Firstly, entering into a gay marriage is open defiance and rebellion against God. God has established His law of chastity which states that sexual relations only occur between a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wedded. Any sexual relations other than between one man and one woman who are married to eachother is a violation of God's law. The Church takes disciplinary action on any member who violates the law of chastity in any way. Entering into a gay marriage is openly flaunting a serious violation of God's law of chastity and shows open rebellion against God and the laws of His kindgom.
Entering into a polygamous marriage is open rebellion and defiance against God as well and the same policy is applied to both situations.
None of us are perfect so how is this different from anyone who strives against some sin but falls short?
There is a difference between imperfect efforts to overcome sin and weakness and deciding to live in your sin - and then telling God and the rest of us that we must accept your sinful nature.
All of us struggle with some type of sin - often a few of them. God does not expect us to be perfect in this life, but He does expect us to do all that we can to rise above our sinful natures. "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." (2 Nephi 25:23)
God sent his Son to redeem mankind; not to leave or accept us in our lost and fallen state. God has said, "For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance" (Doctrine and Covenants 1:31) and "Wherefore, if ye have sought to do wickedly in the days of your probation, then ye are found unclean before the judgment-seat of God; and no unclean thing can dwell with God; wherefore, ye must be cast off forever." (1 Nephi 10:21)
Christ has power lift us up and pull us out of our sins. He says to us, "Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." (Moroni 10:32)
Entering into gay marriage is demanding that God, and the rest of us, accept you in your sinful nature. That is not denying yourselves of all ungodliness, that is demanding God accept sin and denying Christ's redemptive power. That is open defiance and rebellion against God.
Many people today have come to define love as "accepting me the way I am and letting me do whatever I want". That is not God's love. God's love is perfect, yet He cast one third of His children out of heaven for rebellion. Rebellion against God is dangerous ground. And God's definition of love is a little different. He said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15) So using your worldly definition of "love" to argue against this policy smacks of hypocracy. If you love God, then keep His commandments... like His law of chastity.
Secondly, if you actually believe the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ, then you know that after reaching the age of accountability (8 years old) we are responsible for our own sins. That means we are then responsible to strive to overcome them through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If you don't believe that then none of this matters and I don't know why you care if the rest of us do believe it.
It's not possible for children who are raised in a home, that is in open rebellion against God, to be taught the fullness of truth and righteousness. Actions speak louder than words; so no matter how much truth is preached in that home, the sermon of the parents' actions instills a much more powerful set of values and beliefs into a child. This is true of any home. So how could a home, that is in open rebellion against God, prepare a child to make and keep sacred, binding covenants with God?
Allowing such a child to enter into the covenant of baptism, and other such covenants, would be condemning that child. The Book of Mormon gives precedent for this exact situation. The children of Laman and Lemuel, Lehi's grandchildren, were growing up in homes that were in open rebellion and defiance towards God. Lehi knew that such a home was not capable to teaching the true gospel. Lehi left this blessing upon all of the children in those homes:
"For the Lord God hath said that: Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; and inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.
But behold, my sons and my daughters, I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.
Wherefore, if ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents." (2 Nephi 4-6)
Basically, Lehi was saying, "because your parents are in open rebellion against God, I am blessing you that God will not hold you accountable and responsible." This is showing compassion and love to the children.
Thirdly, why would any parent, who is in a gay marriage, want their children baptised into this church? Why would you want your children to join an organization that you are in open rebellion against? The answer is fairly simple. There is a grassroots movement to alter the law of the Church to accept homosexuality. People are trying to change the Church from the bottom up as though this was some political party or civic club. If you really believe in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then you believe that Jesus Christ Himself stands and the top of it. If you really believe that, then why are you trying to change Him and His laws? If you don't believe that, then why do you want anything to do with it - and why would you want your kids in it?
These people want to change God and they would use their children to turn the Church into a political circus in doing so. If you really want to talk about loving children, then lets have it out. These people want to use their children to change the Church from the inside out. What other reason could they possibly have for wanting their children to be in an organization that they themselves are openly defying and attempting to alter. That would be like me wanting Al Qaeda or ISIS to let my kids join! This policy prevents children from being used to alter and bend the Church to the sinful views of their parents.
Lastly, this all comes down to one simple issue. This policy, and this church, either comes from God or a few old, white, men in Salt Lake City. That's all there really is to this. It either comes from God or from men. It's only one of two ways. If this church is not led by Jesus Christ Himself then why be part of it? If this church has no revelatory conduit to the living God, then it's just a sham and we'd all do well to get out of it. But if it is led by Jesus Christ, the living Savior of the World, then we should all do whatever it takes to be found living within His teachings and in solid membership in His kingdom.
And there is one simple way, to come to know this one simple issue for yourself - pray. Do as James and Moroni direct, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering..." (James 1:5-6) "And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things." (Moroni 10:4-5)
In closing let me state that I know God the Father and Jesus Christ are living and eternal beings. I know, through the power and manifestation of the Holy Ghost, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is actually led and directed by Jesus Christ. None of us are perfect, yet we can be perfected in and through the power of His atonement and rise above our sinful natures as we are obedient to His commandments and live according to His teachings.
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