Loving the sinner but not the sin

I realize it has been over a year since I have written, I have not felt the urge until now.  I have been pondering on the great prophet Mormon, and his son Moroni.  For those unaware of who these two great men were, they are the last prophets of the Book of Mormon another testament of Jesus Christ.  They compiled everything together and sealed it up for our day, to be found by the boy Joseph in the year 1820.  The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ to be used hand in hand with the Bible, but it accounts for the people here in the Americas, the ancestors of the Native Americans. Mormon in his 16th year was asked by his people, who by this time were not a righteous people, to lead them into battle.  It is amazing to me, that these people, although not righteous could still feel the strength and love of Mormon a God-fearing boy, not much older than the prophet Joseph Smith was when he saw God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ.  At age 10, he was approached by Ammaron, the prophet at the time, and told where Ammaron would hide the records that had been kept for centuries by their people, and asked Mormon to get them when he was older, and finish the record.  At age 10, he was asked this.  At age 15 he was visited of the Lord, and tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus ( Mormon 1:15).  He was commanded not to preach anymore among his people at this young age because of the hardness of their hearts, yet he was to remain among them.  Not only did he remain among them he served them.  He took command of their armies, he prayed for them, when they sorrowed because of the blood and carnage among them he had hope that perhaps their hearts were turning and they would repent.  He never gave up hope on them.   Only when they lusted after blood, and boasted in their armies, did he refuse to lead them  (Mormon 3).  After a time though, he led them once more, when in his words "they looked upon me as though I could deliver them from their afflictions".  Mormon and his son Moroni sorrowed for their people.  No anger, lack of forgiveness, or unfair judgements were cast on them, rather they sorrowed after them.  As an example Mormon cries, "And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried;  O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord!  O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!  Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen.  But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss".  His soul was rent with anguish.  Mormon and Moroni served their people until they and Mormon had all been killed.  Moroni wrote more in the records, in hopes that the Lamanites, in whom they had been fighting would someday be converted.  I write this because it is a beautiful example of loving someone, but not giving in to their sin.  They did serve and love their people, but not once did they give in to their ways.  Not once did they declare their ways to be right.  Saying all this I bring a modern example.  Truly there are many, but I choose this one because it is the one making headlines.  Homosexuality.  How do we deal with this.  Many years back, when the state I was living in first put forth the proclamation that marriage is between a man and a woman, the liberal background I was raised in caused me to protest this in my mind, but our prophet asked us to stand for it, and so I did.  Now years later I have come to understand the wisdom in it.  People cry out, we are being bigots, we are not being Christlike, we are the sinners.   They are wrong.  I will show you.  A person close to me was at the grocery store one day, and saw a woman downtrodden, and approached her.  Speaking with her it was easy to determine that she was in a same sex relationship, and she had a child.  Also speaking with her, this person determined she needed immediate help.  This friend of mine brought her into the grocery store, and bought a huge amount of groceries for her, and then gave her 100.  The person I speak of stands for the traditional marriage.  As Mormon of old refused to lead his people when they lusted after blood, but still served them and prayed for them, we must do the same.  I do not pretend to know what people with homosexual tendencies are going through.  I do not pretend to know whether they are born with it or not, but I do know all of us are born with weaknesses that either we can overcome with the help of Jesus Christ, or we can give into them, and live in misery.  I have had great weaknesses, that I could not overcome without divine help.  It took time, trust in my God, constant prayer, and his power to do it.  Yet of course I still have more to overcome and will not achieve perfection in this life.  But step by step and through the atonement of Jesus Christ I will someday make it.  It is ok to make mistakes we all do, it is not okay to let these mistakes define who we are, and give up, that will not bring us peace, or joy in the end.  We must be willing to do it his way.  I know a life of celibacy is lonely, many heterosexual people live it as well, but God, and Christ will give you peace and the strength to continue, and perhaps in this life he will change you in such a way, that celibacy will no longer be required.  I know he can, but I also know it is in his timetable.  The one thing he promises us, is Peace in this life, and Eternal Life in the world to come.  In him literally all things are possible.  Only by turning our lives completely over to him, can we truly feel of the love he has for us, and feel his divine power.  I have felt it, I know it is real.  In conclusion, I will always love all of my brothers and sisters, I will serve them as my friend did, but I will never try to redefine God's laws.  I will stand up for what is right, always.  I can be called a bigot, and many worse things I am sure, but I know in whom I trust, and I cannot waiver from that.  

