In times past, however, a lot of things have been said about me and to me. Sadly, the things that have been said to me are worse than the things said about me. Well, that’s life among the imperfect.

People wouldn’t really know it, but when it comes to things like ward activities, I would much rather keep to myself than be noticed. Sometimes, I find myself sitting alone, and content to be so. I get along with my own thoughts very well.

Not fitting in is something I do well, and that includes in my reactions to the recent Supreme Court decision regarding same-sex marriage. I have never wavered in my belief that marriage is and ought to be between a man and a woman, in the eyes of God.

I would bet that every person reading this has felt the frustration of having something to say and everyone else too focused on their own thoughts to really listen. Yet, even though we’ve all felt the sting of being misunderstood, very few of us make the effort to understand before we give our opinions.

I wish I knew how to create an environment where young people with dark thoughts feel like they can talk them over with people who can help them. How much violence could we prevent is we were more open and young people felt they could trust us? How much pain could we soothe if young people who have experienced abuse felt they could tell us about it?

Happiness comes from accepting the lot we have been dealt and building on it. To me, all negative experiences are more than just lessons learned. They are the building blocks of strong character, but only if those negatives experiences are embraced and accepted as what we have been given to work with.

I want people who are harboring their struggle and suffering with it in secret to know that there are some positives that come from being open. I want them to know that they can dare to open up, if not in as public a way as I have, but to those they consider their friends and loved ones.

After making somewhat of a nuisance of myself in How Silence Feels, people have wondered just what it is I think that local church leaders should be saying about homosexuality. I think it is an easy question, at least in my mind, but may be a little overwhelming for others. Then again, it’s a subject […]

For me, true misery would be a life where I only did the easy things, because the only things I would have in my life are the things that are easy to get. There is plenty that I want out of life that is hard to get and I have no problem fighting for them. I’m happy that I have to fight for them.

I reluctantly focus on the negative responses I have received from members of the Church, but only because it illustrates the discrepancies in the attitudes of church members to homosexuality. Though I was told and still believe that my worthiness is a matter of my behavior, not my automatic feelings, those who have dealt unkindly with me have been more worried about my identity than my behavior

In Taking the Plunge: A Leap of Faith, I wrote that I wasn’t as concerned about changing policies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or the Boy Scouts of America, as I was seeing the hearts of people change to be tolerant and loving towards those with same-sex attraction. I realize that […]

Many years ago, while serving as a Scoutmaster in a troop sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we backpacked up Eagle Creek Trail occasionally. It is and always has been my favorite piece of nature. From the first time I visited there in high school until I got too arthritic to […]

My concern is for those who are still in the throes of trying to reconcile their feelings with the teachings of the Church. It is also for those who are the parents, family, and friends of those who experience same-sex attraction. How long can a person go on feeling abandoned and disconnected before they choose the only path that seems to hold out a sense of belonging and connection? How long can you endure silence of one influence before you open your mind to others?

I was “out” long before it was so fashionable. Back in my day of “openness”, people hadn’t really heard of blogs. Videos like you can find on YouTube took hours and days to download. Conversations were mostly done on mailing lists and newsgroups. Most people who read this won’t even know what a newsgroup is.

I will refrain from blame, unkindness, and threats against others who do not believe as I do. I will reach out to find common ground and express appreciation and understanding for the difficulty of all who find themselves pondering the dichotomies between their faith and sexuality.