My Church and Women's Rights

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (my church) is in the news again
A woman founded an organization to advocate women's rights and promote something my church doesn't believe. She pressured my church to adopt her belief and they wouldn't so after much discussion they let her go - like "You go your way and I'll go mine" or "Let's agree to disagree". But she didn't separate kindly, blaming my church and saying they did her wrong.

Her organization exists and says one point of view and I want to stand for what I believe (which is different than her) and say my point of view. (I don't say my beliefs to sway anyone to think like me, I just say what I think and hope to be friends with everyone ... even people who think differently than me.)

What I think:

The Priesthood (God's power) blesses all of God's children
Everyone has the same right to baptism, confirmation, and blessings. Yes, men and boys get ordained to hold the priesthood in my church but that doesn't make them more special. If anything, it gives them more responsibility because they have the duty to be true to it. Comparing women to men, they both have the duty to be true. Men have an extra duty to also be true to the priesthood. Honestly, I'm glad I don't have the extra duty.

Women's rights don't exist to promote women they exist to take rights away from men
I'm totally for promoting that women are capable and can do things. But to say, "Men need to stop doing it so women can" is something I won't say. Men want to care for women and others, it makes them feel like men, so I say, "let them do it".

This is an imperfect world where something will always be unfair. It's insane to expect perfection (equality) in an imperfect world because it will never happen. Women should try to be all they can be, and men should too - that's my idea of equality, not take that from him and give it to her. I don't like how women's rights say that just because I'm a woman I have to have it because maybe I don't want it; I hate being forced.

People will do what they want
If a person wants to do/believe something they'll find a way to do/believe it. To me, why get upset about something I can't control? People love drama and they like to be a part of 'the team'. In my mind, certain causes distract people from developing wanted character traits and they possibly develop unwanted traits (like anger, meanness, rudeness, and disrespect).

Let's get along
Why be angry instead of friends? Why see unfairness instead of what's fair? (It's like seeing the hole and not the doughnut.) I'll focus on what I can do and let the rest go; I hope the world will too.

It Could Always Be Worse

Everyone experiences disappointment. In a hard situation, it could always be worse. 

- When I considered my trial, I thought, at least I'm not that guy.

- The person who has trouble walking might think, at least I have feet.

- The person with no feet might think, at least I have a body.

- The person with an imperfect body might think, at least I'm not paralyzed.

- The person who is paralyzed might think, at least I'm not dead.

I have a choice when I face something hard 1) see the good or 2) see the bad, be grateful or be angry, have a positive outlook (see the glass as half full) or have a negative outlook (see the glass as half empty.) My outlook determines my happiness.

This year marks five years that I've had MS. During that time, my disease hasn't gone away but has worsened. I could think of the awfulness of my reality, or I could think of the many good things that have resulted because of my illness. I'm not exempt from bad things happening to me. Yes, it sucks and I wouldn't choose it, but I have to admit that by looking on the bright side of my tragedy I have become improved.

I'm a religious person and believe that The Lord has strengthened me to endure my trial. I believe that He does what's best for each person in the eternal scheme of things. I wanted my life to be a certain way, but I'm willing to accept His way, knowing that He knows more than me and that He has my best interest in mind. 'I put my trust in Him,' so to speak.

The Lord has not removed my burden (much like he didn't remove Paul's 'thorn in his side',) but he has eased it in so many ways. For example, the negative voice in my mind is gone (it plagued me for years,) my family is closer, I learned correct thinking, and I learned the truth about some things. I'm grateful that many years ago the 'it could be worse' thought crossed my mind and caused me to consider the worse things which led me to feel grateful.

This life isn't fair, but how do I react to unfairness? I may have thought the worst and have seen only the negative at one time, but the thing I love is that I could change. It's amazing to think that a shift in my thinking led to many blessings. 

A Loving Heart

The only way to have a loving heart is to realize that God will make things fair in the end. (This has nothing to do with the election but the unfairness of life.) This is an imperfect world and some people have bad behavior. Not thinking God will make it right causes bitterness and grudges when people are wronged. (In the end, the people who hurt us keep living their lives and the only people who get hurt are us - if we're bitter and hold grudges.) Being loving inspires others to also be loving. (How sad to inspire people to hate.) Letting things go and being merciful gives us freedom when we're affected by unfairness.