Elder Holland - "The issue is chastity. The issue is not gender."

[Serragon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntc38LbtvzU

"I think we have talked altogether too much about gender and altogether too little about chastity. The issue is chastity. The issue is not gender."

So is the Proclamation on the Family outdated?

He also says "to be very clear for all people for for all of his children now when that attraction exists what we ask for those inclined to a homosexual feeling is exactly what we ask for those with heterosexual feelings I'm talking to a young single adult group and that is be faithful be clean be chaste and for you every blessing of this church is available in terms of the sacraments the ordinances going to the temple."

So EVERY blessing is available, including celestial marriage?

This is the trick our leaders pulled around 2010 because of the backlash to Prop 8. I am sure that our leaders thought themselves very clever. They could still be against homosexuality without having to actually say they were against homosexuality. We can pretend that homo and hetero relations are equivalent and that the sex is not a perversion in and of itself. It is simply that God does not sanction marriages of people of the same sex, therefore the sex is considered immoral in the same way hetero sex outside of marriage is immoral.

But this clever trick has been our downfall, which is what always happens when you choose not to stand for Godly principles.

At the time of the clever trick, the US was overwhelmingly anti SSM. Even the most progressive states, like CA, were hostile to the idea. Our leading politicians on both sides of the aisle all agreed that the practice should be illegal. So it seemed very safe for our leaders to hide behind the legality of the thing rather than the whether the thing was an abomination in and of itself.

But the world rapidly changed. The progressive indoctrination campaign went into overdrive. Homosexuals became sympathetic and victims rather than perverted deviants. "Science" suddenly claimed that homosexuality was an inborn trait and akin to race without any evidence to support that claim. The Supreme Court decided that something never before experienced in the world as a norm was somehow a fundamental human right and obliterated laws across the country in blatant activism. And like abortion, the new norm became the accepted norm for most of america as the deviants became the heroes and the role models.

Suddenly the clever trick wasn't so clever anymore. The cleverness obliterated any moral foundation the church had to oppose homosexuality itself, and the culture changed so that the new reasons to oppose SSM were no longer valid. Becuase we no longer offered any opposition, the progressive ideas made easy inroads into our church and culture. When our leaders saw the breach, they chose cowardice instead of courage and began focusing on inclusion, belonging, and celebration of the natural man as the primary virtues of christianity rather than repentance by sacrificing the natural man to Christ.

And so we see homosexuality gaining more and more acceptance in our church, and even being celebrated as being a higher form of love without any correction by those tasked with protecting and teaching the doctrine of Christ. We see it removed from the handbook as a form of apostasy requiring a membership council. We see it now being taught to our youth as being an equivalent form of love to heterosexuality. We see SSM being removed from the handbook as apostasy. We see advocates for this deviant behavior in the highest places of our church leadership. Except for those who cannot face the truth, we all see the inevitability of the acceptance of SSM in our church in all aspects, as there is no moral ground left to oppose it.

We find our leadership saying that homosexuality is fine and moral, that your love for your same sex partner is the equivalent of love between man and woman. They teach that homosexuality is innate and should no longer be something we strive to overcome and that elevating it to your primary identifying characteristic in life is acceptable if not encouraged. But for some reason, God won't endorse all this goodness by allowing marriage. This is not sustainable, and eventually the new Blacks and the priesthood revalation will have to come. And with it will be much celebration and joy from our leaders who will pretend that God is finally rewarding the poor homosexual with that which He always wanted to reward them, and they will be treated as an elevated class of people due to the suffering they have had to endure.

I hope the latter isn't true, but I see nothing to make me think otherwise. When i see the church caravan heading directly to the great and spacious building with flags of the world flying rather than flags of Christ, I tend to believe what I am seeing.

[Althea]

Homosexuality is a grievous sin because it is anchored to Satan. Starting in the book of Genesis we see that homosexuality was used by Satan. Such was in the case of Cain (Moses 5:51). Satan requires his followers to do homosexual ordinances because it is much harder to escape this type of sin than many others. Sexual sins are grievous in nature because they are bound by shame. This is the same for straight people but for the homosexual, pride plays a large role. When people give into their homosexual desires, they are now bound to their chains of carnal desires and now Satan has power over them.

We must be all be willing to give away all of our sins and not hold to anything but to the word of our Christ Jesus. It is not bad to love another of the same sex, but to partake in sexual relations outside of marriage between a man and a woman is not holy.

