I Need Him Too

        I recently noticed that USGA at BYU posted up a new video.  Their original viral video provided me with a lot of hope and support during a time that was very dark and lonely for me.  Their stories and encouragement helped me to have hope and faith in God's plan for my future.  After watching this video I wanted to add my own voice with theirs.  




        One of the more hurtful things I have been told before is that because I am gay I can't have a relationship with Jesus Christ or my Heavenly Father. That somehow the atonement does not apply to me. That I am broken, counterfeit, and beyond the reach of the spirit. If my experience with my Heavenly Father is any indicator, I have have found that these statements are simply not true, I have felt and have continued to feel the power of the atonement working in my life. The relationship I have with my savior is stronger now than it has ever been. He has walked where I have walked, and I know he understands the intentions of my heart as I have continually sought guidance from Him for each decision that I make.  I need him too. I need his peace and comfort through times and trials. I need his boundless charity to encompass me in warmth and light.  I need the gentle reminders of his grace as I feel the warm touch of sun on my face, the wind as it blows through my hair, and the peace as a kneel to pray.  

        Through the spirit I have learned and feel that who I am is a blessing. By being gay I have learned what it is like to be at the end of condescension and judgement. I have learned what it must have been like for the outcasts that Christ sat and ate with, who he ministered too, and who he called his friends. The pain and sorrow I felt growing up from the ignorance and judgement of others has made me stronger and has brought me closer to Him. I learned to rely on my savior when everything seemed hopeless. I have learned that human understanding and strength ultimately falls short compared to His divine and eternal consistency.  I have learned that my only source of truth can be from the fruit that is borne from the actions and words of others coupled with the still whispering of the spirit.  

        The diversity of God's creation is not something to fear, each individual difference should be celebrated. The incredible diversity of mankind is a testament of the power of human potential and God's love.  Each individual is precious and none should be forced into a cookie cutter mold of what society says they should be. We all lose out when this happens.  He is mindful of each one of us, He has a plan for each one of us, and He loves us beyond anything we can imagine.  If you feel that you are not good enough or that God could never love you.  Always remember that he truly does love you completely.  His love is not based on condition or standing.  It is unconditional and all encompassing, stay strong, this world needs you to be who you are, an indescribable child of God.