thoughts on faith

I have faith that spring will come, and the snow will melt. Is it hard to have this faith when it just keeps snowing? Sometimes. Inevitable, every April there is a snow storm that comes to test my faith, but I know that the sun will come. I’ve lived through many northern Utah winters, and I’ve seen the blossoms that come even after the bleakest of days.

Faith isn’t something you simply obtain and will never leave. Faith is like a muscle; it needs to be constantly tried. If you aren’t working on building your faith it is dwindling. Luckily we have some tips on how we can exercise our faith and help increase it.

Hearing and following the words of God

Faith comes by hearing the word of God. We hear the word of God from living prophets, by the power of the Holy Ghost, and from searching the word of God in the scriptures. We must ponder and meditate upon the scriptures. In studying and searching the word of God, we gain faith.The world has a hard time with the idea of a living prophet on the earth. They are like the people in the great and spacious building in Lehi’s dream. We need to make sure we aren’t the men and women that Lehi saw who partook of the fruit, then left because those mocking them made them feel ashamed.

In a worldwide leadership training meeting, President Hinckley said:“No one need tell you that we are living in a very difficult season in the history of the world. Standards are dropping everywhere. Nothing seems to be sacred anymore.“… I do not know that things were worse in the times of Sodom and Gomorrah. … I think our Father must weep as He looks down upon His wayward sons and daughters.”“We must not give up. We must not become discouraged. We must never surrender to the forces of evil. … If it means standing alone, we must do it.“But we shall not be alone.”

President Harold B. Lee taught: “The only safety we have as members of this church is to … give heed to the words and commandments that the Lord shall give through His prophet. There will be some things that take patience and faith. You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may contradict your [personal] views. It may contradict your social views. It may interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; … and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory’ (D&C 21:6).

Through the last couple of years I have noticed that it is harder for members of the LDS church to sit on the fence. I have seen friends of mine who were fence sitters that have slipped to the other side either from the pressure of the world. We know the winning side. We need to gather the faith to stay on the right side of the fence no matter what others say. We need a strong testimony of the relationship of prophets and God. How we get that testimony and increase our faith is to immerse ourselves in the word of God through current prophets and those of the past.

Elder Robert D. Hales explained, “We know there was a war in heaven over the plan of salvation, so it is not surprising that the religious principles that have been taught in this, the last dispensation, are attacked with malignant ferocity.”

Fasting and prayer

A couple weeks ago my 14 year old sister-in-law went to receive her patriarchal blessing. She had prepared herself and knew the importance of this blessing. She fasted all day before her blessing in the evening to prepare herself spiritually. When she went to receive her blessing the Patriarch mentioned to her that he knew she was spiritually prepared because he felt the spirit so strongly hours before her appointment. She received a beautiful and very specific blessing.

President Gordon B. Hinckley stated, “If there is any one thing you and I need in this world is faith, that dynamic, powerful, marvelous element by which, as Paul declared, the very worlds were framed… Faith -- the kind of faith that moves one to get on his knees and plead with the Lord and then get on his feet and go to work -- is an asset beyond compare, even in the acquisition of secular knowledge”

Base decisions off of your testimony

As life progresses we are given decisions that need to be made. Some are simple, others are more complex. Some only affect us, other can affect many. Some you need to make alone, some you need to involve other in the decision at hand. Having a strong testimony and a deep faith in God can make even the most difficult decisions a little easier.

Elder Robert D. Hales shared the following story:

"When I was 15 years old, I realized the significance of a testimony of the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and the Savior and how it affects our choices.

My brother, Joe, was 20 years old. It was during the Korean conflict, and only one young man in each ward could go on a mission. The others had to be available to be drafted into the military. A young man in our ward had gone on a mission early in the year; my brother’s birthday was in September, so he didn’t think he would get the opportunity to serve a mission.

Our stake president called my brother in and told him that one of the wards had not used its allotment and he might be able to go. Missionaries were called at 20 years of age in those days, and my brother had just filled out his application to medical school. He was a good student. My father, who was not active in the Church, had made financial preparations to help him with medical school and was disappointed when he learned of the conversation with the stake president. My father counseled Joe not to go and suggested that he could do more good by going to medical school.

