I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I attend every Sunday with my husband and four children. I've served faithfully as a missionary and in numerous callings over the years. It is hard to express how deeply disappointed I am with what my church has said and done regarding homosexuality. Please know that there are many of us who do not feel the same way as our church leaders. I have been asked how I can stay in my church after the Props and Elder Packer's comments. I ask myself the same question. I've come to the answer that if those of us who oppose the church's position on homosexuality jump ship - change will never occur. It will only be by voicing our concerns and dismay that things might be different for our children and grandchildren. The dissenting voices must come from within the church - criticism from outside the church is seen as adversity - and only makes church members more entrenched. My daughter is at BYU. While most still follow hold to the "iron rod" unquestioningly, there is a growing group who are having conversations about the issue and are gaining courage to speak out - which is far harder than any non-Mormon could understand. I am saddened by what my church has done. I'm trying to make a difference. I hope change comes.
-AW
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
Things will change as more of us stand up for the teachings of Jesus
Phyllis Barber wrote something in her essay entitled "The gift of a broken heart" which was published in Sunstone magazine #150:
“My faith is fortified by my Mormon heritage and the strength and determination of those ancestors who came before me. I am a product of what they began and insisted on creating with their ardent belief in a Kingdom of God and a United Order. These roots are my roots, and my faith is stronger because these roots have nurtured and provided a platform of belief and trust in divine guidance. I’m inspired and moved by the power of my Mormon community, in which people are striving to love with pure and open hearts; in the knowledge that I am a cell in the body of this community, even though humans sometimes struggle with what love means.” -Phyllis Barber
The last line is most important. I am sorry for the pain and anguish the church and gospel I belong to has caused my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Most people are doing what they think is right, but are making a sad error.
Things will change as more of us stand up for the teachings of Jesus and our own conscience instead of the traditions of our fathers.
Stay strong and fight the fight!
-Derec
“My faith is fortified by my Mormon heritage and the strength and determination of those ancestors who came before me. I am a product of what they began and insisted on creating with their ardent belief in a Kingdom of God and a United Order. These roots are my roots, and my faith is stronger because these roots have nurtured and provided a platform of belief and trust in divine guidance. I’m inspired and moved by the power of my Mormon community, in which people are striving to love with pure and open hearts; in the knowledge that I am a cell in the body of this community, even though humans sometimes struggle with what love means.” -Phyllis Barber
The last line is most important. I am sorry for the pain and anguish the church and gospel I belong to has caused my gay and lesbian brothers and sisters. Most people are doing what they think is right, but are making a sad error.
Things will change as more of us stand up for the teachings of Jesus and our own conscience instead of the traditions of our fathers.
Stay strong and fight the fight!
-Derec
Monday, October 11, 2010
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about hate.
I want to say I'm sorry. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not about hate. It's not about forcing anyone to live a certain way. Moral agency means we each get to choose our own path, and that means EVERYONE decides for themselves. I'm sorry that my church occasionally forgets our 11th Article of Faith: "We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege,let them worship how, where,or what they may."
-Stephanie
-Stephanie
Friday, October 8, 2010
I can't even begin to say what a painful and soul-damaging experience this has been.
I am a bisexual lifetime member of the church, who was living in CA when everything happened with Prop 8. It's easy for me to "hide", as a wife and mother with small children...and so I did. I can't even begin to say what a painful and soul-damaging experience this has been.
I lost a dear family member to Prop 8. He had come out ofter his mission, and his family had reached a sense of equilibrium...celebrating his civil union the year before. Prop 8 changed all of that. He asked his family to support his marriage, and between him and the church, they felt that it was the righteous choice to pick the church over their son.
To this day it makes me angry just thinking about it; considering how much damage was done in my family alone. It makes me sad that I felt so threatened. The things that were said to me be other members, feeling perfectly justified, were hideous. The things that family members have said to me have been equally so. It breaks my heart that I am not allowed to live and let live. I can't state the way I identify myself without a battle and condescending statements that I couldn't possibly feel the way that I do unless I have sinned.
It's been a long road for me since being bullied into voting yes on Prop 8...and I am deeply sorry for that choice. I have learned and grown, and am choosing at this point to begin to step away from the church. I can't believe the amount of guilt and shame that have been heaped on my head--when I have done nothing other then tell a few close people that I find women attractive--my heart goes out to those who have been hurt by this, both non-members, and members of the church who have not hidden the way I have.
The statements this past General Conference have been a final straw for me. It is a lie that the church is taking the same stance it always has. For years under President Hinkley the policy was encouraging members to treat *everyone* with respect. While members, of any orientation, were encouraged to remain chaste until marriage, I never saw the sort of shame that has been handed out in recent years. Going back to telling gay members that they can and should change has set the church back more then ten years. Do not believe that the policy and tone has remained the same, please, I beg you.
I can't change that vote...and I can't change the years of silence, head down, as people have said these thing from the pulpit, but in general meetings and local wards, but I can offer my deepest apology for my silence, and vote with my feet. While I can't change the beliefs of others, I have never felt the god I pray to every night condone this. Between the church and Deity...as painful as it might be...I choose Deity.
