It Gets Better

My heart is so full!! I am so grateful for the "It Gets Better" campaign members of the church have been doing. My whole life I've felt that most Latter-Day Saints don't love those with same gender attraction. This assumption started when the subject came up in a Sunday school class when I was a teenager. After saying one of my brothers was gay my peers said things like, "God made Adam and Eve not Adam and Steve" and "You need to tell him he needs to change." They made me feel like it was my duty to force him to be different. I remember feeling confused and heartbroken after that experience. I wasn't going to go home and tell my beloved brother he HAD to change. I loved him and I didn't want him to think otherwise. My wonderful Mother has always taught me to love someone to change, not force them, so this is what I did. I loved him. My brother didn't live with us at this time so I wrote him an email telling him just how much I loved him. Most importantly I told him that I loved him no matter what. He emailed me back telling me a huge burden had been lifted off his heart. He always thought because of our religion we wanted to burn him on the cross. How horrible of him to feel the need to think that. It makes me wonder what kind of impression others might have given him about our beliefs. We do not teach hate. We do not teach judgement or the putting down of others. In fact the teachings of the gospel are quite the opposite. I knew this and yet I still struggled for years thinking I was in the wrong for loving those with same gender attraction. After a lot of research, chats with local leaders, and seeing what the Prophets and Apostles have said on the subject I realized that I was not in the wrong. They teach us to love everyone despite their sins or struggles.

I wish videos like these came out sooner. I wish those who have and do struggle with same gender attraction could see that they have always been precious in the eyes of God. That they are not condemned to hell. This new campaign teaches that we do love unconditionally. I hope we can help people open their minds and really learn where we are supposed to stand on this subject. I hope that people will take the time to do the research, talk to their local leaders, and learn to love as Christ loves.

Here's the one from BYU students.

And here's the one from parents and family. 

I LOVE these videos! They are messages of hope! We all need a little hope in this life.