Yep! You heard it! I'm speaking at the Affirmation Conference on September 13-15 in Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm participating with one of the workshops on Saturday morning (Sept. 14) titled: Restoring Our Relationship with the Restored Church and Gospel. John Gustav-Wrathall will also be presenting, as well as a few others who have yet to be announced. I will also be featured in Daniel Parkinson's presentation, God's Affirmation, which highlights people's stories of receiving personal revelation, and inspiration of God's affirmation of our orientation, and our lifestyles.
If you have't registared for Affirmation yet, DO IT! Here's the link to the registration website.
I personally am really excited to attend the conference (it's my first one!), and obviously am humbled that John has asked me to participate. So come on out!! You won't regret it!
Ummm no thanks! I feel like if a chruch really is of God and lead by His prophet on earth, it really should be the leading voice in the world of acceptance of LGBT people and affirming the love that all of God's children are capable of. The LDS church is VERY late to the party and still very unfriendly to the gays. I also dislike how it erodes our sense of self worth by trying to make us fit into a paradigm of family that we can never fit. The chruch will accept my money and my hours of service, but it won't accept my family as a legitimate forever family. That's how I KNOW it's not true. I'll never understand why so many LGBT people are trying so hard to make nice with the Mormon church. It's like watching a sad, bruised child beg of the love and attention of his/her abusive mother. That's why I have no use for affirmation in it's current form.
ReplyDeleteCan you say something more about why you think you're making a difference in that corporate church? Why it deserves so much of your heart and soul? Just please don't tell me it's the Book of Mormon or the silly Masonic temple rituals. I really do want to understand this current trend in the Gay LDS world.
Wow... little harsh don't ya think? Especially for someone you don't know...
DeleteIt isn't just the Book of Mormon, or the covenants we make in the temple. Its everything to me. I will be the first to publically admit that the Church's current stance on the LGBT community is deplorable, hurtful, and damaging. I don't stay affiliated with the Church because I like being beat down like an abused child (which I feel like sometimes). I stay affiliated because of the relationship I have with God. I absolutely believe that the Church has room for LGBT Mormons. They just don't want to yet. A revelation WILL come... and if the brethren would open their minds to something that is different, we would have had a revelation decades ago. But their hearts and minds aren't open. So it hasn't happened yet.
I believe that I'm making a difference because I know of dozens of LGBT Mormons who want to stay in the Church... because the pure Gospel is what works for them. I'm making a difference in my ward and in my stake by coming out, and being the kick ass, awesome person that I am. This shows people that I'm exactly the same as any other member in the ward. It shows them that I'm not sinful, or devient.
Affirmation is not the twin of groups like Evergreen or Northstar. Affirmation is for LGBT Mormons (and their families) who are pursuing a healthy, eternal relationship with a member of the same sex. I would NOT participate in a group that is like Evergreen. That's why I spend time with Affirmation, because it better represents what I want my life too look like.
Hopefully this satisfies your questions.
I just want to say that I think the church has made room for LGBT's. That's what affirmation is all about. But I thought affirmation was a pit stop on the road of repentance and recovery, not a launch pad for pursuing a relationship with same sex. And if I may be so bold: if you sustain them as 'the brethren' then you know you can't receive revelation for anyone whose calling is higher than your own and you know that they are the mouthpieces for God.. And their hearts ARE open.
DeleteAffirmation has been a foe of the church fora long time. Recently is seems to be trying to work with the church. And why would Gays need a "pit stop for repentance and recovery?" Recovery from what? Repent for what? For being born with an inate attraction and ability to love someone of the same gender?
DeleteAn in my humble opinion, the "brethern" are just old guys. They're not a mouthpiece for anybody. Period. That's just silly.
I didn't mean to sound harsh in any way. Direct and pointed, yes. But not harsh. I am very curious about this. Thanks for taking the time to discuss.
