I Believe

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we take the first Sunday of every month as a sort of open-mic for what we call bearing testimonies. Basically, you say what you feel, maybe an experience you've had that has increased or challenged your faith. It can be a bit random and long-winded at times, but on the whole, it's one of my favorite parts of our service. People speaking from the heart about wanting to be better and how they are connecting with God and the divine.

In publishing Romy & Julia, feel like I need to make sure to make clear what I believe. The book calls into question some of the flaws the Church and its membership. And, as a Church and membership, we have a bit of a persecution complex. Some of it's deserved (extermination order and all that), but I think a lot of times we get our bristles up at any and every criticism without thinking through it first. It's important to me to get through those bristles, so let me make it clear:

I have a testimony of God, the Eternal Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. 

I have a firm conviction in the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. I believe that a hundred and fifty years ago, Joseph Smith sought truth and found it.

I believe past and present leaders of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, known by most as the LDS Church, have tried with all the best intentions to align the Church with the will of God. 

I have room in my faith and understanding of the eternal nature of the world and fallibility of mankind for imperfection and outright mistakes. I have hope for improvement acknowledgment of mistakes. I pray for patience. 

I know that I was inspired by God to write this book.