I bore my testimony in my local congregation today. Due to my debilitating fear of public speaking I wrote my testimony down, memorized it and shared it:
Good morning sisters and brothers,
I want to
bear my testimony of Jesus Christ. Patterning my life after the example of
Jesus is very important to me, particularly the new commandment he gave to
his disciples in John 13, “Love one another as I have loved you, that ye also
have love one to another. By this shall all men know that ye and my disciples,
if you have love one to another.”
The recent
changes in the Church Handbook that bar the children of LGBTQ parents from
baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost has been extremely heartbreaking for me.
When I think about the exclusion these children feel from their religious
community it is extremely disconcerting. I also am troubled by the message this
is sending to our LGBTQ youth. It saddens me greatly to think that there are
LBGTQ youth taking their lives because they feel like there is no other way out—that
they don’t belong here with us.
That’s why
my family and I wear these buttons. We don’t want any child, youth or adult to
feel like they don’t have a friend at Church, that they aren’t welcomed in our
congregation.
I’ve spent
some time serving as Primary President and it was there that I really came to
appreciate the simplicity of the teachings of Jesus. One of my favorite primary
songs is “I’ll Walk with You”, because the lyrics beautifully illustrate the
principle of discipleship.
If you don’t
walk as most people do,
Some people
walk away from you,
But I won’t!
I won’t!
If you don’t
talk as most people do,
Some people
talk and laugh at you,
But I won’t!
I won’t!
I’ll walk
with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how
I’ll show my love for you.
Jesus walked
away from none.
He gave his
love to everyone.
So I will! I
will!
Jesus bless
all he could see,
Then turned
and said “Come, follow me.”
And I will!
I will!
I will! I
will!
I’ll walk
with you. I’ll talk with you.
That’s how
I’ll show my love for you.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
