The Church's traditional view of sexuality – which does not define persons by their attractions – presents a fuller vision of human identity and life, he said. Taken alongside other teachings on suffering and chastity more broadly, this vision for sexuality leads to true happiness for all persons, including those who experience same-sex attractions.
His writings have gained the support of Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles and Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, who wrote the foreword for the book and mentioned his support for the book in a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.
Mattson encouraged those who experience same-sex attractions, along with their family and friends, to have faith in the Church and the Gospel. "Have confidence that the Church is the place for all of (your) loved ones, on any teaching on these issues of such contention these days," he said. "It's the source where we're going to find freedom and true joy. We really have to believe that chastity is the Good News."
He also encouraged people with loved ones experiencing these attractions "to journey along with them, accompany them in love." He advised family to "listen to their story" before talking about morality. "Trust that God, in the fullness of time, is going to bring this person back, but equip yourself with good ways to talk about the Church's teaching as Good News and trust that God will give the opportunity and give you that chance to help bring them home."
Mattson explained that he wrote the book as a way of making sense of his own experiences with same-sex attraction, and questions he had when he was younger. "Hopefully it will help some other people who love God and want to follow him," he offered.
He said that, in his experience, the modern way of talking about sexuality in which people are considered as either "gay" or "straight" misses the context the Church provides, which looks at a person as a whole. The same element of Church teaching which deals with sexuality also says "that we all have challenges to growth," Mattson explained. "Well, this is a challenge to growth for me, but the Catechism tells me what to do and the Church is there to guide me, just like everyone else."