Reader comments
Evergreen International schedules annual conference Sept. 21, 22

I was once heavily involved in Evergreen. Even taught a class. Tried really hard to fit in. Then I found that everyone in the group was having sex with someone else in the group. Said goodbye and never looked back. You can't cure a gay. He is what he is, no matter what they say verbally.

Of course you can change a gay!

Don't be so silly!

With enough prayer, fasting & faith, you can change. You just didn't try hard enough. You must not have had enough faith. You just wanted to sin.

Stupid.

You can also change your eye color. Just have enough faith. Or you can pray for your eyes to change to a different color. You have to try harder. You need to pray more. Try fasting. You need faith to change your eye color.

Or you can just put in colored contact lenses. That way, it will LOOK like you changed your eye color and everybody will be fooled.

Same thing folks. A homosexual can marry somebody of the opposite sex & for appearances sake will be 'cured', but you can't fix what ain't broken.

When I die I will still have brown eyes and be gay, no matter how hard I try, pray & have faith.

It makes me very sad that President Hinckley can receive revelation regarding ladies earrings and tattoos, but won't ask Heavenly Father about what causes homosexuality.

I agree that some comments in the Church have been simplifying etc. But I embrace the recent trend where there's not that much talk about "changing gays" but just plain faithfulness. Nobody "needs" to have sex. Thus gays can live temple-worthy lives just like single heterosexuals. Of course it's a huge sacrifice but still. The point isn't changing your orientation. The point is that God has always more to offer than world or Satan. That following Gospel Principles is worth the price, no matter what you have to sacrifice to stay on the path.

I have a bunch on gay friends. One couple has been together for 20 years. And in these times of 50% divorces that's an achievement. I always think of them and wonder that "wow, God has something better in store even for them.

If the church has moved away from promoting changing one's orientation, why are they still letting high ranking church leaders present at an organization that contends that many of their clients completely eliminate their same-sex attraction and go on to get married? I'm getting mixed messages here and I worry about the emotional toll this will extract from those who are given false hopes.

I changed. It took time (about 7 years) and some effort. Like ditching the porn, giving up cruising, staying away from bars, and otherwise extricating myself from gay culture. I first realized that being gay did not make me happy. I did not like all of the judging in gay society (mostly on physical appearance) nor the addictions (sex and alchohol to name two) nor the _itchiness nor the all-pervasive gay/straight dichotomy (the first question always seems to be, is he gay?). That is certainly not to say there are not good people who are gay. (I have good gay friends, but they know my history and respect me for my decision.) But being gay did not enhance my life. I am much happier not being gay.

I would hope the LDS church eventually pulls completely away from Everegreen. It is a sham. I attended for a while until the people there became over zealous, trying to control my every move. If I could not commit to being at their set meeting every single week, I was asked not to attend at all. Funny, I have a thing called a life. The church's sexual addiction programs are opened to everyone regardless of their time constraints. Evergreen is run like a weird cult. I also agree with the person who wrote earlier about members hooking up with each other. It happens all the time. I really hope the LDS church never aligns itself with Evergreen. It is a complete waste and a joke.

I live with same gender attraction and have made some poor choices. Why am I this way? I have some ideas, but it doesn't make me bitter toward the church or anyone else for that matter. I choose to live life not as a gay man, even though I am attracted to me. Why is it that gay people (not all) who want to be accepted are so unwilling to accept someone like me who doesn't want to live that lifestyle. Whether I change or not, I want to live my life in accordance to the LDS faith. I have four sons and they support me. Gay people who can't support those like me are hypocrites.

To Tough:

I guess it's hard to support you simply because I don't understand it. Like I don't understand transgendered people. They're not bad people, I just have no way to really understand what it must be like.

I don't understand how you can support an organization that flatly will not support you. But hey, if it works for you, more power to you. And if you're happy (or tell yourself that you're happy) that's all that matters.

I did what you are doing because I thought that the church was true. If it IS true, then of course, there is nothing as important as returning to live with Heavenly Father. EVERYTHING must be put aside for salvation. When I discovered the truth in 1999, it was such a relief to be able to be true to the real me.

Much luck to you.

Tough-I'm thinking your statement "Even though I am attracted to me" was a typo, and you meant you are attracted to other men, right?

May I just say I think this is one of life's most difficult challenges, and that men who manage to refrain from sex, porno, and "the scene" have my admiration, love and support? As a church member, I want to do all I can to welcome you into the fold. You may sit beside me in Sacrament Meeting ANYTIME. I will hold the bread and water for you with love & pride in your accomplishment.

I don't have ANY clue how difficult it is (as a hetro female who lost all her drive after meno, especially) but I know the Lord must have a solid gold mansion for you up in heaven if you manage to pull this one off.

I hope "the Bretheren" watch today's episode of OPRAH. I have heard it said that President P. has said flat-out that such people "do not exist" (which, in all fairness to him, may be a lie.)

Everyone should go see Return With Honor (now showing). It's about tolerance and love. We all need more of it.