Latter-day Saint author Tom Christofferson shares how the Church policy change regarding membership for children of same-sex couples should remind us to love one another this Easter season.
In the past few days, I have had a number of conversations with friends who feel joy and relief that the original policy has been changed but who are confused by the expressions of pain and anger they are hearing from many of those who felt personally impacted by the policy over the past three and a half years.
I have encouraged my friends to listen to the experiences of those who feel hurt: individuals whose personal moral compass would not allow them to continue church activity while the policy was in place, those who were excommunicated for apostasy, those whose children were impacted, those who have a family member who felt excluded from their church community and for whom that may have been one of many causes resulting in suicide.
I am grateful that removing the earlier policy reflects, to me, a continued wrestling by church leaders with the many unanswered questions affecting our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer brothers and sisters. I also feel that this change reflects a unity of the prayers by members of the body of Christ and his prophets for greater light and knowledge, and that all of our hearts will be prepared for what he may choose to reveal in his own time.
Lead image from ChurchofJesusChrist.org
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