The prayer of a Prop 8 defector

To the Father I know, to the Mother for whom I reach, to the Savior I accept, I send these words.

Thank you sincerely for the wonderful people you've put into my path.  My friends, my neighbors, my brother: for each and every one I thank you, and their reflections of your love in my life.  Thank you for my loving brother, for his awesome husband, and for all those who have supported, loved, and accepted them through all these years that my family foolishly did not,  and when I was too afraid to stand up for them.  Grant me the courage to ask their stories, to know them better, and to accept them completely.


Forgive me of my blind acceptance of the status quo.  Forgive me my pious bigotry and loving ignorance, the walls behind which I hid and believed they preserved the purity of my soul.  I didn't understand that those walls were built of dross, built to be burned in the refiner's fire, burned to reveal to me the true nature of your love.  Forgive me for not listening to my inner voice that dared to disagree.


Help my parents understand.  Help them be at peace.  Help their friends at church understand.  Shield them from feeling the shame of a "wayward" daughter.  They've done nothing but try to honor and obey your commands in the way that they've understood.  Help them honor any courage I display with my convictions, even if they don't agree with me.

Grant me the grace to make my case with calm and peace, Christ-like love and compassion.  Help my mind to be clear, that I may discern as pure a Truth as is possible for my mortal mind to comprehend.  Help my heart to grow to encompass all the human family that I may be more like you.

Thank you for your loving kindness.  May we understand you more fully in our hearts and in our Church and in our lives.  This I pray in the name of the Savior.

Amen.
...and a little woman.

P.S.:  My readers here on Earth should go read this op-ed by Brad Carmack that was publish in the Salt Lake Tribune today.  It is quite excellent on this subject, and it gave me the little nudge I needed to finish this post after shelving it for several weeks.