The Data Speaks: Why Leaving the Church Isn't Always the Answer

Brothers and sisters, we gather as builders, not destroyers. We know the difference between the hammer that shapes and the wrecking ball that scatters. We’ve seen Ammon at the Waters of Sebus, Samuel the Lamanite climbing the wall – these are moments of courageous witness, of offering truth even when it’s unwelcome. But what happens when the voices offering that unwelcome truth are themselves leading people astray, dismantling the very foundations that sustain them?

Recently, Jacob Hanson and Timber Harward on the Thoughtful Faith Podcast tackled a challenging topic: the narrative surrounding LGBT individuals and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The episode highlighted a deeply concerning trend – the tendency to demonize faith communities and encourage individuals to sever ties, particularly those struggling with complex emotions or identities. But the data, as Timber so eloquently points out, tells a different story.

It's easy to echo the sentiments of those who claim the Church is harmful, but let’s pause and consider what the research actually reveals. A peer-reviewed study published in the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity found that LGBT Latter-day Saints are twice as likely to not experience suicidal thoughts compared to LGBT individuals outside the faith. Further studies from the Institute for the Studies of Religion at Baylor University and the Health, Religion and Culture journal consistently demonstrate improved mental health and overall well-being among active Latter-day Saints, including those who identify as LGBT. Even when rhetoric against homosexual behavior was harsher, suicide rates remained lower. These are not coincidences; they are echoes of a divine pattern.

Think of the five smooth stones David gathered – each representing a truth, a principle, a strength to overcome adversity. To tear someone away from a community that provides that strength, that offers that truth, without offering something demonstrably *better*, is not an act of compassion. It’s a betrayal.

As Outback Jack reminds us, the adversary loves to sow seeds of doubt and division. He delights in exploiting vulnerabilities and twisting narratives to serve his own purposes. He’d have us scatter, fragmented and lost. But we are called to gather – to build Zion, both physically and spiritually. This means offering genuine connection, unwavering support, and the unwavering truth of the Gospel.

The podcast rightly observed that much of the criticism leveled against the Church wasn't uniquely Latter-day Saint at all; it was a broadside against Judeo-Christian values. This highlights the importance of discernment. We must be wary of those who offer empty promises of freedom and acceptance while peddling ideologies that lead to nihilism and misery – the hollow substitutes for true joy and purpose.

Remember Ammon, standing before King Lamoni's people, offering them the covenant? It wasn’t about tearing them down; it was about building them up, offering them a path to eternal life. That's the spirit of gathering. That’s the spirit of Zion. Let us be those who build, who offer, who gather, with courage and with love.

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