What about “obeying the law” where same-sex behavior is a crime?

by Jon Forsyth, from Sunday Lessons and Activities for Kids, edited by Marci McPhee

It was a tense moment in the development of Evan Smith’s free e-book, Gay LDS Crossroads: My journey, your journey, and a scripture-based path forward.

Evan (author) and I (editor) were working along, when I finally blurted out the question I was afraid to ask: What does it mean for the church to stretch towards LGBTQ equality (albeit maddeningly slowly), in the context of the 12th Article of Faith?

What does it mean when we say: “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law” in a worldwide church where LGBTQ relationships are criminalized in some countries, and legal protections vary widely within the USA?

In my former career, I supported college students in summer internships worldwide. Many of my LGBTQ students would choose their region based on whether it might be safe for them to even live there, even if they never came out.

What was Evan’s answer to my question about obeying the law where same-sex behavior is a crime? Check it out here: What about countries in which same-sex behavior is still against the law?

-Marci