[Ymarsakar]

Homosexuality is a grievous sin because it is anchored to Satan. Starting in the book of Genesis we see that homosexuality was used by Satan. Such was in the case of Cain (Moses 5:51). Satan requires his followers to do homosexual ordinances because it is much harder to escape this type of sin than many others. Sexual sins are grievous in nature because they are bound by shame. This is the same for straight people but for the homosexual, pride plays a large role. When people give into their homosexual desires, they are now bound to their chains of carnal desires and now Satan has power over them.

We must be all be willing to give away all of our sins and not hold to anything but to the word of our Christ Jesus. It is not bad to love another of the same sex, but to partake in sexual relations outside of marriage between a man and a woman is not holy.

Satans use monogamy and heterosexuals. Thus those are grievous sins too

[Good & Global]

The part where what people do in their own bedroom should have privacy I agree. We all should be afforded the right to privacy. But privacy affects society differently than abominations do. Abominations often end up affecting other people even if they are done in privacy or in secret. What is often private becomes part of the views that we inject into the public square.

What happens in the public square affects more than consenting adults. Attitudes towards how we treat people and abuse we allow towards others are all shaped largely by public square morals. Future generations look to the public square as a guide for normalcy and how to live their adult lives. As we can see the consequences are far beyond a mere few consenting adults.

This is why we have kids that question their own biological sex and follow the old testament pagan practices of genital mutilation. There is nothing new under the sun. These things have existed before. We are just being reintroduced to them by our desirous-to-be new gad overlords. We need to look no further for this gad influence than within the mormon church among other churches. It is a disease perpetuated/encouraged by the gads who seek our eventual ruin and overthrow.

[Serragon]

The part where what people do in their own bedroom should have privacy I agree. We all should be afforded the right to privacy. But privacy affects society differently than abominations do. Abominations often end up affecting other people even if they are done in privacy or in secret. What is often private becomes part of the views that we inject into the public square.

What happens in the public square affects more than consenting adults. Attitudes towards how we treat people and abuse we allow towards others are all shaped largely by public square morals. Future generations look to the public square as a guide for normalcy and how to live their adult lives. As we can see the consequences are far beyond a mere few consenting adults.

This is why we have kids that question their own biological sex and follow the old testament pagan practices of genital mutilation. There is nothing new under the sun. These things have existed before. We are just being reintroduced to them by our desirous-to-be new gad overlords. We need look no further for this gad influence than within the mormon church among others. It is a disease perpetuated/encouraged by the gads who seek our eventual ruin and overthrow.

Our culture has fundamentally changed from one of self-sacrifice and control of emotions to one of indulgence of the self in all facets. In the past, people would still give in to their natural desires, but would keep them private. The public sphere was kept as pristine as possible, with the idea being that it was the ideal we would try and achieve in our private lives.

Now, the private decadence has been pushed into the public sphere where people are now forced to confront it every day as it surrounds them everwhere they go. You will either accept and approve it, or you will be outcast and ostracized. Far from being a place of mutual shared values and respect for the values of others, it is now a place where the deviants push more and more of their filth and seflishness onto those who still hold to the old values.

Our public spaces are now full of those who care nothing for the rights of others and who care nothing for sacrificing any of their own behavior so that others do not have to suffer their vulgarity. Feces, drugs, and tents litter the streets. Theft and violence are rampant and the norm. Swearing and vulgarity are the norm everywhere you go. Immodesty and immorality are everywhere. Mental illness and perversion is celebrated. And anyone daring to speak out about it is labeled as some sort of "ist" or "phobe" and the full powers of the decadent society are put towards destroying that person's livelihood and reputation.

[Thinker]

So, people who like to rape were born that way?
Same with pedofiles?

And free will?

Maybe they were born that way. However, everyone has agency.
The Book of Mormon is clear though that God doesn't hold us as accountable for the "wicked traditions of our fathers".
You are only as accountable as your knowledge.

Sorry but that’s contradictory to suggest BEHAVIOR is both inborn AND choice. Think about the insane evil that would result from an entire society deeming all bad choices as people just “born to kill/steal/lie/rape/etc”!

The fight in heaven & earth is over free choice - and Satanic influences are deceiving many into believing choices are not chosen but cannot be helped because they’re inborn. Insane & evil!

How would you like a person who raped your family, stole your things to be acquitted in court based on the notion that they couldn’t help it - they were born to rape and steal??
That would be HELL. And that is what you’re promoting when you suggest someone was just born to engage in behavior known to be harmful as homosexuality is - especially for men.

