“The Wage of Sin is Death”: Anti-queer violence in Mormonism

Nephi preparing to cut off Laban's head, an illustration for the Book of Mormon

On Sunday June 12, 2022, thirty-one white men as members of a U.S. American white nationalist and neo-fascist hate group called Patriot Front loaded up their weapons, shields, and selves into a Uhaul to go terrorize a northern Idaho Pride event. Six of these men are from Utah and ten of them are said to be Mormon. 

In 2014, the second leading cause of death in Utah for people 10 to 24 was suicide, which is higher than the national average.

LGBTQ youth are at least three times more likely than heterosexual youth to attempt suicide and about four times more likely to make a medically serious suicide attempt. At least 40% of the 5,000 youth who are unsheltered in Utah are LGBTQ and 60% from Mormon homes.

Some folks "wonder" if the history of anti-queer violence in Utah and Mormonism has influenced these young men who travelled to Idaho to commit hate-based anti-queer violence. I don't. I know that Mormonism is a deep source of anti-queer murderous rhetoric. And as a Lafferty brother from "Under the Banner of Heaven" says, the religion, "breeds dangerous men."

At the beginning of the Book of Mormon, the main character, Nephi, is commanded by God to murder a leader named Laban. Nephi is told by God, "Behold the Lord slayeth the wicked to bring forth his righteous purposes. It is better that one man should perish than that a nation should dwindle and perish in unbelief." Thus, from the very beginning of Mormondom murder has been an acceptable practice when done in the preservation of righteousness, like protecting the world from the gay agenda and the "national suicide" Mormon leaders teach will come from "one generation of homosexual marriages."

Jacob Smith on Twitter claims that "Maybe if you’d really pay attention to the talks given and the doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints you would know that there isn’t any anti gay doctrine."

Well, I also read through some talks and found a lot of anti-LGBTQIA2s doctrine. And much of it encourages suicide, physical violence, and murder against queer people. 

Here's a timeline of anti-queer openly violent rhetoric from this church (including some anti-queer "national suicide" fear mongering which directly aligns with "white genocide" rhetoric from white-nationalist groups like Patriot Front and Mormon anti-queer activists like Ayla "Wife with a Purpose" Stewart & the DezNat folks:

“Illicit intercourse shall be punished with death.” Future Prophet, George Q. Cannon, 1857

The only way to stop homosexuality, this "filthy…nameless crime," was through “the destruction of those who practice them … if a little nest of them were left ... they would soon corrupt others" - Mormon President George Q. Cannon, 1897 General Conference, 

“I would like to hear a little more musket fire (against queers) from this temple of learning.” - Apostle Jeffery R. Holland to BYU faculty in 2021

“For homosexuality, (the Old Testament punishment) was death." - J. Reuben Clark 1957 Gen Con.

“Sexual sins are ‘most abominable above all sins save it be the shedding of innocent blood or denying the Holy Ghost.’ (Alma 39:5)”

"Better dead clean, than alive unclean.”  

“Many (a) faithful Latter-day Saint parent…has sent (a child) into the world with the direction: ‘I would rather have you come back in a pine box with your virtue than return alive without it’”

 - Bruce R. McConkie, “Mormon Doctrine,” 1958

"Molesters, rapists, killers, homosexuals ... are emotionally sick and disabled creatures. ... They are waiting. They are hunting. They are seeking .... The deviates prowl that jungle." - Apostle Mark E. Peterson, Church specialist on homosexuality, Deseret News editorial, 1961

“There are moves… to ease up on…homosexuals and other deviates…This is one of the greatest evidences of apostasy of mankind…They which commit such things are worthy of death.” - Apostle Mark E. Peterson, Gen Con, 1965

“We are constantly pressured to understand and help murderers, rapists, thieves and now the 'poor, sick, misunderstood homosexual.' ... The believers of the Bible know what the Bible has to say of homosexuals, and that it states the penalty is death for this act." - Deseret News, letter to the editor, 1966

“Homosexuality was made a capital crime in the Bible (Lev. 20:13) and the wage of sin is death. (Romans 6:23).”- Apostle Mark E. Peterson, Church Specialist on Homosexuality, Gen Con 1969.

