“We can practice what we have been taught, to love, respect, and include all others, including gays, as children of our Heavenly Father” March 2013 Judy Finch, who is featured in one of the video clips posted on the LDS website…
Tag: LGBT
It’s Complex
“On one occasion Jesus came upon a group arguing vehemently with His disciples. When the Savior inquired as to the cause of this contention, the father of an afflicted child stepped forward, saying he had approached Jesus’s disciples for a…
The Victoria Theater
The journey of my family since my son came out last year has been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows. The spiritual, intellectual and emotional investment required to make sense and find peace between two polarizing worlds…
Why We Must Not Give Up On The Church (And Reflections On An Inspiring Event In The Chicago Stake)
Last year, after my class on Mormon history, in which I had discussed with my students the Mormon belief in modern day revelation and modern-day prophets, I overheard the following comment in a conversation between two of my students: “The…
No Empty Chairs
The sentiment is as ingrained in Mormon culture as a Saturday’s Warrior dance climax and conjures up equally strong emotions. It derives from a metaphor comparing Mormon heaven to a great big family feast with God at the head…
Ryan Andresen Is My Son (Boys Scouts, Mormons and Inclusion)
Having a teenager in the home is an always fascinating experience in parenting. I heard one parent describe it as having a movie or food critic living in your own home! But I find it a source of fun and…
Epiphany
“I must admit that I have gone through those moments when I was greatly disappointed with the church and what it has done in this period of social change.” —Martin Luther King, Jr., “Social Justice and the Emerging New Age…
So You Want to be an Ally…
This past Saturday, I met with a local group of LGBT Mormons and Allies. As I and another facilitator of the group used that term, “ally,” one (heterosexual*) member of the group spoke up and said he wasn’t sure if…
Transgender Children: An Easy Way for the LDS Church to Get it Right
While shadowing Dr. Norm Spack in his work with the GeMS clinic at Children’s hospital Boston, I couldn’t help but wonder what my Mormon pioneer ancestors would think if they could see me now. Dr. Spack is one of…
My Birth Defect
I’ve always had an excellent memory. This is both a blessing and a curse. Some of my earliest memories are feelings of frustration, inferiority, and wanting to be someone different that I was. I learned very young that I didn’t…