Where is the "Choice"?

For decades now, the right of a woman to have an abortion has been a hotly contested issue, and more and more lately politicians have been using it to garner votes.  The liberal media has been resorting to shameful slander in an attempt to vilify those who oppose abortion, claiming that they want to keep abortion illegal in order to keep women in subjugation.  I do not claim to know all that motivates both sides of this issue, but we are capable of observing the effects that it has on individuals and on society.  The issue of abortion raises troubling questions about how we view and value human life.  As a member of the Church, and also as a human being, I am diametrically opposed to the doctrine that a life can be ended as soon as it becomes inconvenient.  And nowhere is this doctrine more prominent than in the issue of abortion.

The Question:
"What do Mormons believe about abortion?  Is it ever justified?"

Nature: Divine or Fallen?

We as humans seem to be of varied opinions of ourselves.  To some, human beings are viewed as God's greatest creation.  To others, humans are despicable, sinful creatures.  And still others say humans are just another species of animal that through evolution and dumb luck became the dominant creature.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints teaches that we are literally children of God, and yet even within the Church there seems to be differing ideas about humans and human nature.  On the one hand, we are God's children and as such have within us the potential to become like him.  In other words, we are said to have "divine nature."  On the other hand, we are subject to sin and imperfection, or subject to our "fallen nature."  So which is it?  Are we inherently good or bad?  And how do our instincts, evolution, and our environment play into what we are?

The Question:
"What do Mormons believe about human nature?  Are we inherently good, or evil?"

LGBT: Fostering Understanding

As a child, I hardly ever heard anyone talk about homosexuality.  Now hardly a day goes by when I don't hear about it.  So many issues are now constantly front and center that many of us rarely had to think about years ago.  But we can't ignore them.  Individuals at opposite ends of gay rights issues cannot afford to go on not understanding--let alone hating--each other.

I've been meaning to talk about my own feelings about homosexuality and LGBT individuals, but haven't been sure where to start.  This is by far the hardest topic I've ever tried to write about because of its sensitive nature.  I finally decided that there's no way I'll get all my thoughts into one post.  There are so many things to talk about.  But as usual, the best place to start is on common ground.  I will not be delving too deeply into the issue in this post, but wanted to start by setting the tone.  Please note that while I've had gay and lesbian friends, I'm not gay myself, so what I say here is according to my best understanding.  If I say something that is not right, I hope that you will kindly correct me.