“The glorious thing to remember is that [homosexuality] is curable … How can you say the door cannot be opened until your knuckles are bloody, till your head is bruised, till your muscles are sore? ... Your virtue is worth more than your life . . . preserve your virtue even if you lose your lives.” - Miracle of Forgiveness, Spencer W. Kimball, 1969

From 1971-1980, BYU President Dallin H. Oaks had security spying on BYU students which led to many queer student deaths by suicide.

After a missionary told Apostle Packer that he’d punched his companion who was coming on to him, Packer said: “Well, thanks. Somebody had to do it, and it wouldn’t be well for a General Authority to solve the problem that way…You must protect yourself … Boys are to become men—masculine, manly men” - To Young Men Only, Boyd K Packer, 1976 Gen Con

“We see evil and crime and carnality covering the earth. Liars and thieves and adulterers and homosexuals and murderers scarcely seek to hide their abominations.” Apostle Bruce R. McConkie, 1980 Gen Con.

“Families are under a more serious attack today than at any time since the beginning of the world, with the possible exception of the days of Noah, because of birth control, abortion, and sterilzation, as well as homosexuality.” - Gen Authority Hartman Rector Jr., 1981 Gen Con.

“Today we are aware of great problems in our society. The most obvious are sexual promiscuity, homosexuality, drug abuse, alcoholism, vandalism, pornography, and violence.” - Ezra Taft Benson, 1982 Gen Con

"One generation of homosexual 'marriages' would depopulate a nation, and, if sufficiently widespread, would extinguish its people. Our marriage laws should not abet national suicide." - Apostle Dallin H. Oaks 1984

The AIDS epidemic is “a plague fueled by a vocal few who exhibit greater concern for civil rights than for public health, a plague abetted by the immoral … Where is Wisdom?” - Current Mormon Prophet Russell M. Nelson, 1992 Gen Con

The three main dangers facing the church are “the gay-lesbian movement, the feminist movement,... and so-called scholars or intectuals.” - Apostle Boyd K. Packer, 1993

"Homosexual activity is a serious sin … sexual sins are more serious than any other sins except murder and denying the Holy Ghost” - Mormon Church, True to the Faith, 2004

“Evil that used to be localized and covered like a boil is now legalized and paraded like a banner.” - Apostle Dallin H. Oaks 2004

“As a Family Law professor concerned about the dangers of legalizing same-sex marriage, I sometimes feel like Moishe the Beadle” who tried to warn his people of the dangers of Nazis, but “they refused to listen.” - BYU Law professor Lynn D. Wardle, 2007 World Congress of Families in Warsaw, Poland.


"Others may not be free [of same-gender attraction] in this life" but "our bodies, feelings, and desires will be perfected in the next life so that every one of God’s children may find joy in a family." - "God Loveth His Children,” 2007 official church publication

In 2009, current Prophet Russell M. Nelson warned of the dangers of “national suicide” as a result of marriage equality at the fifth World Congress of Families conference.

“I know that the history of the church is not to seek apologies of to give them.” - Apostle Dallin H. Oaks in an in interview In January 2015 

"Less than a year ago, right here in Washington, DC, my friend killed himself. He was Mormon and gay. You've gone on record that the church does not give apologies. Does religious freedom absolve you from responsibility in the gay Mormon suicide crisis?" asked Andrew Evans.
"That's a question that will be answered on judgment day. I will be accountable to a higher authority for that." Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, 2016.

“We are confronted by a culture of evil…(including the) phenomenon of lesbian, gay, and transgender lifestyles and values.” - President Dallin H. Oaks, 2019 BYU-Hawaii devotional

“I would like to hear a little more musket fire (against queers) from this temple of learning.” - Apostle Jeffery R. Holland to BYU faculty in 2021 

Days later BYU students drew pro-LGBTQ chalk art on the corner of campus and another BYU student poured water on the chalk and told onlookers "faggots go to hell".

​In 2021, Hank Smith, BYU religion professor called a gay BYU student Korihor on twitter. Korihor is a Book of Mormon anti-Christ prophet who was punished for his “wickedness,” by losing his speech and then trampled to death. The gay student then received death threats from others, but there was no public action against the professor by BYU.