This was a big issue in our family. That night my brother and I talked about the choice. He was five years older, so it was mainly his thinking. As we reasoned it out, we concluded: If Jesus Christ was a great man but not divine, if Joseph Smith was a wonderful teacher but not a prophet, or if the Book of Mormon had wonderful counsel but was not the word of God, then Dad was right—it would be better to go to medical school. But if Jesus Christ is divine, if Joseph Smith is a prophet, and if the Book of Mormon is the word of God, then it would be more important to accept the call and proclaim the gospel.

That night, more than ever before, I wanted to know the answers to these questions. I had always believed in the divinity of Jesus Christ. I believed in Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, but I wanted confirmation from the Lord. That night, as I prayed, the Spirit bore witness to my soul of the Savior and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. My brother received the same witness and made the choice to serve a mission. Incidentally, when my brother returned from his mission, he went to medical school. When I reached my 20th birthday, my father was happy to see me serve a mission."

Having a deep knowledge of the gospel and faith in the plan of salvation can help you decide what is most important in life. Decisions that once seemed important can seem trivial when put in an eternal perspective.

Humility

All spiritual growth begins with humility. Humility is having and understanding our relationship to God the Father and Jesus Christ and our dependence upon Them. They are the objects upon which our faith rests, the figures in whom our faith is centered.

Almost exactly one year ago I was down in St. George with Ellie visiting my family. Jeremy was working, and was planning on meeting up with us on the weekend. That Thursday evening, around midnight, I received a call from Jeremy. He explained to me that our 24 year old brother-in-law had suddenly passed away. He left behind Jeremy’s 25 year old sister. This was a really hard time for our family. We had a lot of unanswered questions. We had a lot of anger. We had a lot of despair. My faith never wavered, however. Even though I had no idea why Mitch had to leave Brittany and the rest of us, I never doubted for a second that it would be okay. I knew it wouldn’t be quick, and I knew it wouldn’t be painless, but I knew everything would sort itself out. My faith in God and in the plan of salvation has grown by leaps and bounds this last year. No one asks for trials, but you better believe that you can become a better person if you humble yourself and let God into your life. I read in a book recently, “If life is a bowl full of cherries, ask for a wolf to knock at your door.” I don’t think anyone can look back at their trials and say, “If I could pick the trial to go through, that definitely would have been it,” but I guarantee if you look back at your trials you will notice insight, strength, blessings that you wouldn’t trade for anything.

Pres. Ezra Taft Benson once stated: “Now let me describe to you what faith in Jesus Christ means. Faith in Him is more than mere acknowledgement that He lives. It is more than professing belief. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him. As God, He has infinite power, intelligence, and love. There is no human problem beyond His capacity to solve. Because He descended below all things, He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties.”

Russell M. Nelson exclaimed, “Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested. The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution." That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.”

We are to a point in our lives that we need faith. We need strong testimonies. We need to constantly work on our heavenly relationships. Through the word of God, prayer and fasting, our testimonies, and humility we can increase our faith in God.

refugee aid

Photo credit

News and social media feeds are filled with articles about refugees. It's hard to separate the truth from farce. The truth: refugees need help. I would hate it if others assumed that I am a bad person because I come from a country where there are bad people.

"Imagine leaving behind your home and all of your belongings to seek safety and shelter for you and your surviving loved ones. Imagine running from somewhere to nowhere. Imagine surviving shootings, bombings, torture, and starvation for months or years. Millions of refugees do this every year. Less than half of one percent of refugees are granted refugee status which allows them an opportunity to begin a new life."

There are many ways we can help. You can help financially or just with your time. There are many who would like to help, but don't know where to start. Two resources you can look into are the app Serve Refugees and the website I Was a Stranger. Both resources will give you information on what refugees have been going through and what is happening with them now. They will also give suggestions on how you can help.

