WHAT WE DO
The MBB ministry is about making every congregation welcoming to LGBTQIA+ people
The MBB community does not center itself around a single leader or organizational body; instead MBB is a movement centered around a sense of ministry and mission. It is not a formal organization and there are no formal members. The MBB ministry embraces and amplifies all thoughtful innovation and collaboration that helps LGBTQIA+ people to thrive.
FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BUILD BRIDGES
WHY WE BUILD BRIDGES
LDS Church Leadership
the following quotes inspire the Mormons Building Bridges ministry
“…the Church and its faithful members should reach out with understanding and respect to individuals who are attracted to those of the same sex or whose sexual orientation or gender identity is inconsistent with their sex at birth.”
President Dallin H. Oaks
First Presidency
“This [LGBT rights] movement arose after centuries of ridicule, persecution and even violence against homosexuals. Ultimately, most of society recognized that such treatment was simply wrong […] God is loving and merciful. His heart reaches out to all of His children equally and He expects us to treat each other with love and fairness.”
Sister Neill Marriott
former Young Women General Presidency
“We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing. Certainly, we must do better than we have done in the past so that all members feel they have a spiritual home where their brothers and sisters love them and where they have a place to worship and serve the Lord.”
President Russell Ballard
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“…we should be persons of goodwill toward all, rejecting persecution, including persecution based on race, ethnicity, religious belief or non-belief and differences in sexual orientation.”
President Dallin H. Oaks
First Presidency
“If we are truly disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we will reach out with love and understanding to all of our neighbors at all times… The Lord expects a great deal from us. Parents, please teach your children and practice yourselves the principle of inclusion of others and not exclusion because of religious, political, or cultural differences.”
President Russell Ballard
President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
“As a church, nobody should be more loving and compassionate. Let us be at the forefront in terms of expressing love, compassion and outreach.”
Elder Quentin L. Cook
Quorum of Twelve Apostles
“Our doctrine—not just belief, but doctrine—that sexual relations are only appropriate and lawful in the Lord’s eyes between man and woman legally and lawfully married is unchanged and will never change.”
Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
MBB Vision Statement
In accordance with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Mormons Building Bridges is a community of Latter-day Saints dedicated to conveying love and acceptance to all those who identify as LGBTQIA+ or same sex attracted or gender dysphoric.
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WHAT WE OFFER
Opportunities to serve!
The MBB community (that means you too) provides lots of opportunities to serve our LGBTQIA+ siblings.
Give Free Hugs
Would you like to host a “Hugging Booth” in your local Pride Festival? You can share the bridge building message by hosting an MBB Hugging Booth in Pride festivals across the country and around the world.
March in a Pride Parade
Would you like to march in your local Pride Parade with the MBB banner? You can share the bridge building message by participating in Pride parades across the country and around the world.
Contemplative Retreats
MBB hosts two Contemplative Retreats every year. They are designed to help you contemplatively approach conflicts between LDS Church teachings and LGBTQIA+ people. Each retreat covers different content; from abiding frustrations to finding resilience or managing conflicts.
Annual Academic Forum
In an address in 2017, President M. Russell Ballard identified the importance of LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints having “a spiritual home” in the church. This forum brings together academic, ecclesiastical, and community voices in a way that broadens what is too often an entrenched debate around the experience of sexual and gender minorities in the LDS church. Without minimizing the conflict or offering simplistic solutions, this annual forum invites participants to dig deep into new ways of thinking about the issue.
Community Conversations
Monthly MBB Community Conversations are open to anyone hoping to deepen their commitment to building bridges with mindfulness and personal clarity. The Community Conversations are a gathering of fellow ‘bridge builders’ to support one another in their efforts to convey love and acceptance to LGBTQIA+ people.
Online Gatherings
Anyone in the Mormons Building Bridges community around the world can gather online each month, for one hour, to hear about the success people are having building bridges in their own wards and stakes. You can tune-in to hear from people just like you, building bridges in big and small ways.
Make a Donation
Please consider contributing to the MBB ministry via PayPal to info@mormonsbuildingbridges.org
LEARN MOREINFORMATION
Learn More…
Find out more about the MBB ministry and the experiences of LGBTQIA+ people
FAQ
Find answers to the most frequently asked questions…
Glossary
Sexual orientation and gender are immensely complex and the various terminologies related to them can be very confusing. Find a complete list of definitions to help provide a clear understanding of the terms.
Trans Education
The following links to information and resources are a helpful introduction to understanding the transgender experience as well as how to make homes, congregations, and communities more safe and welcoming to transgender people.
Join the conversation on Facebook!
START BUILDING BRIDGES TODAY
Contact us
How are you building bridges?
How can the MBB community help you?