Evergreen International Vs. Affirmation: Dueling "Gay Mormon" Conferences In Salt Lake City, Elder Bruce Hafen Keynote Speaker At Evergreen

While many Utahns were preoccupied with college football on September 19th, 2009, two conferences dealing with the issue of gay Mormons were taking place in Salt Lake City.

Evergreen International, which seeks to diminish same-sex attraction amongst its clients and promotes the idea that reparative therapy for gays is a viable option, was holding their conference at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. A Deseret News story entitled "Don't succumb to cultural confusion, Elder Hafen urges" highlights an address delivered by an LDS General Authority. Elder Bruce C. Hafen of the First Quorum of the Seventy told conference attendees that "You are not simply a child of God. You are a son or a daughter of God, with all the masculine or feminine connotations of those words". He also urged people seek a testimony, even a personal vision, of that identity, and to take every possible step, each day, to align one's physical and emotional life with the spiritual reality of who one really is.

Elder Hafen then touched on four misconceptions that he said gay rights activists try to establish as facts to try to influence policymakers and the public:

-- That same-gender attraction is an inborn and unalterable orientation.
-- That therapy cannot treat, let alone change, same-gender attraction.
-- That most Americans favor same-gender marriage, which means the church is outside the mainstream in opposing it.
-- There are no rational, nonreligious reasons for opposing same-gender marriage.

Elder Hafen also expressed admiration for audience members for their courage and righteous desires and their choosing to deal with a same-sex attraction that they may have not have consciously chosen. He also stated that Jesus Christ's atonement offers two healing blessings to those challenged by same-gender attraction:

"First, Christ helps us draw on his strength to become more at one with God, even while overcoming the attraction. He helps us bear the burden of the affliction... . As a second healing and compensating blessing, the atonement enables the grace that assures this grand promise: No eternal blessing — including marriage and family life — will be withheld from those who suffer same-gender attraction, if they do 'all they can do' to remain faithful". Read the full transcript of Elder Hafen's address HERE.

Apostle Russell M. Nelson And His Wife Wendy Watson Nelson To Represent The LDS Church At The 2009 World Congress Of Families V In Amsterdam

Christian News Wire reports that the World Congress of Families V will be taking place in Amsterdam in the Netherlands from August 10-12, 2009. Over 1,000 pro-family leaders, activists, scholars and legislators from 61 countries are gathering to participate in the international strategy session for -- and celebration of -- the natural family.

The term "natural family" of course means a family as our Heavenly Father conceived it - an Adam-and-Eve family, NOT an Adam-and-Steve family.

As implied by the event's title, it is the fifth conference held by this organization, which meets irregularly. Overwhelmingly a Christian event, participants represent a wide variety of Christian interests (31 pro-family groups sponsor the conference), most notably Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), former SBC President Paige Patterson, Dr. Wanda Franz (President, National Right to Life Committee), and even a feminist, Anna Zaborska (Chairman, Committee on Gender Rights and Women's Equality, European Union Parliament). Token Jewish representation will be provided by Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs (Chief Rabbi of the Netherlands), most likely because the conference is taking place on his home turf. No Muslims are listed as participants, although Dr. Farooq Hassan, an international jurist who is the President of the Pakistan Family Forum, will be in attendance.

And the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will also be represented; more precisely, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, better known by its short title of LDS Philanthropies. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will also be in attendance, accompanied by his wife, Wendy Watson Nelson. According to the official program, both are scheduled to speak on "The Family: The Hope for the Future of Nations" on August 12th. According to WCF's June-July 2009 Newsletter, Wendy Nelson chaired the Brigham Young University’s Women’s Conference in 1989 and 2000.

The official program also reveals that two more Latter-day Saints will be present; Paul Mero, president of the Utah-based Sutherland Institute, and Sheri Dew who formerly served in the LDS Church's Relief Society Presidency and is now the president of Deseret Books. They will co-chair "The Family: Hope for the Future" plenary session to be held on August 12th. Ironically, Dew has never been married, but one doesn't have to be married to be a successful pro-family activist.

There is a threat of antifa disruption at the event. The Autonomous Feminist Action calls World Congress of Families a group of “fundamentalistic (sic.) Christians” who “will plead for going back to the Christian traditions of traditional relationship between man and woman (sic).” It describes WCF as anti-feminist, anti-abortion, homophobic and opposed to divorce. To illustrate its anti-natural family message, Feminist Action has posted a menacing drawing of a man and a woman, with a child and a cross between them. There’s a dotted line going through the necks of the couple and a pair of scissors ready to cut off their heads.!

Larry Jacobs, Managing Director of the World Congress of Families, responded, “Clearly, the social left is terrified of the Congress bringing a pro-family message to what it considers its turf.” Appropriate security will be provided at the event.

YouTube Mormon Messages: A Latter-Day Saint's View On Father's Day

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With Father's Day taking place on June 21st, 2009, here is a video from the Mormon Messages YouTube channel that well defines the LDS attitude towards Father's Day. It's entitled "A Father Indeed", and is the story of a committed husband and father who consistently and passionately demonstrates his love and devotion to his wife and kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhqRMP9meMc



From the LDS Gospel Library, we find out how the General Authorities view the role of the father within the greater context of the family unit:

"The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed".

The father is called to preside over the family, but is also called to help his wife as an equal partner. This is patriarchy. Done right, there is no system more godly. Done wrong, there is no system more devilish.