The Alleged Mormon Gay-haters

Okay, so this post will be a fairly long rant of mine.

I've just heard too many statements lately about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it's beliefs about homosexuality.

Too many times lately I have heard "you should see how they treat gay people"
"they hate all gay people"
"they think all gay people suck"

Seriously people, for this hand we're going to exhaust the victim card PLEASE!

I just have some thoughts that I would like to clarify.

There honestly shouldn't be anything to clear up, because under divine guidance the church leaders have took the time to create a website to STOP any misconstrued idea of the church's belief on this subject. Clearly those who choose to judge the church by it's belief would rather go by ear, because it's easier to place the blame on it without actually getting the facts.

So those of you reading this blog post, gay or straight listen up because this is getting ridiculous.
The church released access to a website called www.mormonsandgays.org

Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Twelve Apostles said:

"As a church, nobody should be more loving and compassionate. Let us be at the forefront in terms of expressing love, compassion and outreach. Let’s not have families exclude or be disrespectful of those who choose a different lifestyle as a result of their feelings about their own gender."

A quote on the website at the top of the page reads:

"With love and understanding, the Church reaches out to all God’s children, including our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters."

We are commanded by Jesus Christ to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, and it is reiterated by church leadership that LOVE and UNDERSTANDING must reach out to ALL of God's children. One's interest regarding the attraction to the same-sex doesn't exclude them as part of God's eternal family, thus worthy of His infinite love.

In no part of church doctrine does it brainwash the members to treat our Gay and Lesbian brothers and sisters as outcasts, but rather instructs the members to do as Jesus would do, to love them and accept them as they are truly our brothers and sisters.

I have been a member of this church for a little over 3 years, that's plenty to have my share of Sacrament meetings, Sunday School Classes, and Priesthood instruction, and never once have we had a discussion bashing the topic of homosexuality. It is not part of the program. Never once in a General Conference has the topic been brought up in a fashion to degrade, make fun of, or point fingers.

As members of Christ's church we stand by our beliefs that marriage between man and woman is ordained of God. So shoot me for believing what I believe? But I'm not gonna slice your throat because you believe the opposite.

And just because I do believe this to be true that doesn't mean I think less of any of my gay or lesbian brothers and sisters. I have many close friends who are gays and lesbians and I still love them just as much as I did the day I met them. Their gender preference does not change them as people that I love in my eyes. They will forever be my friends regardless of the path they chose in life.

So the church teaches its members to live this principle but that doesn't mean it is always followed. Obviously there are MANY MANY MANY members of this church who have passed unrighteous judgment regarding gays and lesbians. But just as we ask the question who are they to judge? Who are we to dig out the pitchforks and torches to run them out of town? The consequences of their bad judgement will be brought upon their heads at the last day and THEY will have to stand accountable for their actions.

But this judgement is a double edged sword as not only members of the church are guilty of unrighteous judgement. It is completely and ENTIRELY unfair for ANY person to say that ALL Mormons are GAY-HATERS. That unrighteous judgement will too bring upon the consequences that it entails.

My purpose for this rant is to open everyone's eyes. Many times gays and lesbians plead for understanding, and that is only fair, but it is also fair that as Mormons we plead for understanding as well. We are all imperfect beings trying to make our way through this treacherous journey called life, all of us have our struggles and all of us want to be understood. I believe that with a LITTLE more understanding we would all be a little better off.

I would also like it to be clear that THIS Mormon (meaning myself) does in no way judge the thoughts and actions of others. As I stated before many of my close friends are gay and that is fine with me. In the end, the lifestyle they choose is theirs, as mine is my own. I make a firm and bold statement when I say that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is in NO way, shape, or form, a gay-hating church. We are members of Christ's church trying to make our way along in this life as well. Do we make errors? Do we pass unrighteous judgement? Yes, we all do but that doesn't make it the end of the world, it just makes it a stumbling block on the journey of life, let's not make it a black hole people.

Let's forgive and forget. Let's understand each other's point of view while still holding strong to what we believe, and most of all let's not lose sight of what is most important and that is that nothing is bigger than love

Love can conquer hate, love can conquer sin, love can conquer dishonesty, love can and will conquer everything in the end.

