Do we really believe that the love of God will not only help us find eternal life, but will also shield us from the natural consequences of our choices? Is the result of faith a wall of protection that keeps us untouched by the things that happen when we make choices?

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.

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.

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 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.

I’ve tried many different looks in my lifetime, mostly related to my hair. I’m happy to say that at fifty-six years old, I still have all of it, unless I choose to shave it off. Likewise, I have tried a lot of different ideas out. While my hairstyle is a matter of choosing to try […]

Rex Goode ponders about a talk by President Boyd K. Packer at the October 2010 Semiannual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The talk, “Cleansing the Inner Vessel”, stirred a lot of controversy in its remarks about same-sex attraction. Rex Goode’s review speaks of civility and tolerance for all sides of the question of dealing with same-sex attraction and spirituality.

Picture it! Fast and testimony meeting May 2010 in my ward. I direct the music each week, so I’m sitting on the stand. I tell myself I’m not bearing my testimony again. I do it each month it seems. I’m just sitting back. My knee hurts from a fall I took earlier in the week, […]