I lost a dear family member to Prop 8. He had come out ofter his mission, and his family had reached a sense of equilibrium...celebrating his civil union the year before. Prop 8 changed all of that. He asked his family to support his marriage, and between him and the church, they felt that it was the righteous choice to pick the church over their son.
To this day it makes me angry just thinking about it; considering how much damage was done in my family alone. It makes me sad that I felt so threatened. The things that were said to me be other members, feeling perfectly justified, were hideous. The things that family members have said to me have been equally so. It breaks my heart that I am not allowed to live and let live. I can't state the way I identify myself without a battle and condescending statements that I couldn't possibly feel the way that I do unless I have sinned.
It's been a long road for me since being bullied into voting yes on Prop 8...and I am deeply sorry for that choice. I have learned and grown, and am choosing at this point to begin to step away from the church. I can't believe the amount of guilt and shame that have been heaped on my head--when I have done nothing other then tell a few close people that I find women attractive--my heart goes out to those who have been hurt by this, both non-members, and members of the church who have not hidden the way I have.
The statements this past General Conference have been a final straw for me. It is a lie that the church is taking the same stance it always has. For years under President Hinkley the policy was encouraging members to treat *everyone* with respect. While members, of any orientation, were encouraged to remain chaste until marriage, I never saw the sort of shame that has been handed out in recent years. Going back to telling gay members that they can and should change has set the church back more then ten years. Do not believe that the policy and tone has remained the same, please, I beg you.
I can't change that vote...and I can't change the years of silence, head down, as people have said these thing from the pulpit, but in general meetings and local wards, but I can offer my deepest apology for my silence, and vote with my feet. While I can't change the beliefs of others, I have never felt the god I pray to every night condone this. Between the church and Deity...as painful as it might be...I choose Deity.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
We are all here to practice our free agency. To choose....
I've been a member of the LDS church all my life. I've just recently started to open my eyes to the fact that its definitely not perfect. I too disagree with Packers recent talk and the church's involvement in Prop 8. I've always been taught that the whole reason we came down to earth was to gain a physical body and practice our free agency. Why does the church feel it has the responsibility to affect someone else's choices. We are all here to practice our free agency. To choose....
-Laura
-Laura
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
I am so sorry, and ashamed for what my church has done
I am so sorry, and ashamed for what my church has done in the great state of California I have been taught most of my life in the church to try to be Christ like and kind. For a church that constantly claims it is Christian, I don’t believe it is helping its own cause with this effort to remove the civil liberties of a specific groups.
I am a former bishop from Canada. As you are likely aware, we had a similar law passed in Canada a number of years ago. My wife and I refused to sign the petition we were asked to sign in a combined PH and RS meeting. We felt that our church had enough history of bigotry and bias as to not wish to be part of it ourselves.
There is something, deep down in our soul that tells us that taking liberty away from others, no matter what the issue, is not right.
I ask the church leaders who are likely monitoring this sight one simple question. Hasn’t our own LDS history been enough filled with embarrassing examples of discrimination and bigotry that we don’t have to be the very last ones to change on this issue?
I love my Country, I am proud for its history of kindness towards its citizen's. The passage of the rights act which provides the rights for gays to marry has not destroyed our county. If anything it has helped us to learn that all the fear mongering the LDS has led us to believe on this subject is simply, out of date and wrong.
Not all church leaders agree with what Salt Lake has done on this issue, we are simply smart enough to not leave our actual name with our posts.
Sincerely ANO
I am a former bishop from Canada. As you are likely aware, we had a similar law passed in Canada a number of years ago. My wife and I refused to sign the petition we were asked to sign in a combined PH and RS meeting. We felt that our church had enough history of bigotry and bias as to not wish to be part of it ourselves.
There is something, deep down in our soul that tells us that taking liberty away from others, no matter what the issue, is not right.
I ask the church leaders who are likely monitoring this sight one simple question. Hasn’t our own LDS history been enough filled with embarrassing examples of discrimination and bigotry that we don’t have to be the very last ones to change on this issue?
I love my Country, I am proud for its history of kindness towards its citizen's. The passage of the rights act which provides the rights for gays to marry has not destroyed our county. If anything it has helped us to learn that all the fear mongering the LDS has led us to believe on this subject is simply, out of date and wrong.
Not all church leaders agree with what Salt Lake has done on this issue, we are simply smart enough to not leave our actual name with our posts.
Sincerely ANO
I'm changed, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry too. I should have said that I didn't agree. I was so shocked the church kept pressing the issue. I though it would go away but it didn't. I complained to my husband but I wish I would have tactfully stated my opposition to more people. I wasn't being authentic to my true self. Even with this, I do love the gospel. Brigham Yong said, “The greatest fear I have is that the people of this Church will accept what we say as the will of the Lord without first praying about it and getting the witness within their own hearts that what we say is the word of the Lord.” I wish I would have said something.... sorry to all my gay brothers and sisters, I love you, I'll fight for you, I'm changed, I'm sorry.
-Melanie
-Melanie
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