Originally Posted by
Ma'ake
10 years ago this position was pretty much spot on, but I think we're seeing an organization in transition.
Where previously the line was (more or less) "if you're experiencing SSA, it must be due to something *you* did", I think now the tacit understanding is "we don't know why some people have SSA, and it appears to be an innate trait, something they didn't 'choose', but the commandments are clear - homosexual affection is a sin".
Younger generations are more and more shaking off the last part, and asking if these folks didn't choose this orientation, how can it be their fault, and why do they need to go though life feeling marginalized and wishing themselves dead?
There's one of the LDS General Authorities, Todd Kristofferson (?) who has a brother who is gay, is now older and trying to "live the gospel" / get back into the fold. He's helping to inform Mormons that this isn't really an acquired orientation, but is also causing a lot of anger among gays because in eschewing his previous relationships, he's essentially admitting that being gay is a kind of affliction, an imperfection, an inferior variant of human being.
There's certainly a damage control aspect to this, especially as young Mormons simply don't see why gays are viewed as damaged, and are prohibited from expressing romantic love, in this life. The growing understanding among Mormon leaders and Mormons in general that homosexuality isn't simply a result of bad choices is a big step forward, it lays the foundation for reconsidering their status in life.
On the genetics part, I suspect that they'll find a number of genes that increase the predisposition to being homosexual, but there are other biological mechanisms that have a large impact. In the UK in the 60s and 70s, they gave pregnant women who were at risk of miscarriage some medicine that has resulted in 80%+ of the male offspring from those pregnancies being homosexuals. So, that's not a genetics cause, per se, but it's definitely a biological development issue. Similarly, women who are under high stress during their pregnancies are at higher risk of producing homosexual male offspring.
I'm not defending the LDS / traditional Christian theological position on homosexuality. I'm just pointing out that understandings are changing, and in the case of the LDS religion, the potential exists for the theology to change. Making 90 degree, abrupt turns is highly unlikely and problematic in itself, but over the course of time what is commonly believed and taught can change quite dramatically.