Let me preface my comments with a few statements. I am Mormon. I’ve been one for my entire life. I believe that the Gospel is true and that it can bring us happiness. I also believe that the Church is led by a prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and that he speaks for God. I am proud of my membership in the Church and wish in no way to disparage it, abandon it, or equivocate as to my beliefs.
That being said, I also recognize that the Church and the Gospel are not the same. The Gospel is God’s restored truth and is perfect, supernal, and comforting. On the other hand, the Church is merely a vehicle for our access to the Gospel, and it is run by people who are imperfect and make mistakes. History reveals that such mistakes have been made by Church leaders in both ancient and modern times. Although this notion may be troubling to us in the Church, it need not be. Rather, it can serve as a means of developing a deeper testimony of the omniscience of God and of coping with contemporary Church stances with which we might disagree (like the new policy on children of same-sex unions).
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