A. Dean Byrd

Within the LDS Church

The LDS Church does not view homosexual attractions as sinful, but does teach its members to abstain from homosexual sex. It does not have an official view on the cause of homosexuality. Byrd had been prominent in defending and explaining the church's position, as well as promoting his own views. He wrote four books aimed at Latter-day Saint audiences and, in 1999, published When a Loved One Struggles with Same-Sex Attraction in the Ensign, an official church magazine. It was the first article published in one of the church's magazines giving advice on how to love people with homosexual inclinations. He was a member of the Evergreen Board of Trustees, an ex-gay organization catering to Latter-day Saints.

Byrd gave presentations and wrote several articles for the Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research dealing with homosexuality. He wrote critically of No More Goodbyes, written by Latter-day Saint author Carol Lynn Pearson, and In Quiet Desperation, a book about a Latter-day Saint man's efforts to faithfully live his religion while having same-sex attractions. In turn, his critique was criticized by other Latter-day Saint counselors, as well as by one of the book's authors, Ty Mansfield.

Death Byrd died of cancer on 4 April 2012.