Serve Refugees is an app that gives you information on how to serve or employ refugees. The service opportunities range from educating yourself, serving refugees, or giving to them. Some opportunities only take fifteen minutes of your time. I love how this app is set up. If you want, you can even earn points to get entered to win prizes. Here are some of the ways you can make a difference using the Serve Refugees app:

1. Watch informative videos
2. Intern with Utah Refugee Connection
3. Attend a CCS family mentor meeting
4. Tutor refugee children
5. Sponsor or Volunteer with a Burmese Refugee Scout Troop
6. Teach basic sewing skills to refugees
7. Order items off of an Amazon registry list for refugees
8. Create bathroom or cleaning kits
9. Donate new bedding, car seats, washers and dryers, clothing, bus passes, and athletic equipment
10. Become a friend to a refugee family

I Was a Stranger is a website created by the LDS Church. It contains informative articles and videos, and also has ideas for helping refugees. The videos are well-made and very informative. In addition, there are examples of how others are helping.  You can post your own stories of refugee relief on social media with #iwasastranger for a chance to be featured.

I personally have gained a testimony of the importance of helping. I wanted to find a way to keep giving and helping, so I decided to donate 10% of all purchases in my Etsy shop. I use the money to complete projects for the refugees, or donate the money to organizations focused to help in refugee aid. I have loved the opportunity to help in even a small way.

how are you making a difference in the world?

Before I had Elle I was an elementary school teacher. It was the most rewarding and challenging job I have ever had. I loved teaching and I loved the students. I hated the hoops and all the people I had to please. I had to please the parents, the principal, the district, the state, and the list went on and on. Let's focus on what I loved. I loved seeing students light up when they finally caught on to a math concept. I loved seeing the pride in a child when they moved up a reading level. I loved seeing the surprise on a girl's face when she received 100% on a spelling test for the first time.

I loved the challenge of building a relationship with students that have been down on their luck for years -- who were known as the "bad kid". I have story after story of challenging students, and the transformation they had throughout the school year. I can testify that the children that are the hardest to love truly are the ones that need it the most. I also can attest to the fact that once you have earned their trust they will stay by your side forever. There are some students that will always have a piece of my heart. I won't ever forget them. I can't possibly forget them. They have helped make me who I am today. I never thought I could say that about nine and ten-year-olds, but it is true.

Although I am no longer a teacher, my influence on children remains. I have an influence on my own child, and hopefully future children. I have the opportunity to teach them how to be good people. I can show them the importance of integrity. I can prove to them that nothing feels better than honest, hard work. I can help them see that fairness doesn't necessarily mean equality. I can be an example of sympathy and kind-heartedness. I'm not a perfect parent, not will I ever be, but you better believe that I will try my hardest. The world needs that.

what was your childhood dream?

First thing that came to mind when I saw this question was the game M.A.S.H. that I played all.the.time growing up. You know the one:

M.A.S.H.

Occupation
Dentist
Lawyer
Teacher
Plumber

Car
Infinity QX80
1950's Chevy Truck
Jeep Wrangler
School Bus

Husband
George Clooney
Harrison Ford
Jake Gyllenhaal
Mr. Bean

Number of Kids
2
3
4
25

City I Live In
Paris
New York
Los Angeles
Bunkerville

Pet
Dog
Cat
Fish
Porcupine

I had Google randomly pick a number between 1 and 10, here are my results: I live in a shack in Los Angeles with Jake Gyllenhaal. We have 4 kids and a pet fish. I drive my Infinity to my dental office everyday for work. Thank you lucky number seven!

Seriously though, as a kid I didn't have one huge dream that I held onto forever. I was pretty flippant. I guess the most stable wish I had for my future was that I would marry and have kids. I wanted to be like my mom. Heck, I still want to be like my mom. I know I did toss around the idea of being a dentist, lawyer, teacher, and orthodontist. None of them stuck for a long period of time though.

I would love to hear your childhood dreams, and your M.A.S.H. stories. Nothing is more realistic than M.A.S.H. results.

what challenge do you want to overcome?

