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It’s not enough to stand on the periphery and wait for God to come to you. Like Jared and the sacred stones, we have to show initiative, energy, and courage in fighting our way through the throngs to ensure our sacred encounter with God. We have to break down walls, some of which may be of our own creation.
A new podcast started last month, entitled OUT IN ZION. It attempts to deepen and enrich the conversation intersecting membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The podcast features weekly discussions, interviews, and stories exploring current events and perennial topics, from varied perspectives.
We started with a hymn and a prayer, during the meeting, we shared and discussed the mission, vision, values and principles of Affirmation. Little by little we began asking and sharing our personal experiences, which included some broken hearts that need healing and lives that need the restorative balm of love and peace of Christ. We felt a beautiful spirit of friendship and fellowship.
Comenzamos con un himno y una oración, durante la reunión, compartimos y discutimos la misión, la visión, los valores y los principios de la Afirmación. Poco a poco comenzamos a preguntar y compartir nuestras experiencias personales, que incluían algunos corazones rotos que necesitan sanidad y vidas que necesitan el bálsamo restaurador del amor y la paz de Cristo. Sentimos un bello espíritu de amistad y compañerismo.
Theme of this year’s conference is “Celebrate the Light Within,” and is a call for attendees to celebrate each person’s light and particularly, the light of Christ. Speakers will be sharing about their experiences of being LGBT and Mormon and how they found a positive, healthy and productive path forward in their lives in such a way that they have brought their talents to bear in sharing their light with others.
2015 Curriculum LGBT Considerations Priesthood/Relief Society Lesson 18: “Beware of Pride” Approximately scheduled teaching date: Sunday, September 20,2015 This lesson contains the following statements: “In the scriptures, there is no such thing as righteous pride—it is always considered a sin. Therefore, no matter how the world uses the term, we must understand how God uses…
We are a “true and living” Church (D&C 1:30), and we believe God “will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God,” (Article of Faith 9). There are many great and important “things” that have changed over the years. These may have been held back until the world was ready, or the church was ready, or we had learned other lessons first out of necessity, or other reason based on the wisdom of the Lord. The big question is for you to determine how you will apply this law within your life and your situation. What matters is that you work it out between you and the Lord.
Report on the 2015 Affirmation México Conference: One of the most moving moments was when the young man who on Friday night had shared how much he hated being gay stood up and took the microphone and shared with the group how grateful he was for the conference and how he had for years thought that God didn’t love gay people and that God wouldn’t answer his prayers. He then told us, “I learned this weekend that God does answer prayers and that I am special.” It was one of the many miracles that resulted from the weekend.
Help share the joy of the Affirmation Conference with students and the financially challenged. Our Annual Conference Scholarship Matching Fundraiser needs almost $3000 more by August 31 to reach our goal and obtain our promised matching funds! Please donate to this important cause.
“Affirmation has helped me realize that I am loved by many and by my Father in Heaven, regardless of my sexual orientation. The scholarship was a great help in coming to this realization.”