[Telavian]

Sorry but that’s contradictory to suggest BEHAVIOR is both inborn AND choice. Think about the insane evil that would result from an entire society deeming all bad choices as people just “born to kill/steal/lie/rape/etc”!

I never said that, hinted at that, or even thought that.
What I said is if I have a biological tendency to do X, or a mental disorder that causes me to do X, or was taught that X is okay and then I do X am I as culpable as someone else?
No certainly not.

The courts of men are also no where near the courts of God. Many people have been forced into the criminal justice system when all they needed was a little counseling. Imagine being raised in a horrendous environment and then you do something horrendous simply because you saw everyone else do it. This black and white mentality works in stories, but not in real life.

[Thinker]

... I am not sure how I feel about homosexuality. I think clearly there is a biological component, however I think all sexual deviations have a biological component.

^ That is what you suggested - unknowingly repeated propaganda from BS like “The Overhauling of Straight America” or “After the Ball” where it’s suggested to flat out lie and pretend babies are born with homosexual preferences even though it’s known they aren’t. They do this so anyone objecting can be made to look cruel for criticizing behavior someone can’t help. This way responsibility is shifted to make innocent people pay for problems of others. The epitome of evil. Also, homosexuality is depopulation - statistically it leads to sickness, premature death and less reproduction. So if someone is fooled into thinking he cannot control himself sexually - he’ll never even try to change or behave in healthier ways.

[Telavian]

^ That is what you suggested - unknowingly repeated propaganda from BS like “The Overhauling of Straight America” or “After the Ball” where it’s suggested to flat out lie and pretend babies are born with homosexual preferences even though it’s known they aren’t. They do this so anyone objecting can be made to look cruel for criticizing behavior someone can’t help. This way responsibility is shifted to make innocent people pay for problems of others. The epitome of evil.

If it is not biological then it has to be mental. At what point exactly, in your life, did you decide to be heterosexual?

[Thinker]

…this place is NOT what 99.99% of people think it is…

Of course not. Each person sees subjectively & a lot is not visible. Still, it’s way too conveniently tempting to pretend that biology is to blame - then people don’t feel like they need to change or choose better. And in reality, biological genes are only turned on or off by environmental stimuli.

Again…

Babies are born with brains only 1/4 developed - so they can better adapt to environmental stimuli. Rapists are not “born that way” & neither are other sexual disorders inborn.

The fact is that there has never been a “gay gene” nor any other indication that babies are born with sexual disorders. Sexuality is LEARNED - sadly, sometimes at a young age - as abuse.

Evidence shows that the development of homosexual practices are more linked to environmental influences than to biology. Science does not support the claim that homosexuality is genetic.. Even Homosexual Researchers Debunk ‘Born Gay’ Urban Legend
https://freerepublic.com/focus/fr/724179/posts

"1. No research has found provable biological or genetic differences between heterosexuals & homosexuals that weren't caused by their behavior. 2. In 2 large studies conducted... Homosexuals overwhelmingly believed their feelings and behavior were the result of social or environmental influences. (Note that the focus of homosexual fetishes is limited to select countries, globally.) 3. Older homosexuals often approach the young 4. Early homosexual experiences influence adult patters of behavior 5. Sexual conduct is influenced by cultural factors - esp. religious convictions 6. Many change their sexual preferences 7. There are many ex-homosexuals.”

Despite what is known, my child’s AP psychology book kept a discredited study - which claimed proof of homosexuality being inborn by looking at brains of cadavers - but they failed to admit these brains had been affected/killed by AIDS/HIV. Lies - continue to encourage behavior known to be harmful. Why? Probably essentially for depopulation.

Propaganda lies claiming people are born to engage in sexual disorders is like saying, “They can’t help it!” Yet, that’s contrary to free agency - what the spiritual war is about. But such a lie has been effective!

Why are so many falling for homosexual lies? The following are some quotes and admissions of mind control from its homosexual activist authors from 1989 "After the Ball..."