I have learned that I have very little self-control. Do you want to watch another 4 hours of Netflix even though you shouldn't? Sure! Do you want to eat that brownie even though you ate half the brownie batter while it was cooking? Sure! Do you want to sleep an extra 10 minutes instead of showering? Absolutely! I've learned that being a stay-at-home mom makes it even worse. I don't really have anyone to answer to. I mean, I have Mister, but he is so understanding and kind that he wouldn't judge me even if he knew how.

It's really easy for me to watch an extra show or two, or double-tap a million more pictures on Instagram while Elle is playing nicely instead of cleaning up the kitchen or vacuuming. This challenge has been hard for me to overcome because I don't have anyone around during the day to cheer me on, or nudge me in the right direction. It is just me and my limited self-control. I know it isn't going to happen overnight, but I need to come up with some benchmarks to help me see improvement. If I don't see improvement I give up on most things pretty easily.

I'm opening myself up here. If any of you have any suggestions for me I would love to hear them!

what would you do if you were not afraid?

Immature, late bloomer, loud, obnoxious, impulsive, overweight... I grew up with these labels. As an adult I am scared of what others think of me. First impressions terrify me; they matter a lot to humans. I prefer sitting at home and being with my family, mostly because I love spending time with my family, also because social situations give me anxiety. I hate small talk. I fail at it every time. Unless I am talking to a person that is great at carrying conversation, the chatting dies fairly quickly.

A lot of my friends have told me that when they first met me they thought I was full of myself. I am very talkative and animated when I am in a familiar crowd, but stick in a stranger and my lips are sealed. Many perceive this as me thinking that I am too good for them, when in reality I am terrified of what they might think of me.

I am fully aware that this is something I need to work on. I am missing out on a lot of great relationships because of my self-consciousness. I am making progress though. Little by little, I am accepting myself for who I am. It helps that I have a great husband. Mister hates it when I put myself down. It has made me really think about what I say. My friends help me too. It helps to know that people like me for who I am. I like being surrounded by people who know my weaknesses and love me anyway - there is nothing my empowering.

what risk are you happy that you took?

My final year of college I had a choice to finish like the majority - student teaching, teacher work sample, Praxis tests, and graduation - or I could do an internship. With an internship I would teach my final semester of school; skip student teaching (since I would already be teaching); finish college classes, my teacher work sample, and pass the Praxis test while teaching full-time; and graduate from college halfway through the elementary school year. I decided pretty quickly that an internship sounded too difficult so I would go the normal route, and do my student teaching.

A couple weeks after my decision my friend Chelci told me that they were doing teaching internship interviews in northern Utah. She told me I should apply. I laughed at her. If I didn't think I could handle doing an internship while being close to home, what made me think I could do it across the state from my family? The more I thought about it, the more I felt I should try, so I applied to intern up north. I figured my odds were pretty low since they had never selected anyone from my college before for this particular internship.

Much to my surprise, I received a phone call days later from a principal that was interested in interviewing me for an intern position. I didn't know what to do. It happened so fast. I agreed to a phone interview that would happen in a few more days. The next day I was telling one of my professors about the opportunity I had to interview for the internship. She wisely suggested that if there was any way that I could get up north and interview in person, that I should do it. It just turned out that my friend Chelci had a teaching interview up north the same day that the face-to-face intern interviews were happening. We ended up carpooling up north together for our interviews.

I still remember the shock on my dad's face when he asked why I was packing, and I explained to him about the interview. Days earlier I wasn't even considering an internship. I was a mess during the interview. I stumbled through the questions and tried to use as much "teacher lingo" as  I could. I thought I had completely blew it. What were the odds that they would pick someone like me from a very small college when they could get any student they wanted from the bigger universities up north? Believe it or not, I received a phone call a few days later from a principal at a school in Spanish Fork offering me a job as a 4th grade intern at his elementary school. It was so surreal.

I was so nervous. I had next to no teaching experience on  my own, and I was moving to an area where I knew no one. This would be my first time living away from home. What was I getting myself into? I'm not going to lie, it was a hard year. When I look back to any photos taken of me that year I had dark circles under my eyes, my hair was in desperate need of a haircut, and none of my clothes fit me from a dramatic weight-loss. I couldn't afford to go home and visit my family, and I'm pretty sure I was one step away from a complete nervous breakdown.

