I have recently been watching videos and reading blogs and stories about members of the church who are going through what I have, in trying to find find answers about their SSA and the LDS Church. One thing I have noticed which has saddened me greatly is how cunning and deceitful Satan and the world is.
Many of the blogs I've read & the videos I have watched talk about how that person left the church because they no longer believed, or because someone persuaded them to believe that they don't need organized religion (church) or the full gospel. They believed they could pick and choose which gospel principles they could follow and which to ignore, and believed they would be fine.
I've also seen many times where a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who has an addiction, SSA, or some other habit/behavior which is contrary to what the church teaches is right, will reach a point where they justify acting on those feelings, urges, &/or addictions, and yet still call themselves faithful members of the church.
In no way am I suggesting that those people should leave the church, or that they are 'bad'. What I am stating is that the gospel is not like a salad bar. You cannot pick and choose what you want to follow and call yourself a faithful member. In other words, you cannot do it halfway, you're either in or out, for or against, active or non-active, a Latter-Day Saint or not. The gospel is the strait and narrow path to Eternal Life, you're either on it or you're not. Granted everyone's path in life is different in some way, everyone must still follow the same gospel principles. No one is an exception.
In short, if you're doing things willingly and without regret and repentance which go against what the church teaches, but you have decided it's perfectly acceptable, you are not truly converted. You cannot date, marry, or have sexual relationships with a member of the same-sex and still consider yourself a faithful Latter-Day Saint.
As stated in 3 Nephi 13:24 and Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon." (emphasis added)
I couldn't have said it better myself
So what is my position on this? Obviously I have SSA, and have struggled with it for quite some time. I had a time in my life where I was acting on those attractions, and I thought I could still be a faithful member of the church and live a gay life, but looking back on it now, I realize what a great lie that was.
The only way you can find out for yourself what is right and what is wrong is to read the scriptures, pray, listen to and read the words of the prohpets and apostles, attend church, gain a testimony, and eventually become truly converted.
I am definitely not a perfect person. I've made many mistakes in my life, and continue to mess up everyday. But there is not a doubt in my mind that acting out on homosexuality is wrong. There is no doubt in my mind that if anyone with SSA does not act on those attractions, and who repents when needed, lives their life in a way which is pleasing to God, and become truly converted, that they can receive all the glory and blessings that any heterosexual child of God could.
D&C 14:7 "And, if you keep my commandments, and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God." (emphasis added)
I love you all, and I wish you strength and truth in your journey for Eternal Life. I apologize it takes me a while to get on and write a post, life is busy busy! Stay strong and fight the good fight!
Monday, May 27, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 2013
About Me & My New Blog!
My name is Mitchell. I am making this blog to cover a rising issue that I see so much confusion, hurt, strife, contentions, and loss of faith over. I am a gay Latter-Day Saint (Mormon), but I have chosen not to act on my attractions and not to be in a homosexual relationship with another male. Too often I have seen members of the Church turn against their faith and against the leaders of the church because they feel that the church persecutes gays and/or is hypocritical or false in some way because of this.
I am here to set things straight, and that's exactly what I'm going to do on this blog! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints DOES NOT hate gays, lesbians, or bi-sexuals. "The Church’s affirmation of marriage as being between a man and a woman “neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians.”6 On the contrary, many Church leaders have spoken clearly about the love and respect with which all people are to be treated. Former Church president Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) told members who are attracted to the same sex: “Our hearts reach out to [you]. We remember you before the Lord, we sympathize with you, we regard you as our brothers and sisters.” President Boyd K. Packer affirmed, “We do not reject you. … We cannot reject you. … We will not reject you, because we love you.”Source: (http://www.lds.org/topics/same-gender-attraction?lang=eng)
Many members who are heterosexual seem to feel a need to accept and even fight for marriage equality, for gay marriage rights. I have seen it before. It saddens me because they are doing it with good intentions most often, but what they do not understand is the message they are sending not only to the world, but to gay Mormons like me. You DO NOT have to accept gay marriage to be accepting of gays.
I am here to set things straight, and that's exactly what I'm going to do on this blog! The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints DOES NOT hate gays, lesbians, or bi-sexuals. "The Church’s affirmation of marriage as being between a man and a woman “neither constitutes nor condones any kind of hostility toward gays and lesbians.”6 On the contrary, many Church leaders have spoken clearly about the love and respect with which all people are to be treated. Former Church president Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) told members who are attracted to the same sex: “Our hearts reach out to [you]. We remember you before the Lord, we sympathize with you, we regard you as our brothers and sisters.” President Boyd K. Packer affirmed, “We do not reject you. … We cannot reject you. … We will not reject you, because we love you.”Source: (http://www.lds.org/topics/same-gender-attraction?lang=eng)
Many members who are heterosexual seem to feel a need to accept and even fight for marriage equality, for gay marriage rights. I have seen it before. It saddens me because they are doing it with good intentions most often, but what they do not understand is the message they are sending not only to the world, but to gay Mormons like me. You DO NOT have to accept gay marriage to be accepting of gays.
As stated before, I am gay, however I do not support gay marriage at all, does that mean I hate gays or people with Same-Sex attraction? No! of course not! I know that gay marriage is not part of God's plan, and therefore I do not and will not support it, nor will I hate or discriminate those who believe otherwise, I will merely disagree with their decisions.
I hope that through this blog I can shed light on a subject that truly few people know the truth about because of how controversial it is. feel free to check out my first blog http://findingfaith-ldshelp.blogspot.com/ for more information. Thank you all! I love you and I know God loves you! Stay Strong and fight the good fight!
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