Finding My Self-Esteem in Affirmation Dominican Republic
My name is Luis Felipe Diaz. I live in San Francisco de Macoris, in the Dominican Republic. I was introduced to the Church in 2004 when missionaries knocked on my door. They had an appointment with my mother, but she was not home. Instead, I received the discussions and was baptized later that year.
Two years later, I served a full-time mission. I served in several cities and was a district leader and a zone leader. I do not regret serving Jesus Christ. If asked to serve again, I would. They were the best two years of my life.
I’ve known I was gay since I was little, but I was able to serve the Lord and was chaste. After some time, I came out to my stake president. At the conclusion of that meeting, he told me that we would need to meet with the stake council and that it was very likely I would be excommunicated. When the day for this meeting came, I did not go because the outcome seemed predetermined. When I received the letter informing me of my excommunication, I signed it. While I continued to attend church, I didn’t feel comfortable because I felt everyone knew about my ex-communication. I felt afraid.
I was introduced to Affirmation more than seven years ago through John Rodrigues, who was the first president of Affirmation Dominican Republic. Ever since I’ve attended all of Affirmation’s conferences and activities locally.
Affirmation has helped me to rebuild my self-esteem. I’m grateful for being a part of Affirmation. I am happy in my knowledge that Jesus Christ lives and that he is my Savior. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, for which I served a mission for two years, is true. I hope things will change for the better and that we can have a space in our church.
This article was submitted by an Affirmation community member. The opinions expressed are wholly those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Affirmation, our leadership, or our staff. Affirmation welcomes the submission of articles by community members in accordance with our mission, which includes promoting the understanding, acceptance, and self-determination of individuals of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and our vision for Affirmation to be a refuge to land, heal, share, and be authentic.
Thank you for being an example for us and remaining strong in your faith Luis. Having Faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not easy when we live on the “outskirts” of the Church. Like you, I too am an active excommunicated non-member of the Church. Attending Church each week is important for us. So many are lost and their voices are silenced. We need to be present and our example and our voices heard.
Our Stake President here in British Columbia Canada has begun to reach out towards those in our LGBT+ community and meets with a small group of us each month. I have faith that one day all our doubts and questions will be answered and like the pioneers of old we will hear the words of the famous Latter-day Saint Hymn….”All is Well, All is Well.” We are the modern pioneers of today.
Our faith in our Savior and His Church is a precious pearl and most valuable, but it is worth the effort. May we each have the strength to endure.