Although this internship taught me a lot, and opened up a lot of doors in my career for me, that isn't why I am glad I took the risk. I very much believe that if it weren't for that internship I wouldn't have moved to northern Utah, and if I wouldn't have moved up north I wouldn't have met the love of my life. It took me a couple of years to meet him, but Mister just lived up the street from me. Talk about a blessing in disguise.

skipping the small talk, and getting straight to business

I love watching Ted Talks on YouTube. I feel renewed in a different way with every one I watch. Recently I stumbled across a Ted Talk about talking big instead of using small talk with those around us. Essentially she spoke on how we could get to know anyone better if we ask more meaningful questions. I am terrible at small talk. I always get awkward and run out of things to say, like I have a certain script to follow, and once the script has been rehearsed I'm out of ideas.

For the new year I want to take the time to get to know myself better, and it turn, allowing you to get to know me better as well. I'm really good at putting up walls and barriers. I shut myself out to avoid getting hurt. In January, the walls com down. That could be a good or bad thing. Hopefully I don't get too up close and personal, but I won't apologize for any of it. Welcome 2017!

celebrating the holidays in style

The holidays are so fun with a kiddo. I love that Elle is old enough to get excited about stuff. She loves "San-sa", Christmas lights, and snowmen. Earlier this month it snowed pretty good, and it wasn't bitter cold outside, so Elle and I built a snowman. The snow was perfect for building snowmen - wet and sticky. It didn't stay cold for long, but our snowman held on pretty well.

Elle loved that snowman. Every time we ran errands Elle would say, "Bye no-man" as we drove away. Our Frosty just kept leaning further and further. He never tipped over though. One day it rained, and the rain dissolved him. Elle was pretty sad that day. We were at church, and on the walk home she saw her melted buddy, "Aw, no-man...". It was a pretty sad day.

The gingerbread house was a much bigger hit than the gingerbread cookies. Elle loved eating the frosting and candy. Eventually she caught on to the whole decorating part, and stuck on a few "cannies" of her own.

That's a pretty good looking gingerbread house if I do say so myself. I was lazy and bought a kit at Target. It worked out great. It was nice not to have to make the frosting and buy a bunch of candy.

After asking around, I heard that Riverwoods and Trolley Square have the best Santas, and that you can take your own pictures. We decided to make it a night and go to Trolley Square and hit up Temple Square after to see the lights. Elle wasn't so sure about Santa even though I tried to prep her the best I could. We even FaceTimed Santa a few time earlier that day, but it didn't work. Even with the candy cane offering she wanted nothing to do with him.  Maybe next year, Santa.

 

Temple Square was a hit. That picture isn't the best quality, but it shows the joy that was on Elle's face the entire time. She loved the lights. It was definitely worth the 1.5 hour drive up to Salt Lake (twice as long as it should have taken).

It really is a sight to see. This was my second time seeing the lights, and it is breathtaking every time. We were really lucky with weather, too. The temperature was in the 50's, and since it was threatening rain it wasn't incredibly busy either.

It ended up being a pretty late night, but we had a lot of fun together as a family. We are home-bodies, and don't get out much. Every time we have a night like this, though, I wish we would fight our laziness and get out more.

project life: how to make a scrapbook page on your phone

Yesterday I mentioned my love for the Project Life app. It is my favorite way to document my family photos. I wanted to do a follow up post showing how simple it is to use. I will be showing you screenshots from my IOS phone. I'm not sure if they have an app for Android devices, but I know they are working on it.

When you open the app you will have the option to make a collage, create a page, look at your past projects, ask a question, or order prints. In this post will will be focusing on the blue quadrant, making a page.

The first thing you will need to do is pick a layout and a color pallet. To choose a color pallet, tap on the button at the top left (with three horizontal lines). You can also change the color of the background of your page.

When you tap on a square in the layout you have the option of placing a picture or a filler/journal card. The photo button will take you directly to your phone's photo gallery.

