I have a dear friend whom lately I have talked to about the difficulty of being a public figure, about criticizing some Mormon policies publicly, and about the backlash I have experienced from more conservative Mormons, some of them formerly dear friends of mine. This friend nods her head, talks to me about her years in local politics, about the many people who hated her, the many who loved her, about calls at 3 a.m, and says, "you just need to know you're right with God, and nothing else matters."
I think also about the friends and families who ask me if I am distressed about the reactions to my work, doesn't that indicate that I'm not right with God, that the spirit of God is telling me that I am headed down the wrong path? To both of these groups, I must sadly say that feeling that I am right with God is not enough for me. Feeling right, feeling certain, is, in fact, a dangerous way to avoid conflict and correction and that most certainly does not seem the way that God interacts with mortals.
Read Full Article »