Wicked Thoughts Defile a Man

I know you're really strict about the homosexual-temptations-being-sinful-thing, but . . . 

The above communication came to us recently, and we would like to point out that it is the Lord who is strict about these things because he cares about the welfare of our souls. Of course there is such a thing as a dirty mind! If homosexual behaviors are wrong, so are the temptations (feelings, desires, fantasies, thought patterns) toward those behaviors. If we believe homosexual behaviors to be sinful, how can we honestly say that to think about them is not sinful? That would mean that homosexual temptations are pure and holy, which is what unrepentant gays actually believe. You see, we are dealing with wickedness here. 

But there is more. Gays are claiming their dirty mindedness as an identity, publicizing and celebrating it and demanding that all of us embrace this nonsense. This is the same as people proudly claiming, publicizing, and celebrating their adulterous temptations or their incestuous temptations or their temptations toward pedophilia as "who they are" and demanding special treatment and everybody's utmost respect. But then that is probably coming.

The questions arises, why are supposedly religious people so defensive about having to repent of wrong, bad thoughts? We should all be doing this all the time. If we care about the immortal souls of men, whether or not temptations toward wickedness are acted upon with the physical body is not the point. In fact, as C. S. Lewis put it, sins of the flesh are mere fleabites in comparison to sins of the heart. We must continually cleanse the inner vessel--by way of repentance through Christ--if we are to be fit for the presence of God.

On the subject of whether or not thoughts, feelings, desires, temptations, intents, minds, hearts, appetites, passions, etc. are of great importance and can be wicked and sinful and need repenting of, there are countless scriptures, many of them commonly well-known. We'll let the Lord speak for himself: 

Genesis 6:5 "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

1 Samuel 16:7  " . . . for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

Proverbs 15:26 "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord "

Jeremiah 4:14 "O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?" 

Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts"

 Isaiah 57:7 "their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity"

Mathew 5:27-8 (3 Nephi 12:28) "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

D&C 63:16 "And verily I say unto you, as I have said before, he that looketh on a woman to lust after her, or if any shall commit adultery in their hearts, they shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear."

Matthew 15:19-20 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts . . . these are the things which defile a man"

Matthew 23:27 "Woe unto you . . for ye are like unto the whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."

Luke 12: 34  "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

Acts 8:22 "Repent therefore of this wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee."

Romans 1: 24-32 "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts . . . unto vile affections . . . women . . . and men burned in their lust toward [one] another . . . "

2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul exorts us to: "[Cast] down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and [bring] into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ"

Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick and powerful . . . a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 

Peter 4:8  "purify your hearts ye double-minded"

2 Peter 2:9 "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations"

1 Nephi 12:17-19  "And the mists of darkness are the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost."

2 Nephi 4:17-18 "Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me."

2 Nephi 4:27 "And why should I give way to temptations, that the evil one have place in my heart to destroy my peace and afflict my soul?"

2 Nephi 9:39 "Remember, to be carnally-minded is death . . ."

3 Nephi 6:17 "And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people . . . to be carried about by the temptations of the devil"

3 Nephi 12:28-30 "whosover looketh upon a woman, to lust after her, hath committed adultery already in his heart . . . I give unto a commandment that ye suffer none of these things to enter into your heart; for it's better that you should deny yourselves of these things, wherein ye take up your cross, than that ye should be casts into hell."

Mosiah 3:2 "Oh have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified."

 Mosiah 4:30  "If ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts . . . even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish."

Alma 12: 13-14  "Then if our hearts have been hardened. . . against the word . .  then will our state be awful, for then we shall be condemned . . . and our thoughts will also condemn us; and in this awful state we shall not dare to look up to our God."

Moroni 7:48 "Wherefore . . . pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart . . . that we may purified even as he is pure."

D&C 6: 36  "Look unto to me in every thought"
D&C 38:8 "and he that is not purified shall not abide the day"
D&C 95:1  "I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation"
D&C 121:45  "let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly"

And on and on and on.

And as for the tired argument that even Jesus was tempted, thus, being tempted is not bad, we again point out that Satan did the tempting and Jesus, a perfect being, gave no heed to the temptations. Nowhere in the scriptures does Jesus entertain those temptations. In fact, Jesus summarily dismissed Satan. In open, proud, self-identified gays, we are talking about weak, rebellious human beings who indeed give great heed to their temptations, even to the point of making them public, giving them root, as the scriptures say (Luke 8:13), and actually identifying themselves by same-sex attraction, what scripture calls "vile affections." Can you imagine Jesus identifying himself by Satan's temptations for any length of time as "who he was?" Appetite-attracted or power-attracted or glory-attracted? How far we have strayed from trying to be like Jesus!

It is incredible to us that many people, especially leaders and parents, who excuse and/or celebrate a young person's desire for homosexuality, do not care that the self-determined gay person's heart and mind is filled with very mixed up and evil stuff, the likes of which cause souls to perish spiritually if not physically.

People who doubt that the embrace of temptations toward sinful behaviors is an unholy, impure, sinful, and harmful practice (that most assuredly lead to physical acts) must take it up with the Lord, not us.

"Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken. "
 2 Nephi 9:40