God is real

I just finished reading Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. It opened my understanding of the culture she grew up in, but made me sad with her inevitable conclusion about religion in general. It also made me very much aware how without meaning to her voice could be very dangerous to religion in general. Her motives I believe are pure she wants rights for the women of the muslim culture, and I can even understand why she came to the conclusion that there is no God. In her situation I may have to. But she is wrong. There is a God, I have had experiences that I cannot deny, nor dare I. Can I share them with anyone, it depends on whether God tells me to, but even if I share them, it may not have the same impact. It is like learning Math or another language or anything. I can gain knowledge of these subjects, but unless people do the work and study themselves they could never know what I know. I am a Mormon, as most people would know us by. It does not offend me if people call me that, although we prefer the title Latter Day Saints. Why am I? Because I know it is true. That is the honest to goodness truth. There are many fallacies out there about the church, or misunderstandings, that I would love to address. In fact Christopher Hitchens does exactly that in his forward in Ayaans book. His 3 issues, polygamy, racism, and child marriage. Did the church in fact practice plural marriage. Yes, I am not ashamed of that fact. I am married to a wonderful man, but the more I pray about this practice, the more I understand about why it needed to be practiced at this time. It won't be practiced so long as it is against the law because God wishes us to obey the laws, but if the day ever came that God commanded it again, would I. Yes, because I know that he could confirm to me too that it was his will, I wouldn't have to just listen to Man. Did some people in the early days of the church possibly abuse this privilege, probably, was it always used under God's direction. Probably not. I'm sure there were people who abused it, but that doesn't make the Gospel any less true, it only makes those people imperfect, and they will have to answer to God for it. Was the church ever racist, no. Were people in the church probably. The rumor that the church was racist stems from the fact, and yes it is a fact, that at one time not all worthy male members could hold the priesthood. Why, I don't know all the reasons, but it had nothing to do with racism. If you did enough research within the church you would see that. You would see how the prophets prayed and continued to pray to ask God when it could be opened to all. You would see some of the early members in Africa patiently waiting for that day and the joy the gospel brought them. You might also see some members of the church who were indeed racist, but if you looked at the teachings of the church at our own Book of Mormon, you would see that they were not following what the church taught. What the gospel of Christ teaches. You cannot judge the church by its people who are imperfect, any more than you can judge a people by the group they belong to. You must do your own research. Part of that research is praying and asking God yourself. He will give you an answer, he answered me, why wouldn't he you. The last thing Christopher Hitchens mentioned about us, was child marriages. I honestly do not have any clue where that comes from. Perhaps he is confusing us with the polygamists today who claim to be mormons, or perhaps he is referring to people in the early days of the church because many people, not just mormons were married much younger than 18. But other than that, there is no truth to that, unless of course again there were some individuals who did it, and I can assure you they would have been disciplined properly if caught. Now why did I say her way of thinking could be dangerous to religion in general? One of her fights in Holland was to rid government funding of private religious schools, because Muslims were continuing to subject their women and children to abuse and other things that were not with Hollands own teachings. I understand this, I do. But then we get to other religions. I could see how her fight could easily lead to a way of thinking in which people believe religion suppresses people and therefore should not have rights. I could see how they could justify this in my own faith, because we do not allow homosexual marriages, women do not hold the priesthood, women are encouraged to stay at home with their children, the list could perhaps go on. But I wish to have a voice here. I am not in submission to my husband or to my prophet, what I do, I do by choice because I know it is the right thing. God himself has told me this. The priesthood is used to serve others, the grave responsibility the men hold is a sacred one. One in which at times could be a heavy burden. I know a little about what they feel, because I served a mission. I felt a huge burden on my back as I served, a desire, a load to reach everyone, in which, of course I could not do. When I was released from my mission, I felt that load leave me, I felt that burden released. Although of course I still feel a need to share with others. No I am happy where I am. I have 4 children 6 and under, and I still want more. I want more, I am not told I have to have more, in fact many women in the church choose not to. I stay at home. We have not always been in the best financial situations, but I continue to stay at home, because that is where I want and need to be. My children need me, more than the workforce. It gives me more fulfillment than anything ever could. I have a bachelors degree, I speak 2 languages, I taught school for 3 years, and none of this matters to me as much as my children do. None of this gives me the fulfillment that being a wife and mother do. I am not saying this because I am told if I don't I will go to Hell, or any other kind of submissive thought. I am saying this because it is the truth. God is Love, he can help you with anything, he can give you a desire for anything that is his will. He wants us to be happy. Now on the issue of homosexuality, I will not be popular. It is not the same thing as being black, it is not the same thing as race. God will never allow it in his kingdom. The church would get rid of all the temples before they allowed homosexual marriages in God's sacred house. I am not a bigot in saying this, nor do I support abuse, or anything else un-christ like towards homosexuals. All of us have weaknesses to over come, and all of us cannot overcome them without the power and help from God. There were times in history, look at Roman history in which children were subject to homosexual relationships with adults. Boys with Men. Is that where you want this world to go? We all have sexual desires, but all of us are in the wrong if we abuse this. Is sex good. Yes, actually it is very good. I enjoy it. But I never did it before marriage, and I am so glad. My husband did not either, and now we can truly say we are each others. We are not supposed to do just whatever we want, but we also can expect help from God if we turn to him. I cannot even begin to tell you how often God has helped me overcome things that were difficult. I felt power beyond myself. Is it my job to condemn homosexuals, or anyone for that matter. No it is not, nor will I. But I will stand for my rights as a latter day saint, and the minute I feel my rights are being infringed upon I will fight, even if it is an unpopular belief. I feel a love for all men, and a sadness when I see suffering, especially if that suffering is caused by evil behavior. I feel sad for Ayaan, because she now lives in a world in which she believes is it, and yet in her life experience I see the times when God was there with her. She just doesn't know it. He has saved her life, time and time again, because she does have a great work to do, and has done a great work. I only wish that she knew she really wasn't alone and that he really does love her.