Hecka Sweet Fireside in Idaho Falls Coming Up

Apologies for the Utah dialect in the title.

I'm sure most of you have heard by know about the fireside in Idaho Falls on Sunday night. (click her for all the info) Braveone is a major force behind it, I know the Matis's are involved somehow, and so is Ty Mansfield. Its a 60 stake fireside, and was approved by Kim Clark.

I'm sure my excitement comes from the fact that this is my home. Good old East Idaho. Land of my developement. Where my friend got cited for mooning from my car, where I went to school, graduated, and left for my mission; the place i first made friends, felt love, got in a wreck, felt depression, and realize I had a unique circumstance.

I love the Snake River Valley more than any other patch of ground on Earth. I love moving pipe on the banks of the river while the Sun rises. I love the desolation of the sage brush desert. I love the lava tubes, the sand dunes, the shooting ranges, and the river bottoms.

And the people, straight, direct, relaxed, plodding. Forgiving. Inviting. People care about strangers there. They say "hi" to unknowns, they don't deal with traffic issues, they live there because they love the land, and they love family.

It was also the place where my personal hell started.

That's why I'm excited about this conference. The Land I Love will get a "Matis Fireside on Steroids"

I've told about ten different Idaho Bishops about my same-gender-attraction, and SUPRISE, many of them were as clueless as I was. But growth and understanding is coming in the Church. My bishops were never mean, or hateful, or disgusted, but we both were confused, and frustrated.

In my view there is a tight rope trail being forged for faithful SGA saints. Those saints who fell the burning fire of faith in their hearts, who stick strictly to their covenants and believe in the validity of the Church and Gospel. On one side of the tight rope is the self hate, doubt, and depression we feel, because of the ignorance of the world at large. On the other is the pit of sliding apostasy, rationalization, and sin, fueled by these burning urges.

In the middle is the tight rope of faith and peace we can find as we stay faithful to our God, keep the covenants we have made with him, and overcome the doubt and depression and hate, with in and without.

This fireside has the opportunity to accomplish that. So shed light on that tightrope of faith. Help Latter-day Saints keep the balance they need, so they won't lose years or decades floundering between depression and apostasy. I hope it helps other young men of Idaho, find support from family and friends, and realize that "sweet is the peace the gospel brings"

Thank you so much to everyone involve. For so long the Adversary has used both sides of the tightrope to bring down the Sons and Daughters of the Lord. You are shaking the Adversary's grip he has on us, and that is why the opposition is so intense

j4k