"As For Me and My House..."

I decided to take a short break from writing out the first 36 elements on flash cards to write about something that has been on my mind since this morning. I went to institute were I am enrolled in History of the LDS Church. We were covering the year 1837 which was a year of trouble for the church. Our class learned that Joseph Smith had a lot of people angry at him. To make a long story short many people blamed their economic troubles on Joseph and not themselves. My institute teacher noted that the world today is in a similar situation. When President Boyd K. Packer came out with his recent talk, much of the Homosexual community and it's supporters along with some church members felt that he was wrong. Then my teacher asked the question of all questions..."Are you going to be the people in the temple who saw angels and manifest that the church is true but Joseph Smith has fallen and the people of the world who calm President Packer is wrong, or are you going to follow the Lord? Because the Lord never takes back what He intends to say. He uses the prophet and apostle to share His teachings and He never excuses what He says. I know all of you will face the time when you stand by the prophet because that is what the Lord says or to stand by your friends because they are offended. So, whom will you choose? Whom will you serve?" After class I approached my institute teacher and said "Brother B, I am facing this right now. Although I could never understand what it feels like to have al your friends abandon you like Joseph Smith did, I know the feeling of losing a friend because I choose to serve the Lord." He then looked at me and asked how? So, I will tell everyone how...

Back when Prop 8 was a huge deal, I had a bunch of my friends ask me to join them for a march on temple square. This march (or demonstration if you want to call it that) was to ask the church to not support such a decision. I asked all my friends to leave me out of it since it was for California voters and I need not to vote on it. When it did pass I had many friends become very enraged that I would not pick a side and could not understand how a religion group such as the Mormons could do such a thing. Luckily, I do my research before voting and found out that only 5% of the voters were, in fact, Mormon. A good majority were Catholic. I pointed this out to several friends and soon, thanks to my research, they calmed down and instead focused their efforts on other things. I thought I was in the clear and did not need to defend or explain myself to them. Then, a few years later, President Packer gave his talk and let me tell you, my phone was receiving text message after text message with friends asking how could I support such an intolerant, unsupportive and fallen church. I even had one friend send a text that went something like this...

Friend: I am going to tell you right now...I am angry that you are turning your back on people that care about you.

Me: I care about you so much and love you. We will not stop being friends.

Friend: Not if I have anything to say about this...

Me: ???

Friend: It's me or God and choose wisely because this may be the last conversation we have.

Me: I am amazed and appalled that you would make me choose. You are my friend and should know me well enough to know that if God asked me to leave everything behind and disappear for a while with nothing, I would. I choose God. I love you and I know you are angry but if you can't support me in that decision, we must not be friends then.

I never received an answer back from him. I have seen him around and make special efforts to smile and say hi. After this conversation, I had about 20 other friends delete me from their phones and facebook. The time was now. I had to choose whom I would serve. I cried the entire week knowing what was to come. In the months that followed, more and more dear and close friends of mine asked me to choose them or God and every single one of them left. I have not heard from most of them since that time. In total, I have had over 40 friends leave.

Now, I told this story to my institute teacher not to show that I am some great follower of the Lord, because I am honestly not that great. Everyday, I have doubts, everyday I cry thinking how difficult this task will be, but everyday I receive strength knowing things will work out in the end. My institute teacher then said, "My dear sweet friend. At 23, you should not have had to face such a decision, but I stand by you and your decision. You have my word. May God bless you for this sacrifice. Now, go to your next class. I am sure God is so proud of you!"

I don't know about the dealings of God and how everything will work but this decision is one I have made. I don't tell anyone this story to have a pity party or to show that I am a faithful follower. Instead, it is more of a reality. What I call the Great Division is starting. Christ is coming and everything is going to get much harder before it gets any easier, but "...as for me and my house, I will serve the Lord!"