M. Russell Ballard, President of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles has passed away. While I remember many of the words he spoke, I thought a few in particular should be posted here:
"I want anyone who is a member of the church who is gay or lesbian to know I believe you have a place in the kingdom and recognize that sometimes it may be difficult for you to see where you fit in the Lord’s Church, but you do. We need to listen to and understand what our LGBT brothers and sisters are feeling and experiencing. Certainly, we must do better than we have done in the past so that all members feel they have a spiritual home where their brothers and sisters love them and where they have a place to worship and serve the Lord."
"We condemn, in the strongest terms, bullying or harassment of any kind. Every person is a child of God. Everyone is entitled to love and respect. The reason that the Church supported the LoveLoud Festival, here in Utah County, was to send a strong message that LGBT youth or anyone else should never be mistreated"