ReplyDeleteI still don't get it. You can still love God and receive his love no matter what church you attend. What I heard you say is, "I just want to. That's it." As an RM and lifelong member of the church I can tell you that it has always been about TRUTH. About being the one and only true church upon the face of the earth lead by a living prophet. A church with the singular authority to act in the name of God through the Priesthood. What I think I see happening now is that many members, LGBTs included, are throwing out that singular need for truth. They make excuses for the bumblings of the brethren that show that they are not being lead by the Savior. As if they were waying, "Momma only beats me when she's had too much to drink." They turn a blind eye to our tragic church history and pretend like it doesn't matter. For me, those hard core claims to the truth were the only things that mattered. Once those fell apart, none of it mattered any more. In fact, I felt dirty staying in a church that lied and decieved in the name of God so often. A church that has abused and subjugated women and girls. A chruch that has taught hatred of black people. A church that has murdered inocents to protect their way of life. Coming to terms with my orientation opened up those truths to me. I knew the prophets were false! They couldn't teach me or the rest of the world about my divine nature and the love of my Heavenly Father for me. In fact, they taught hate and fear. Why would I reconcile and make nice with that? If this is about The Gospel of Jesus Christ, many other faiths and denominations teach and live that aspect of Christianity much better than the Mormons.
This is all very strange to me. I hope that my words will make you think about the positions you seem to be espousing, that's all. You are about to be a voice of authority to many fragile men and women looking for answers. I don't mean to instill shame or anger. It's just silly. If you have to force the brethren to have the revelation, then it's no revelation at all. Right? Thank you for your answers.
I believe that the Church IS the true Church on the Earth. It is not perfect... any Church run by anyone other than Christ will not be perfect, but I believe with an unwavering certainty, that the LDS Church has the most truth of any other faith on the earth. Now, don't interpret that as me saying that other church's don't have any truth, because that's the LAST thing I'm saying. All church's have truth. All Church's can lead their members to Christ. All Church's do good in the world (except for the Westboro Baptist Church... they just creat hate and animosity). All of the members and leaders of these church's receive inspiration from the Sprirt (whether they believe they do or not). I personally will not make excuses for the Brethren when they make statements that are far from Christlike. I will give my opinion as to why there hasn't been a revelation on homosexuality yet, however... I believe it's because the Brethren (and the majority of the membership) have their hearts so closed and cold to the idea that people who are "same-sex attracted" can have normal lives, and normal relationships. I don't want to "force" the Brethren to have a revelation... I just want them to open up their hearts to the idea that it is possible... and then the reveltion will come. President Spencer W. Kimball once said, "Revelations will probably never come unless they are desired. I think few people receive revelations while lounging on a couch... I believe most revelations would come when a man is on his tip toes, reaching as high as he can for something which he knows he needs, and then there bursts upon him the answer to his problems."
ReplyDeleteI hate how the Church leaders (GAs and local) avoid Church History like the plauge. I think it's a gross disservice to the good in the history, as well as making them look like they're hiding it. And I believe that they are. I'm actually in the middle of drafting an article about the opaque nature of Church history, and how the Church (and society) would greatly benefit from transparency.
Do I "want" to stay in the Church? Well yeah! Why else would I be working so hard on this crusade? I want to make a difference. I want to show someone the other side of the coin. I want toput out a different view, a different opinion. I want to be a beacon of hope.
Gotcha. Unwavering certainty huh? With respect, if you have unwavering certainty, then you have certainly not considered it enough. There's plenty to waver your certainty.
ReplyDeleteNonetheless, thanks for sharing more of your views. I wish you the very best in your faith, in love and in life. Enjoy the conference.
Unwavering certainty. And I have considered it enough. I consider it every day. I consider it every time I learn something new about the Gospel. You are right that there is plenty to waver my certainty... but I have not wavered... I will not waver. I stick to what I know. And what I know is that despite all the Church's human errors and flaws, I know that it is the best place for me. And that's why I'm fighting for LGBT rights in the Church... so that anyone else who feels this way in the Church will be able to come back.
ReplyDeleteThe church is true and the brethren reveal truth. It is the real deal. Joseph Smith was a prophet. If you payed attention to conference you heard that God's standard for marriage in the Plan of Salvation cannot be changed. Same-sex relationships are sinful indeed and if you are in one, you must repent to be saved. The revelations in patriarchal blessings are wonderful and ought to be cherished but are conditional upon righteousness. You won't be able to discern right from wrong if you're in the habit of wrong.
ReplyDelete