A lecture yesterday dispelled misconceptions about Mormonism, focusing on homosexuality and homosexual urges within the Mormon community.
The lecture, "Understanding Mormon Sexuality," was led by Anthropology professor Melvyn Hammarberg at the University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
The lecture, part of the Penn Anthropology Colloquium, also covered topics such as the founding of Mormonism and present Mormon traditions.
Hammarberg aimed to fill the void left by Thomas O'Dea's The Mormons, a comprehensive study on Mormon lifestyle. The book, which dedicates a entire chapter to the theme of the Mormon family, neglects to broach the topic of sexuality, Hammarberg said.
Fifty years later, Hammarberg presented his own findings based on extensive research and personal experience, gleaned from living in Crystal Heights Second Ward, a Mormon community in Salt Lake City.
Hammarberg discussed the Latter-Day Saints' views on homosexuality and rules regarding marriage, which incited heated discussion at the lecture's conclusion.
According to Hammarberg, the Church's law of chastity shapes Mormon perspectives on sexuality, especially regarding tolerance of homosexuality.
The Church believes that "having a same-gender attraction is not a sin," he said.As a result, the Church distinguishes "sexual orientation" from "sexual behavior" in an attempt to be "as caring as possible . while holding to the law of chastity."
After the lecture's conclusion, debate among audience members - a combination of Penn students and faculty - ensued.
Attendees were reluctant to be quoted, though they discussed among themselves the implications of the law of chastity and the church's strict opposition to same-gender marriage, with members both in support of and against the Church's current position in the same-gender marriage debate.
The next event in the Anthropology Colloquium will be a discussion of archeological findings in Independence National Historical Park on Nov. 12.