*"The homosexual agenda can succeed by conversion of the average Americans emotions, mind, and will, through a planned psychological attack in the form of propaganda to the nation via media (page 153)

*“Propaganda relies more upon emotional manipulation than upon logic, since its goal is to bring about public change” (page 162)

*Propaganda can be unabashedly subjective and one-sided, there is nothing wrong with this (page 163);

*"The Homosexual agenda can succeed by “desensitization” achieved by lowering the intensity of antigay emotional reactions to a level of sheer indifference" (page 153)

*”The Homosexual agenda can succeed by “jamming” and “confusing” adversaries, so as to block or counteract the “rewarding of prejudice” (page 153);

*“Desensitizing” is “our recipe” for converting “ambivalent skeptics”;

*"Make victimizers look bad by linking to Nazi horror while helping straights to see gays as victims and feel protective towards them" (page 221);

*"The Nazi story of “pink triangle as a symbol of victimization” should be a sufficient opening wedge into the vilification of our enemies (page 190

*"It is acceptable to call people “Homophobic” or “Homohaters” if they do not agree 100% with homosexual views, opinions, or behavior. (page xxiii)

*"Show grisly victimization of gays and demand that readers identify themselves with EITHER social tolerance OR gruesome cruelty";

"All speech that is opposing homosexual behavior should be banned under “clear and present danger to public order” (page 101)"

*"In time we see no reason why more and more diversity should not be introduced into the projected image (i.e., drag queens, pedophiles, etc.) (page 186)

*"Ads must manage to get the word gay into the headline or tagline (page 207)

*"Several years down the road, our tactics will have carved out, slice by slice, a large portion of access to mainstream media" (page 213)

*"Associate and link gays to good causes and non-controversial activities" (page 219)

https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=44c_134 ... comments=1


All this began earlier - a focus on getting into the churches - especially through minds of members...


From the 1987 Homosexual Manifesto - some say this was meant as satire except many of their “satirical” goals have already been accomplished...
“We shall sodomize your sons, emblems of your feeble masculinity, of your shallow dreams and vulgar lies. We shall seduce them in your schools, in your dormitories, in your gymnasiums, in your locker rooms, in your sports arenas, in your seminaries, in your youth groups, in your movie theater bathrooms, in your army bunkhouses, in your truck stops, in your all male clubs, in your houses of Congress...

All laws banning homosexual activity will be revoked. Instead, legislation shall be passed which engenders love between men...

Our writers and artists will make love between men fashionable...

We will unmask the powerful homosexuals who masquerade as heterosexuals. You will be shocked and frightened when you find that your presidents and their sons, your industrialists, your senators,your mayors, your generals, your athletes, your film stars, your television personalities, your civic leaders, your priests are not the safe, familiar, bourgeois, heterosexual figures you assumed them to be. We are everywhere; we have infiltrated your ranks. Be careful when you speak of homosexuals because we are always among you...

Those who oppose us will be exiled.

The family unit-spawning ground of lies, betrayals, mediocrity, hypocrisy and violence--will be abolished. The family unit, which only dampens imagination and curbs free will, must be eliminated. Perfect boys will be conceived and grown in the genetic laboratory. They will be bonded together in communal setting, under the control and instruction of homosexual savants.

All churches who condemn us will be closed.”
http://blessedcause.org/protest/Gay%20Manifesto.htm

[Rubicon]

We find our leadership saying that homosexuality is fine and moral, that your love for your same sex partner is the equivalent of love between man and woman. They teach that homosexuality is innate and should no longer be something we strive to overcome and that elevating it to your primary identifying characteristic in life is acceptable if not encouraged. But for some reason, God won't endorse all this goodness by allowing marriage. This is not sustainable, and eventually the new Blacks and the priesthood revalation will have to come. And with it will be much celebration and joy from our leaders who will pretend that God is finally rewarding the poor homosexual with that which He always wanted to reward them, and they will be treated as an elevated class of people due to the suffering they have had to endure.

I hope the latter isn't true, but I see nothing to make me think otherwise. When i see the church caravan heading directly to the great and spacious building with flags of the world flying rather than flags of Christ, I tend to believe what I am seeing.

I agree that the Church has tried to thread the PR needle, but I disagree that anything can be found that says anything close to "homosexuality is fine and moral, that your love for your same sex partner is the equivalent of love between man and woman." In fact, Elder Johnson addressed the gay dating fiasco at BYU by (as the appointed spokesman on this) saying that gay dating behavior cannot be removed from the honor code because even "low level" things like hand-holding and kissing cannot get people where they need to be in the eternities, and always lead them away from it.

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that a Blacks and the priesthood revelation is claimed in the future, but I doubt it will happen. That would rip the Church apart in a way that the priesthood ban did not (mostly because there actually were statements and teachings that the ban wouldn't last forever. There are no such teachings on homosexuality).

[Telavian]

Babies are born with brains only 1/4 developed - so they can better adapt to environmental stimuli. Rapists are not “born that way” & neither are other sexual disorders inborn.

You are conflating things and then declaring them to be the same.

