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.  

Far Between Movie

When I was in the first stages of coming out I was a mess of emotions.  These emotions included fear, dread, and hope that somehow everything will get better.  I felt lonely and I wasn't sure who to turn too.  It was then that I found a series of videos on YouTube that were done by Far Between that I started feeling less alone and more hopeful.  One of the first ones was the BYU It Gets Better video.





I found out later that this video was done by the makers of Far Between.  But when I was watching it over two years ago.  I felt hopeful, I finally knew there were other people like me and that maybe, just maybe, I would get through this and figure out who I was and who God wanted me to become.

This next video is a compilation of LDS Family members and allies of LGBT people.  It too helped me during many dark times when I was still closeted and scared of other people knowing about me.





As I watched more of these videos, they continued to help me understand myself as I learned about other people's experiences both similar and different from mine.  All in all, I received a lot of support and help through the Far Between Project.  I have grown and continue to grow each and everyday, and I have the many people in these videos to thank for their courage and love in sharing their stories.  I am incredibly grateful and indebted to each and everyone of you.

The culmination of these years of videos and work have come down to a Kickstarter campaign to raise money to make the Far Between Movie.  The Kickstarter video is below.





I hope with all my heart that this new documentary can help change the discussion about Mormonism and being LGBTQIA.  I hope that through these unfiltered views and experiences which come from all sides that a conversation can be started.  The conversation is already starting and in a lot of cases it has devolved into shouting matches between two camps.  This animosity has left a lot of the vulnerable in the middle and very sadly has led to many not being here today.  It is my hope that this new documentary can help bring people together and hopefully bring us closer to where God wants all of us to be in regards to loving and understanding one another.

If you can donate, please do!  If not, please share this Kickstarter campaign and together we may be able to catalyze a compassionate conversation that is so desperately needed.  This is the link for the Kickstarter campaign  and Far Between's website.