We don’t usually think of restrictive abortion laws as limiting the religious freedom of Latter-day Saints, but in fact they do.  Because this is the case, I encourage members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to implement policies at least as generous as the Church’s statement on abortion.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are taught that we fought a war in heaven over the power to choose. In the book of Moses we learn that Satan rebelled against God over the agency of humanity.  Satan wanted to take away the power we were given by God to choose our own fate. Satan wanted to take away our sovereignty, and by so doing came in direct conflict with our Heavenly Parents and Jesus.  

When it is safer to be a police officer than it is to be a student at school, you know we have a problem.

Since Republicans seem to be on the cusp of something they've spent more than my entire lifetime trying to make illegal (abortion), can they please come back and start working on actual problems instead of just non-stop complaining?

I find it extraordinary how much I agree with Republicans when we get down to the nitty gritty details. What's important to me is usually important to my Republican friends and family I talk to about politics. What I find fascinating is that the breakdown in policy occurs in execution. Here's where I'm trying to wrap my head around what they are doing. In so many cases what the Republican party says what they want to do and then how they decide to get there are completely at odds with each other.

I loved the stories of the Ammonites in the Book of Mormon. Growing up they were my heroes. Fearless in the face of death, they laid their weapons down and refused to lift them up while all around them friends, daughters, sons, fathers, mothers - everyone they knew, were dying. Then when the same people who were killing them asked for their forgiveness, they welcomed them with open arms.

There have been a lot of conversations recently around abortion and I wanted to share something I read recently by Gabrielle Blair.  She does an incredible job articulating the Church's stance and why being pro-choice is actually more in line with what the Church teaches than being anti-abortion.  The original is found here.  I reached out an received permission to copy her words here.  Enjoy.

Hey fellow #LDS #Mormons, I know this stresses some of you out, but the Church stance is pro-legal abortion. If we want abortions available for incest, rape, or health of the mother, that requires legal abortion. If you agree with the Church, you are also pro-legal abortion.

Throughout the month of June I've really tried to build a deeper understanding of LGBTQ lives.  This last week I stumbled across a Twitter post that helped me understand non-binary and trans-gender a little better.  I hope that by posting it here, you too will build a greater understanding.  I find it a fitting end to the blog posts celebrating pride month.  Enjoy this piece by Michaela Nicole.

(Original Post here)

In honor of pride month, as well as a follow up to our previous post about what not to say that was written by Emily Earl Nelson, we wanted to publish another post about some of the things we should say to fellow members of the church who are also in the LGBTQ community.  

The original post was written by Emily Earl Nelson and Christina Dee was the one who told me about it.  Let's be kinder to our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and learn what to say.

(Original Post here)

June is Pride Month.  Here at MormonPress we want to show our support and love for our LGBTQ Latter-day Saint brothers and sisters!  In order to do that, I got permission to post the following - common things we say that cause our LGBTQ brothers and sisters to feel less welcome in our wards.

The original post was written by Emily Earl Nelson and Christina Dee was the one who told me about it.  Let's be kinder to our LGBTQ brothers and sisters and learn what not to say.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Integral to this identity is my history.  My past is also linked to the suffering of my ancestors at the hands of mobs in Missouri and Illinois.  I spent a summer as a performing missionary in Nauvoo singing about the trials and my ancestors went through.  The tiny graves; the mothers giving birth on the trail; the frostbitten toes; the bruised and broken bones - but not broken Spirits.  The original words to the hymn Praise to the Man - a hymn glorifying Joseph Smith's deeds and martyrdom - have a verse in which millions sang, "long shall his blood which was shed by assassins, Stain Illinois, while the earth lauds his fame."  This persecution is built into every piece of the history of my religion.  It is part of our culture as Latter-day Saints.

October of last year, President Nelson looked straight into the camera and said, "Listen carefully to what I am about to say."  That got my attention.  If I wasn't listening before, I was definitely listening at this point.  He went on to say that members of the church should "lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice."  At another point in the talk he said that he pleads with us to, "promote respect for all God's Children."

So how do we do that?

January 6th was a day I don’t think any of us will forget for as long as we live. Indeed it is a day that will live in infamy. The first deadly transfer of power in United States history. No longer can we say that we, "always have a peaceful transfer of power" here. The violence was real. It was terrible. It threatened our entire system of government.

I follow Senator Lee on Twitter.  Every once in a while I'll get on and like some things, and retweet others.  I don't spend much time on Twitter.  Yesterday I was lucky enough to be online when an Mike Lee made an announcement that he will have a town hall the following day at 2:30 in Draper.  My job is fairly flexible as far as scheduling goes, so I moved some meetings around, carved out the time, and trekked down to Draper to do my civic duty.  I was there 15 minutes early.