Just another Jess

I wrote a blog post back in March about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and LGBTQ+ doctrine and policies. It’s one of my highest viewed posts – and I’m glad you guys liked it. This is a topic that I’ve been studying for several years now, trying to understand, because it’s helped me differentiate doctrine from culture and tradition. Which, I've said before but I'll keep saying, is the truth that saved my testimony. This post is a little different than my last. I’ve had countless conversations this year with saints on every point of the traditional/progressive spectrum about this, and so I want to outline here some of the things I’ve learned about LGBTQ+ saints and Church doctrine that’s expanded my understanding.   It's interesting -- lot of traditional members of the Church of Jesus Christ have told me, after reading my post or listening to me defend my position on LGBTQ+ relationships, that I’ve simply succumbed to progressive agendas. I find this fee

Pro-life shouldn't mean anti-abortion. It should mean protecting the lives of those who cannot protect themselves. “[Protecting the sanctity of unborn lives] matters greatly to us because the Lord has repeatedly declared this divine imperative: ‘Thou shalt not kill.’ Then He added, ‘Nor do anything like unto it.’ … As Latter-day Saints, we should stand up for choice—the right choice—not simply for choice as a method.”   President Russell M. Nelson   We’re thinking about abortion all wrong. Hey, unaffiliated conservative here who is voting for democratic candidate Joe Biden in November. I’ve heard a lot of conservative friends in a similar boat make comments like, “I’m voting democrat this year for the first, and hopefully only, time in my life.” I understand this comment, but I don’t entirely share the sentiment. The opposing political party is not our enemy. We’re all on the same team here. Everyone, in both parties, wants what’s best for America and her people. And both p

"I believe there is a critical body of knowledge relating to the temple garment. When that knowledge is obtained, Latter-day Saints filled with faith wear the garment and wear it properly, not because someone is policing their actions but because they understand the virtues of the sacred clothing and want to “do good and be restored unto that which is good.” On the other hand, when one does not understand the sacred nature of the temple garment, the tendency is to treat it casually and regard it as just another piece of cloth."  Elder Carlos E. Asay The Influence of Influencers I’m not a fan of influencers anyway, but “Mormon Mommy Bloggers” especially have always rubbed me the wrong way. I know there’s a lot of discussion about whether influencers are  real  entrepreneurs or  real  celebrities – I’m not going to speak to any of that here. I recognize that most influencers are self-made, and they have worked and continue to work incredibly hard at their trade. I can respect t

In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.”  But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.  Dr. Martin Lu

Like many of you, I’ve been deeply unsettled this week about the circumstances regarding the death of George Floyd. And, like many of you, I’ve felt overwhelmed about the subsequent societal backlash and deafening outcries of racial inequality. Thankfully, I’ve been able to take desperate hold of solid footing on the common ground that 1.) Most everyone agrees the death of George Floyd was tragic, and 2.) Most everyone agrees the subsequent rioting and looting in Minneapolis, and then across the country (including our own Salt Lake City), is not as appropriate a response as we could have hoped. But that doesn’t mean that protesting can’t enact social change, or that “peaceful protests” are always without violent conflict. It just means that rioting isn’t an effective way to make a positive difference on social issues. It’s been interesting for me to watch my peers struggle against the seeming dichotomy that those who desperately want to resist racism in the United States