This lesbian couple got divorced so they could ‘please’ God and return to church
A lesbian couple in the US have revealed how they divorced so that they could “please” God and return to the church.
In a propaganda video made for the Mormon church, Courtney and Rachelle spoke about their journey together from when they met until the day they got divorced.
Courtney grew up in a Mormon household and said that her sexuality had always caused her inner turmoil.
She explained: “I did everything I was supposed to do because I was hiding a secret, my lesbian orientation. It literally tore my soul to pieces growing up because I knew the church was true but I knew that a core piece of who I was was in direct opposition of my belief.
“Satan lived in this secret and the less I talked about it, Satan took up more space. For me, it was a life or death situation. Stay in the church and be depressed or leave and find some release.”
Related: This 12-year-old Mormon girl came out as gay to her church
She decided to leave and while she was at University she met her partner, Rachelle.
Rachelle explained that she was from a much more liberal background.
“I really felt that organised religion was negative, it shut me off to the idea,” she said.
The couple tied the knot but Courtney explained that she felt pulled back to the church after her family finally accepted her five years after her relationship with Rachelle began.
Missionaries began to visit Courtney and the couple read the book of Mormon.
Related: Mormon leader calls for acceptance of diverse sexualities
On New Years Eve 2016 the couple decided to file for divorce because they felt it was how they could “please” God.
In the damaging video which demonises LGBT+ relationships, Courtney literally sobs as she reminisces on the plans they had before returning to the church.
“We know that our Heavenly Fathers plan for us is better than our own,” she said. “The ideas that we had for our lives were so great and we gave those up because we know that our heavenly father’s plan is better.”
Rachelle added that the Chruch made her realise she was never meant to marry Courtney, just help her “return”.
“I remember knowing in that moment [before her baptism] it all came together for me. The reason I met Courtney wasn’t for us to get married, it was for us to do that together and be introduced to Gospel,” Rachelle said.
Courtney added: “And I needed you to bring me back to the Lord.”
The video has been picked up and used by a number of Mormon websites, including Mormon Hub which posts a whole slew of anti-same-sex couple videos.
The church preaches that it does not hate LGBT+ people, rather it just “condones” same-sex relationships but driving a couple to divorce for the sake of God seems to be nothing less than hateful.
