Call me a mullah if you must, but I found the Church's announcement to be reassuring. I've seen so many members of the Church shy away from correct doctrine in order maintain more popular opinions. I'm grateful that the Church is still willing to stand against popular opinion for what is right. They wouldn't be doing anyone a favor by pretending that their apostate behaviors were acceptable.
As for the church members choosing to be offended on the behalf of the children involved, stop acting like Christ was accepting of everyone. What is the ratio of time that you spend reading internet memes, "intellectual reviews" and anti-religion sophistry vs. reading the scriptures and the words of the prophets? Especially the so-called words of Christ that you've modified and argued out of context? Here's a primer: start with the plagues in Egypt and how God informed Moses that He would slay all of the firstborn children. Twice in fact. Skip ahead to how God allowed all males two and under to be murdered at the time of Christ. Or maybe start with God telling the House of Israel to kill and plunder everything in their path, including women, children, and livestock. You may want to skip Sodom and Gomorrah initially, because your internet memes indicate you may be a suicide risk and of course it's someone else's fault. Maybe instead you'll appreciate the stories in early church history of "fag hating" Mormon women and children being burned alive in their homes.
This Jesus, who you have deconstructed to being an easy God who pats everyone on their heads, giggles and tells them to run off and chase butterflies, was in reality chased away by His local communities. Sermon after sermon, they "pray[ed] him to depart out of their coasts."
Christ himself prophesied to Isaiah: "These children will not hear the law of the Lord: [They] say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us (30:9-11)."
Your memes often quote "As I have loved you, love one another." But what they don't tell you, and what you've failed to learn while turning to other sources, was that to be perfectly clear what He meant by that, he added "if ye love me, keep my commandments," and "whosoever shall break one of the least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be the least in the kingdom of heaven."
And what of those who just want to look at sin or touch it from a distance? Jesus said "if your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your hand offends you, cut it off." To those who thought their Messiah would only speak soothing platitudes, he said "I came not to [bring] peace, but a sword." Is it any wonder that miracle after miracle, His power was attributed not to God but to the devil.
I commend the brethren for sticking to true principles, and not "teaching men so" that they'll turn a blind eye if men want to embrace popular apostate lifestyles. The very people who say the brethren are false and the church is false for not teaching Christ, obviously have no clue who Christ was or what he taught.
As for Julie Rowe's alleged visions that before the end of Obama's presidency, a small percentage of church members will be living in tent cities while a godless, lawless society wars with one another, maybe she was on to something.
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