I was reading a friends blog the other day (if she reads this she will know who I am talking about) and she mentioned how after she has her baby she is going to try and make sure to still blog about herself and what she is thinking and feeling and how sometimes she gets bored of others blogs when they are just about the kids and pictures of them...I am one of those bloggers. I guess I mostly did it to keep family and friends up to date on Brielle since we don't get to see them often. But lately I have had a lot on my mind and not anyone to really talk to about it. I am also kind of afraid to say what I am really thinking for people to read and analyze and judge (we all do it). But I just feel so overwhelmed with my thoughts lately. There are a lot of things going on in the world today and I have an opinion. Its hard to say what you think when you know the people that are reading it...what will they think of you and what will they say?? That is why I have a hard time really saying what is going on.
--If you read the comments on this post they won't make sense because I deleted one of the subjects I was talking about. I no longer felt the way I did and I feel that it was wiser for me to just take it off. The comments do more justice than what I wrote and I just want to say thanks to my friends in helping me clear my mind and see the truth.--
Meatloaf Casserole
1 day ago
9 comments:
I absolutely agree 1000%. This has actually been on my mind a lot lately too. Us as Latter-day Saints believe in free agency, so who am I to take that away from someone else? Who am I to make the decision for them and take away any right of theirs to have that commitment?
I thought you might want to see this
http://newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage
it's a statement/article that the church came out with recently. It has a lot of information on this topic!
1st: kuddos to you for putting your thoughts out there on such a touchy subject! you're a brave woman.
2nd: i disagree. (and i say this admitting i have yet to read the above linked article, so my opinion might change when i read it). i agree that we are all God's children and have God-given agency. i agree that people are free to choose to be homosexual, and i agree that we must be just as Christlike, accepting, loving etc. of gay people as we are of straight people. however, i do not believe we need to adapt our legal system to support their sin. i look at homosexuality as the same as any other sin. it's the same as theft, adultery, lying, greed, pornography, etc. i think that giving sinners rights within their sins is taking us one stepper further from the purpose of the foundation of this country.
i have felt compassion for gay people. i have close friends who have chosen homosexuality as their lifestyle, and i really wrestled with the issue for a while. then i realized that that was satan's way of creeping in. yes, love them. but they are sinning. they are in iniquity. and sometime when loved ones are in iniquity we would rather curve the laws to soothe ours and their heartbreak because the sorrow for sin can really hurt. it really pierces not only the sinner but also those who love the sinner. but heartbreak is part of sin. and the only salve is the atonement, not a changing legal system.
boy, i'm rambling. all i really meant to say is i think legalized gay marriage is a tool of the adversary, and true happiness for these people, just like all the rest of us who wrestle with our vices, is to turn away from the sin, not embrace it.
I totally agree with Ang on reading: Marriage a Divine Institution. READ IT! Trust me on this.
I also agree with Steph.
But I must say that we don't know how strong of a temptation it can be for some people even when they know it's wrong. Every body has DIFFERENT weaknesses and we all sin. Our job is only to LOVE. not to love the sin but to love the sinner. and not to judge them or accept the sin.
In Marriage a Divine Institution, one for the things that stood out to me was when they explained what Tolerance truly means. It's AMAZING!
Tolerance in short means that we love the sinner but we don't change our values to accept or love the sin they are commiting. In our world today tolerance means we accept the sinner and their sin. but that's Satan's twist on tolerance.
In California Gay people do have rights, like common law marriage type of rights. They can go see each other in the hospital, they can have shared benefits, etc.
They shouldn't be recognized as a married couple because marriage is a divine institution set forth to bring more children into this world. That is the purpose of marriage. They can't do that together. It's not natural and it's not what Heavenly Father intended for us. It's opposite in fact and the opposite of what God wants is what Satan wants.
I have CLOSE friends and Family who have taken this upon them as their "lot" in life. They feel they have no other choice, or they no longer want to have another choice. I love them. I know that the are giving into temptaion from the devil, and that it is not what Heavenly Father wants for them, or any of us in our sins.
wow Stefani I couldn't have said it better myself. I have to say I agree with Stef 100%. By changing our system it allows them to continue that path and makes it easier for more of God's children to choose those paths. I don't think we should feel the need to reward people or protect people that choose the wrong way. It can be hard and seem hurtful but it doesn't mean we don't love those people. We want them to come back and make the right choice and by allowing it in our country it's only going to worsen the problem I think.
Heavenly Father sent his Son to atone for our sins. He also allowed us the opportunity to have free agency. He lets us choose and it must hurt him so badly to see so many go astray but he doesn't bend the rules to help us out. He loves every one of us despite our faults but he can't say come on and live with me even though you aren't living like me...does that make sense. We can show compassion and love without accepting their choices.
that's just my two cents...thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
Can I just say I have great friends and I know that our Heavenly Father loves you! I love you too! Thanks so much!
I am right there with you Brooke. It has been a HUGE issue in California. The church (prophet and apostles) have asked the members to give of their time and money to combat what is going on. With Ty's support I wrote a check giving money that we didn't have and will take years to get back; we have spent hours and hours walking the streets and neighborhoods to support the prophet and apostles. Every dime and every step has been hard. I felt the same way you did - I even cried when picking up the paperwork and assignments because I felt like I was betraying friends by participating in this cause.
However, I have come to realize that we as a society are being confused by satan and it is only going to get worse. If the church and others don't succeed in "protecting mairrage" then the teachers of California will legally have to teach that mairrage is open to anyone. If that doesn't happen now I am sure it will happen someday and like you I am very grateful to have a Heavenly Father that loves us and knows that we would need a dedicated prophet to lead us through this kind of stuff. I think I am going to follow your example and post my own thoughts on our blog. It is sad that it can be so hard to do the right thing; it is even sadder that we are watching such an issue cause members to falter. There are otherwise strong members in our ward that I think will end up leaving because of this. I hope that the example of members today will help our kids understand that although we don't like things sometimes we just have to go on faith that the prophet will always know best.
I am right there with you Brooke. It has been a HUGE issue in California. The church (prophet and apostles) have asked the members to give of their time and money to combat what is going on. With Ty's support I wrote a check giving money that we didn't have and will take years to get back; we have spent hours and hours walking the streets and neighborhoods to support the prophet and apostles. Every dime and every step has been hard. I felt the same way you did - I even cried when picking up the paperwork and assignments because I felt like I was betraying friends by participating in this cause.
However, I have come to realize that we as a society are being confused by satan and it is only going to get worse. If the church and others don't succeed in "protecting mairrage" then the teachers of California will legally have to teach that mairrage is open to anyone. If that doesn't happen now I am sure it will happen someday and like you I am very grateful to have a Heavenly Father that loves us and knows that we would need a dedicated prophet to lead us through this kind of stuff. I think I am going to follow your example and post my own thoughts on our blog. It is sad that it can be so hard to do the right thing; it is even sadder that we are watching such an issue cause members to falter. There are otherwise strong members in our ward that I think will end up leaving because of this. I hope that the example of members today will help our kids understand that although we don't like things sometimes we just have to go on faith that the prophet will always know best.
I respect you brooke for posting your ideas! For sure we don't agree with homosexuality, and we definitely do not want it to be taught in our schools alongside normal sex education, or foster children placed in homes with same-sex oriented parents.
I just think this is a hazy topic right now that will eventually lead to more pronounced problems.
So if we don't stop this issue now, it will be very hard to stop the results later.
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