Elder Jeffrey Holland recently gave a speech at BYU that concerns me.
In his speech, Elder Holland complained about a student commandeering a “graduation podium … to announce his personal sexual orientation.”
Mr. Holland, you claim to be an apostle of Christ, but it is obvious you are not paying attention. Everything I have seen or heard from Matt Easton tells me that his announcement was more for underserved others than for himself.
During all the years Holland was president at BYU and most of the years that Easton attended BYU, BYU’s outreach to gay/lesbian students was to send a “Y” covered in yellow flowers to the funeral after the student committed suicide.
That was what I saw for Harry Fisher.
Instead of passively accepting Harry’s suicide, Matt made a choice to come out during his graduation speech and show LGBT students that they could thrive and could choose a path of “life.” I honor Matt’s courage; it must have been a very difficult choice to make. He had the courage to take a stand and put himself in the sights of those who are ready to “fire their muskets to defend the faith.” I honor Matt’s example. His example has affected despairing LGBT children of God at BYU and elsewhere and helped to give them hope.
Open your ears Mr. Holland. Open your eyes. Please pay attention and learn wisdom and compassion from Matt Easton, instead of complaining from ignorance.
LGBT students, please follow Matt’s example and choose life. There are many who care for you, even when it seems darkest. Look for the helpers, and don’t give up.
Paul Fisher, Pleasant Grove
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