The filler card button will bring you to the card kits you have. You will receive a few free ones automatically, and the rest average between $0.99 to $1.99.  You do not need to use the same kit for each filler card on a page. You can mix and match if you would like.

The journaling card will give you the option to add text. You can manipulate the text in various ways. You can change the text color, font, size, line spacing, vertical offset, and justification.

Once your page is completed it will automatically save to the app. One danger to this is that if you lose the app, you lose your pages. Knowing this, you will most likely want to back up your pages on your computer or other cloud device. When you are ready, you can either choose to print through Project Life, or export the image and send it to another printing company. As of now, Project Life charges $1.99 for each 12x12 page with a flat $5.00 shipping fee. I love this new way to scrapbook. It has been a serious game changer for me. If you have any more questions on the Project Life app they have a bunch of tutorial videos on YouTube.

life, death, & tender mercies

Let me tell you a little bit about my brother-in-law, Mitch. Mitch was an amazing man. He was so kind, generous, and smart. He was willing to do anything for anyone. He, on multiple occasions, helped fix our computers, babysit at a moment's notice, and made us laugh. He was such a good uncle. He was one of the first to make Ellie laugh. I remember when he was dating Brittany and he wanted to use our garage to build her a sailboat. Who does that? Mitch does that. Mitch always made me feel like a culinary genius. His favorite meal that I made was my homemade Cafe Rio, and he could never get enough of the cilantro lime rice. He kept Brittany in line, yet couldn't get enough of her. He was the best.

On February 25th, I was in St. George visiting family. I had been there all week and Jeremy was supposed to come down the next day after work to spend the weekend with us and drive Ellie and me home on Sunday. Thursday night I called Jeremy before I went to bed to say goodnight. He was having fun with his brother Jake, so our conversation was short because I didn't want to keep him. At midnight my phone woke me up. It was Jeremy. He was at the hospital. He told me that Mitch and Brittany went to the gym earlier that night and when they got home Mitch was having some pain in his lungs. He started pacing while Brittany found him some pain meds. The next thing she knew he called out for her and collapsed. He never woke again. He was 24. Brittany is 25 years old and a widow.

I couldn't sleep that night. I was sick to my stomach and in shock. I felt so alone. Jeremy couldn't come get me because he was with Brittany (as he should be) and I had no way home. I spent most of Friday sobbing or in denial. I finally found a way home at got back around ten o'clock that night. It felt good to be back with Jeremy. I slept much better that night. Brittany was being brave and spent the night at her house with her mom.

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is bizarre. A small part of you knows they are gone, so you constantly have an empty feeling. The rest of you doesn't want to believe it. You keep thinking that he'll be back to talk more nerd talk that is completely over your head. Every day lasts forever. You keep wanting it to end hoping that the next day will be easier. It does get a little easier, but mainly because you get more caught up in your denial.

I am so very blessed to know of God's plan. I know that I'll see Mitch again. I know he and Brittany will be reunited. I know families are forever through priesthood power. I also know that God loves my family and me. I know this through the tender mercies he has shown us.

Tender Mercy #1: Jake & Jeremy got to spend one last time with him.

Earlier that night, Mitch and Brittany came over to help Jeremy get some stuff at Home Depot with their truck. Jake came also, and they were able to spend just a little bit more time with their brother-in-law before he left them.

Tender Mercy #2: I was in St. George.

Although it was hard being away from Jeremy at a time like this, it left him distraction-free to be there for Brittany.

Tender Mercy #3: Mitch was going to BYU.

Since Mitch was attending BYU, he and Brittany lived close. This gave us the opportunity to spend more time with him. It also gave Ellie a chance to know him. Although she won't remember him when she gets older, we have plenty of videos and pictures of him with her to tell her about him when she gets older.

I am so grateful for my knowledge of God's plan. I am grateful for the sealing power of the priesthood. I am grateful for the atonement and for the opportunity we have to live again. Life is short. Sometimes you have no idea how short it can be. I plan to take advantage of every moment I can and spend it with family.

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.