A sex therapist in Utah who has publicly challenged her faith’s policies on sexuality has been kicked out of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following a disciplinary hearing.
Natasha Helfer received a letter Wednesday from a regional church official explaining the reasons for her removal from the Salt Lake City-based church, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. Helfer was disciplined by church leaders in Kansas, where she lived before moving to Utah in 2019.
‘After carefully and prayerfully considering this matter,’ the letter states, ‘it was the decision of the council to withdraw your church membership in response to conduct contrary to the law and order of the church.’
Helfer shared the letter on Facebook. Church spokesman Eric Hawkins said that, based on the letter, regional church leaders’ decision was not related to her private practice as a therapist.
As the letter shared by Ms. Helfer indicates, the decision of the local leaders was based on her public, repeated opposition to the church, church leaders and the doctrine of the church, including our doctrine on the nature of the family and on moral issues,’ Hawkins said in a statement.
Helfer has been outspoken on sexual issues and supports same-sex marriage, counsels that masturbation is not a sin and says pornography should not be treated as an addiction. She had said that she hoped to remain in the church.
The story was originally reported by The Washington Post.
Helfer told the Tribune that she was asked to leave her disciplinary hearing before it began on Sunday because she refused to turn off her phone, which contained her notes.
‘It is common for participants to be asked to turn off technology (including cell phones) or leave it outside the room, as was the case with this council,’ Hawkins said. ‘All but one of the participants complied with that request and had brought their statements in writing.’
Church members are taught not to have sex before marriage, engage in passionate kissing, touch another person’s private parts or arouse ’emotions in your own body’ that are supposed to be reserved for marriage, under its teachings. Homosexual relations also are forbidden even if a person is married or in a relationship.
Helfer did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment.
Her ouster means she’ll be leaving a religion she’s been a member of since she was 5 years old.
While not a lifelong ban, the withdrawal of a person’s membership by church leaders amounts to the harshest punishment available for a member of the faith. These ousters used to be called excommunication before the faith changed the terminology last year to ‘withdrawal of church membership.’
People in this category can’t go inside temples where members are married and other ordinances such as baptisms for dead relatives are performed.
Sam Young, a man who led a campaign criticising the church’s practice of allowing one-on-one interviews of youth by lay leaders that sometimes included sexual questions, was kicked out of the church in 2018. Kate Kelly, founder of a group pushing for women to be allowed in the religion’s lay clergy, was excommunicated in 2014.
The sex therapist who lost her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last week, won’t go out without a fight. She has appealed the church’s decision.
A day after receiving a letter explaining the reasons for her removal from her former stake (regional) president in Kansas, where she lived before moving to Utah in 2019, Helfer sent in her own letter — an appeal addressed to President Russell M. Nelson and members of the governing First Presidency.
In the appeal, which was shared in a Facebook post, Helfer said: “I am sad that the council decided to proceed not only without me being able to personally share my thoughts in my defense, but also without being willing to meet with the 6 witnesses that had been approved prior to the council.”
In a recent interview with FOX 13, Helfer said she doesn’t regret anything, and that she will continue her therapy practice.
Helfer supports same-sex marriage, counsels that masturbation is not a sin, and insists that viewing pornography should not be treated as an addiction. Hundreds of members of the therapeutic community support Helfer’s professional work, saying it is in line with current mental health practices. They also warned that withdrawing her church membership could “create a culture of stigma and shame” and prevent clients from seeking therapy.
“The only time I am critical of the church and its leaders and doctrine is when I see harm as a mental health professional,” Helfer told FOX 13.
The case is still pending.
