OK, so I haven't written in a long time. So many times I've thought about writing, but there's just always too much to write about and it feels impossible. A lot has changed and a lot has stayed the same.
I just want to clarify something. This clarification pertains to you if you have read these posts and think I'm just griping and attacking the church. I am not doing this. I am challenging beliefs that I question the validity of--things that get said over and over again and people don't stop and think about how they're actually wrong. Or having the wrong perspective on things. For example, the last Sunday school class I was in was about "Eternal Marriage." Instead of talking about honoring covenants after the marriage ceremony or even about loving your (future) spouse we focused on why temple marriage was better than temporal marriage and what it means to be worthy to go to the temple. And why we want an eternal marriage {to receive exaltation and have spirit children, apparently. No one said that we would want to be married forever because we love our partner so much or anything. Guess that's not important} I swear, it was the most unromantic treatment of marriage and focus on being "worthy" for the ceremony ignored being "worthy" after it, which is more important. It's called a "temple marriage," not a "temple wedding."
Continuing...
I saw a sign in NYC that said "dissent is patriotic." I feel that I'm dissenting, not politically, but out of loyalty just the same. I want this church to be the best it can be, meaning it betters the lives of its members spiritually, emotionally, physically. If we keep perpetuating truths that make us prejudiced or intolerant of others or unkind to ourselves, it's just plain sad.
I remind you that I take a devil's advocate approach. I am against extremes and I'm trying to find a middle ground, as I think we all should.
