It was their way of showing support. It was “pretty much a spiritually prompted no-brainer.”. When the couple moved to New Canaan, Conn., in 2007, Christofferson was drawn to the Mormon meetinghouse in town. The whole podcast is great, please click over to hear the words… The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity and contributions are tax At 19, Christofferson served a two-year Mormon mission, returned and wed a young woman in an LDS temple. Service and Fulfillment: 2012 Commencement Address. “So many friends have left the church over it — whole families,” Tom Christofferson says. “I was never in doubt about what my parents believed, but I also knew they loved me.”. MARCH 14, 2015 . Six months after his baptism, Christofferson retired early from his job as an investment banker and moved West, while his partner bought another house in Connecticut. When he was 15, Elder Christofferson’s family moved to Somerset, New Jersey, after his father accepted a veterinarian position in New Brunswick, according to lds.org. Tom Christofferson has a message for Mormon parents of gay children: You don’t have to choose between your offspring and your church. “I worry that straight members will use this book to comfort themselves that the church is just fine with respect to LGBTQ people, and that we thereby [can] avoid reflection about our own actions and policies.”, Some Mormons will “misuse this book,” Evans fears, “as some sort of weapon against gay members.”, They may point to the apostle’s brother and say, “See? In the meantime, he advises Mormon parents and families to accept the reality of their gay children’s lives and choices. Go to their weddings. And that concerns some readers. Now as a member in full fellowship, he has shared his story in a desire to … Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Tom Christofferson, gay brother of Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Believing that his attraction to men meant he no longer could be a participating Mormon, Christofferson asked to be excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “I wanted to be in a place and with a group of people where I could explore the meaning and purpose of life,” he continues in the book, “where I could investigate and consider the answers to the quandaries of my experiences.”. Daniel Woodruff: “Members of the LDS Church have been watching this too, around the the country, and it brings up the question as they’re dealing with these issues, maybe within their families, they’re trying to understand how maybe religious freedom applies to them within the church. Also see other collected talks . wheatandtares.org In the interview transcript, posted on the WheatandTares.org blog , … Sharing the Message of the Restoration and the Resurrection April 2020. For his part, the author hopes his book has value beyond the message about gays. “I stepped out at intermission and called him back,” Tom … I know and admire Tom. Two years ago, in January, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke to the leaders of the Church around the world, both men and women. | LDS Newsroom Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ explains handbook changes in an interview with Michael Otterson, Managing Director, Church Public Affairs. “They simply made space.”. “I think many people are.”. Skip to comments. As the former Mormon continued to attend, he sensed a spiritual awakening he hadn’t known for a long time. “The wonderful Saints who made [a] place in their hearts and on their pews year after year never demanded that my progress or repentance be visible to them,” he writes. Tom Christofferson is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who experiences same sex attraction. Which is how he argues all Christians should respond. David Checketts, the pro sports mogul and then an LDS stake president overseeing a group of congregations in Connecticut, met with the partner to explain why returning to the Mormon fold meant so much to Christofferson. (MP3 audio available) (related video)I offer you a warm greeting on this cold January day. On occasion, Christofferson’s partner tagged along. “I was never in doubt about what my … He is also the brother of Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. That realization also, however, convinced him that his secret would somehow disconnect him from the God he was discovering in his Mormon life. “His partner was/is a wonderful, talented and kind man,” Larson writes. President Ballard, who turned 91 earlier this month, was joined by fellow apostle, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and his wife, Katherine. “I was stunned,” the gay Mormon writes. The Christofferson family’s approach to the situation is a pattern for other families with gay children. Currently, he is the ninth most senior apostle in the church. Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during a news conference at the Conference Center, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2015, in Salt Lake City. Tom shares the story of voluntary excommunication from the LDS Church in order to live his life as a gay man—a life that included a fulfilling relationship with a partner and acceptance from his family including brother D. Todd Christofferson—Apostle in the LDS Church. “I’m a happy gay Mormon,” said Christofferson, brother of Mormon apostle D. Todd Christofferson, in an interview with 2News. “They know us. Elder Christofferson’s talk. He picked the church. For more than two decades, he lived as a gay man, eventually settling into a monogamous relationship with an idealistic doctor he met in San Francisco. Christofferson, the 60-year-old gay brother of LDS apostle D. Todd Christofferson, says his parents followed neither course. “It hurts, but I’m still trying to understand.”. I am not going to back away from you in any way.”