Yes, I'm LDS and I support my leaders

I've felt like I had to say that a lot since General Conference this year. Here where I live, there's been a lot of fall out from President Boyd K. Packer's talk. It has stirred up emotions from people and groups and news and media of all types. Groups want to take messages out of context and misconstrue as much of his comments as they can in an effort to discredit him and the LDS church in general. I have friends who are angry over his comments or disagree with what was said. I've had people at work make naive comments without reading or listening to the entire talk. So I've tried to respond in a manner that satisfies me and what I believe and here's what I've concluded.

I was raised LDS by parents who took me and my siblings to church every week. We participated in prayers and scripture study and were encouraged to live our lives in accordance with the LDS faith teachings. Thankfully, for us and our immediate family, we never encountered large earth shattering, faith testing moments- or atleast none that I'm aware of. I went off to college and chose to continue to go to church on my own and attend institute, where I could learn and grow more in my faith. Obviously along the path of my life, I've met people who aren't members of the LDS church. Some of them are still part of my life and I love them. There are good people everywhere. I've listened to conference pretty much every session of my life and tried to reread and study the talks as they've come out in the Ensign each November.

Now that I'm on my own, my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel is all my own responsibility. I don't have a husband or children or roommates, even, to remind me to read my scriptures or attend the temple or say my prayers or be a good example or go to church or watch clean movies or make sure the spirit can be found in my home. That's all on my shoulders. I've watched many friends leave the church because of various reasons, some simply because they don't take responsibility for their own testimony.

I know that my faith and the religion that it is based on is the only true and complete gospel on the earth. And because I know that, I don't doubt my leaders when they speak up for truth and righteousness. I feel I am so lucky to have the ability and common sense to know and recognize truth when I hear it. I can honestly say, while I may have not lived my religion as perfectly as I could have done throughout my life, I've never doubted what our prophets and leaders have had to say. I've never doubted the truth of the doctrine. And just because the leaders of my faith have the courage to stand up for what's right, doesn't shake what I know. It only strengthens it. I ask for confirmation and receive peace to my mind when such controversial issues arise and never once have I been led to somewhere other than what they say.

So as I listen to the hateful remarks and disparaging comments made about President Packer or the rest of the Church, it comforts me to know that I know what they've said is true. And truth isn't always popular, but that doesn't make it any less true.