I lost my heart in Costa Rica

This video is great! It may not look like anything special to anyone else. But this place was my home for two years. I am forever grateful for the changes in me that took place in this wonderful city. I felt really nostalgic seeing these streets that I walked for 24 months. It was such a great experience to serve in such an amazing country. I will forever be amazed at the love that I felt from the Ticos and I will forever stand amazed at the faith of the members of the church. I fell in love with the city that stole my money, my backback, my scriptures and most importantly, my heart.

Worth Fighting For

trust
Firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.


So I heard something that I really liked in church on Sunday and I want to share it...

Someone in their talk shared about how while we are here on earth we only have 1 single puzzle piece to the puzzle that is our life. While on the other hand God has the entire box with the picture on it and everything.

Maybe we get a piece and we think..."I know this is what this one is" or we may say "this is how my life is supposed to be"
Often times we go to God and say "I know this is how it's supposed to be, I've figured it all out."
And like a great Father, He smiles and says "I can see why you think that way, but remember I have the box with the picture on it. I know how your life is supposed to look."

We go back and try to figure our lives out and we return again and again and again attempting to TELL God what our lives are supposed to look like. Almost as if we were trying to re-invent the already existing puzzle.

God says: "You just have to trust that I know how your life is supposed to look. I've got the picture. Just do what I ask, trust that I will help you, and one day you will know what your picture is."

Sometimes when we are putting together a puzzle we get a piece that is green and we think "this has to be this part. I just know it" and we feel great in our confidence. But when the time comes to put the piece where it goes we find it doesn't fit. That action is repeated several times until finally, after hours of hard, tedious labor the puzzle is put together.

This is a lot how life works. Many times we feel a certain way, or an opinion, a comment, or a simple word changes our entire view on life. We, with our puzzle pieces, try to change the picture that God has already created for us. We try to convince HIM, the creator of our puzzles, that this is how it's supposed to look.

That's the trick in life. Sometimes we find something that in our totally imperfect judgement seems right. But when we take the piece to God and counsel with Him, He tells us that it's not exactly what He intended for. But that is not a moment of despair, it just means that it't time to turn around and continue trying to find what our piece is.

Nothing in contrary to the picture that God has set out for us can change what He has in store. He is the creator of the puzzle, and just as we wouldn't go and contend against the makers of the little kitty puzzles and tell them they are wrong, we shouldn't counsel God and tell Him how WE think our lives are supposed to look. Isn't HE the creator of our lives?

God knows what we can become.

We were made in the image of greatness.

But the hardest part of figuring out what our potential is lies in trusting our loving Heavenly Father. Trusting that He knows what we can accomplish, He is aware of our challenges and our upsets in life, He knows us inside and out, and He would never do anything that wouldn't provide us with an eternity of happiness.

It may be frustrating when we feel a certain way about something. It may even hurt to give it up while here on the earth, but the Lord knows what He's doing. And He would never ask for change, He would never make the picture this way if He knew it wouldn't bring us everlasting happiness.

But despite how hard it may be, putting what we want in line with what God wants is the key to receiving the eternal bliss that is promised each and every one of us, and isn't that always worth fighting for?

I now stand very aware...

"Noble fatherhood gives us a glimpse of the divine..."
James E. Faust



heaven really isn't that far away...

you guys, this church has to be true...there's no other way around it.
what an amazing video about the correlation between being an earthly father and Heavenly Father. This world is our home, given to us by a loving Heavenly Father, who has provided us with so much.
Being a father is an incredible duty that I hope to uphold one day. We really have a glimpse of the divine through noble fatherhood. It gives us a greater perspective on how God feels about us, how He is constantly working to provide for us. Everything we have is for our benefit.
I'm far but close, always thinking of them.

They see so little of how it all came to be, never questioning, only trusting.

I will be their protector.

I am also a son, and while I may not understand all that He does for me,
I do know that all I am and all that I have is because He is a father to me.

SIA - breathe me

just a great song "...help
i have done it again...
i have been here many times before
hurt myself again today,
and the worst part is there's no one else to blame...
be my friend,
hold me, wrap me up,
unfold me...
i am small, and needy.
warm me up,
...and breathe me...

---ouch

i have lost myself again,
lost, myself and i am no where to be found,
yeah, i think that i might break...
lost myself again and i feel unsafe,
be my friend,
hold me, wrap me up,
unfold me...
i am small, and needy.
warm me up,
...and breathe me.