I've always had great respect for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. I was born and raised in the Gospel and studied the teachings with vigor because I felt in my soul I was on the true path. I went so far as to ask my friends and relatives not to cuss around me because I found it to be offensive. Alcohol and other drugs were things I abhorred and avoided vehemently. My ultimate dream was to find a faithful return missionary, get married in the temple, and have lots of babies.
However, things tend to change.
As I started to develop my individuality I also started to gain a fuller understanding of the world, life, and how things and people tick. Certain principles of the Gospel were no longer clicking with me. I started to wonder why certain drugs were permissible to partake when others were not. If Christ's ultimate lesson is to love then why is homosexuality considered sinful? If monogamy is crucial to marriage then why was polygamy ever permissible? The answers I was provided with did not settle well enough within my soul. I decided to wonder off and discover the answers that would ring true within my heart.
Marijuana has been a heated controversial topic for years. Many scientists have done study after study to provide answers to the questions of its benefits and, if any, harmful affects. They've discovered hundreds of benefits from marijuana and not only for the human body and mind, but for the economy. Yet, it is still considered a harmful drug according to the United States as well as The Latter Day Saint church. It has been scientifically documented that marijuana cures cancer!!! How can one dispute such facts?! Not only does it cure cancer, but, THC aside, you can construct buildings, bumpers for vehicles, durable clothes, etc. with this magical plant. Science reveals the truth that the state and church fail to.
According to the Bible, the story of Lot and the visitation of God's angels is the example of homosexuality being a sin. Basically, the story goes that Lot had angels visit him in his home and, somehow, a certain group of men heard of this visitation. These men decided to give Lot and the angels a visit. They banged and banged on the door of Lot's home demanding him to give them the angels. Their intent was to force these angels into laying with them. Most people don't realize this example is moot. No where in this story does it mention that it is a sin for man to lay with man, but that it is a sin for man to lay with angels. Especially by force. Which totally makes sense if angels exist. They're celestial beings.
Most people read this story and just assume it's the example of homosexuality being a sin because it's bizarre and different for any such story to be in the Bible. Even if Lot's story was an example of homosexuality being a sin, why, if God is pure love, would he deny love between any two people?
While Prophet Brigham Young was the leader of the Latter Day Saint church men were allowed to have more than one wife. Yes, this terrible blasphemous word; Polygamy. It was said to be allowed due to the outrageous number of women who lost their husbands during the Civil War. These women no longer had homes and no one to fend for them. They couldn't fend for themselves because feminism wasn't such a popular theme during the time. So, in order to keep them off the streets and under warm roofs, men of the church married a number of women they could afford to take care of. If, by marrying them, they only had to provide for them and not lay with them it would seem the logical and humane thing to do, right? Well, the men, by law of the state and the church, were allowed to and, of course did, lay with two, three, four, and sometimes, in Brigham Young's case, more than sixteen, women. This law was greatly abused. If a woman has no home and the only lawful thing to do is marry her then marry her ONLY to give her shelter and food. There's no need to have sex with her. How is it a sin for two individuals of the same sex to marry, but perfectly fine for one man (mind you, women weren't allowed to have more than one husband) to have multiple wives at any given time in history? It's contradictory. It's sexist and immoral. Period...
I, in no way, mean to bash The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints. The individuals that faithfully follow the teachings of the Gospel are genuinely some of the sweetest people I have ever met. They have helped my family in times of great need and taught me to be selfless and grateful for the little that I have. There is power in the truths that the Gospel has revealed to me. I have seen and felt some kind of power, whether it be the power of God, Buddha, Allah, the Universe, Quantum Physics' Wave Of Pure Potentiality, etc. There is power beyond what science explains. No one can describe it with words.
I don't have all the answers. No single person or religion does. I haven't found the answers in only The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints, Buddhism, metaphysics, science, Islam, Hinduism, etc., but within all of them combined. There are truths within millions of aspects of this bizarre and precious little thing we label as life. The entire world is searching for truth and we're slowly discovering it.
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