The Church Needs The Single, Less Active, and LGBTQ.

The Church Needs The Single, Less Active, and LGBTQ.

Every single one of us needs the restored Gospel in our lives. We need the guidance and warning of the prophets and the blessings of the Priesthood. We also are in desperate need of the blessings of the temple and the covenant pathway in our lives. It is clear that we need the restored gospel as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But what we do not talk about is how the Church needs the single, less active, and LGBTQ. It needs each one of us. Each of us has a role in building the kingdom up, saving souls, and perfecting the Saints. Above all else, God wants you to come home; more so than anyone else, for you are His precious child.

“We appeal to all to come. We call you from the world, more for what you can give than for what you can get. You are needed here. Come by families if you can, or alone if you must.”
Boyd K. Packer

The Church Needs The Singles.

Speaking as a single, we understand the Church is a family church. Most of us want a family, but for some reason, we are stuck in the phase of life called dating, or even worse we have been married and it ended in divorce.  In the words of James E. Faust, we feel like the “forgotten ones” of Mormonism (Ensign, July 1973). Deep down inside, we know that we are not forgotten. But it is hard to remember when the blessings we so deeply seek are denied us temporarily. Not only are they denied us, but we are constantly being told by other members to “just get married” as if we don’t want a family.

Even though we may feel forgotten unwanted, or not needed the truth is, the Church needs us. We are the future of the Church, we will be the Young Men and Young Women leaders, the Relief Society Presidents and the Elders Quorum Presidents. And we are not alone, at a stake conference two years ago Elder Perkins of the 70 told us that over 50 percent of the membership of the Church is single; therefore we are actually the majority of the church.  If the single adult members of the Church realized how many of us there are and the good they could do and started doing it, Satan’s kingdom would be shaken to its very core.

“Life does not begin only upon marriage. There are important things for you to do right now.”
Ezra Taft Benson

The Church Needs The Less Active

People fall out of full activity with the Church for a verity of reasons, many times for understandable reasons. But whether you went inactive due to offense, doctrine, a bishop, transgression, excommunication, or any other reason; know this, we need you. We need you because your unique stories add to ours, your testimony of repentance if often unparalleled, your ability to teach with power and authority that the commandments are guardrails and not a fence often comes from first-hand experience. We need you because there is someone that you can reach that others can not; someone that your testimony, not ours, will be the one that can stir their soul.

I taught this doctrine on my mission to a man named Jeff. Jeff had fallen away in his youth and broken every ‘big’ commandment (Law of Tithing, Chastity, Word of Wisdom). As a missionary I worked with Jeff visiting him 4-5 times a week, reading the scriptures, teaching the lessons and ultimately he came to church and was asked to talk in sacrament meeting. Jeff stood at the pulpit and talked about living the commandments. He broke down crying and warned the youth, he told of his walk down the road of drugs, drinking, immorality, and marrying outside of the temple. He then told the youth “Do not repeat my mistakes! I can tell you it is not worth it.” His testimony was so powerful, his testimony was needed. Just like each less active is needed. So whatever the reason; please come back, we need you.

“If you are a member of the Church but presently not participating actively, I invite you: please come back. We need you! Come, add your strengths to ours. Because of your unique talents, abilities, and personality, you will help us become better and happier. In return, we will help you become better and happier as well.”
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The Church Needs the LGBTQ

President M. Russell Ballard has stated that those whoa re LGBTQ have a place when he said: “I want anyone who is a member of the church who is gay or lesbian to know I believe you have a place in the kingdom and recognize that sometimes it may be difficult for you to see where you fit in the Lord’s Church, but you do. We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing. Certainly, we must do better than we have done in the past so that all members feel they have a spiritual home where their brothers and sisters love them and where they have a place to worship and serve the Lord.”

I have many friends who fall into what the world would categorize as LGBTQ. Many of whom are active members of the Church; but to those who are not active, let me say, we love you and we need you. Your perspectives on living the commandments are needed. Your courage to be true to your testimony and the law of chastity despite your thorns in the flesh is an inspiration in equal degree to the pioneers. We need you because you are our Brothers and Sisters, and only in joining with you and ministering to you will we become more like Christ. Often times your ability to empathize with those struggling with life is unparalleled. We need you because you teach us that we are all children of God.  You teach us to love you for who you are. So please, be true to your testimony, fight on, and no matter what anyone says know that you are needed in the grand choir that is the Church.

“Don’t demean your worth or denigrate your contribution. Above all, don’t abandon your role in the chorus. Why? Because you are unique; you are irreplaceable. The loss of even one voice diminishes every other singer in this great mortal choir of ours, including the loss of those who feel they are on the margins of society or the margins of the Church.”
Jeffrey R. Holland

God Loves And Wants You To Come Home.

Ultimately we are all children of God. And whereas the work will move on with or without us; it will not move forward with the same vigor as it would if we were all enlisted. So if all else fails, if people are not treating you right, as they so often do, remember and hold to this truth: God is your Father and He loves you dearly. He wants you to come home. So hold to Him, hold to the Savior and His Church. Be patient with others, hold fearlessly to your covenants, and please come home, heaven would not be heaven without you.

“Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we.”
~ Jeffrey R. Holland