Before we get started, here are some assumptions I'm making. If you disagree with these, please just assume they are true for a moment. I'm a scientist, not a lawyer or logician:
- God exists. If there is no God, there is no compelling reason to make a decision in any direction, besides the relatively short-term consequences of that decision.
- God is our Heavenly Father. As such, he created us in His image.
- "Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose."
- Same-sex attraction is real, but is not a action. Homosexuality is the result of acting on same-sex attraction.
I don't think that what Bruce Jenner (or whatever he wants to be called now) did should be celebrated.
Please carefully read the above sentence before you jump down to comment. This sentence, except for maybe what is between the parentheses, is exactly what I would say to someone at work, school, church, wherever I am, if they asked me how I felt about the how Bruce Jenner thing.
Personally, I think that what Bruce Jenner did was wrong, both in my eyes, and in the eyes of God. We should discuss that more. This goes back to my second assumption, God created us in His image. But does God make mistakes? I don't believe that he does. God gave some people the tendency to become alcoholics. God gave some people the tendency to become chain smokers. God gave some people the tendency to commit homosexual acts. In fact, everyone has the tendency to commit sin and go against God's commandments. Did God make a mistake? What about those born with physical disabilities, or those born with Down's syndrome, or those who are born with six fingers? God doesn't make mistakes. He gives people challenges in order for them to grow into the people He knows they can become.
Does everyone having challenges make everyone a terrible person? Absolutely not. But should we celebrate people for committing sin? Again, absolutely not. Please don't misunderstand me on this point. I don't care that much whether my neighbor has tendencies to become a chain smoker, to become an alcoholic, or whether they experience same-sex attraction. I feel sad for them because they can be difficult things to deal with, but I feel happy for them because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is available for them to use. I feel happy about the Atonement because everything that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement, including the difficulties we suffer in mortality. But I do not believe in celebrating the fact that my neighbor is a chain smoker, is persistently drunk, or participates in homosexual behavior. This applies to Mr. Jenner as well.
Because gender is an essential characteristic of eternal identity, do you think that God would accidentally give someone the wrong sex in mortality? Whether He does or He doesn't, it isn't accidental. But because gender is so eternal, I believe the situation will be corrected in the eternities, just like any other unfairness we encounter in mortality.
So, while I feel that Mr. Jenner has had some difficult things to deal with in his life, I believe that the Atonement of Jesus Christ will bring more healing than any surgeon could. And his elective surgery is not something to be celebrated.
Does everyone having challenges make everyone a terrible person? Absolutely not. But should we celebrate people for committing sin? Again, absolutely not. Please don't misunderstand me on this point. I don't care that much whether my neighbor has tendencies to become a chain smoker, to become an alcoholic, or whether they experience same-sex attraction. I feel sad for them because they can be difficult things to deal with, but I feel happy for them because the Atonement of Jesus Christ is available for them to use. I feel happy about the Atonement because everything that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement, including the difficulties we suffer in mortality. But I do not believe in celebrating the fact that my neighbor is a chain smoker, is persistently drunk, or participates in homosexual behavior. This applies to Mr. Jenner as well.
Because gender is an essential characteristic of eternal identity, do you think that God would accidentally give someone the wrong sex in mortality? Whether He does or He doesn't, it isn't accidental. But because gender is so eternal, I believe the situation will be corrected in the eternities, just like any other unfairness we encounter in mortality.
So, while I feel that Mr. Jenner has had some difficult things to deal with in his life, I believe that the Atonement of Jesus Christ will bring more healing than any surgeon could. And his elective surgery is not something to be celebrated.