The good in us all

Today I know I must write.  The circumstances are such that I know it is time again.  I have realized that my gift is not in speaking, and in fact I fumble often with my words when I try to explain myself.  My gift is in writing.  Many events have happened that have brought me to this realization and as such it is time to explain myself.  I am often seen defending those who to most people seem to not deserve my defense.  There is a reason for this.  God has given me a gift and as I have come closer to him that gift is magnified.  In saying this I am not saying I am free of imperfections, listen to me speak and you will know that I am full of them.  The gift he has given me is the ability to see beyond the man and into the spirit.  I can see not the man that has done an awful thing, but the man that was, that still can be through the atonement, and the man that God loves.   I can see into the heart.  I can see the pathway that led a once good man, as King David was to sin so awful that they may never recover from it.  I can see the tragedy of it, and it makes me want to cry for them, not condemn them, for the world has already done that.  I know all men must be brought to justice for their sins, it is not my job to condemn them more. I also truly mourn for those in whom these people have hurt.  I also know that God can see more than any of us can, and that many of those people who have fallen so hard, might yet make it back to the celestial kingdom, and I want to be there to welcome them in.  I want to be there to show them the great joy I have knowing that they made if after all.  I want to not feel the tragedy of their fall.  I want to not mourn for young David any longer.  I want to go home and see all of my brothers and sisters in whom I know I loved before this world and in whom followed the Savior at least once as I did.  I do not want to cry for them because they are not there, I want to rejoice because they are.  I believe that if we all could see as God does just once we would never again be quick to anger, to condemn, to justify our own actions and words, to hate.  I believe we would be in a hurry to bring all men; even those in whom we feel have wronged us most; to our Savior, to healing, to peace.  We would mourn for those who continue in misery, not anger towards them.  Instead of trying to change them, we would love them, and our actions and words would show it.  Remember Mormon, a prophet in the Book of Mormon (ancient scriptures written by prophets of the inhabitants of the Americas) and how he served a people so fallen.  These people so full of anger and hatred towards one another asked Mormon, 15 at the time, to lead them in battle to protect them, perhaps they could sense his strength and love for them.  As far as we know they never did return to that God that loved them so much, but Mormon loved them anyways, and as a result did not lose his soul.  Remember the Savior, that did not condemn the woman taken in adultery.  We all know that story, but do we know the significance of it.  We are not capable as mankind to see into the hearts of men.  God only can give us that ability, and when he has we know it has come from God because of the Love that we are filled with.  The ability to love even those in whom we deem unlovable.  The ability to feel sorrow for the Ebenezer Scrooges of our time, for the abuser and the abused (who often times are both), for the drunkard, and for the murderer (remember the Lamanites, a people in the Book of Mormon, were murderous people before they were converted).  In saying all this I am not saying that these people do not need to be brought to justice, for we know that they must.  I am not saying that you need to trust these people, I am only saying that we are not God and cannot write them off, and say they are not worthy of our love and understanding.  Do we know the pathway that led them to that point.  Do we remember the day that they and us chose to follow God.  All people were good once.  David slew Goliath in great faith for the protection of his people, and later in life sent a man to his death because of lust.  All of us could fall like that, not one of us is immune.  All of us need God and the Savior to get us back, not just because of the mistakes we make, but because of the mistakes we will yet make, and the inability to change on our own.  All of us have regrets, insecurities, and a desire to be understood, loved and accepted.  All of us will fall, and require the atonement to get back up.  Never make the mistake of thinking that your sins are lesser sins, for these so called lesser sins are what lead to greater sins.  One of my favorite parts in the Book of Mormon is when the people for almost 4 generations live in peace and love towards one another and had everything common among them.  This can be us, but the change has to come from within ourselves and through the divine power of God.  It tells us in the scriptures to pray for this love.  It is a gift that God is waiting to give us.  It will only bring us to more peace and joy and closer to the veil, and closer to the face of God.

Knowing truth

I've got the strong feeling I get when I know I need to post something.  The only difference this time is I'm not sure what I'm supposed to write about yet.  My feelings are leading me to our country.  I just got done reading Left to Tell by Immaculee Illibagiza.  It was the amazing story of not only how she survived the Rwandan holocaust, but how she came to know God personally through it and as a result forgive and love inspite of everything she had been through.  For those who are unfamiliar with what happened in Rwanda in 1994, hate between two tribes was intensified by propaganda and as a result one tribe made it their goal to completely eliminate another.  This brings me to propaganda, to the media, to what is happening to our country.  People are weak, we all are.  The only way we become strong is when we lean to God for support, guidance, courage, and love.  As a result of this our weakness we will believe anything we are told sometimes, whatever it may be.  This woman's family was all killed with the exception of herself and her older brother who was studying in another country at the time.  Why?  Neighbors and friends they had had for years turned on them because propaganda told them that this good family, who dedicated their lives to God and to serving others, was preparing to wage a war against them.  We have a choice today, will we let this happen in our country.  Many may say oh this will never happen in our country, but these are the words repeated by great nations everywhere right before they fall.  Will we let media, control our emotions, and make our choices, or will we let God guide us the way we should go.  Will we become apathetic and believe we can do nothing, or will we take a stance whenever and wherever we can.  What you may ask do we need to take a stance on.  Our rights, our God-given rights, freedom of religion, speech, work, health, arms, the list goes on.  The things that are happening in our country are very subtle, and perhaps will take time before the damage can really be seen.  But it is coming.  Most importantly we cannot see each other as enemies, we must work together to protect these rights.  We all have the ability to receive direct inspiration from God about the choices we should make.  We all have the ability to remove ourselves from the hate that is being created across the world, and be filled with the love that Immaculee talks about.  God will fill us with this love, and he will guide us in our lives, and he will protect us from the weakness of our minds if we only but turn to him and knock.

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.