Love
Seeing things from the point of view of the other guy (or church, or government, or political party, or LGBTQ group) doesn’t mean we have to totally agree with them, convert, and join their side, but it does give Christlike love a fighting chance in this world.
Line upon line, God taught me to be more comfortable with my queerness. Then, one miraculous day, I was ready to learn the greatest truth of all about my queerness.
Conversations are happening now that would have been unimaginable a decade ago, but the sense of urgency is real among gay and lesbian Mormons to have other church members and leaders find love, understanding, and acceptance within church doctrine, policy, and culture.
Loving ourselves as we are is the path of happiness that we must follow. We all have divine potential, and if we look beyond our imperfections, we will know that we are truly perfect as we are.
To those in our LGBTQ community: we see you. You are worthy. You are loved. You know who you are and we validate you!
I feel distant, but at the same time not, from the church. I feel far away in the physical sense, not knowing sometimes how to introduce my husband, but close because I am with my Heavenly Father, and being close to Him unites me with the church and unifies my marriage.
I wish that they would understand that my desire is simple. I want to serve in the Gospel and I want to love someone like me. Why is it so difficult for them to understand?
What does it really mean to bridle your passions? Is it merely avoiding what is preached as things you “shall not” do, or is there perhaps another way of bridling our passions that is more meaningful than staying away from the things we’re told we’ve been taught we shouldn’t do?
Getting married to a man was hard for my family, but they were really great. I invited all my siblings and even some of my extended family. That being said, I was selective about who I invited. I didn’t feel the need to invite people that I didn’t feel particularly close to or people that I felt wouldn’t be supportive or happy on the day. My parents were still on the fence about things a bit, I think, but they were willing to come to support me and now they love my husband a lot.