"If I won't be gay in the next life, maybe I'll just kill myself."

Let me summarize what the problems with President Packer's remarks were.

1. The logic that God wouldn't pre-set someone a certain way and not allow them to change it is faulty.  Every day children are born with mental and physical handicaps which they can't overcome.  You can't pray away Down Syndrome or AIDS.  I don't at all mean to cast being gay in a negative light by comparing it with disorders.  Also, and maybe I'm wrong about this, but I don't think God sends down temptations and challenges like Jove sends down lightening bolts.  He doesn't hurl one at a baby in the womb and say, "You shall be born with a missing toe!  Muahahaha!"  There are so many steps that are included in forming a child.
2. "Remember, He is our father."  So if God doesn't "pre-set" people that way, then that means it must be purely a temptation from Satan.  That really isn't a cheery thought, and that's not reassuring.  "It's not God's doing!  It's just Satan!  So you can overcome the temptation!"  Except when you can't and you can't change the way you feel.
3. Gay people already have a hard life cut out for them by being different from the accepted norm.  Add to that the pressure of being a teenager, and perhaps being misunderstood and not accepted by parents and friends ("You don't have to live with this problem!  You can change!  All the problems associated with it will go away."), and you can see why so many gay teens are depressed and suicidal.  Saying that homosexuality does not exist in the next life gives gay teens quite the reason to commit suicide.  If they try and try and can't change and "fail," then maybe death seems like a better option, especially if it is supposed to bring relief from same-sex attraction.  "If I won't be gay in the next life, maybe I'll just kill myself."
4. What you call "impure" and "unnatural," they call love.  Please show some tact and compassion.

And now back to my critical side.

Honestly, I'm seeing more and more how this blog is just an outlet for my critical side, which I don't reveal often.  I wish I could be more comfortable showing that side of me to people without fear of being judged or dismissed.  I write this blog to an audience, but only two other people know about this blog.  So, I'll keep writing, and hopefully I'll get the courage and opportunity to mention it or list it on facebook as my blog.

I found an April 7th Daily Universe article (the headline, in fact) unintentionally amusing (the phrase I use is that I find things like this "perversely humorous"). 

Anyway, the article's called "Parents bring focus back to the Savior" and describes how parents teach their children about the real meaning of Easter and don't let the commercialized aspect overwhelm them.  One parent says they do the Easter egg hunt on Saturday.  Another makes cookies where all the ingredients represent the Atonement (sorry, but I think that's weird.  I'd feel weird/guilty eating those cookies). All the parents were quoted as saying were uplifting things they did to make Easter religious-from making weird cookies to having a Sunday Easter FHE.  But every single kid quoted said that their favorite part of Easter was finding the Easter baskets or making eggs.  Every single one.  I like this quote:

"I love the Easter Bunny," Connor said.  "I like to make eggs and the egg hunt."

"I like when we color  paint on the eggs" Alexis said.  "I like to do glitter ones.  It's really fun."

Alexis said she also likes to learn about Jesus.

Does she now?  Then why didn't you quote her saying that?  Including only quotes of kids where they do not mention any religious aspect of Easter as being their favorite make the author look like an idiot for the poor use of quotes or make the parents' actions seem futile and their attitudes overly confident in their parenting skills.

I say, lighten up about being religious.  Kids get it --they have pure hearts.  We should try being more like them instead of trying to make them act more like us.  Kids are not as jaded as adults and don't see the Easter bunny and egg hunts as being just commercial fluff.  It's happy and fun, and if they connect happiness to Easter, that's great.  Also, I think so much "serious stuff" goes over kids' heads, but they get it deep down.  Once I was helping out with a primary activity, and I asked a little boy if he wanted to go hear a story about Jesus.  "No!" he answered.  "I don't like Jesus!"  Puzzled, I answered, "Well, Jesus loves you.  Why don't you like him?"  "Because He's a dinosaur!!!"  Now try teaching him how a dinosaur was resurrected.