This morning, Nate Oman posted what may be the most important and consequential piece of Mormon theology I’ve read in a long time over on his Substack. In it, he explores whether and how same-sex sealings could fit in Latter-day Saint theology.
Those of you who know Nate will be unsurprised to find that it is a thoughtful, careful, insightful, empathetic, and fundamentally faithful exploration. He takes as his cue D&C 9, which both describes a stupor of thought as evidence that what we do is not aligned with God’s will and instructs us to study questions out in our mind to figure out what is right, then present our findings to the Lord for confirmation.
Nate also doesn’t let ideas off easy. While acknowledging that the church’s treatment of the LGBTQ community does not feel just or fair, he doesn’t consider that, of itself, a compelling theological argument for same-sex sealings. At the same time, he finds our assumption of “heterosexual exaltation” equally baseless.
Instead, he advocates what I will call a theology of humility. He sketches the gaps in our understanding and application of sealings both today and through church history, how those gaps undercut our easy assumptions, and why those gaps allow for same-sex sealings.
Ultimately, Nate lives by his theology of humility. While he presents his theological analysis, he acknowledges that, in the end, he does not get to make policy decisions for the church. But he makes a compelling case for why LDS doctrines of sealing and family leave plenty of space for same-sex sealings.
You should read his piece. If you missed the link above, it’s here: “A Welding Link of Some Kind”: A Minimalist Theology of Same-Sex Marriage Sealings.
(Because Nate’s Substack doesn’t have comments, you’re welcome to comment on and discuss his article in the comments here. But please read his article first. I can almost guarantee you that, whatever you assume he says, you’re wrong. Or, at least, I was. I learned a lot and was deeply edified reading it. So enjoy!)