to one. perplexing; what is the evil habit to They choose to accept a false state- Many of the homosexuals he has of a five year old boy I observed ment of cure over the overwhelming known are Mormons.' It is interesting several years ago when his parents evidence to the contrary. Regardless to hear his observations about the visited me in my home? There is no of the many cures on file, many times problems that distinquish Mormon question about his homosexuality, more men have, in essence, told them homosexuals. These young meii are but it is most, unlikely that his that they remain uncured. so eager, so desperate for help that sexually has as now been expressed Several years ago, a friend brought they are easy prey for the peddlers in any specific act that could be her fiance with her to visit me. He of positive thinking. I have fallen for misconstrued as being evil let was a returned missionary beginning this myself. The greatest fault is the alone habitual. How does evil law school During the course of the vicious game of sel&eception into habit apply to this young boy or visit, he confidentially disclosed to which it draws the young man. Even term How responsible to that he was homosexual that he more horrifying, he often involves are perversion? in your use of professional you had received counseling from the other individuals in his psychological jargon when applied to specifics? church but that it had no affect. He shadow boxing. Many a young girl had, however, told his counselor has been unwittingly drawn into this that he had changed. After moving ploy, and many innocent children BYU using conditioning therapy away from Utah, he had received have fallen victim to the unreality of what appeared to be a form letter these misappropriated positive-thinkinThe other type of cure therapy sent by President Kinball, stating as do Feeling you encouraged by the Church is, ironthat he had, through this counseling, abouttechniques. would homosexuals, you want ically, regarded as more professional. been cured of homosexuality. He was your daughter to date one of these This is the behavioral therapist's asked to simply sign his name at the young men? approach of which you are an bottom and return it to the Church I am aware that my criticism of advocate. Curiously enough, BYU is offices which he did. He felt it was the position of the Church on homoto coming be preeminent in applying the only practical thing he could do is I serious. have sexuality talked to though he knew full well that it was a number of people about this for the treatment of homosexuality. writing not true. He was and still is sexually letter and its contents. These have Let me tell you briefly of a young active. Yet, through the years his included heterosexuals, as well as man who recently successfully comletter has been held as proof of the homosexuals, psychiatrists who are pleted this treatment at BYU under Miracle of Forgiveness." active Church members, professional the direction of Dr. Ford McBride, counselors, parents of homosexuals, whose work you are familiar with. He Sex with women repulsive brothers and sisters of homosexuals, He is, according to Dr. McBride, one excommunicated and disfellowship-pe- d of his star cures. As a young boy, Another young man became the basis for a doctoral dissertation on are homosexuals, homosexuals who he came to realize his strong atactive in the Church, friends traction to the other boys. As a teencuring the homosexual This therapist of homosexuals, and a girl number of ager, he began to experience the would be embarrassed to know that students here at BYU. Without exsexuality of his attraction but also his subject is as homosexual today ception, all have said, These things learned that it was regarded as wrong as he ever was. This doctor is current- have needed to be said for a long and resolved to change. He was poply telling young men who come to him time." ular and a good student but trou.for help that, he has achieved draI single out President Kimball not bled by this problem that wouldnt matic changes in all is homosexual because he is President of the Church : go away. He was devoted to the patients, ivcn those who have begun but because he, more than any of the Church, but his talks with the Church therapy with exlusive homosexual other Brethren, has through thevears authorities only served to confuse interests. Dramatic changes in- concerned himself with the treat- him as he was already following the deed! He needs to have his nose rubment of homosexuals. Now that he is bed in those dramatic changes. It particular steps which they said his President, position as spokesman would cure him. Nevertheless, he was has taken several years for my friend for the Church on homosexuality has faithful to the commandments, and to recover from the emotional damage a special authority that will have a not once did have any kind of incurred under this therapy which, profound impact on generations of sexual experience with another peraccording to the doctor, represents Church members yet unborn. Other son. He entered the mission field cona tremendous step forward in curing officials have joined with him in his fident even the most difficult cases. Sex that his missionary work would with a women is as repulsive to this campaign against homosexuality in produce the answer to his faiththe Church, but the main force ful prayers. After completing a sucyoung man now as it ever was, and has been from him. His personal cessful mission, he returned to BYU the dramatic effects of therapy about feelings had left him deeply disturbed in his homosexuality are now as homosexual as before. He dated, given the added weight of his auth socialized and studied hard, but his I have met many of these men, and I know that they are to this day homo- al. ld direct - . 1 g conditioning therapy . |