One Voice

It appears I'm now a once a semester blogger. Good grief! So much has been happening. It's been an amazing semester and I've learned so much. I'm LOVING school again and have been given an opportunity to open a bakery even. Granted it's running from my home and only in operation for about six weeks, but I'm learning. I attended Time Out for Women and Whitney Johnson talked about dating our dreams. She shared about her dreams of becoming a singer. Instead of dropping everything else in her life to go to music school she took a few voice lessons. She said that she wanted to date singing, but singing didn't want to date her. So, I feel like I'm dating "professional" baking (nothing is swaying my feeling of personal baking). It seems to like me but I'm not sure I'm ready to pursue a long term relationship with "professional" baking. It's a truly great experience and I'm grateful to be having it.

But really, that's not what is on my mind tonight (though it is what is in my stomach...next business project I'm taking up dog walking). Recently The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) updated a policy on membership eligibility for children of parents in same gender relationships. I'm not here to open any can of worms, or to debate, or anything like that. I will say that I choose to follow the prophet, end of story. He is in direct communication with a loving Heavenly Father who is aware of each and every one of us. I don't understand all of the reasons, and it isn't something I have to confront personally day in and day out, but some of that is why it's called faith. The thought I continue to have is that there IS a loving Heavenly Father who knows EVERYTHING. While it may be "just" an update to policy, what's to say there aren't changes coming elsewhere in this messed up world that this type of policy may protect. That's just food for thought, something I'm mulling over as the days pass and I continue to see the many outbursts of friends on social media who feel hurt, betrayed, or rejected. It reminds me of Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk "Stay In the Boat and Hold On". The Church is the boat and Christ is our captain. We don't have to understand everything that happens, but we can pray for peace, we can pray for strength in the knowledge and testimony that we DO currently have. That testimony will be strengthened as we continue to exercise faith where we stand.

The second thing I've observed and that has rubbed me the wrong way is another blog I've read. This post isn't meant to attack anyone so there will be no names used, it's strictly my observation and opinion. This LDS (Mormon) blogger shared their very strong feelings on this same issue and received a lot of backlash from the rest of the blogging world. This person made a great point...this was their opinion on their site. The feedback was brutal and unkind. It hurt me that people feel that the anonymity of the internet somehow removes the need for kindness, love, and understanding. We obviously don't all have to agree, that's the beauty of it, but there should always be respect. I expect people to respect my position in support President Thomas S. Monson as the Lord's prophet on the earth today and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a whole, just as much as I expect to respect their decisions and beliefs. In this particular instance I do have a differing opinion of the post I read, but I respect this person's right to their stance and appreciate the open honesty they feel to share.

In the meantime, I will continue to follow the prophet, love and respect all of my friends, and strive to be a disciple of Christ. I have much work to do on the latter but I will do my best every day. I'm one voice, one simple voice, but I will be heard even in my small corner of the internet.