STAND UP

Friday, November 6




it's well past my bedtime but im up..


sick to my stomach


and once again cant shake the feeling and need to get my words
onto paper and HOPE AND PRAY that someone
along their way 


stops.


reads them.

and is somehow POSITIVELY influenced by what I have to say



yup.

if you have anything more advanced than a flip phone 
you've seen it


BIG NEWS for the LDS Church



BIG NEWS (with a horrible misleading title)

posted all over your facebook page that even before opening
the article sets a negative tone





I wont go into too great of detail or doctrine of what the church has announced

that is a post for another day..


but for now I want the world to know



god loves his children

every.single.one of them



let. it. be. clear.



that just because we don't accept the practices
does not mean we do not accept the parents.


we.. as LDS members believe the family

to be the most precious and important thing 


so precious that the brethren have made what I

feel to be an incredibly INSPIRED and considerate decision



a decision that helps prevent any tension

disownment or problems that may arise within the homes
of those whose parents may practice or believe
things contradictory to the church's teachings.



The Church has made this decision 


to PROTECT the family


not tear them apart. 




this is nothing new.



there are many similar situations I encountered on my mission where

muslims. spouses and children all must

obtain special permission from a leader of the church
or their family before entering the waters of baptism.



to prevent tension



to protect the individual



to PROTECT the family



this.. this is no different


 the church hopes to help children find balance and a clear understanding


to make the decision right for themselves when the time

comes and to prevent any confusion and insecurities that
may arise when they are taught one thing at home and another
in sunday school






the hate.


the name calling.


the misunderstanding.



the "unchristlike" accusations


are only the beginning of what is

breaking my heart today



---------------------------


BUT



i'm reacting and posting to voice a different concern I am seeing
all over my facebook wall today




posts from fellow members

former missionaries

soon to be missionaries

relief society presidents

members of our church who announce they are:




logging off.

shutting down.

taking a facebook fast for a while.



looking away



thats one way to handle difficult situations i suppose

but not how i will



 other people right now are doing what the world does best


they are reading

reacting

posting

sharing

spreading

hating

reposting



one day its the death of a lion

and the next day its something new

i honestly cant keep up with what we hate today





but TODAY 


RIGHT NOW


its the mormon church


its your.. faith


if not your faith then its probably some of YOUR FRIENDS


i know its tough

NOONE likes to read such hurtful things


no one wants their words to spark an argument


NOONE wants to offend or say the wrong thing





i pray that people out there will




""    pause before you post. 

think before you share

pray before you judge. 

no matter who you are or what you believe. ""






i have faith in my god and in his teachings


i know that he has a plan.. muuuuuch greater and muuuuch
more divinely inspired than ill ever understand




of most importance today i hope that we will


STAND UP


not look away when times get tough

when that spotlight gets a little brighter

when those words read a little harsher 

when those commandments become a bit more difficult
to defend and the words just don't seem to come



for all the negative. the hate and the hurt on your feed.

i challenge you


spread love

DEFEND YOUR BELIEFS

do not cower. 

do not fear.



** be aware that **


there is a difference in

battling

and defending the truth


kindly.

patiently

and lovingly.




to my friends that are directly affected by this
announcement

i love you.. 

i love you and i also know that god loves you.

that. will never change. it hasnt. and it will not


if anything.. thats all i want you to know
and to remember as you scroll through your feed today.


its that simple. 



no matter who you are or WHAT you believe



hate. arguing.

and name calling to me

is most definitely not christlike




don't believe in god?



then be a kind.


uplifting


and positive person





the world is full of enough hate


put down your stones


but most importantly



STAND UP for your beliefs



and



STAND UP for your friends


whoever they may be







13 comments:

  1. I respect your opinion. However, I disagree with your opinion. I will stand up and say "I am a woman of faith who loves God." I am a member of the LDS Church. I disagree with their policy and with your opinion. Don't assume that I lack faith because I disagree. I am faith filled. I am grace filled. I love my God. These are only opinions and we can equally STAND for our opinion with faith and courage. And I do this with love. Wishing you a beautiful day.

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  3. Thank you for this post! It was great!

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  4. I believe in God, am not LDS, but appreciate your sentiment. I really find your unabashed opinions compelling, respectful, and enlightening. I look forward to reading them! I just had to reply in disagreement.

    I go to Duke Law School, and yesterday someone wrote "death to all fags" on a gay student's' residence. As a human being, child of God, etc., I find this deplorable, ugly. As a law student, I also find this deplorable, ugly. But the latter informs me that in our country, people cannot be treated differently because of an immutable characteristic. This subordination is where racism comes from. Sexism. Homophobia. This certainly cannot occur in our country, at the omission of our government. We are a nation of wonderful freedom. We can practice our religion because we let other people practice theirs (or lack thereof) without encroaching on our quality of life and fundamental rights (or at least we should). This student should be able to live freely without shame, even if a religious person harbors such feeling towards them.

    So our huge right to freedom of religion. That is why LDS can and will, and are totally allowed to make distinctions based on immutable characteristics like homosexuality. Not that long ago people of color were not allowed into the priesthood. That is clearly racist but shrouded in religion. Now imagine a LGBT person, devout, being told that the people they share a community of faith with can excommunicate them...shun their children until age of adulthood...where do they turn to? Another case of turning children of God away. God loves all of his children, I know this. As a Catholic, I know Jesus talked x1,000 more about humility and being good to others than he did about homosexuality. Yet religions are fixated on turning homosexuals away from faith. Not admonishing greedy people. Not vain people. Not those who turn away from service. Our government is following suit. It breaks my heart. How do we reconcile this as religious young people?

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  5. You are FABULOUS. Thank you for your post, faith and strength. xx

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  6. this was amazing! and made me so happy to read. people can disagree, of course, but there needs to be respect and love. there is too much hate. i dont know you but you're amazing and i love you!

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  7. I've been following your blog since your mission! You're soooo inspiring and I admire you in many ways. Thank you for posting this, I was feeling the exact same way about seeing former missionaries abandon their beliefs. I loved your post, keep up the great work Isabelle! :)

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  8. This is exactly what I needed today! I know I will encounter questions and doubts and criticism about this on my mission and I've been so afraid! Thank you for the strength you've given me! :)

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  9. Thank you for your courage, boldness, and love of the savior reflected in this post. I needed it. ☺️

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  11. We had a stake meeting with elder uchtdorf where he said the whole time he was in the presidency, they did not decline a single request for a child of LGBTQ parents to get baptized. Just an added measure of protection and safety to have it reviewed and to make sure they have support. Thought that was cool coming straight from him :)

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