David Archuleta recently announced that he identifies as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, but added that he does “still believe in God and his gospel plan.”
“I’ve tried for almost 20 years to try and change myself until I realized God made me how I am for a purpose,” he wrote. “And instead of hating what I have considered wrong I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it’s not just sexuality,” he added.
In a post on Facebook and Twitter, Archuleta invited people to extend more understanding and compassion with things that perhaps we don’t fully understand.
“We can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between being LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith. For me to find peace the reality has been to accept both are real things I experience and make who I am. I’ve yet to figure out what that means but I appreciate you listening to this personal matter.”
“You can be part of the LGBTQIA+ community,” Archuleta wrote, “and still believe in God and his gospel plan.”
One Archuleta fan, Israel Trejo created a painting that he posted on social media to express his acceptance and support of one of his musical idols.
We thought it was a beautiful depiction of the way the Savior feels for David, and how he feels for all of us as well.
You can read David Archuleta’s full statement below. I love what he emphasized, that few do, when says this: You can be part of the LGBTQIA+ community and still believe in God and His gospel plan.
I like to keep to myself but also thought this was important to share because I know so many other people from religious upbringings feel the same way. I’ve been open to myself and my close family for some years now that I am not sure about my own sexuality.
I came out in 2014 as gay to my family. But then I had similar feelings for both genders, so maybe a spectrum of bisexual. Then, I also have learned I don’t have too much sexual desires and urges as most people which works I guess because I have a commitment to save myself until marriage. Which people call asexual when they don’t experience sexual urges. There are people experiencing the same feelings of being LGBTQIA+, (I know thats a lot of letters that a lot of people don’t understand, but there are a lot of unique experiences people feel and live that make them feel isolated and alone that are represented) who are wrestling to follow their beliefs that are so important to them, just as I have. idk what to make of it and I don’t have all the answers.
I just invite you to please consider making room to be more understanding and compassionate to those who are LGBTQIA+, and those who are a part of that community and trying to find that balance with their faith which also is a huge part of their identity like myself.
I think we can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith. There are more than you may realize going through that wrestle after all the misunderstandings that come with it. I don’t think it should come down to feeling you have to accept one or the other. For me to find peace the reality has been to accept both are real things I experience and make who I am. I’ve yet to figure out what that means but I appreciate you listening to this personal matter. Again, I don’t feel comfortable sharing it, but felt I needed to bring more awareness to people in my same situation and let you know you’re not alone.
You can be part of the LGBTQIA+ community and still believe in God and His gospel plan. For people who don’t really understand how feelings outside of just being heterosexual can be possible and ok. I just plead that you be more understanding to people who experience and struggle with things that you may not experience and understand yourself. I’ve tried for almost 20 years to try and change myself until I realized God made me how I am for a purpose. And instead of hating what I have considered wrong, I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it’s not just sexuality.
So many other traits of who I am come from how I’ve been created. If other people choose to live differently than what you’ve been raised to believe is right, please have compassion because it’s most likely been an exhausting journey for them to be ok with the feelings they have and never have been able to change. I don’t know if they weren’t supposed to try and change the way they were created to be.
Even if you’re left with so many more questions with faith and sexuality like me I believe being open to both questions and to faith is how we receive answers. God blesses those who ask. So let’s keep asking and seeking, and having compassion and patience. Thank you for listening.
🙏❤️ sharing my thoughts pic.twitter.com/NELz0Ufc10
— David Archuleta (@DavidArchie) June 12, 2021
Rainey Burchette
Thursday 17th of June 2021
I've read that there are lots of factors that contribute to this phenomenon that only a very small percentage experience. Here are a few of them: Diet because certain foods excrete male and female hormones. Friends who influence one to try it out. Family as some parents may have wanted a boy and got a girl and that girl was treated like a boy. Sexually assaulted or molested at a young age. Feelings of rejection and non-love by parents. And last but not least, Satan's influence. What the Apostle Paul taught when he sought the Savior's help to overcome his weakness was meant for all of us. That if we will faithfully humble ourselves unto the Lord and ask for His help, we too will know what the Savior said: "My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness." 2-Corinthians 12:9. We know that there was only one that was perfect. The rest of us are to strive to be like Him, "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:13. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:47. It's hard to believe that God would create some of His children with feelings of same sex attraction and then give a commandment against acting upon it But we don't know. Maybe God did give SSA to test certain ones to see if they would choose Him instead of the arm of the flesh. Yet, He says, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither ...effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind." 1-Corinthians 6:9. "Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind; it is an abomination." Leviticus 18:22. "...women did change the natural use into that which is against nature; And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman burned in their lust one toward another ; men with men...." Romans 1:26-27. And to those who did choose the arm of the flesh "God...gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves." Romans 1:24. We're all like peas in a pod - we all have weaknesses due to the fact that instead of perfection, we have the "natural man" tendencies like selfishness, pride and carnality that Satan tempts. And if Satan could tempt Jesus into doubting Himself to be the Son of God, he could tempt man into doubting his gender. So while Jesus was weak and hungry from fasting 40 days, Satan said, "...If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." Matthew 4:3. And Jesus answered and said, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4. So Jesus said, "Search the scriptures for they are they which testify of me." John 5:39, for if we don't, Jesus said, "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God." Matthew 22:29. It would be good to remember each other in our prayers and respect each other for the battle of weaknesses we all are experiencing. We don't want to glorify same gender attraction as Satan has been doing through the LGBT Activist groups because God says "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil...." Isaiah 5:20. If we're keeping the first Great Commandment to Love God with all our hearts, (serve and obey, repent when we don't and thank Him for everything), our hearts will be filled with His love; then, we can keep the second Great commandment to love one another, including ourselves. "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? "...Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law." Matthew 22:36-40. I believe the prophets meant that if we can keep the two Great commandments then we can keep all the rest and won't be judging and finding fault with each other's weaknesses but praying for them. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Barbara Jenkinson
Sunday 20th of June 2021
@Rainey Burchette,
I do appreciate your sentiments regarding this issue. What came to my mind when I heard of David's dilemma was the question, 'Who told thee that thou wast naked?' The Lord put this into my mind years ago when I was thinking something not in harmony with the truth. It is a question we can adapt to the various circumstances we find ourselves in throughout our lives. If it is not in harmony with the gospel, it is not right for us. Learning to control our thoughts is a very good plan. I had a major problem with this when I first joined the church. I mentioned to one of the missionary elders who taught me. He told me of the counsel of church leaders to learn one of the hymns and sing it to myself when I have a thought that is not right. He went on to say he had sang the whole hymn book. A joke of comfort to me as a new member, I think. I added to his idea, I sang 'O My Father, my favourite hymn at the time, then each night I would repent of any evil thoughts that day and pray for help to overcome the problem. It took some time, maybe two years, but my mind became so clean I could show anyone around it and not be ashamed. I did get fed up with 'O My Father' though! Of course since then a negative or evil thought has crept in from time to time but I repent daily and read my scriptures and honour the covenants I have made. Importantly, I stay well away from sexy music, literature, TV programmes or films. I avoid conversations with foul mouthed people. It can be done. The promises are worth it.
Helen Anderson
Friday 18th of June 2021
@Rainey Burchette, Well said It would be so much more helpful for people that struggle with LGBQ issues to get help instead of telling them it's how God designed them. Something like Alcohol Anonymous would be a great service.