Flames erupted last year when President Boyd K. Packer gave a talk at the October 2010 General Conference that included a seemingly insensitive remark regarding those facing same-sex attraction. Actually, the way I interpreted the controversial sentence as initially spoken also bothered me, but that's not the way he meant it. That point was clarified in the printed edition of his talk. The spoken talk, the printed edition, the press release about the change being made, and the unwavering anger of some critics is an interesting story of how messages can be misunderstood and how good-faith efforts can be interpreted in sinister ways. If you instantly formed an opinion and have felt angry toward President Packer ever since, I would ask you to reconsider and see what he has been teaching consistently on this complex and delicate topic. Gregory L. Smith digs into the story in detail in his article, "Shattered Glass: The Traditions of Mormon Same-Sex Marriage Advocates Encounter Boyd K. Packer" at the Maxwell Institute.
Continue reading at the original source →