Letter - Know for Yourself

Sunday, November 08, 2015

This week has been nice.  There is not a lot that stands out to write about.  Monday evening Brenda and a handful of Chad’s siblings and their families came over for FHE and to celebrate the November family birthdays.  Karalee loved having everyone sing to her.  It is a fun tradition. 

Tuesday Tilly and I met with the LBC at the power ranch park.  Spencer had an orthodontist appointment that day and found out that he gets his braces off next month!!  He’s very excited about that, therefore I am too.  Karalee, Marlee and Bryant came home from school feeling poorly.  They all took naps and were fine the next day.

Wednesday evening we had stake kickball for mutual.  It was fun, but rainy and a little cold. 

Thursday I had a RS activity.  Josie Solomon, the founder of the 444 project came and spoke to us.  She shared with us her story of finding joy even though suffers from severe depression and is bi-polar.  She was amazing to listen to.  

I felt the hand of the Lord in my life this week on Thursday evening when I found out that the church made a new policy that prohibits children of same sex couples from getting baptized until they are 18.  I was confused and sad about this.  I thought about it for a while and decided to pray about it and ask the Lord why a policy like that was needed.   Shortly after I received an answer that the brethren must be having some sort of trouble with this situation which we know nothing about or since they truly are seers they know that there will be trouble with this situation. That answer brought me comfort.  I was not troubled by it anymore.  The next day there was a huge amount of discussion about it on Facebook.  I read several articles that brought me more peace about it.  I decided to defend my beliefs so I made a post where I shared my thoughts about the situation.  I have received several anti-Mormon comments on that post but I’ve felt good that I’ve been able to learn about it and defend my beliefs.  A lot of that knowledge has come from this video the church put out sharing the reasoning behind the new policy.

Friday evening Spencer and Bryant got to attend a scout camporee together since both the 11-year-old scouts and deacons went to it.  They had a great time.  Chad and I went on a date to the temple to do sealings.  We were able to have my Grandma Flake’s cousin Sven Hellburg sealed to his parents.  Now all his temple work is complete!  I have two more of her cousins that I have been doing work for and hopefully someday I’ll be able to find out the names of her other cousins who were mentioned in my great Grandma Hendrickson’s book You May Take My Life But Never My Faith.  Right now I have them entered in family search as daughter or son since that’s all I know at this point.

Today we had a wonderful regional conference.  I loved Elder Robbins talk about simplicity.  During his talk I started thinking about our ward girl’s camp that is in its beginning planning stages.  I know we need to keep it simple— to take and plan only that which is sufficient for our needs.  I loved Sister Reeves thoughts about being a good support group for those who are repenting.  I loved in Elder Corbridge’s talk about how we can avoid deception by answering the primary questions first: 1. Is there a God?  2.  Is Jesus Christ the Savior?  3.  Is Joseph Smith a prophet?  4.  Is the church of Jesus Christ true?  And that when when we answer these questions first then all the answers for various secondary questions will come.  I loved Elder Oaks teaching where is said the Lord won’t answer hypothetical questions.  We have to be willing to act on the answers we receive.  He also said we have a duty to reach out to rescue less active members and we can do that by: 1. Being a friend.  2.  Listening and understanding concerns.  3.  Helping them feel Heavenly Father's love.  4.  Helping them know they can repent.  

My quote for today is from Elder Oaks talk today.  He said, “Know for yourself.”  I’m going to put this quote up in our house somewhere.  I hope each of my children will go the Lord and find a testimony of the church for themselves and when things trouble them they will go to the Lord, search the scriptures and words of the living prophets to find their answers.

Love,

Mindy

Monday, November 09, 2015

I would like to add this letter from Brenda, Chad's mother and my dear mother-in-law who I love and respect, to my letter yesterday.  I trust her firsthand experience that she had and I am thankful she shared it with me.  It sheds new light as to another possible reason why the church may have made their new policy regarding children of parents living in a same sex relationship.  I share it with her permission.

-Mindy

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Brenda Sanders
Date: Mon, Nov 9, 2015 at 12:46 AM
Subject: Fwd: Church's policy on baptism

Dear Family

I thought I would share an experience I had at the UN that might add to the discussion on the baptism of children raised by same sex parents. This is not in anyway meant to demean gays or make light of their struggles.

When I was an NGO (non negotiating officer) at the UN, Heather and I went to a side event of LGBT's (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Travesllties) and got an inside scoop on their agenda with religion and schools. The lady in charge of the meeting was extremely powerful. She hated men and religions who opposed her lifestyle.The room was full of women who hated men and many bragged about their children they had from a sperm doners. There is no way to describe the dark feeling that prevailed there. Heather wanted to run out of the room. It was a hard meeting to sit through.  

The meeting was to inform those in attendance of the progress they had made to change peoples beliefs and opinions and get their agendas into the schools. They were very clear that they wanted to abolish religion. The children were pawns to be used to help push the agenda in religion and schools and government. It was very clear that they would stop at nothing.

I may add that there are really good gay people who would not be on this band wagon..... but there are very organized and well funded organizations with powerful leaders that are quickly moving to take out any opposition to their beliefs.

In other countries there are people who will strap bombs to children risking their lives to blow up the enemy. There is some similarity here as well. In my opinion the church is taking the children out of the middle to protect them. They do not give ransom to kidnapped missionaries and they are not going to be trapped by agenda ridden people who say they want their children baptized into a church who does not condone their life style. 

On gay web sites they tell how to get into public office to change the laws. They tell how to get into religion to change the doctrine. When prop 8 failed in California, the gay leaders called for masses of gays to move to SLC so that they could change the votes. This has happened. They are moving into religion as rapidly as possible.

When the Supreme Court made their ruling on gay marriage, the church knew what was coming. I believe from my experience that they are going to infiltrate the church and use children to create enough sensationalism to push their way through.

I love our prophets and apostles. My heart breaks for the hard things they are faced with. They must know how this policy looks to the world and even to some members. But it is not what it appears. This is not their church. It is Jesus Christ's church. They are not going to allow the children to be used. They love all of God's children. For this I am grateful.

What a great opportunity to practice following a living prophet. This is just the beginning of what I believe will continue to test our faith. There will be no fence sitting. We can trust our Prophet. 

​I have friends who have chosen to step away from the church over this policy.​

I pray that my family will stay on the side of the living Prophet and be not deceived.

​I love you

mom​