Elder Ronald A. Rasband urges members to treat individuals who are gay or transgender with love and fairness, and to optimistically work through the social issues of our day with both sides in mind. From a devotional address given by Elder Ronald A. Rasband at BYU on September 15, 2015, shortly before his call to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the October General Conference.
Elder Ronald A. Rasband
"In January of this year ... we held a press conference with three apostles and a member of the Young Women general presidency to remind our members, the community, and the state legislature that the Church favors a balanced approach that secures the rights of all people. Elder Dallin H. Oaks expressed the following at that press event:
'We call on local, state, and the federal government to serve all of their people by passing legislation that protects vital religious freedoms for individuals, families, churches, and other faith groups while also protecting the rights of our LGBT citizens in such areas as housing, employment, and public accommodation in hotels, restaurants, and transportation—protections which are not available in many parts of the country.'
... Try to view others through a lens of fairness. To do this requires you to first acknowledge that Heavenly Father loves all of His children equally. He has said, “Love one another; as I have loved you.” There is no choice, sin, or mistake that you or anyone else can make that will change His love for you or for them ... Being filled with this pure love will guide your thoughts and actions, especially in a political arena that can at times be very contentious ... I would encourage you to stand up for fairness if you see another's rights being impeded. Elder L. Tom Perry was a great example of someone who firmly believed in man-woman marriage, and yet he was willing to stand up for the rights of others. He left an example of ensuring that others’ rights were protected when he witnessed unfair treatment or an imbalance in our laws.
... I stand with the leaders of our Lord’s Church when I say that we need your generation’s natural understanding of compassion, respect, and fairness. We need your optimism and your determination to work through these complex social issues. We have faith that you will turn to the Savior to understand how to live a Christlike life while also showing fairness and love to others who do not share your beliefs. We know you want to be a part of something meaningful, and we know that you are resilient and collaborative. Most important, we need you to engage in dialogue regarding the complexities of this issue and find solutions for how to best extend fairness to everyone, including people of faith. These conversations need to be occurring in our schools—perhaps right here at Brigham Young University—in our homes, and in our relationships with friends and coworkers."
