▁conf use ▁gender " ▁and ▁" there ▁are ▁many ▁political , ▁legal , ▁and ▁social ▁press ures ▁for ▁changes ▁that ▁conf use ▁gender ▁and ▁hom ogen ize ▁the ▁differences ▁between ▁men ▁and ▁women ". ▁ ▁October ▁– ▁Church ▁Se vent y ▁Sp encer ▁Cond ie ▁related ▁a ▁story ▁of ▁a ▁hom osex ual ▁man ' s ▁conversion ▁in ▁his ▁October ▁General ▁Conference ▁talk . ▁Cond ie ▁calls ▁hom osex ual ity ▁an ▁un clean ▁" add ict ive ▁behavior " ▁that ▁the ▁man ▁in ▁the ▁story ▁developed ▁" grad ually " ▁after ▁being ▁" int rodu ced " ▁to ▁it ▁" in ▁his ▁early ▁youth " ▁after ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁" rel ations hips " ▁which ▁brought ▁him ▁" mis ery ". ▁Later ▁the ▁man ▁read ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁M orm on , ▁experienced ▁a ▁" m ight y ▁change ▁of ▁heart ", ▁and ▁was ▁bapt ized , ▁and ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁overcome ▁his ▁" hom osex ual ▁t endencies " ▁and ▁marry ▁a ▁woman . ▁▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁– ▁Dis ci ples 2 , ▁a ▁confident ial ▁online ▁and ▁email ▁support ▁group , ▁was ▁founded . ▁It ▁operated ▁from ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁to ▁about ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁for ▁male ▁and ▁female ▁" stru gg lers " ▁st riv ing ▁to ▁follow ▁church ▁teach ings . ▁ ▁February ▁– ▁The ▁First ▁Pres iden cy ▁issued ▁a ▁statement ▁declaring ▁that ▁the ▁church ▁" opp oses ▁any ▁efforts " ▁towards ▁same - sex ▁marriage