God loves families

I know this post is a bit late, but I can't push the feeling away that I should write my thoughts on this topic. A few months ago the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints came out with a statement declaring that children of same gender marriages could not be baptized into the church until they are 18.  I was blindsided on social media the morning this statement went live. I kept reading status after status about how unloving the church was. I was hurt but mostly confused. Why would the church turn down members? I then came across the explanation from the church and my confusion disappeared.

Missionary work is a very big part of the LDS faith. Something that is even larger than missionary work, however, is the family unit. God wants the home to be a heaven on earth. How can you have a heaven on earth if there is strife in your home?

Many of my friends took the church's stance as one of hatred. They viewed it as God not loving the children that are raised with same sex parents. This is false. God declared this statement because of his love for his children. All of his children. He wants family units to be unified. Even if that family unit came about in a way that God doesn't approve (The agency we have on earth is another example of God's love for us. He allows us to go against his will, and loves us anyway.). God isn't saying that they aren't allowed to be apart of his church. God is saying that when they get to the age of an adult they can make their own decision and be baptized into the church if they would like.

I feel as though this statement left a lot of people questioning their testimonies and views of the church I love. It strengthened my testimony. God is constant. God is loving. God is just, but God also shows mercy. I know that there is a prophet on the earth today that speaks to God and God speaks to him. He is the mouthpiece of the Lord. Follow the prophet. He knows the way.