The other sin of Sodom

When it comes to homosexuality, the Church has been accused of having a double standard.  The Church very clearly denounces homosexual behavior and defines marriage to be "between a man and a woman" (The Family).  And yet the Church has also reached out to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) individuals, especially recently with the website mormonsandgays.org.  It saddens me when I hear about members of the Church who have come out as LGBT and were immediately shunned or ridiculed by members of their own ward; people who should have been their friends.  It saddens me because I know that's not how the Savior would treat that person, and it's not how the General Authorities of the Church have taught that they should be treated.

The Question:
How does the Church teach that LGBT individuals should be treated?

Where is the "Choice"?

For decades now, the right of a woman to have an abortion has been a hotly contested issue, and more and more lately politicians have been using it to garner votes.  The liberal media has been resorting to shameful slander in an attempt to vilify those who oppose abortion, claiming that they want to keep abortion illegal in order to keep women in subjugation.  I do not claim to know all that motivates both sides of this issue, but we are capable of observing the effects that it has on individuals and on society.  The issue of abortion raises troubling questions about how we view and value human life.  As a member of the Church, and also as a human being, I am diametrically opposed to the doctrine that a life can be ended as soon as it becomes inconvenient.  And nowhere is this doctrine more prominent than in the issue of abortion.

The Question:
"What do Mormons believe about abortion?  Is it ever justified?"

Nature: Divine or Fallen?

We as humans seem to be of varied opinions of ourselves.  To some, human beings are viewed as God's greatest creation.  To others, humans are despicable, sinful creatures.  And still others say humans are just another species of animal that through evolution and dumb luck became the dominant creature.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches that we are literally children of God, and yet even within the Church there seems to be differing ideas about humans and human nature.  On the one hand, we are God's children and as such have within us the potential to become like him.  In other words, we are said to have "divine nature."  On the other hand, we are subject to sin and imperfection, or subject to our "fallen nature."  So which is it?  Are we inherently good or bad?  And how do our instincts, evolution, and our environment play into what we are?

The Question:
"What do Mormons believe about human nature?  Are we inherently good, or evil?"