Quote:
Originally Posted by UtahDan
Given that Jesus during his ministry reached out to those groups of people that society scorned, including sinners, I have to think that He would be reaching out in some way to the gay community if his ministry were today. I think His "bowels" would be "filled with mercy" toward them. I believe this is worth considering as we reflect upon what each of us, and we collectively as a church body, are doing to reach out to them.
I don't believe that the First Presidency, though it leads us, is the "church" anymore than I think that the President and the Congress are "America." I think that whatever leadership is doing can be an easy target, but the real question that I think we as members ought to focus on is not what position Salt Lake takes, but what position do each of us take, not intellectually, but with our actions. I'm not holding myself out as a shining example either. Just food for thought.
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Volunteering at an AIDS hospice was definitely out of my comfort zone. This was when we were just getting to the point where people were starting to make it, and AIDS wasn't a death sentence. But it was for these people in the hospice. Giving a bath to an AIDS-demented dying man was really out of my comfort zone. Death esp. was out of my comfort zone, and I only did a couple of shifts there.
But I learned a few things.
For whatever reason, I have had personal dealings with gays that probably most active LDS have not, specifically on my mission. And I learned not to hate gays. I shed most of my homophobia. I'm grateful for these lessons.
I can't say I have done anything more than any of the rest of you. But no doubt holding the hand of a man, to die that afternoon, as he stared blankly at the ceiling, with raspy irregular breathing leaves an impression. Most of these men died alone, I believe. Families long gone.