. It broke his partner’s heart and created some distance between the partner and the church. ... brother or sister, uncle, aunt, or dear friend. Elder D. Todd Christofferson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 5, 2008. “I was stunned,” the gay Mormon writes. Ultimately, that is precisely what happened. “I didn’t need instructions on how to respond to anyone who sincerely and humbly wanted to join with us to worship,” Larson writes in an email from Hong Kong, where he now lives. Above, left to right: Todd with his parents and brother Greg (right) in 1948; the Christofferson brothers—Tim, Todd, Greg, Tom, and Wade—with their grandfather Helge Swensen, in 1964; Todd at approximately six years old. That certainly was Christofferson’s experience in the New Canaan ward, and it is Larson’s view as well. “This is a story of love for him and his partner and love between those two men, whom I respect and understand,” the former stake president says now. He told the others to do the sa… I also admire his brother D. Todd Christofferson, who is one of the Twelve Apostles in the Mormon Church. "What strikes me is to see the progress of the Church here,” said Elder Christofferson, referring to early events in Church history in New England. The marriage was annulled after a short while, and he broke the news to his parents. In the meantime, he advises Mormon parents and families to accept the reality of their gay children’s lives and choices. Christofferson had a brother in California who voted for it, the partner complained. Elder D. Todd Christofferson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 5, 2008. “It is a message about how to genuinely and lovingly make someone feel welcome in the gospel who may have had a different life’s path than you did — or who just might be different than you.” Ultimately, that is precisely what happened. Because the LDS Church teaches that being gay is not a sin, but acting on it is, some Mormon parents decide that, to be faithful, they have to reject their kids in same-sex relationships. It was Larson who performed Christofferson’s rebaptism in October 2014, leaning him down until he was fully immersed in water, then gently guiding him back up — a new man. Tom Christofferson is the brother of the LDS apostle D. Todd Christofferson. Maybe it will prompt more Latter-day Saints to ask for more knowledge, he says, and prophets to ask more questions. Elder Christofferson talks about joy of the Saints that comes from three sources: the joy of keeping Christ’s commandments; ... You may wish to review this Ensign article about Brother Rushton – It’s Good to be Alive. They went to the candy section and stared at the delicious chocolate bars. Their son was gay. Feb 17, 2019 - Explore Debi Shannon's board "Quotes - 12 - D Todd Christofferson", followed by 366 people on Pinterest. It has been an unpredictable odyssey, full of twists and turns, to arrive at this place of peace, he says in his just-published book, “That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon’s Perspective on Faith & Family.”. (Jed Wells | LDS Living) Tom Christofferson, author of "That We May Be One". “What an important opportunity [a wedding] can be to increase family unity, to show pure love, and to solidify relationships,” he writes. Finally, the gay former missionary approached the congregation’s bishop to introduce himself and ask if he would be welcome. The book is “very moving...and affirmed my faith,” Salt Lake City attorney Steve Evans writes in a forthcoming review for the Mormon blog By Common Consent. Faith and family closeness were entwined, each incomplete without the other, he says in an interview. The spirituality he had found in his faith. All the Christoffersons were there, including his apostle-brother, who performed the ritual laying on of hands to confer the Holy Spirit. D. Todd Christofferson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when this commencement address was given on 22 April 2010. Tom Christofferson has written a book called That We May Be One: A Gay Mormon’s Perspective On Faith and Family , and Deseret Book has published it. Christofferson describes two kinds of Mormons — temple participants and chapel attendees. Brian Dillman and Jerilyn Pool posted a podcast today at Rational Faiths that included an interview with Tom. Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “It hurts, but I’m still trying to understand.”. Don’t condone sin. I am honored to share a few thoughts on the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Still, the ever-optimistic Mormon hoped he and his partner could continue their “emotional relationship,” after giving up a physical one. Christofferson tried both, but ultimately made an agonizing decision. It was Larson who performed Christofferson’s rebaptism in October 2014, leaning him down until he was fully immersed in water, then gently guiding him back up — a new man. Be happy for their happiness. Then, one of the boys pilfered a bar, shoving it in his pocket. “The wonderful Saints who made [a] place in their hearts and on their pews year after year never demanded that my progress or repentance be visible to them,” he writes. You know, stick to their standards. Tom Christofferson has a message for Mormon parents of gay children: You don’t have to choose between your offspring and your church. Why can’t you be happy like he is?”, For many LGBTQ individuals, the blogger says, “the church is not a hospitable place, and things will not work out for them the way they did for Christofferson.”. Christofferson’s partner — whom Tom still loves — freed the Latter-day Saint from their mutual commitment, saying he should do what was best for him. All Christofferson’s brothers read the manuscript before it was published, including the one in the Quorum of the Twelve. Elder D. Todd Christofferson. Christofferson, the 60-year-old gay brother of LDS apostle D. Todd Christofferson, says his parents followed neither course. Because the LDS Church teaches that being gay is not a sin, but acting on it is, some Mormon parents decide that, to be faithful, they have to reject their kids in same-sex relationships. The book is “very moving...and affirmed my faith,” Salt Lake City attorney Steve Evans writes in a forthcoming review for the Mormon blog By Common Consent. The whole podcast is great, please click over to hear the words… At the time Meg and Jake met Tom he was an excommunicated gay Mormon man living in a committed relationship. It broke his partner’s heart and created some distance between the partner and the church. The spirituality he had found in his faith. On NPR's RadioWest show with Doug Fabrizio, Tom shared a little of his story as a Mormon, a brother of Elder D. Todd Christofferson, and a gay man. Why can’t you be happy like he is?”, For many LGBTQ individuals, the blogger says, “the church is not a hospitable place, and things will not work out for them the way they did for Christofferson.”. No matter how much Tom Christofferson protests that the book covers only his experience, the author’s connection to a top LDS leader and the volume’s publisher, church-owned Deseret Book, make it, to some, quasi-official and give it more weight than other works. 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