▁Services ▁director ▁Victor ▁Brown ▁Jr . ▁stating ▁that ▁people ▁can ▁eliminate ▁hom osex ual ▁feelings . ▁ ▁March ▁– ▁Tw enty - six - year - old ▁Cla ir ▁Har ward ▁who ▁was ▁dying ▁from ▁comp lications ▁due ▁to ▁A ID S ▁was ▁ex communic ated ▁for ▁his ▁hom osex ual ity ▁and ▁told ▁by ▁his ▁Og den , ▁Ut ah ▁bishop ▁Bruce ▁Don ▁Bow en ▁to ▁disc lose ▁the ▁ident ities ▁of ▁and ▁avoid ▁his ▁gay ▁friends , ▁and ▁b anned ▁from ▁church ▁meet ings ▁for ▁fear ▁of ▁spread ing ▁the ▁disease . ▁His ▁story ▁made ▁national ▁head lines ▁and ▁prompt ed ▁a ▁statement ▁from ▁a ▁church ▁sp ok esp erson . ▁ ▁October ▁– ▁The ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁Ez ra ▁B enson ▁announced ▁in ▁conference ▁that ▁a ▁priest hood ▁holder ▁is ▁virt uous ▁and ▁does ▁not ▁particip ate ▁in , ▁" f orn ic ation , ▁hom osex ual ▁behavior , ▁self - ab use , ▁child ▁mol est ation , ▁or ▁any ▁other ▁sexual ▁per version ." ▁ ▁October ▁– ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁published ▁an ▁article ▁on ▁A ID S ▁in ▁Ut ah ▁cit ing ▁the ▁strong ▁influence ▁that ▁M orm on ▁teach ings ▁have ▁on ▁the ▁state ▁since ▁ 6 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁were ▁M orm on . ▁The ▁article ▁stated ▁that ▁church ▁members ▁identified ▁as ▁hom osex ual ▁were ▁directed ▁by ▁the ▁church ▁to ▁marry ▁and ▁that ▁they ▁faced ▁great ▁pressure ▁not ▁to ▁acknow ledge ▁their ▁gay ▁feelings ▁often ▁leading ▁to ▁double ▁lives .