I was just referred to your blog by a friend as we are in the thick of this Proposition 8 stuff, and I absolutely love what you have to say and I’m thinking I might post a link to your blog on my blog as well. In any case, I want to add to what others have already told you…first of all, kudos to you for your bravery. I am so impressed with what you’ve been through and the fact that you’ve chosen to stick with the Church despite the inherent difficulty. Secondly, I want you to know that I’ve always thought, as a mother, that the worst thing that could possibly happen to me would be to have a child tell me that he/she had same sex attraction. The controversy about Prop 8 has caused me to do some soul searching and come to different conclusions than I have before. After reading several of your posts, I turned to my husband and said, “If this guy was my son, I would be beaming with pride.” Good for you! You are tackling this difficulty, sticking with what you know is right, and putting yourself out there as a source of support for others. I still, of course, hope that my children won’t have to deal with this issue, but that’s not up to me. I’m just grateful to know that if they do, there are people out there like you who are trying to create a support structure to help people grapple with the challenge and, hopefully, successfully overcome. Thank you!

1) The loneliness of certain Book of Mormon prophets even though for a different reason:
“I even REMAIN ALONE to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people” (Moroni 8:3).
“[T]he time passed away with us, and also our lives passed away like as it were unto us a dream, we being a LONESOME and a solemn people, wanderers, cast out from Jerusalem, BORN IN TRIBULATION, in a wilderness, and HATED OF OUR BRETHREN, which caused wars and contentions; wherefore, WE DID MOURN OUT OUR DAYS” (Jacob 7:26).
These were prophets of God who had these feelings.

2) The teachings of Jesus Christ regarding who can be saved:
“25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
27 ¶ Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, WE HAVE FORSAKEN ALL, AND FOLLOWED THEE; what shall we have therefore?
28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and SHALL INHERIT EVERLASTING LIFE.
30 But many that are afirst shall be last; and the LAST SHALL BE FIRST.” (Matthew 19:25-30).
Sometimes it seems impossible to believe that we will be saved. Sometimes we feel like we have given up so much, and we wonder what for. Jesus gives us the answer here. We, the last and the weak, will be saved if we believe and endure to the end. Just don’t give up.

I believe that homosexuality is a trial, sometimes earned, sometimes unearned. To the degree that an individual is given this trial to no fault of their own, that person can expect “an hundredfold” reward for forsaking the deepest desires of their heart. The rich man in Matthew 19 was “sorrowful” at having to give up his many possessions to follow the Christ. We don’t know if he ever got around to making that sacrifice. But if he did, great must be his reward. So shall it be to all those who sincerely TRY to overcome all difficult trials. The “last shall be first.”

I pray for you.

Yesterday I prayed and prayed that I would be able to find peace in regards to this issue. Today I found your blog and this post. You have answered my prayers with your words of hope and faith. I don’t know you and we are very different from each other. But I will always love you for answering my prayer. Thank you.

“I have chosen to live according to the doctrines of the Church – potentially alone for the rest of my life.”

I don’t at all question your decisions. But that sentence seems so sad. I feel like there has to be a way for you to be happy and at peace. It just seems so unjust that someone so good and wise couldn’t find fulfillment.

Geez, look at me. I have a harder time dealing with your issues than you do! :)

I, personally, think this is the most important concept when approaching, “I’m gay… what should I do?”

Whenever people come out to me, asking for my advice, I always start with, “Well, what do you believe?” And if they are uncertain, my advice is always, “Work on what you believe first; worry about what you’re going to do after.”