Of course, some trauma is expressed through sexual deviations. However, does that mean all sexual desires are based on trauma in a persons life?
What about the people who grow up in "perfect" lives with no trauma and have strange fetishes? What about the same who come out as gay?

You are massively simplifying things and acting like the problem is solved.

There is a meme about Alex Jones and the gay frogs, which is quite funny. However it has been proven true. There are chemicals in the water that literally turned the frogs gay.
https://www.thedailybell.com/all-articl ... n-purpose/

[Thinker]

Telavian,
I’m pointing out the problem when propaganda would have us believe there’s no problem. Influential propaganda is attempting to make people support homosexual disorders.

Again, is it reasonable and ethical to believe that rapists are born with a sexual disorder wanting to rape? Pedophiles similarly?

Babies are not born wanting sex of any kind. Generally as humans we don’t develop sexually for quite a number of years - though some who are sexually abused develop earlier.

These are basic facts that somehow that propaganda has caused many to dismiss, in favor of supporting homosexuality. Seems by supporting behavior known to be harmful - they delusionally think they are so so kind and loving. In reality they simply are going along with whatever helps them feel liked, not caring if in doing so they contribute to harming others.

[4Joshua8]

Faggotry is an abomination and pure wickedness, no matter how much two same-sex people think they love each other.

[FrankOne]

Babies are born with brains only 1/4 developed - so they can better adapt to environmental stimuli. Rapists are not “born that way” & neither are other sexual disorders inborn.

You are conflating things and then declaring them to be the same.

Of course, some trauma is expressed through sexual deviations. However, does that mean all sexual desires are based on trauma in a persons life?
What about the people who grow up in "perfect" lives with no trauma and have strange fetishes? What about the same who come out as gay?

You are massively simplifying things and acting like the problem is solved.

There is a meme about Alex Jones and the gay frogs, which is quite funny. However it has been proven true. There are chemicals in the water that literally turned the frogs gay.
https://www.thedailybell.com/all-articl ... n-purpose/

I saw his repeated rant on that and it was absolutely hilarious. I loved it.
yah. it's true about chemicals , astrazine?, i think. Behavior modified by chemicals and now thru injection, by CONSENT!

Just an overload of estrogen can change male behavior significantly. and...news flash, Testosterone is down about 40% over the last 30 yrs in men of all ages! What replaced it? ESTROGEN! .... far out, huh? Men becoming women....somehow. Scientists are baffled i tell ya!

oh yah, we are finally in the end times! Took long enough!.... insert drum roll

[~ternal-tummim]

Babies are born with brains only 1/4 developed - so they can better adapt to environmental stimuli. Rapists are not “born that way” & neither are other sexual disorders inborn.

You are conflating things and then declaring them to be the same.

Of course, some trauma is expressed through sexual deviations. However, does that mean all sexual desires are based on trauma in a persons life?
What about the people who grow up in "perfect" lives with no trauma and have strange fetishes? What about the same who come out as gay?

You are massively simplifying things and acting like the problem is solved.

There is a meme about Alex Jones and the gay frogs, which is quite funny. However it has been proven true. There are chemicals in the water that literally turned the frogs gay.
https://www.thedailybell.com/all-articl ... n-purpose/

I saw his repeated rant on that and it was absolutely hilarious. I loved it.
yah. it's true about chemicals , astrazine?, i think. Behavior modified by chemicals and now thru injection, by CONSENT!

Just an overload of estrogen can change male behavior significantly. and...news flash, Testosterone is down about 40% over the last 30 yrs in men of all ages! What replaced it? ESTROGEN! .... far out, huh? Men becoming women....somehow. Scientists are baffled i tell ya!

oh yah, we are finally in the end times! Took long enough!.... insert drum roll

[Serragon]

We find our leadership saying that homosexuality is fine and moral, that your love for your same sex partner is the equivalent of love between man and woman. They teach that homosexuality is innate and should no longer be something we strive to overcome and that elevating it to your primary identifying characteristic in life is acceptable if not encouraged. But for some reason, God won't endorse all this goodness by allowing marriage. This is not sustainable, and eventually the new Blacks and the priesthood revalation will have to come. And with it will be much celebration and joy from our leaders who will pretend that God is finally rewarding the poor homosexual with that which He always wanted to reward them, and they will be treated as an elevated class of people due to the suffering they have had to endure.

I hope the latter isn't true, but I see nothing to make me think otherwise. When i see the church caravan heading directly to the great and spacious building with flags of the world flying rather than flags of Christ, I tend to believe what I am seeing.

I agree that the Church has tried to thread the PR needle, but I disagree that anything can be found that says anything close to "homosexuality is fine and moral, that your love for your same sex partner is the equivalent of love between man and woman." In fact, Elder Johnson addressed the gay dating fiasco at BYU by (as the appointed spokesman on this) saying that gay dating behavior cannot be removed from the honor code because even "low level" things like hand-holding and kissing cannot get people where they need to be in the eternities, and always lead them away from it.

It is not beyond the realm of possibility that a Blacks and the priesthood revelation is claimed in the future, but I doubt it will happen. That would rip the Church apart in a way that the priesthood ban did not (mostly because there actually were statements and teachings that the ban wouldn't last forever. There are no such teachings on homosexuality).

You are correct that you won't find a direct statement calling homosexuality "fine and moral", but that would be a bit much to expect at this point. Those direct statements will come after the revelation or full change in policy. The only direct statements church leaders currently make are against things on the approved progressive list, like imaginary white supremacy and COVID vaccine skepticism.

For now, you just have to look at the fact that they no longer speak about homosexuality in terms of it being sin. Whenever it is currently referenced in the handbook, For the strength of youth, etc. it is now referenced as being an equivalent of heterosexuality. Combine that with the fact that they now allow people to identify, celebrate, and advocate for homosexuality without any repercussions and you end up with the idea that is "fine and moral" even when they won't say it directly.

Elder Johnson's statement was a CYA moment. They moved too quickly and had to dial things back a bit. This wasn't a line in the sand moment, but a temporary retreat. The church is not defending on this issue, they are the attackers of their own past policies.

[~ternal-tummim]

“The issue” is HYPERsexuality
(Also known as homo“sexuality”[sic])
(Also other parasexualities)
Also justly called simply PERVERSITY

Why bicker on whether it’s biology?
Ahh: so blame-free! Gain victim mentality.
We’re creatures! Too extreme to say “Obv’ously!”?
All acts are bio — but more sig: willed and free.

The PLASTICS have made our hormones all wonky,
The PROCESSED SLOP, and just EXCESS CALORIES,
The PROGRAMMING folks download from the teevee,
All THE DEMS’ fault.
(Read: WOMEN.)
(JEWS, really.)

Fun things to blame. You can do endlessly.
Or seize Life. It’s YOUr Life! Clear the mist. See that Tree?
Inclinations are conquered through Free Agency.

940BCC93-3DB7-4235-B86B-46DE81E2F138.jpeg (252.62 KiB) Viewed 47 times

[Rubicon]

You are correct that you won't find a direct statement calling homosexuality "fine and moral", but that would be a bit much to expect at this point. Those direct statements will come after the revelation or full change in policy. The only direct statements church leaders currently make are against things on the approved progressive list, like imaginary white supremacy and COVID vaccine skepticism.

For now, you just have to look at the fact that they no longer speak about homosexuality in terms of it being sin. Whenever it is currently referenced in the handbook, For the strength of youth, etc. it is now referenced as being an equivalent of heterosexuality. Combine that with the fact that they now allow people to identify, celebrate, and advocate for homosexuality without any repercussions and you end up with the idea that is "fine and moral" even when they won't say it directly.

I think this is still much too strong. Active homosexuality (as opposed to attraction in the absence of acting on it) is very much still defined as a sin by the Church.

I agree with you that the Church has sought to deflect criticism of being too conservative on sexuality through lots of PR and "softening" of rhetoric (acceptance, tolerance, kindness, love, etc.).

I think that the Brethren are on a spectrum, with traditional conservatism having the upper hand, for now. There are some liberals who would love to make wholesale changes, but I think that the Brethren know that crossing certain lines would irreparably harm the Church (leaving the church, lasting and irreversible hit to commitment and enthusiasm on the part of many who stay).

Elder Johnson's statement was a CYA moment. They moved too quickly and had to dial things back a bit. This wasn't a line in the sand moment, but a temporary retreat. The church is not defending on this issue, they are the attackers of their own past policies.

I am very grateful for the Elder Johnson statement. That it took two weeks of radio silence while BYU made national news (pictures of gay kissing in front of the BY statue, articles about kids going on their first gay dates, etc.) before anything came from the Church gave the appearance of agreement. Doubly so for serial inaction on the various outrageous public gay initiatives at BYU --- inaction and silence look like agreement. There has been a bit of retrenching on this lately, but who knows how long it will last. Until they expel and prosecute trespassers (lighting the Y rainbow), saying that it is prohibited but doing nothing looks really weak.